Northern Michigan University’s Eva Zonca competes in the long jump during a past Wildcats’ outdoor meet. (Photo courtesy NMU)

OSHKOSH, Wis. — The track and field team at Northern Michigan University had quite a productive weekend in Wisconsin in preparation for what has become an annual sojourn to California.

The Wildcats won nine of the 20 events in Wisconsin at the UW-Oshkosh Titan Invitational, totaling 25 top-five finishes in all. Team scores weren’t kept.

Other schools at the meet included the host Titans, GLIAC member Wisconsin-Parkside, and Wisconsin schools St. Norbert, Ripon, Carroll, Marian, Lawrence, Lakeland and Viterbo.

NMU now flies to the West Coast for what is tentatively scheduled to be multiple meets, some going on simultaneously, with Wildcat athletes split among them. Days listed for the meets are Thursday through Saturday.

At Oshkosh, sophomore Danielle Lund and junior Eva Zonca might’ve been the busiest and most productive Northern athletes.

Lund, a Manistique High School graduate, won both the shot put with a heave of 12.72 meters (41 feet, 8 3/4 inches) and the hammer by tossing it 53.65 meters (176-0 1/4), then added a runner-up finish in the discus with a throw of 43.52 meters (142-9 3/8).

Zonca was only a winner one time, but it was in the seven-event heptathlon that took place over two days. She totaled 4,090 points, winning the heptathlon’s 100-meter hurdles in 15.33 seconds and high jump by clearing 1.51 meters (4-11 1/2), and also taking second in the 200 dash in 27.02 and long jump by leaping 5.27 meters (17-3 1/2).

Another area graduate, Marquette’s Baux Truckey, an NMU junior, won the 200 by more than a full second in 25.05 seconds.

Sophomore Anya VanSweden led a 1-2 finish in the 3,000 steeplechase, winning in 11 minutes, 27.50 seconds as sophomore teammate Celia Wallace was next in 11:53.41.

Senior Beverly Harper won the 800 in 2:16.18, while sophomore Madalyn Agren took the 5,000 by nearly 30 seconds in 18:59.49.

Freshman Maya Woods was fastest in the 400 hurdles in 1:05.24, while fellow freshman Alyssa Tumminaro won the pole vault by clearing 3.53 meters (11-7).

Additionally, NMU junior Natasha Nowakowski was runner-up in the 11-athlete heptathlon with 3,913 points, winning the javelin with a throw of 33.73 meters (110-8 3/4) and placing second in the 100 hurdles in 16.33 and shot put in 9.86 meters (32-4 1/4).

Freshman teammate Lily Phillips was second in the 100 hurdles in 14.70, while sophomore Alayna Vandegriff runner-up in the triple jump with a leap of 11.65 meters (38-2 5/8).

Third places were turned in by junior Lamar Gordon in the 800 in 2:16.57, junior Mikayla de Souza in the 200 in 26.64, senior Teiolla Harvey in the hammer with 47.93 meters (157-3), junior Caterina Thelen in the discus with 39.13 meters (128-4 1/2) and sophomore Taylor Rogers in the high jump after clearing 1.60 meters (5-3).

In fourth was senior Paige Anderson in the 1,500 in 4:56.65, junior Kaitlin Smith in the pole vault by clearing 3.23 meters (10-7 1/8), and the quartet of Phillips, Woods, Truckey and freshman Tashay Faulkner in the 4-by-100 relay in 48.82 seconds.

Fifth places were attained by junior Lana Mac in the 800 in 2:19.04, Vandegriff in the long jump with 5.23 meters (17-1 7/8) and Nowakowski in the javelin with 31.31 meters (102-8 5/8).

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.