Emily Kahl
  • Spanish
  • Class of 2015
  • Huntley, Ill.

Huntley Native Kahl Begins 2015 Season With UW-Whitewater Track and Field

2015 Jan 23

Emily Kahl, a native of Huntley, IL, and junior at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is a member of the Warhawks' 2015 women's track and field program as the team enters its indoor season.

Kahl, a graduate of Huntley High School, is majoring in Spanish.

UW-Whitewater started its 2015 campaign last Saturday by winning the Karl Schlender Invitational at Kachel Fieldhouse. The Warhawks continue competition this Saturday at the North Central College Cardinal Opener.

See below for a complete look at the 2015 UW-Whitewater women's track and field team.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's track and field program is coming off its best national finish in school history a season ago, and expectations are just as high - if not higher - entering the 2015 season.

The Warhawks, who are slotted fourth in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division III Indoor Preseason Computer Rankings, equaled the program's best-ever finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2014 by tying for fifth place.

Two months later, UW-Whitewater scored its best-ever outdoor finish at the national meet, placing third.

Fourth-year head coach Mike Johnson and the Warhawks enter the campaign with aspirations to improve upon last season's accomplishments and compete for a team championship in a loaded Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Seven WIAC teams are ranked in the USTFCCCA's top 25, including UW-La Crosse and UW-Oshkosh, the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the country, respectively.

"What's neat about our conference is that because it's so strong, everyone has to bring their 'A' game to the conference meet," Johnson said. "In track and field, the conference meet is more about your depth, and the national meet is more about your strength ... the great teams are the ones that have great depth, and within that, great strength.

"We know every event is going to be fully loaded, so it gives our kids the opportunity to rise to the occasion ... it's a high energy, high stress kind of environment. You know everybody is going to show up that day."

Johnson is encouraged by what he's seen during the preseason, which began in October.

"The biggest thing, besides the physical aspect, is that it's a very tight chemistry team," Johnson said. "It's a different attitude or atmosphere than we've ever had, which is really encouraging. They're giving themselves a lot harder at practice, because they're working for each other."

UW-Whitewater will host two other meets at Kachel Fieldhouse - the Warhawk Classic (Jan. 31) and the WIAC Tri/Quad (Feb. 14).

The WIAC Indoor Championships are scheduled for Feb. 27-28 at UW-Platteville, and the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships will take place March 13-14 in Salem, N.C.

See below for a full group-by-group preview of the 2015 UW-Whitewater women's track and field team.

Sprints/Hurdles

Senior sprinter Lexie Sondgeroth (Rochelle, IL/Township) is the Warhawks' most decorated student-athlete. She is a 13-time national qualifier, 10-time All-American and two-time WIAC champion. Last May, Sondgeroth won the 400-meter dash national championship in a school record time, and placed second in the long jump and third in the 200-meter dash. She was an All-American in the indoor long jump and 200, and holds five indoor school records.

Senior Beth Dreikosen (Sheboygan/North), who will serve as one of four tem captains in 2015, also returns as one of the team's top sprinters. A two-time outdoor national qualifier in relays, Dreikosen was a member of four relay teams that placed in the top eight at WIAC indoor and outdoor meets last season.

Senior hurdler Lacy Beck (Hebron, IL/Alden-Hebron), who throws the javelin during the outdoor season, will serve as a captain for the second consecutive year. Sophomore Meredith Heller(Hales Corners/Whitnall) placed third in the 400-meter hurdles at last spring's WIAC outdoor meet.

Senior Sara Knapp (Kenosha/Tremper) is a former WIAC placer and national qualifier in relays. Sophomore Brooke Linse (Jefferson/Jefferson) is a two-time WIAC placer in the 4x400-meter relay, while sophomore Megan Linse (Jefferson/Jefferson) is a two-time placer in hurdling events and finished fourth at the WIAC indoor meet in the long jump in 2014.

Sophomores Aisha Coleman (Janesville/Craig) and Haley Precia (Menomonee Falls/Menomonee Falls) join Dreikosen as returners from the WIAC's fifth-best outdoor 4x100-meter relay team. Junior Candice Wayne (West Bend/West) is a three-time conference placer in relays and finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles at the outdoor championship.

Jumps

Sondgeroth is a five-time All-American in the long jump, and the indoor and outdoor school record holder in the event.

Junior Tyler Henderson (Madison/Verona) is a four-time WIAC placer in the triple jump, including twice in the top five, and was a national qualifier in the indoor event in 2014. Coleman placed seventh in the triple jump in the WIAC indoor and outdoor championships, and sophomore Kaylee Raucci (South Elgin, IL/St. Charles North) finished eighth in the event at the conference indoor meet a season ago.

Returning pole vaulters who competed in WIAC championships in 2014 include sophomoresEmma Glogovsky (Elkhorn/Elkhorn), Nikki Hansen (Spring Grove, MN/Spring Grove) and Leah Richter (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac).

Mid-Distance/Distance

Senior Amanda Brom (Jefferson/Jefferson), a captain for the second straight season, leads a deep mid-distance group. Brom is a four-time national qualifier in the 800-meter run, and earned All-America honors at the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships with a sixth-place finish in the event. She also qualified twice nationally as part of the 4x400-meter relay.

Junior Megan Buse (Franklin/Oak Creek) has placed four times at WIAC championships in relay events, including twice in the distance medley relay. Juniors Amy Kahl (Huntley, IL/Huntley) andElizabeth Klicker (Cary, IL/Cary-Grove) join Buse as returners from last year's fifth-place DMR. Brom, Buse and sophomore Jacky Rowe (Wheaton, IL/North) formed three-fourths of last year's outdoor fifth-place 4x800-meter relay team.

Throws

Senior Shelby Mahr (Boyd/Stanley-Boyd) garnered five All-America accolades in 2014, including two in indoor events. She is the reigning WIAC champion and national runner-up in the weight throw, and an All-American (sixth place) in the shot put. In last spring's NCAA Outdoor Championship, Mahr finished second in the shot put, fifth in the hammer and sixth in the discus. She will serve as a captain this spring.

Sophomore Genny Rose Stringer (Assumption, IL/Assumption) is also a returning All-American. After placing 10th in the discus at the WIAC Outdoor Championship, Rose added more than 10 feet to her personal best mark to qualify for nationals, where she placed fourth in the event. Stringer will compete in the shot put and weight throw during indoor season.

For more information, visit the Warhawks women's track and field Web page.