The UW-Eau Claire men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams competed in their first outdoor meet of the season. 

Colin McClowry, a second-year journalism student and runner, said the Blugolds had a strong start to the season. 

“The team has been focusing on bringing more energy to meets,” McClowry said. “We’ve been trying to celebrate when someone does well and be there for our teammates while they compete.” 

The men’s team placed third overall, with a score of 115.5 points. 

According to Yakob Ekoue, a fourth-year marketing sales and management student, the team faced weather challenges leading up to their first meet. 

“The weather has been bad in the weeks leading up to the meet,” Ekoue said. “The great weather on Friday was a highlight for me and a lot of my teammates.” 

Ekoue placed No. 1 in shotput with a distance of 16.64 meters and discus throw with a distance of 53.41 meters. 

Riley Whitman, a second-year pre-business student, said the team was able to overcome the weather, despite the difficulties it caused for the team. 

“The wind started to pick up during pole vaulting,” Whitman said. “It was hard to stay warm towards the end of the meet, but we kept a good attitude and made sure to encourage each other and keep our energy up.”

The women’s team placed second overall, with a score of 113.5 points. 

The team has been focusing on resting and maintaining their health during the outdoor season, according to McClowry. 

“We have been prioritizing getting our athletes healthy,” McClowry said. “There were a few big injuries during the indoor season that derailed the team. We will not be able to compete well as a team if we don’t get everyone healthy.”

According to Ekoue, the first meet made the team hopeful for what the rest of the season has in store. 

“We got off on the right foot this season,” Ekoue said. “We haven’t been able to practice outside very much, but we still saw a lot of personal records during the meet.”

Whitman said the first outdoor meet gave her confidence for the outdoor season.

“We had a lot of injuries and other challenges during our indoor season,” Whitman said. “We had a great start to the outdoor season. I felt much stronger and more prepared this time around.” 

According to Whitman, the team has been prioritizing their attitudes and focusing on the small things they can improve on. 

“We have a tight-knit team and we know we can rely on each other for support in all aspects of our lives,” Whitman said. “We are all trying our best to improve and be there for each other during the season.”

According to Ekoue, this year’s team has many important attributes that have contributed to their success. 

“Our team has really great depth,” Ekoue said. “A lot of my teammates have the ability to compete across all events. That’s something we haven’t seen on the men’s team in the last few years.”

The Blugolds’ next meet is on April 15 at the Platteville Invitational. 

Allessi can be reached at [email protected].