BH
Brett Harms
  • marketing
  • Class of 2018
  • Whitewater, Wisc.

Whitewater Native Harms Selected to UW-Whitewater Men's Track and Field Roster

2016 Jan 14

Brett Harms, a native of Whitewater, WI, and graduate of Whitewater High School, will compete for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's track and field team in 2016.

Harms, a sophomore at UW-Whitewater, is majoring in marketing.

See below for a complete season preview of the 2016 Warhawks.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's track and field team looks to build off the momentum of a big splash at last season's NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships as it heads into the 2016 indoor campaign.

The Warhawks open the season this Saturday with the Karl Schlender Invitational at Kachel Fieldhouse. The team is ranked 11th in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division III Indoor Preseason Computer Rankings.

After placing third in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and tying for ninth at the NCAA Indoor Championships, UW-Whitewater placed second at the WIAC Outdoor Championships, the team's highest finish since 2007, and matched the best finish in program history with a third-place showing at the national outdoor championships.

At the outdoor meet, Dawson Miller posted the fourth-best time in Division III history to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase title and Robert Starnes (Green Bay, Wis./Preble) electrified the crowd with a school and facility record high jump of 7-00.25 to claim the championship in the event. Miller and Starnes became the first duo in program history to win national titles at the same championship event.

Despite the loss of Miller due to graduation, Starnes is rejoined this spring by fellow 2015 All-American Theron Baumann (Monona Grove, Wis./Monona Grove) and national qualifiers Zak Fritz (Racine, Wis./Case), Jonah Nelson (Dodgeville, Wis./Dodgeville-Mineral Point), Zach Stockheimer (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) and Parker Witt (Appleton, Wis./North).

Senior Michael Judd (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence), who will begin his final year during the outdoor season, will serve as a captain for the second straight season. He is joined in the leadership role by seniors CJ Klingbeil (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) and Bryce Rudebeck (Waterford, Wis./Waterford Union).

The Warhawks regularly compete against the nation's best, including its fellow conference members. The WIAC is represented by six schools, including three among the top four, in the USTFCCCA's Top 25.

Following this weekend's Karl Schlender Invitational, UW-Whitewater heads to the North Central Cardinal Opener on Jan. 22 and hosts the annual "Squig" Converse Invitational on Jan. 29.

The WIAC Indoor Championships are scheduled for Feb. 26-27 at UW-Oshkosh. The NCAA Indoor Championships are slated on March 11-12 at Grinnell (Iowa) College.

See below for a group-by-group preview of the 2016 UW-Whitewater men's indoor track and field team.

Sprints/Hurdles

Witt and Rudebeck lead the sprinters.

Rudebeck is a three-time All-American in relay events and was a member of the 2013 WIAC indoor champion 4x400-meter relay team. The 2015 co-captain is a seven-time All-WIAC honoree, including four times indoors, and is a part of two school record holding relays. Witt is the school record holder in the 100-meter dash and qualified nationally in both the 100- and 200-meter dash outdoors. He also placed in two individual events at each of last year's WIAC Championships.

Witt, juniors Zach Debuhr (Grafton, Wis./Grafton), Connor Larson (St. Charles, Ill./North) and Grant Loess (St. Charles, Ill./North) were part of the team's seventh-place 4x100-meter relay at the WIAC Outdoor Championships in 2015.

Klingbeil placed among the top eight in two hurdles events at conference championship meets last year. Sophomore Robert Martin (Bangor, Wis./Bangor) was a qualifier in hurdles events at both of last year's championships. Sophomores Justin Bethia (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead), Jack Bullis (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater), Austin Wendorf (Viola, Wis./Kickapoo-La Farge) and Logan Zeien (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) each competed in one hurdles event at last season's WIAC Outdoor Championships.

Jumps

Starnes headlines the group, earning three All-America accolades (twice in the long jump) and four All-WIAC honors in a breakout 2015 season.

Sophomore Cameron MaGee (Richland Center, Wis./Ithaca) placed sixth in the indoor high jump and fourth in the outdoor high jump at conference meets a year ago.

Sophomore Chanler Leonard (Dodgeville, Wis./Dodgeville-Mineral Point) was on the fringe of placing in the high jump at both the WIAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 2015. Sophomore Matt Green (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) competed in the triple jump at both conference meets last season, while junior Grant Loess (St. Charles, Ill./North) took part in the long jump at both events. Junior Zak Loess (St. Charles, Ill./North) qualified for the WIAC Outdoor Championships in the long jump a year ago.

Sophomore Aron Schwartz (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) leads returning pole vaulters, qualifying for both the indoor and outdoor conference championships in 2015.

Mid-Distance/Distance

Nelson is the lone returner from last year's national qualifying distance medley relay team.

Sophomore Brett Harms (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) enjoyed a strong fall in cross country, earning all-conference and all-region honors en route to qualifying for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. He finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the outdoor meet and, along with Nelson, was a part of the team's fifth-place distance medley relay during the indoor season.

Senior Kent Miehe (Darlington, Wis./Darlington) was ninth in the WIAC in the 3,000-meter steeplechase last season, and junior Noah Stamsta (Waunakee, Wis./Waunakee) was 11th in the 5,000-meter indoor run.

Senior mid-distance runner Ryan Adamski (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead), a 2014 All-American and 2013 second team All-WIAC honoree in the distance medley relay, also returns. Adamski, Nelson and sophomore Alec Meixelsperger (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) were members of the fifth-place 4x800-meter relay team at last year's WIAC Outdoor Championships.

Junior Quinn Farley (Warrenville, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South) was the team's top finisher in the 10,000-meter run at the conference outdoor meet.

Throws

Baumann, a sophomore, highlights returning throwers. He is the school record holder and an All-American in both the indoor and outdoor shot put, and was All-WIAC in both the shot put and discus at last year's outdoor meet.

Stockheimer posted All-WIAC accolades and qualified nationally in the hammer throw during the 2015 outdoor season. He was fourth in the weight throw at the conference indoor meet.

Junior Levi Perry (East Moline, Ill./United Township) placed sixth in the weight throw at last year's indoor meet, and was ninth in both the discus and the hammer outdoors.

Junior Kyle McNeil competed in three indoor events and one outdoor event at last year's league championships, while senior Josh Davison (Waterloo, Wis./Waterloo) and junior Nathan Smith (McBain, Mich./McBain) participated in events at last year's WIAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Sophomore Jason D'amico (Geneva, Ill./Geneva Community) competed at the 2015 WIAC Outdoor Championships.

Multi-Events

Junior Josh Selje (Rio, Wis./Rio) is the lone returner of the group, finishing 11th in the heptathlon at last year's WIAC Indoor Championships.