RIPON, Wis. --- Milwaukee School of Engineering and St. Norbert College combined for victories in 13 of 17 events, each finishing on 213 points to tie for the men's team title at the 2023 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Indoor Track and Field Championships at Ripon College's Willmore Center.
It is the third NACC men's indoor title for the Raiders and the second in as many years for the Green Knights. The tie is also the first in NACC indoor championship history. The men's outdoor title has been split on two occasions (2012, 2019).
MSOE finished with seven event titles to St. Norbert's six, and, while both squads exhibited incredible depth, it was St. Norbert that scored at least four individuals in seven of 15 individual events - including the maximum of five in four events (60 hurdles, high jump, pole vault, heptathlon). MSOE did score in all 17 events, though, and had at least four scoring competitors in four events, including the maximum of five in the 5000.
MSOE's
Adam Shaw was named NACC Track Athlete of the Meet, while MSOE's
Tyler Brantner and
Ezra Schermacher shared NACC Field Athlete of the Meet honors. Schermacher was also named NACC Freshman of the Meet.
Shaw won both the 800 (1:58.36) and mile (4:20.18) runs, leading a strong contingent of MSOE runners in both events. He also on the Raiders' fourth-place 4x400 relay squad.
This is the second NACC major award for Shaw, who was named the NACC Freshman of the Meet at the 2022 championships.
Brantner took home titles in both the long jump and heptathlon. He cleared a distance of 6.73 meters (22-1) in the long jump while setting a new NACC all-time record with 4,738 points in the heptathlon. Brantner surpassed the previous NACC all-time total of 4,687 set by Aurora's Evan Hackbarth in 2012 and the championship mark of 4,519 set by WLC's Sam Rodmyre in 2022.
He also tied for second in the high jump (1.91m; 6-3 1/4) and placed eighth in the triple jump (12.12m; 39-9 1/4).
Schermacher won both the high jump (1.96m; 6-5) and pole vault (4.61m; 15-1 1/2) and placed second in both the long jump (6.62m; 21-8 3/4) and 60 hurdles (8.62). His winning effort in the pole vault bettered the NACC Championship record of 4.58 meters originally set by Benedictine's Wayne Highfield in 2016 and matched by MSOE's Grant Wilk at last year's championship.
Shaw, Brantner, and Schermacher were three of the four individual double-winners at the 2023 championships. MSOE's
Isaac Hunter was the fourth, winning both the 60- and 200-meter dashes. Hunter's time of 6.93 seconds in the 60 dash broke the NACC Championship record of 6.95 set by Benedictine's Matt Fleming in 2022. He won the 200 with a time of 22.52.
Additionally,
Collin Sylvain,
Randy Johnson, and
Spencer Evenson all featured on both of St. Norbert's winning relays.
Gabriel Thiel joined the trio on the podium in the 4x400 (3:27.03), while
Drew Bolder anchored the DMR to victory (10:40.04).
St. Norbert also picked up titles from
James McKnight in the 60 hurdles (8.51) and
Alex Myszewski in the triple jump (13.53m; 44-4 3/4), while MSOE's
Gavin Fritsch won the weight throw (16.41m; 53-10 1/4).
Aurora was the only other school with multiple champions as
Danyrine White won the 400 (50.38) and
Steven Tinsley won the shot put (14.99m; 49-2 1/4).
Concordia Wisconsin's
Timmy Brey won the 3000 (8:51.77), while Wisconsin Lutheran's
Peyton Hartman took the title in the 5000 (15:12.59). Both Brey and Hartman held off large MSOE contingents at the front of the pack for their titles.
The MSOE coaching staff, led by
Bill Massoels, was named the NACC Men's Indoor Track and Field Coaching Staff of the Year by a vote of their peers. Massoels, in his fifth season, is assisted by
Deren Wilder,
Michaela Baraglia,
Drew Dueck,
Deven Jakubowski,
Jerica Kotarak, and
Jack O'Sullivan.
Teams with individuals still within reach of qualifying for the 2023 NCAA Division III Championships will compete in a series of last chance meets next week. This year's NCAA Championships will be held March 10-11 at Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama. Selections will be announced Sunday, March 5.
2023 NACC INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Ripon, Wis.
(Willmore Center)
Team Scores --- 1. (tie) MSOE and St. Norbert, 213; 3. Aurora, 89; 4. Wisconsin Lutheran, 47; 5. Benedictine, 31; 6. Concordia Wisconsin, 29; 7. Illinois Tech, 22; 8. Concordia Chicago, 10; 9. Edgewood, 7; 10. Lakeland, 2; 11. Marian, 0.
Event Champions
60 dash - Isaac Hunter (MSOE), 6.93*
200 - Isaac Hunter (MSOE), 22.52
400 - Danyrine White (Aurora), 50.38
800 - Adam Shaw (MSOE), 1:58.36
Mile - Adam Shaw (MSOE), 4:20.18
3000 - Timmy Brey (CUW), 8:51.77
5000 - Peyton Hartman (WLC), 15:12.59
60 hurdles - James McKnight (SNC), 8.51
4x400 - St. Norbert (Collin Sylvain, Gabriel Thiel, Randy Johnson, Spencer Evenson), 3:27.03
DMR - St. Norbert (Randy Johnson, Spencer Evenson, Collin Sylvain, Drew Bolder), 10:40.04
HJ - Ezra Schermacher (SNC), 1.96m (6-5)
PV - Ezra Schermacher (SNC), 4.61m (15-1 1/2)*
LJ - Tyler Brantner (MSOE), 6.73m (22-1)
TJ - Alex Myszewski (SNC), 13.53m (44-4 3/4)
SP - Steven Tinsley (AUR), 14.99m (49-2 1/4)
WT - Gavin Fritsch (MSOE), 16.41m (53-10 1/4)
Heptathlon - 1. Tyler Brantner (MSOE), 4738 points*#
* - NACC Championship record
# - NACC all-time record