WHITEWATER —  Darlington native Rhett Reuter is one of 12 Warhawks that will compete in the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. The championships are held March 8-9 at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with Norfolk State University serving as host.

The first Warhawk competing on Friday is Myles Anderson (Milwaukee/Lutheran). Anderson, a freshman, made his first National Championship appearance in Men’s 60m Dash, which began at 10 a.m. on Friday morning. Anderson came into the meet with the 18th-fastest time in Division III, recording a 6.83 in the WIAC Championships just two weeks ago.

Gracie Holland (Marshfield) began her championship shortly after, with an 11:00 a.m. start time on Friday for the Women’s Pole Vault. Holland looked to defend her national title as she went into the championship as the second seed. Holland made a top mark this season at the Midwest ELITE Invitational on February 10 with a 4.08m. 

Tina Shelton (Janesville/Parker), Shelvin Garrett II (Beloit/Memorial), and Gunner Schlender (Brillion) all have two events to compete in during the two-day span. Shelton will compete in the Women’s 60m Dash as well as the Women’s 200m Dash. Shelton comes into the meet with a top-10 time in each, ranking fourth in the 60m dash (7.58) and sixth in the 200m Dash (24.58). 

Following Shelton on the track, Ari De La Cerda (Milwaukee/Pewaukee) will run in the Women’s Mile. De La Cerda qualified as the 16-seed with a 4:58.16 time in the Wartburg Qualifier just this past weekend. 

Garrett II will compete in both the Men’s long jump and Men’s triple jump. As the 20-seed in the long jump, Garrett II will look to improve on his 7.15m mark from earlier this season. In the triple jump, Garrett comes in as the 1-seed, with the top mark in Division III of 15.41m. In 2023, Garrett II placed 5th overall in the triple jump at the National Championship. 

Also on Friday, Kenni Czarnecki (Muskego) competed in the Women’s Weight Throw, coming into the event as the 12-seed. Czarnecki’s throw of 17.93m in the WIAC Championships ranks 12th-best in all of Division III.

Schlender returns to the national championship stage in the 5,000m run and will also compete in the 3,000m run. Schlender placed 6th in the 5,000m run in 2022, and boasts the 7th-fastest time of 14:04.34. In the 3,000m, Schlender comes in as the 13-seed to the event.

He won’t be running alone, however, as Christian Patzka (Black Earth/Wisconsin Heights) was also selected to compete in the 3,000m and 5,000m run. Patzka is seeded right behind Schlender in the 3000m, at 14th in Division III. However for the 5000m, Patzka came into the meet with the fastest time in Division III, running a 13:51.93 in the event. Last year, Patzka won the 5000m title and place third overall in the 3000m run

The Warhawk men’s DMR team will also be competing at the National Championships this weekend. Craig Hundley (Grayslake, Ill./North) (1200), Kobe Chandler (Beloit/Memorial) (400), Rhett Reuter (Darlington) (800), and Justin Krause (Ixonia/Pewaukee) (1600) come into the meet with the 5th-fastest time in Division III with a 9:43.20.