UW-L Second After First Day of NCAA III Championships; Schetter Wins Long Jump National Title

For Immediate Release: Friday, March 14, 2008

Ada, Ohio – The UW-La Crosse women’s track & field team is in second-place after the first day of competition Friday at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships at Ohio Northern University. The Eagles have 16 team points while the University of St. Thomas leads with 18. Keene State is third-place (11) while Tufts University is fourth (10). Richard Stockton, Fredonia SUNY and Cabrini are tied for fifth (8).

UW-L's Caitlin Schetter captured the long jump national title Friday afternoon with a mark of 19-2 3/4. She becomes the third different individual (fourth national championship overall) in school history to win a NCAA Division III Indoor national title and the first to take the long jump.

Schetter is the first athlete since Patti Franckowiak in 1999 (weight throw) to win a national title. Franckowiak also won the weight throw in 1998 while Jessie Coonen won the shot put championship in 1993.

It is Schetter's fourth career All-America accolade, including her third indoors. She placed eighth in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump in 2007. Schetter placed fifth in the long jump at the 2007 NCAA III Outdoor Championships and will compete in the triple jump Saturday.

Along with Schetter's first-place finish, UW-L's Katie Fondow placed third (18-4 1/2) in the long jump for All-America award. It is Fondow's fifth career honor, including third indoors. She was second in the long jump at the 2006 NCAA III Indoor Championships and third in 2007. Fondow also has two outdoor recognitions, finishing fourth in the long jump and seventh in the triple jump last season.

The Eagles' Krista Kopetsky also competed in the long jump Friday, finishing with a mark of 17-5 1/2 in the prelims.

For complete results, click here.

Action on the second and final day of competition begins at 9 a.m. (Central) Saturday.