LA CROSSE, Wis. – The UW-River Falls track and field teams began competition today at the 2026 WIAC Outdoor Championships. Leading the way once again for the Falcons is junior Jacob Balcome, who sits atop the men's decathlon standings through five events with 3,715 points, holding a 32-point lead heading into Saturday's final events.
Balcome turned in an impressive day, including a top finish in the shot put (12.75m) while also posting top-5 marks in the 400m (50.46), high jump (1.89m), long jump (6.81m), and 100m (11.30), positioning himself for a potential title with five events remaining.
On the women's side, Alexis Koch and Ali Clifford delivered big points in the hammer throw, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Koch posted a mark of 50.50m while Clifford followed close behind with a huge PR (50.06m) effort, earning five and four team points for the Falcons.
Freshman Finley Noll adds a highlight for the Falcons in the heptathlon, putting together a strong opening day that included multiple personal-best performances. Noll currently sits 11th overall with 2,410 points, continuing to build momentum in her first conference championship appearance. Just ahead of Noll, Lauren Machacek is locked into 10th place heading into day two with 2424 points.
In the field, Jaren Spridco added to the Falcons' scoring total with an eighth-place finish in the javelin throw, recording a mark of 48.30m to secure a point for River Falls.
On the track, Tyler Parker continued his notable season with another personal record in the 800m, clocking 1:52.54 and taking the fifth spot in prelims, qualifying for the finals on Saturday.
The highlight of the evening came in the men's 10,000m, where Ryan Pierson etched his name into the program record book. Pierson crossed the line in 31:18.38, setting a new school record in the event.
UW-River Falls will build on Friday's momentum tomorrow as the decathlon and heptathlon conclude, and a full slate of finals and other events take place. With Balcome in position to contend for another conference title, Parker advancing to the 800m final, and multiple Falcons poised to score, River Falls aims for a strong finish to close out the WIAC Outdoor Championships.
