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Jan. 27, 2003

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's and women's track and field teams continue their march toward a Horizon League Indoor Championship this weekend when they travel to Indianapolis for the Smith Barney Invitational, hosted by Butler University. Saturday's meet begins at 2 p.m. in Plainfield, Ind.

About the Panthers
UWM enters the 2003 season looking to reclaim the Horizon League Indoor Championship after winning five straight on the men's side and two straight women's titles. The Panthers will have an extra incentive to win the championship this season, as the Klotsche Center plays host to the 2003 Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 1 and 2.

Last Week At Charleston
The women's team captured first place in the Eastern Illinois Quad, beating the host Panthers, Western Illinois, Northern Illinois and Bradley, while the men's team was third in the meet behind EIU and WIU. Lynda Thiel collected a pair of wins to lead the women's team, while Nick Viall was first in the 800m in 1:55.72 and anchored the mile relay that finished in 3:20.32 a dead head with the hosts from EIU for first place.

Leaping Lynda
Lynda Thiel has opened the 2003 season where she left off a year ago, winning the pole vault and high jump Saturday Eastern Illinois. For the second straight week, Thiel pulled off the double, taking the pole vault with an effort of 10'11 3/4" and the high jump after clearing 5'5 3/4". Thiel also competed in the long jump for the first time in her UWM career, and came away with a third-place finish after jumping 17'1/2". On Jan. 18 at Carthage, she cleared 10'6" (3.20m) in the pole vault, which broke a fieldhouse and meet record. In the high jump, she cleared 5'3 3/4" (1.62m) for the win. Thiel was named the league's Outstanding Performer for Field Events at the outdoor championships last spring after winning the pole vault and the javelin and finishing fourth in the high jump.

Kenesie Keeps Moving
Senior Stephanie Kenesie has typically been one of the busiest and most versatile athletes on the day of the meet, and the start of the 2003 season has seen no change from that trend. Saturday in Charleston, she competed in the long jump, winning with a jump of 18'4 1/4", while also finishing second in the 60m hurdles in 9.15 and third in the triple jump with an effort of 35'11 1/4". Kenesie competed in four events Jan. 18 at Carthage, finishing first in the long and triple jump while also gathering a fourth-place showing in the high jump and a fifth-place mark in the 55m hurdles.

High-Flying Freshmen
The men's team, seeking to replace one of the most prolific jumpers in school history, Ken Hunt, might have found several candidates after the first two weeks of the season. Sean Cludy won the triple jump and was sixth in the high jump Saturday in Charleston, while Scott Bambrough was third in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump. Cludy and Bambrough each placed in both the long and triple jumps Jan. 18 at Carthage, with Cludy finishing third in the triple and sixth in the long. Bambrough, meanwhile, was eighth in the long and fourth in the triple.

One Meet, One Record
Stephanie Ray didn't take long to make her mark on the UWM record book. In her first collegiate competition Jan. 18 at Carthage, she threw the 20lb. weight throw 37'1 3/4", good for the UWM record in the event. The Racine native is the first woman in school history to compete in the event.

Another Strong First Impression
Christine Wampach also has had an excellent start to the indoor season, pulling two of the top performances in school history in consecutive weeks. The sophomore was fourth in the mile Jan. 18 at Carthage, and her time of 5:03.75 is the seventh-best indoor time in school history. Saturday at Charleston, she followed that up with a win in the 3000m run, finishing in 10:09.57, good for the fifth-best 3000m time in UWM history. Wampach ran in just the first two indoor meets in her freshman indoor season before sitting out the outdoor season and the fall cross country season.

Record Breakers
Lynda Thiel and Katie Seep had a meet to remember last year at the Horizon League Outdoor Championships on May 9 and 10 in Indianapolis. Thiel set a new school record in the pole vault, clearing 3.35m (11 feet) and was named the meet's Outstanding Performer for Field Events. Seep, meanwhile, set a new Horizon League record in winning the 400m, finishing in 57.04.

Record Breakers, Part 2
Lynda Thiel started the 2003 season off in a strong way by finishing second in the pole vault at the Badger Track Classic Jan. 11. Thiel cleared 3.41m (11'2.25"), setting a new indoor school record.

Breaking The Fieldhouse
Three fieldhouse and five meet records fell at the hands of Panther track and field athletes Jan. 18 at Carthage. The women's team claimed the three fieldhouse marks and three meet marks on their way to a second-place finish, while the men's team took down two meet records and finished third. Stephanie Kenesie and Lynda Thiel each broke a meet and fieldhouse mark, with Kenesie's coming in the long jump and Thiel's in the pole vault. The women's 4x200m relay team of Sara Vanderloop, Laura Diers, Iris Perez and Nicole Frey also grabbed a meet and fieldhouse mark, finishing in 1:44.35. For the men, Kyle Huebner broke his own meet record in the pole vault, while the men's 4x400m relay team also set a meet record, finishing in 3:22.11.

On The Men's Roster
Several strong newcomers join a talented core of returners for coach Pete Corfeld's men's team. Among the returnees are Nick Davis, Kyle Huebner and Adam Hobler, each of whom received first team all-league honors a year ago. Davis and Huebner each won one indoor title, with Davis winning two events outdoors and Huebner and Hobler each winning one. Also returning is sophomore Steve Saul, who earned all-league recognition in cross country during the fall of 2002.

For The Women
Six different women won titles a year ago, with five of them returning in 2003 to defend their championship. Nicole Frey captured both the indoor and outdoor 200m crown, while Stephanie Kenesie won the long jump both indoors and outdoors. Kenesie also added an indoor triple jump title to her credit. Abby Hurst (3000m steeplechase), Katie Seep (outdoor 400m) and Lynda Thiel (outdoor pole vault, javelin) also return to try to repeat.

Thanks For The Memories
The men's team lost three of the most decorated athletes in the school's Division I history in Cornelius Hill, Ken Hunt and Jon Manke at the end of last season. Hill departs UWM after just one season, but holds the school record in the indoor mile and 3000m, along with the outdoor mile. Hunt is the school record holder in the indoor and outdoor triple jumps with the same mark in both. Manke, meanwhile, holds the indoor shot and weight throw records, and the outdoor shot and discus marks.

Next On Tap
UWM heads to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the Northern Iowa Invitational on Feb. 8.