The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will be represented by 12 student-athletes at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week. The championship meet is slated to run Thursday-Saturday, May 23-25, at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The following UW-Whitewater student-athletes are outdoor national qualifiers for 2024:
Justin Krause of Whitewater, WI (53190), who is majoring in Business Administration MBA.
Gunner Schlender of Whitewater, WI (53190), who is majoring in Physical Education.
Two Warhawk men qualified in two events. Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) boasts the top times in Division III in the 5,000-meter run and 3000-meter steeplechase. Patzka will look to defend his 2023 national title in the steeplechase. A three-time All-American in the event, Patzka enters the championship with the top time in Division III by more than six seconds. In the 5,000, he will be joined by teammate Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion), the ninth seed, in the event. Schlender will also compete in the 10,000-meter run where he enters the championship with the 11th-fastest time in the nation this season. He captured bronze in the 10K a year ago.
Shelvin Garrett II (Beloit, Wis./Memorial) and Jordan Hall (Elkhorn, Wis./Elkhorn) both qualified in the triple jump. Garrett II enters as the number three seed while Hall is seeded 22nd. Garrett II is a two-time All-American in the event and was the 2023 runner-up at the national championship meet.
Justin Krause (Ixonia, Wis./Pewaukee) will look to add to his 2022 All-America honor in the 1500 this season. He enters as the 12th seed.
Ben Bojar (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) earned a spot in the 100-meter dash with his time of 10.52 seconds, good for a tie for 20th among competitors entering the meet.
Tina Shelton (Janesville, Wis./Parker) will lead the UWW women as a qualifier in multiple events. Shelton’s 100-meter dash time is tied for fourth-best in the nation this season. She will also compete in the 200-meter dash where she enters as the 16th seed. Shelton claimed All-America honors in both events last season after finishing fifth and seventh respectively.
Shelton will also run the second leg on the Warhawks’ 4×100 squad that comes in as the sixth seed. Hannah Bilodeau (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) will lead off the foursome followed by Shelton and Jacqueline Kornowski (Green Bay, Wis./Preble). Danielle Pouska (Algonquin, IL/Jacobs) will anchor the combination.
Gracie Holland (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) has qualified in her signature event, the pole vault. She enters the championship as the fourth seed. Holland is a two-time All-American in the event. She finished as the runner-up in 2022 and was fourth a year ago. Kenni Czarnecki (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) will represent UWW in the throws. She is the 11th seed in the hammer throw field.
Fans can watch the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on ncaa.com. Selections and live results are available here.
