Titans Logo

Davis, Ozanich Earn WIAC Athlete Of The Week Honors

Camille DavisHolly OzanichUW-Oshkosh swept both awards as the WIAC announced its Women's Track and Field Athlete of the Week honorees for meets held Jan. 4-17.

Camille Davis (Jr. • Green Bay) was named the WIAC's Track Athlete of the Week after running to a pair of victories in UW-Oshkosh's home opener against Augustana College (Ill.) and the University of Chicago (Ill.) on Jan. 9.

Davis helped UW-Oshkosh defeat Augustana College, 95.5-50,5, and the University of Chicago, 82-60, by winning the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.33 and the 200-meter dash with a performance of 25.77.

Ozanich was chosen the WIAC's Field Athlete of the Week after picking up a pair of victories in the 20-pound weight throw.

Ozanich took first place in the 20-pound weight throw with a cast of 57-11 ¼ and fourth place in the shot put with a toss of 42-9 ¾ as UW-Oshkosh defeated Augustana College and the University of Chicago. Her performance in the 20-pound weight throw surpassed the automatic qualifying standard for the 2010 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship.

Competing at the UW-Whitewater Warhawk Opener on Jan. 16, Ozanich won the 20-pound weight throw with fling of 56-6 ¾ while placing third in the shot put with a hurl of 43-2 ½. Her mark in the 20-pound weight throw surpassed the provisional qualifying standard for the 2010 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship.

Titans Have Three Event Winners At UW-Whitewater Warhawk Opener

Danielle CarriganHolly OzanichWith just the throwers and pole vaulters competing, the UW-Oshkosh women’s track and field team won three events at the UW-Whitewater Warhawk Opener on Friday (Jan. 16) in Whitewater.

The Titans took the top five spots in the 20-pound weight throw, the top four spots in the shot put and the top two spots in the pole vault to dominate competition.

Holly Ozanich (Jr. • Marinette) won the 20-pound weight throw with a toss of 56-6 ¾, Ellie Sitek (Sr. • Marinette) followed in second-place with a heave of 53-2 ¾, Susie Trzebiatowski (Sr. • Rosholt) took third-place with a mark of 53-2 ¼, Melissa Thies (Sr. • Slinger) captured fourth-place with a skip of 50-9 ½ and Jecel Gerner (Fr. • Markesan) ended in fifth-place with a distance of 48-2 ½.

Gerner topped the competition in the shot put with a heave of 44-7 1/2. Sitek took second-place with a mark of 44-5 ½, Ozanich third-place with a cast of 43-2 ½ and Trzebiatowski fourth-place with a distance of 40-7 ½.

Nabbing first place in the pole vault was Danielle Carrigan (So. • Waukesha) with a height of 11-5 ¾. Following in second-place was Lisha Hanson (So. • Clintonville) with the same mark of 11-5 ¾, with Carrigan taking top honors because of when she reached her height.

Titans Conquer Vikings, Maroons In Season Opener

Camille DavisLisha HansonHolly OzanichThe UW-Oshkosh women’s indoor track and field team started the 2010 campaign by winning 10 out of 14 events to capture the UW-Oshkosh Double Dual on Saturday (Jan. 9) in Kolf Sports Center. The Titans defeated Augustana College (Ill.) and the University of Chicago (Ill.) in team scores of 95.5-50.5 and 82-60, respectively.

Camille Davis (Jr. • Green Bay) secured both the 55-meter dash in a time of 7.33 and the 200-meter dash in 25.77 to take claim as the only double-event winner of the meet.

Holly Ozanich (Jr. • Green Bay) became the first UW-Oshkosh athlete to automatically qualify for the 2010 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship with a first-place mark of 57-11 1/4 in the 20-pound weight throw.

Event winners for UW-Oshkosh also included Sadie Sawall (So. • Menasha) in the 55-meter hurdles in a time of 8.96, Alison Gehl (Jr. • Sherwood) in the one-mile run in a time of 5:23.94 and Hilary Kopczenski (So. • Watertown) in the 400-meter run in a time of 1:02.58.

UW-Oshkosh’s first-place performances continued for Jordan Clark-Mand (Sr. • Waupun) in the 800-meter run in a time of 2:22.16, Lisha Hanson (So. • Clintonville) in the pole vault with a height of 11-5 3/4 and Ellie Sitek (Sr. • Marinette) in the shot put with a heave of 45-3 ½.

The Titans also had the 1,600-meter relay team of Beth Hebl (Jr. • Brookfield), Kayleigh Nichols (Fr. • Oshkosh), Hilary Kopczenski (So. • Waterford) and Chelsea Benitz (Jr. • Osceola) finish first in a time of 4:09.02.

