May 10, 2012

Cardinal Twilight Schedule

MILWAUKEE - Fresh off another Horizon League Championship weekend, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's and women's track & field teams head to Louisville, Ky. this weekend for the Cardinal Twilight in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA West Region Championships, May 24-26, in Austin, Texas.

The Panthers will send 24 individuals to Louisville Friday trying to improve on their already impressive regional rankings and earn a berth to next weekend's regional meet.

Scouting The Meet
Some of the nation's best athletes will head to Louisville, Ky. this weekend, trying to earn a spot at the NCAA West Regional Championships next weekend in Austin, Texas. The top 48 individuals regionally in each event qualify.

Currently, Milwaukee has seven student-athletes ranked in the top 48 in various events and more than a handful of others just missing that mark. In all, UWM boasts 23 rankings in the top 100 regionally, including seven being ranked among the top in the nation.

Live Results
Follow along and see how the Panthers are doing online here.

Last Time Out
The Panthers continued their run of dominance all season long, winning three of four Horizon League titles on the year. That theme was carried out last weekend as the men's team took home their 18th-straight league title, the longest active streak in the nation.

The Panthers took the top four spots in the 110m hurdles and the top three in the high jump to cruise to a 67-point win, amassing an impressive 175 total points over the three-day championship event.

On the women's side, UWM fell just short, taking second with 129 total points. Milwaukee had to deal with a weather delay and injuries before finally having the meet cancelled prior to the final event.

Record-Breaking Year
Breaking school and league records has seemingly become routine for Milwaukee over the years and this season was no exception. The Panthers broke an outstanding five school records during the outdoor season and posted an incredible 35 new top-10 all-time marks to the school's record books.

Last weekend, senior Laura Hamel broke the school record in high jump with a leap of 5-8 1/2 (1.74m) while battling in the heptathlon portion of the competition. Durell Busby also broke a league record in the 110m hurdles. The junior broke his own previous league record with a time of 14.30 in prelims and then shattered the mark with a run of 13.92 in finals, just missing his school record of 13.90.

Going National
Milwaukee has had quite a bit of success this season and it has shown in the national rankings. UWM has placed an outstanding 16 individuals in the nation's top 100 at various points throughout the season and currently has seven slotted among the best in the country.

Junior Durell Busby leads the way, coming in 33rd in the nation in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.90.

Other Panthers currently receiving national attention are Shelby Schaal in the heptathlon (47th/5,063 points), freshman Aaron Dillon (75th/15.20m) and junior Samia Taylor (78th/12.49) in men's and women's triple jump, sophomore Dexter Schleis in the 400m hurdles (78th/52.24) and sophomore Nick Hughes (73rd/2.10m) and senior Laura Hamel (92nd/1.74m), both in high jump.