Five Things to Know: Badgers prepare to take on regionals in Texas

UW will send 12 athletes to compete in 10 events

Women's Track & Field May 23, 2025 Maddox Durst

Five Things to Know: Badgers prepare to take on regionals in Texas

UW will send 12 athletes to compete in 10 events

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin women's track and field team continues their postseason stretch, this time taking on the NCAA West First Round regional on Thursday, May 29 and Saturday, May 31. The meet is set to take place in College Station, Texas, hosted by Texas A&M.

The Badgers will be sending 12 athletes down south to compete in 10 separate events—looking to punch individual tickets to the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. To qualify, individuals must place within the top-12 of their events at regionals.

The meet will be streamed on ESPN+ throughout the weekend, as viewers can find all of the meet info, here.

Those following along from afar can also check out live updates on the @BadgerTrackXC social pages on Instagram and X.

1. LAST TIME OUT: Wisconsin finished in 11th place at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships with 25 points as a unit. Chloe Lindeman, Taylor Kesner and Emma Kelley all led the way in the points category—accumulating third-place finishes in their respective events. Kesner tallied the most points of any Badger with nine, taking bronze in the discus and sixth in the javelin. Leané Willemse and Bella Jacobsen rounded out the scoring for UW, as they both earned personal bests in the 10,000 meters to earn podium status.

2. STEPPING UP ON THE B1G STAGE: After strong indoor seasons, Lindeman and Kesner have continued to lead the way for the Badgers during the outdoor track and field season—making noise on the big stage out in Oregon. At the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Lindeman broke her own school record in the hammer throw for the second time in as many outings, earning a mark of 222 feet 9 inches (67.89m). Lindeman currently ranks within the top-10 in the West Regional in the event—looking to put together one more strong performance to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Kesner continues to improve in the discus and the javelin, as she will be one of three Badgers to compete in a pair of events in Texas this weekend. The senior tallied her best toss of the season in the discus at Hayward Field with a heave of 179-8 (54.76m), a mark that continues to rise as the year has progressed. She also ranks at No. 3 all-time in school history in the javelin, with her best throw coming at the 44 Farms Team Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M.

3. REWRITING RECORD BOOKS: Julia Moore, Kyla Saleh, Zonica Lindeque and Kelley have all earned personal bests in their respective events this season, each rising in UW's Outdoor Top-10 list. All four athletes have earned a spot in the West Regional, looking to finish the season strong. Moore was the largest riser from the year, as the Hartland native places at No. 3 all-time in school history in the pole vault. Lindeque sits at No. 7 in the shot put, while Saleh recently PR'd in the high jump to tie for No. 9 all-time. On the track, Kelley rose to No. 5 in the 800 meters.

4. HITTING THEIR STRIDE: The aforementioned Willemse and Jacobsen will be joined by Shea Ruhly in the distance events at Texas A&M, all looking to maintain their momentum to conclude the 2024-25 track and field season. All three will compete in the 10,000 meters race on Thursday night, as Willemse and Jacobsen each notched personal bests in the event at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Willemse ran the quickest time amongst all of the Badgers this season in the event at 33:28.72 to take sixth, while Jacobsen followed closely behind at 33:34.26 to finish in eighth. During the regular season, Ruhly turned in one of the top times in the Big Ten to earn her berth to the NCAA West First Round in the event. Willemse will round out the weekend on Saturday by running in the 5000 meters as well.

5. UP NEXT: Those who place within the top-12 of their events will prepare for the NCAA Championships, as individual Badgers will make their return to Hayward Field to compete from Wednesday, June 11 to Saturday, June 14, on the biggest stage in the sport. Last year, the women's program sent Olivia Roberts, who finished in 17th place and collected Honorable Mention All-America honors.

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Players Mentioned

Olivia Roberts: Throws; Graduate Student

Bella Jacobsen: Distance; Redshirt Sophomore

Emma Kelley: Middle Distance; Senior

Shea Ruhly: Distance; Graduate Student

Leané Willemse: Distance; Senior

Taylor Kesner: Throws; Senior

Chloe Lindeman: Throws; Graduate Student

Julia Moore: Pole Vault; Senior

Zonica Lindeque: Throws; Sophomore

Kyla Saleh: Multi Events; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Olivia Roberts
: Graduate Student
: Throws

Bella Jacobsen
: Redshirt Sophomore
: Distance

Emma Kelley
: Senior
: Middle Distance

Shea Ruhly
: Graduate Student
: Distance

Leané Willemse
: Senior
: Distance

Taylor Kesner
: Senior
: Throws

Chloe Lindeman
: Graduate Student
: Throws

Julia Moore
: Senior
: Pole Vault

Zonica Lindeque
: Sophomore
: Throws

Kyla Saleh
: Sophomore
: Multi Events

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