With one event remaining, UW-Oshkosh was in first place at the NCAA Division III Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship held Friday and Saturday in Greencastle, Ind.
In the 15th and final event, defending champion Wartburg College (Iowa) rallied to edge out the Titans and win their second straight national championship.
The Knights were in third place after 14 events and relied on a strong finish from their 1,600-meter relay team in the final event.
That is exactly what they got, finishing first in the event and propelling their team to a first-place finish in the tournament with 33 points. Oshkosh did not compete in the 1,600-meter relay.
“We had to sit back and watch Wartburg and hope they finished third or worse,” UW-Oshkosh head coach Pat Ebel said. “You can't control it as a coach, so all you could do is sit back and watch.”
The Titans were still happy with its second consecutive second-place finish at nationals.
All five of the athletes competing for Oshkosh left the tournament with All-American honors by finishing in eighth place or better in their events.
“At the Championships, our goal was to be a trophy team,” Ebel said.
“When you're only taking five women to nationals, everyone has to be on their ‘A’ game. They had their best performances of the year at the national meet.”
Junior Holly Ozanich accounted for 16 of the Titans' 29 team points, highlighted by finishing first in the 20-pound weight throw with a distance of 64 – 5 1/4. Ozanich also placed third in the shot put with a distance of 46 – 3 1/2.
“She's been on all year,” Ebel said. “She's never been beaten in the weight throw this year. (Holly) really handled the stress. She told me she had a good feeling she would win the weight throw and she did just that.”
In her final indoor track and field season, senior Ellie Sitek finished fifth in the shot put with a mark of 46 – 0 1/2 and sixth in the 20-pound weight throw with a distance of 57 – 4 3/4, accumulating seven points for her team.
“She went out the best she could,” Ebel said. “She (achieved a personal record) in the weight throw. She's a multi All-American athlete.
Sitek has constantly improved her results in the 20-pound weight throw throughout her career. As a freshman, she finished 13th in the tournament with a distance of 49 – 3 1/2.
The senior thinks her teammates are responsible for a lot of her success.
“We definitely push each other to be better,” Sitek said. “If one person is stepping up their game, you want to go out and beat them. You just keep pushing each other forward.”
Freshman Jecel Gerner placed sixth in the shot put with a distance of 45 – 7 1/4 in her first NCAA Championship.
Junior Camille Davis placed seventh in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.26 seconds.
Davis has had an impressive season for the Titans, breaking the UW-Oshkosh 55-meter record on three separate occasions.
“I thought the season was really successful and exciting,” Davis said. “I think it was a very successful season for me, and I can't wait for the outdoor season.”
“She worked extremely hard in the off-season and throughout the season and became an All-American,” Ebel said. “She's an example of what hard work will get you.”
Senior Sue Trzebiatowski placed eighth in the 20-pound weight throw with a distance of 55 – 9 3/4. Trzebiatowski placed fourth in the 20-pound weight throw at last year's Championships with a mark of 55 – 0.
Ebel is happy with his team's indoor performance this season, and thinks things will continue to go well in the spring.
“Being the first year head coach, I was very pleased with our whole performance in the indoor season and hopefully that will transition to the outdoor season,” he said. “We should be a stronger team outdoor with more events opening up for us."
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