Tallying runner-up performances for UW-Oshkosh included Cassie Petersen (Jr. • Marinette) in the one-mile run in a time of 5:26.15, Sarah Roswell (Sr. • Eleva) in the 400-meter run in a time of 1:03.35, Kelsey Jones (Fr. • Janesville) in the 200-meter run in a time of 26.72, Benitz in the long jump with a leap of 16-0 ¼ and Talia Budz (Fr. • Oconto Falls) in the triple jump with a mark of 33-3.

Third-place results for the Titans went to Jones in the 55-meter dash in a time of 7.67, McKenzie Kelly (Fr. • New Richmond) in the one-mile run in a time of 5:26.16, Hebl in the 400-meter run in a time of 1:03.58, Brittany Haas (Jr. • St. Charles, Ill.) in the 800-meter run in a time of 2:26.53, Nichols in the 200-meter dash in a time of 27.13, Mallory Burk (Jr. • Athens) in the 3,000-meter run in a time of 10:59.76 and Susie Trzebiatowski (Sr. • Rosholt) in the 20-pound weight throw in a toss of 52-11.

Fourth-place performances involving UW-Oshkosh were Lauren Andersen (Fr. • Muskego) in the 55-meter hurdles in a time of 9.58, Janelle Brooks (Jr. • Janesville) in the one-mile run in a time of 5:29.88, Kaitlin Stockheimer (Jr. • West Salem) in the 400-meter run in a time of 1:03.58, Sawall in the high jump in a leap of 4-9 ¾, Sitek in the 20-pound weight throw with a toss of 52-10 ¼ and Ozanich in the shot put with a hurl of 42-9 ¾.

UW-Oshkosh Names Ebel Interim Head Women’s Track And Field Coach

Pat EbelPat Ebel was named Thursday (Sept. 3) as the interim head coach of women’s track and field at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Ebel replaces Deb Vercauteren, who stepped down after 28 seasons as the Titans’ head coach on Aug. 14. Vercauteren led UW-Oshkosh to 14 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III titles and 21 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships.

Ebel has been involved as an assistant coach with the UW-Oshkosh men’s and women’s track and field programs since 2002. He specializes in coaching student-athletes in the throwing events.

“I’m proud to name Pat as the interim head coach of our women’s track and field program,” said UW-Oshkosh Director of Athletics Allen Ackerman. “He knows the program very well and has proved himself as a tremendous coach. Pat has a great deal to offer and I’m confident that he will continue the positive momentum that this program is enjoying.”

Ebel compiled an impressive resume as an assistant coach at UW-Oshkosh. A testament to his coaching success are the student-athletes who have combined to total 20 NCAA Division III event titles, 82 NCAA Division III All-America performances and 34 WIAC event championships. UW-Oshkosh has owned the top throws program in the NCAA Division III six times in the past seven years.

Two of Ebel’s most recent protégés to excel are current Titans Ellie Sitek and Tony Baker. Last May, Sitek and Baker combined to total three event titles and five All-America awards at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

Ebel also helped former UW-Oshkosh standout Robyn Jarocki qualify for the 2008 United States Olympic Trials in the shot put. Jarocki won 10 NCAA Division III event titles and collected 17 NCAA Division III All-America awards as member of the Titans from 2003-06.

Ebel’s coaching efforts helped UW-Oshkosh capture six NCAA Division III women’s track and field titles and two NCAA Division III men’s track and field championships. The UW-Oshkosh men enter the 2010 track and field season as the defending NCAA Division III indoor and outdoor champion.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity and feel very honored to lead the UW-Oshkosh women’s track and field program,” Ebel said. “I look forward to working with our student-athletes so that they can best compete for conference and national championships.”

Ebel has nearly 20 years of coaching experience, beginning his career as an assistant track and field coach at La Crosse Logan High School in 1991. He was also an assistant track and field coach at Manzano High School in Albuquerque, N.M. in 1992 and Waterloo High School from 1993 to 1998.

Ebel entered the collegiate coaching ranks at UW-Whitewater, where he served as an assistant track and field coach from 1999-2001. Ebel coached UW-Whitewater student-athletes in the throwing events to a total of one NCAA Division III title, seven NCAA Division III All-America awards and eight WIAC championships.

Vercauteren, who will continue to assist the UW-Oshkosh track and field program while retaining her duties as the school’s head women’s cross country coach and senior assistant athletics director, endorses Ebel as her successor.

“Pat’s wealth of coaching experience makes him a great choice to lead the UW-Oshkosh women’s track and field program,” Vercauteren said. “He believes in the program and has the determined drive to continue our tradition of excellence. I wish him well and I’m delighted to support him.”

Ebel graduated from UW-La Crosse in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in community health education. As a student, the Waterloo native was a member of the school’s football and track and field teams.

Ebel, who is currently working on his master’s degree in educational leadership at UW-Oshkosh, lives in Oshkosh with his wife, Sandy, and their children, Lauren and Erik.