While hosting, the UW-L men's T&F team looks for its 3rd straight National Championship
The UW-La Crosse men’s track and field team is looking for its third consecutive Division III Outdoor National Championship — and they can do it at home.
The Eagles host this year's meet, sending 34 athletes, as the meet begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at Veterans Field and runs through Saturday.
On top of the back-to-back-to-back outdoor titles, the Eagles have won 2 of the past 3 indoor titles — losing this past season's indoor championship by one point in taking second.
UW-L has a track and field dynasty with an NCAA DIII record 17 outdoor titles and and 58 indoor/outdoor championships..
Key Competitors and Events
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Luke Schroeder: Schroeder, who is former Packers wide receiver Bill Schroeder's son, enters with the third-fastest qualifying time in the 100-meter dash (10.25). He also looks to improve on his fifth-place finish in the 200-meter dash from 2024 and enters the 110-meter hurdles as a top contender, fresh off setting an NCAA Division III wind-legal record of 13.32.
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Aidan Matthai: Matthai holds the second-fastest qualifying time in the 5,000-meter run (13:54.56) and is also competing in the 10,000-meter run, where he earned All-America honors last year.
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Joey Sullivan: The defending national champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Sullivan returns with the second-fastest qualifying time (8:41.53).
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Cael Schoemann: A former national champion (2024) in the 800-meter run, Schoemann arrives with the third-fastest qualifying time (1:48.84). He's also won the 800 title the past two indoor seasons.
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Collin Conzemius: Seeded third in the 400-meter run (46.74) after a runner-up finish at the 2025 championships.
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Anthony Staryszak: Seeded second in the discus (181-0).
Relay Strength The Eagles’ relays are core component of their scoring depth. The 4x100-meter relay team of Ryder Smith, Evan Maurud, Landon Gallun, and Luke Schroeder enters with momentum after setting a new school record of 39.36 last week. Additionally, the 4x400-meter relay team — comprising Devin Williams, Andrew Hackbarth, Finn Patenaude, and Collin Conzemius — holds the third-fastest time in the nation this season.
Event Schedule Competition at Roger Harring Stadium begins daily at 10 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 11 a.m. on Saturday.
TOP PHOTO by the UW-L athletics department.
UW-La Crosse women sending 28 athletes, as it hosts National Championships
The UW-La Crosse women’s track and field team is set to compete on its home turf this week, hosting the Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The Eagles are sending 28 athletes to compete in 14 events. The meet begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at Veterans Field and runs through Saturday.
UW-L swept indoors and outdoors in 2023 and took third in both in 2025.
Overall, UW-L has won four outdoor national titles (1983, 1984, 2015, 2023) and 15 top-three finishes all-time.
Key Competitors and Events UW-L’s relay teams highlight the depth of the roster, with both the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter squads entering the weekend seeded second nationally.
Individual highlights include:
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Anna Plautz: Seeded second in the 400-meter dash.
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Maya Evans: A three-time All-American, Evans enters as the third seed in both the long jump and triple jump.
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Amber Grosse: Currently holds the top seed in the heptathlon.
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Madison Habberstad: Seeded second in the pole vault.
Event Schedule Action at Roger Harring Stadium begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, with the final day of competition starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Per NCAA rules, the top-eight finishers in each event will earn All-America honors, while those finishing ninth through 16th will receive Second Team accolades.
TOP PHOTO by UW-L athletics department
The roar of Big Bikes for Little Tikes comes Saturday for Tucker Lovelace
He might feel the rumble of nearly 200 motorcycles ride by his house Saturday, as Big Bikes for Little Tikes celebrates 30 years with 9-year-old Tucker Lovelace.
The ride through the Coulee Region helps raise money for the Viroqua kid who has medical needs nobody — especially a 9-year-old — should ever have to endure.
Big Bikes should be buzzing by his house Saturday afternoon and you can take part. Registration runs 9-11 a.m. Saturday, and then everyone will take off from Great River Harley in Onalaska, go through Viroqua, and end up at Features in Holmen to make Tucker and his family’s wish come true — helping get the $15,000 medical bed he needs to sleep safely.
With 30 years of Big Bikes, there are surely stories to tell and riders who have been to more than a few of these events to help kids with medical needs.
Hoping to capture those stories Saturday — so look for her on the reverse three-wheeler — is Nicole Aarstad, host of the YouTube channel, Know How TV.
Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)
We might have joked about her trike, but Aarstad hopes to document the ride live, and tell some of the stories that come with the hundreds of people donating time and money out of their day to help these kids.
If you want to be part of the cause, head down to Great River Harley from 9-11 a.m. Saturday or register below:
- Registration: Saturday, 9-11 a.m. at Great River Harley-Davidson (Onalaska)
- Kickstands Up: 11 a.m.
- After-party: Features in Holmen.
- Donate or Register Online: 957therock.com
- Coverage on YouTube at KnowHowTV
Star Center’s Bri Holden on fight against Parkinson’s and Saturday’s 4th annual awareness walk
We learn about the fight against Parkinson’s disease and how to manage symptoms through specialized movement with Bri Holden.
As the program coordinator at the Star Center in La Crosse, Holden discusses the incurable nature of the disease and the power of exercise—a core mission of the Star Center.
Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)
The organization hosts its 4th annual Parkinson’s Walk and Awareness event from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday at Myrick Park in La Crosse. The day will feature a 1-mile walk along with food trucks, live music, exercise demonstrations, resource booths, and children’s activities.
Click here for info and to take part in Saturday’s event, which is free.
Mississippi River on showcase as La Crosse hosts record-breaking bass tourney
The La Crosse region will be on full display this weekend, as more than 300 anglers hit the Mississippi River for the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier.
The event — which runs Friday-Sunday — marks the largest qualifier of its kind ever hosted, putting a national spotlight on the area’s premier bass waters.
It’s one of many both statewide and national events that are bringing in a lot of new faces to La Crosse showcasing the region.
"What we benefit so much from is what we call the ripple effect in showcasing that," Explore La Crosse's Jeremiah Burish said on WIZM last week. "Those types of outdoor recreational sports on the national level to an audience that may have never heard of La Crescent, Minnesota, or even La Crosse, for that matter."
Burish added that those families then see the Coulee Region "as a destination to come travel to because the riding is so good. And we see that too with the river and fishing tournaments. And then they book their leisure travel with their family to come fish here because it's just such a unique place. It's beautiful. All the amenities are here."
Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)
As for this weekend’s tournament, while the anglers will be navigating miles of wing dams and backwater channels across Pools 7, 8, and 9, Veterans Freedom Park will serve as the tournament’s high-stakes hub for daily 6 a.m. takeoffs and 2 p.m. weigh-ins.
The goal for these 300 competitors is the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Lake Hartwell — a legendary 56,000-acre “Bass Heaven” on the South Carolina-Georgia border.
Only the top 10% of the field will advance to the championship, where a $50,000 top prize and a dream-ticket to the professional Bassmaster Elite Series are up for grabs.
During last season’s championship on these same waters, a 7-pound, 15-ounce smallmouth was landed, and it took a total of 77 pounds over four days for Wisconsin pro Nick Trim to take the win.
According to tournament organizers, smallmouth are expected to be a major factor this week as they hit the beds in gravel eddies just off the main river, while largemouth move into backwater areas to prepare for the spawn.
Fans can follow the live action and weigh-ins on Bassmaster.com
Explore La Crosse's Burish on bringing big events to the region
One of the biggest events that happens in La Crosse every year is going to remain a staple of the city through the year 2034.
The WIAA and UW-L worked out its longest deal ever, eight years, to keep the state track and field meet here.
La Crosse is always looking to expand the types of events it can host but state track has been a staple since the early 1990s. But, recently we’ve seen the addition of the WIAA state team wrestling meet in town, as well as other regional and national events.
Helping bring those events to the region is Explore La Crosse. Jeremiah Burish is the sports sales director there. He joined to help discuss getting the state track deal done, what other events could be in the works — like potential bids for state gymnastics or cross country — and some of the high-profile competitions coming to the area.
Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)
That includes a massive showcase later this month, as UW-La Crosse prepares to host the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships at Roger Harring Stadium from May 21–23, and the La Crosse Center will host the DIII wrestling championships next year.
We began the conversation just mentioning a previous talk with WIAA executive director Stephanie Hauser that included the idea of bringing state football to Lambeau Field, but also got their side of the deal to keep state track at UW-L.
That conversation can be heard here, or all the Rick Solem Show interviews can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcast, the WIZM app or WIZM website here.
