FARGO, N.D. -- The Western Illinois track and field teams made one last appearance at the Summit League Championships this past weekend before heading to the Ohio Valley Conference next season. The men's team walked away with a fifth place overall finish while the women's team was seventh. The Leathernecks highest scorers were in the horizontal jumps with Toriano Tate winning the long jump and Alessandro Belluz taking silver in the long and triple jumps. 

"Our team took a big step forward this weekend. We missed a few opportunities still but we have improved so much since the indoor championships in February. For the men and the women, this was easily our best team performance in the past five years. The assistant coaches did an exceptional job preparing the student-athletes to succeed," coach Trey Brokaw said. "Our men and women worked hard to put themselves in this position and then they went out and executed this weekend. I think this championship should give us a lot of momentum heading into the Ohio Valley Conference next year. With virtually no graduating seniors, we should be returning a really good squad and adding a large, successful recruiting class. That depth and talent will serve us well in the OVC."

Conference Scorers:

Toriano Tate: 1st long jump, 7th 4x100

Alessandro Belluz: 2nd long jump, 2nd triple jump, 8th high jump

Lucas Burmeister: 4th 200 meters, 4th 4x400, 7th 4x100, 8th 100 meters

Richard Brown: 4th 800 meters, 4th 4x400

Lucas Hofer: 4th 4x400

Isaac Jones: 4th 4x400

Logan Lommel: 6th 1500 meters, 7th 3000m steeplechase

Zion Caruthers: 7th 4x100, 8th 400 meters

Arnie Grunert: 7th pole vault

Zachary Taylor: 7th 4x100

Nakeita Kessling: 4th triple jump, 5th 4x100, 6th 4x400

Aylana Cezar: 4th 3000m steeplechase

Aliyah Adams: 5th 4x100, 6th triple jump, 6th 4x400

Zwandi Harrison: 5th 4x100, 6th 4x400

Briza Dure: 5th 4x100, 6th 4x400

Maleigha Huston: 6th 800 meters

"This weekend we saw a core group of men and a core group of women step up and lead this program by scoring in their individual events. That leadership is exactly what we needed with such a young team. Alessandro Belluz was our highest point scorer on the men's side with 17 points in three different jumping events," Brokaw said. "On the women's side, freshmen Aylana Cezar in the 3000 steeplechase and Nakeita Kessling in the triple jump led the way, both scoring 5 points by placing fourth overall in their individual events."

In a team full of freshmen and sophomores, WIU honors two senior leaders in Lucas Hofer and Paulina Wuestefeld. Both Hofer and Wuestefeld have set great examples of what hard work and dedication can do both on the track and off the track.

"Two seniors we are losing off the conference roster are Paulina Wuestefeld, a distance runner, and Lucas Hofer, a middle distance runner. They have been exceptional people to know and work with. Both have improved in the last two years and been major difference makers as we have tried to change this team culture. Both lead by example, are very humble, and work extremely hard academically and athletically," Brokaw said. "They have provided excellent examples for the young roster we have coming up behind them. 4.0 students, conference scorers, and WIU school record holders; Paulina ends her Leatherneck career with two school records in the 6k for cross country and women's distance medley relay indoors. Lucas ends his Leatherneck career with two school records as well, the outdoor 4 x 800 relay and the indoor 4 x 400 relay. Moving forward, Paulina plans to pursue a doctoral degree in Psychology at the University of Illinois and Lucas plans to pursue a career in college coaching. I'm confident they will be very successful professionally and personally no matter where life takes them."

The Leathernecks head to the NCAA West Regional Championships in Sacramento, CA on May 24-27, 2023.