MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Jan. 28, 2009) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's track and field team will return to Madison, Wis., for its second-straight meet this weekend, competing at the Wisconsin Elite Invitational Jan. 30-31.

The Panthers opened their 2009 indoor season Jan. 17, at the Badger Track Classic, also hosted by the University of Wisconsin. Milwaukee posted wins in two events by junior Jamie Woods and freshman Erika Hanson.

Woods was rewarded for her season-opening effort with Horizon League Field Athlete of the Week honors. She had won the shot put in Madison, throwing a personal-best 42-9 in doing so. Her distance also moved her up to fifth in school history in the event.

Hanson was one of a handful of Panther freshmen that got their careers kicked off. She was the most successful, winning the 800m in a time of 2:22.36. Freshmen Katie Duchow and Shelby Schaal also posted top-three finishes, with Duchow finishing second in the 200m. Schaal ran in the 800m with Hanson and took third.

It wasn't just freshmen that got off their seasons kicked off. Junior Emily Budde was the runner-up in the long jump and finished the 60m hurdles just 0.02 seconds off her career-best time. In the 600m, junior Kelsey Conrad took third and sophomore Angie Kaufmann was fourth. Junior Stef Ross also posted a third-place finish in the 200m, one spot behind Duchow.

UWM heads to the Wisconsin Elite Invitational for the third-straight season. In 2008, senior Jenni Saarinen highlighted the meet for the Panthers, winning the pentathlon. Shannon Buttchen (600m) and junior Erin Havener (pole vault) each posted runner-up finishes, as well.