UW-La Crosse women’s track wins 14th straight WIAC title
The UW-La Crosse women’s track and field team won its 14th consecutive WIAC outdoor championship Saturday at Roger Harring Stadium. The Eagles finished with 362.0 team points to claim the 40th conference title in school history, which is the most in WIAC history.
UW-Eau Claire placed second with 169.0 points, while UW-Stout took third with 64.0 points.
Record-Breaking Performances
UW-L won eight events, highlighted by a meet record and a historic sweep in the jumps:
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The 4x400-meter relay team of Anna Plautz, Macy Reybrock, Zoe Lain, and Andie Otto set a new conference championship record with a time of 3:42.89.
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Maya Evans became the first student-athlete since 2017 to sweep both the long jump and the triple jump titles at the meet. It was her second straight triple jump crown.
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Anna Plautz won her second consecutive 400-meter dash (54.83), making her the first back-to-back champion in that event since 2009.
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Brooklyn Luebke defended her title in the 5,000-meter run (16:56.69), becoming the first back-to-back winner in the conference since 2014.
Additional Champions
Individual victories on the track and in multi-events included:
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Madeline Thoreson won the heptathlon with 4,566 points.
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Andie Otto captured the 400-meter hurdles title in 1:00.23.
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Molly Novotny won the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:37.42.
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The 4x100-meter relay team of Julie Yang, Anika Reiland, Makenna Zak, and Anna Plautz took first in 45.89 seconds, marking the program's fifth straight win in the event.
What’s Next
The Eagles return to action Friday, May 8, hosting the UWL Uncaged Eagle Open at 3 p.m..
UW-La Crosse men's T&F wins WIAC for 33rd time in past 34 years, setting multiple records
The UW-La Crosse men’s track and field team won its 60th WIAC outdoor championship Saturday at Roger Harring Stadium.
The Eagles finished with 335 points, more than doubling second-place UW-Oshkosh, which finished with 129.
The win marks the program's 33rd conference title in the last 34 years.
Record-Breaking Performances
Individual highlights included multiple championship and national records:
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Luke Schroeder set an NCAA Division III national record in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.32. He also won the 200-meter dash (21.13) and took second in the 100-meter dash.
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Cael Schoemann became the first runner in league history to win four consecutive titles in the 800-meter run, setting a championship record at 1:49.03.
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Charles Vater won the 5,000-meter run in a championship record 14:11.49, leading a UWL sweep of the top four spots in that event.
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Collin Conzemius won his third straight 400-meter dash title with a time of 46.74, the best in the nation for Division III this season.
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Jayden Zywicki won the 1,500-meter run (3:47.29), becoming the first Eagle to win that event since 2015.
Field Event Champions
UWL secured four individual titles in the field:
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Anthony Staryszak won the discus with a throw of 181-0.
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Carter Pearson took the triple jump with a mark of 48-3 1/4.
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Mitchell Eldredge won the high jump at 6-9 1/2.
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Jake Gardner captured the shot put title with a toss of 57-6 1/2.
What’s Next
The team remains at home to host NCAA Qualifiers on May 8 and May 14. The NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships are scheduled for May 21-23.
ORA’s Trail Farm in La Crosse is open, while construction is underway for parking and a new entry
Construction is officially underway on the new entryway and parking infrastructure at the Community Trail Farm in La Crosse.
Outdoor Recreation Alliance (ORA) announced this week that work has begun to create a permanent access point and parking area for the 250-acre conservation and recreation site off Highway 33 in La Crosse (map).
While the property remains open for public use between 5-10 p.m. the new construction is impacting how visitors can access the trails.
Temporary Access Changes
- Safety Warning: Visitors walking or biking onto the property are strictly advised to stay away from large machinery currently in motion.
- New Path: ORA is currently developing a different temporary pedestrian and bicycle access path off Highway 33.
- Parking: There is still no public parking available on-site during this phase of construction. Visitors are encouraged to park at Pammel Creek Park and walk or bike in using the existing bridge.
About the Project
The Community Trail Farm is a long-term restoration project located at W5723 Highway 33. Once complete, the site is expected to feature:
- Between 10 and 15 miles of trails for hiking and biking.
- Restoration of a section of Pammel Creek that flows through the property.
- The preservation of forests, prairies, and bluffs.
- Future amenities including a community garden and the restoration of the historic Milk House Creamery.
ORA officials noted that while the construction may cause temporary inconveniences, the new infrastructure will eventually allow the site to welcome significantly more families and visitors to the property.