ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The Concordia University Wisconsin men's track & field team wrapped up competition at the 38th Meet of Champions on Friday, hosted by Augustana (Ill.). The meet featured 30 programs across NCAA Division III, NAIA, and JUCO levels.
 
Junior Zach Wendland (Green Bay, Wis.) highlighted the weekend with a dominant performance in the decathlon, winning the event with 6,405 points after entering day two in the lead with 3,491. His top finish on the final day came in the 1,500 meters, where he placed first in 4:39.14.
 
Freshman William Hemling (Beaver Dam, Wis.) moved up one spot to finish 12th overall with 4,385 points. Like Wendland, his best event on day two was the 1,500 meters, where he placed third in 4:54.59.
 
In distance events, junior Isaiah Lubner (Campbellsport, Wis.) placed third in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:05.08, finishing just under two seconds behind the winner in the final heat. Junior Mason Everts (Saukville, Wis.) added a seventh-place finish in the 5,000 meters (16:55.47), while sophomore Eric Krause (Jackson, Wis.) recorded a personal-best time of 18:20.23 to place 12th.
 
On the track, senior Brandon Donahue (Hubertus, Wis.) placed 19th in the 110-meter hurdles prelims (16.75). Sophomore Victor Watson Jr. (Cypress, Texas) led the Falcons in the sprints, finishing 48th in both the 100 meters (11.47) and 200 meters (23.28).
 
In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, freshman Carter Bonlender (Eldorado, Wis.) placed 22nd with a time of 11:00.38.
 
In the field events, freshman Josh Kribs (Green Bay, Wis.) recorded a personal-best mark of 13.44 meters in the triple jump to place ninth. Sophomore Lucas Mathes (Brillion, Wis.) turned in a strong all-around performance, placing seventh in the long jump (6.40m) and 11th in the triple jump (13.17m), while also finishing 20th in the 400 meters (54.33).
 
Sophomore Dayne Baker (Watertown, Wis.) led the Falcons in the discus with a 12th-place finish and a personal-best throw of 45.30 meters. He also competed in the shot put, placing 34th with a mark of 12.82 meters.
 
FRIDAY RECAP
Wendland and Hemling opened the decathlon on Friday, with Wendland taking control early and holding the lead through five events. He was highlighted by personal bests in the 100 meters, shot put, and 400 meters, along with event wins in the long jump (6.66m) and high jump (1.87m).
 
Hemling totaled 2,601 points on day one to sit 13th, with his top performance coming in the 400 meters (53.33), along with a personal best in the shot put (8.69m).
 
Throwing events were impacted by weather, with the javelin and discus delayed into Saturday.
 
Sophomore Clayton Nichols (Okauchee, Wis.) led CUW in the javelin with a ninth-place finish (41.10m), followed by junior Luke Witte (12th, 38.29m) and senior John Kutner (13th, 37.63m). Kribs added a 21st-place finish (34.74m).
 
In the hammer throw, Kutner paced the Falcons in 24th (45.06m), while Baker followed in 37th (42.19m).
 
The Falcons will return to action next Saturday at the St. Norbert College Invitational as they prepare for the NACC Outdoor Championships.