LS
Lexie Sondgeroth
  • physical education
  • Rochelle, IL

Rochelle Native Sondgeroth Earns All-America Track and Field Honors

2015 Mar 17

Lexie Sondgeroth, a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater track and field program, was one of seven different Warhawks to garner All-America accolades by virtue of their performances at last weekend's NCAA Division III Indoor Championships at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Sondgeroth is majoring in physical education at UW-Whitewater.

See below for complete recaps for both the UW-Whitewater men and women.

Men

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's track and field team registered its sixth consecutive top 10 finish at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships, wrapping up competition Saturday tied for ninth place at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Warhawks totaled 16 points to tie Bates and finish just three points behind Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival UW-Oshkosh. UW-Eau Claire (62 points) edged UW-La Crosse (60) for the national title.

Freshman Mike Cournia (Waukesha, Wis./South) was one of four All-Americans crowned on the day for UW-Whitewater. He placed fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 47-06.25. Cournia, who entered the weekend ranked seventh in the event, claimed the program's third All-America accolade in the last four years in the indoor triple jump.

Seniors Dawson Miller (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) and Stephen Sousa (San Diego, Calif./Westview) each placed sixth in their respective events.

Miller finished the 3,000-meter run in a school record time of 8:18.57, breaking his own mark set earlier this season. He became the first All-American in the indoor 3,000 in school history. Miller, who began the weekend at No. 4 in the event, is now a five-time All-American in track and field.

Sousa also broke his own school record set earlier this season in the heptathlon with a score of 5016 to become the school's first-ever indoor All-American in the event. Now a two-time All-American, Sousa entered the event with the seventh-best score and was 14th in last season's indoor heptathlon.

Freshman Theron Baumann (Monona Grove, Wis./Monona Grove) became the program's fifth All-American in the shot put and first since 2007. His mark of 56-04.75, tallied on his first throw of the day, was good for eighth place. Baumann entered the weekend with the nation's No. 6 toss.

On Friday, freshman Robert Starnes (Green Bay, Wis./Preble), who entered the day with the seventh-best mark in the long jump, placed fifth with a 22-09.75. He is the program's seventh All-American in the event since 2012 and is one of seven different long jumpers to earn 12 All-America honors in program history.

Women

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's track and field team placed sixth at the 2015 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, wrapping up competition Saturday at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Seniors Shelby Mahr (Boyd, Wis./Stanley-Boyd) and Lexie Sondgeroth (Rochelle, Ill./Township) tallied All-America honors in all five events they competed in during the weekend to total 27 points, just seven shy of fourth place. The Warhawks were one of four Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams in the top six of the standings.

UW-Whitewater recorded its second-best finish at the indoor national meet in school history. The Warhawks placed fifth in both 1993 and 2014.

With a mark of 18-10.00, Sondgeroth claimed the national title in the long jump. She became the program's second-ever national champion in the indoor event and first indoor NCAA title winner since Jessica Kohlman in the weight throw in 2001.

Sondgeroth, who also clinched her fourth All-America honor in the indoor long jump, picked up the school's fifth-ever indoor individual national championship. She entered competition Friday as the No. 4 seed in the event.

Sondgeroth capped a fantastic weekend Saturday with third place in the 400-meter dash and seventh in the 200-meter dash. She became the national champion in the long jump Friday.

In the 400, Sondgeroth broke an 11-year-old school record with a time of 57.27 seconds, shattering the previous best of 57.55 by Katelyn Friedel in 2004. Sondgeroth, who entered the weekend eighth in the event, became the first indoor All-American in the 400 in program history.

Sondgeroth tallied a 25.46 in the 200 to earn her second straight All-America accolade in the event and 13th of her career. She is the only indoor All-American in the 200 in program history. Sondgeroth entered the meet with the nation's No. 15 time.

Mahr, a captain, placed fifth in the weight throw for her sixth All-America honor and second in the indoor event. Her toss of 57-09.50 was just 4.50 inches out of third place. She entered the meet with the second-best mark in the country.

Mahr placed fourth in the shot put, improving on her sixth-place finish in the same event a year ago with a toss of 46-06.00. She entered the weekend with the sixth-best mark. Mahr is now a seven-time All-American.