GENEVA, Ohio — Two event champions have led the Wisconsin men’s track and field team to the team lead after the first day of the Big Ten Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday. After five events, Wisconsin has 37 points, 11 points ahead of second0-place Indiana. Iowa (16 points), Nebraska (14.5), Michigan State (14) and Purdue (14) round out the top six teams.
Wisconsin crowned two event champions on the first day as Sam Coil won the weight throw and Jackson Sharp won the 5,000 meters.
Badgers score big in 5000 meters
Wisconsin scored 27 points in the 5,000 meters behind individual champion Sharp.
Four Badger runners were part of the lead pack of nine athletes before Bob Liking took the lead with five laps remaining. With four laps to go, Liking and Sharp were 1-2 with Rowen Ellenberg and Evan Bishop in sixth and seventh places, respectively. The UW runners remained in the same positions until the final lap. With approximately 200 meters to go, Sharp kicked past all other runners for his first Big Ten title, crossing in 14 minutes, 7.80 seconds. Ellenberg moved up to third at the finish, crossing in 14:10.16. Liking was close behind, taking fourth in 14:10.51. Bishop ended up sixth in 14:13.62.
Coil wins weight throw
Wisconsin scored three places in the weight throw with Coil winning his Big Ten title. A grad transfer, Coil took the lead in the third round with a toss of 73 feet, 7 1/4 inches. He won the title over a foot ahead of second-place Johnny Vanos of Purdue at 72-7. Redshirt sophomore Jason Swarens finished seventh at 69-1 1/2 while redshirt junior Cole Hooper took eighth at 66-7.
The Badgers also scored a second-place finish in the distance medley relay thanks to an amazing anchor-leg run by sophomore Adam Spencer. Wisconsin was in seventh place when Spencer took the baton for the 1600-meter leg as he slowly moved up, passing three teams over the final 100 meters for a silver medal. Spencer teamed with Ben Nibbelink, Jalen Williams and Pierce Seigne to finish in 9:37.92.
After the first day of the heptathlon, redshirt senior Cade Amborn is in third place with 3,238 points while redshirt sophomore Quinn Lansill is eighth with 2,851 points. Amborn recorded personal bests in the long jump, taking third at 23-3 3/4, and shot put, finishing second at 46-9 1/2. Lansill also had two personal bests,…
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