UW-L Continues to Lead After Second Day of NCAA III Championships; Perleberg Wins Steeplechase

For Immediate Release: Friday, May 22, 2009

Marietta, Ohio – The UW-La Crosse women's track & field team continues to lead after the second day of competition at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships at Don Drumm Stadium at Marietta College. The Eagles have 33.0 team points while UW-Oshkosh is second with 28.0 and UW-Eau Claire third with 19.5. Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) is fourth (16.0) and Washington University (Mo.) fifth with 14.0.

Hardin-Simmons University (Texas) is in sixth-place (12.0) while Williams College (Mass.), North Central College (Ill.) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are tied for seventh (10.0). Wheaton College (Ill.), Tufts University (Mass.), the University of St. Thomas and Moravian College (Pa.) are tied for 10th with 8.0 points.

UW-L is seeking its first outdoor national title since capturing back-to-back crowns in 1983 and 1984.

The Eagles' Stephanie Perleberg captured the 3,000-meter steeplechase Friday night with an NCAA Division III season-best and stadium record time of 10:22.34. She becomes the second student-athlete in school history to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase, joining Julia Rudd who captured the crown in 2004.

Perleberg earned her first career All-America honor with the steeplechase title.

In other action Friday, Katlin Genthe tied for 14th in the pole vault (11-4 1/2).

UW-L's Ashton May and Caitlin Schetter failed to advance to Saturday's 100-meter dash final after running in Friday's preliminaries. May ran 12.50 while Schetter was disqualified.

Action concludes Saturday at Marietta College.