Madison, Wis. - The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has announced its award winners following the completion of the 2023 women's indoor track and field championships. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior Emma Lawrence of Benton (Benton-Scales-Mound-Shullsburg) has been voted the WIAC Track Performer of the Meet, senior Skye Digman of Platteville (H.S.) the Field Co-Performer of the Meet, freshman Ainsley Hansen of Dalton, Minn. (Fergus Falls) the Newcomer of the Year while UWL also earned the 2023 WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award. The awards are sponsored by Kwik Trip. 

Lawrence captured the 60-meter hurdles (8.52) and 200-meter dash (24.94) while also placing second in the 60-meter dash (7.63) at the WIAC Championships (presented by Culver's) on February 24-25. She set a school record in the 60-meter hurdles preliminaries with a time of 8.50, breaking Claire Gordee's record of 8.55 in 2015. Lawrence's time of 8.50 was also a conference meet record, breaking the record of 8.64 by UW-Oshkosh's Riley Kindt in 2022. Lawrence broke her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.40 at the Wartburg College (Iowa) Qualifier on March 3. 

It was her second league title in the 60-meter hurdles after capturing the crown in 2020. She became the first athlete in WIAC history to win the 60-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash at the same championships.

Lawrence is the eighth UWL student-athlete to earn the WIAC Track Performer of the Meet. She joins Luanne Bruss (1992), Kelly Schoberg (1995), Julia Rudd (2006), Jaime Ludwigson (2014), Claire Gordee (2015), Meg Heafy (2016) and Savannah Rygiewicz (2019, 2020) to be recognized.

Digman captured her third straight weight throw title (62-8) at this year's WIAC Championships. She also placed second (48-11 3/4) in the shot put. Digman is one of two throwers in conference history to win three consecutive crowns in the weight throw, joining Robyn Jarocki of UW-Oshkosh (2004-06).

It is the second time Digman has been named the WIAC Field Performer of the Meet after also earning the honor in 2020 after sweeping the weight throw and shot put. She is the sixth UWL student-athlete to earn the WIAC Field Performer of the Meet, joining Patti Franckowiak (1999), Caitlin Schetter (2008, 2009), Leanne Nowicki (2010), Amanda Wiebke (2018) and Hannah Zenkovich (2022). Digman shares this year's award with UW-Eau Claire's Catie Fobbe.

Hansen won the high jump title at this year's WIAC Championships with a school record mark of 5-8 1/2. She broke her own record of 5-8 set at the Midwest ELITE on February 11.

Hansen is the second student-athlete for UWL to be named the WIAC Newcomer of the Year. Emily Dawidowich earned the award in 2021. Hansen 

Lawrence (60-meter hurdles; 200-meter dash; 4x400-metre relay), Digman (weight throw; shot put) and Hansen (high jump) are set to compete at the NCAA Division III Championships March 10-11 in Birmingham, Alabama. Twenty members of UWL's squad are set to compete in the NCAA Division III Championships in Birmingham, Alabama.

UWL earned the WIAC Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year Award for the fourth straight season under Davis. The Eagles won their third straight WIAC title and league record 29th in school history February 24-25.  UWL finished with 324.0 team points, the most in conference history, breaking the previous record of 261.0 by UW-Oshkosh in 1996. The Eagles scored at least 10 points in 16 of this year's 17 events, including over 20 points in seven events (200-meter dash; 400-meter dash; 5,000-meter run; high jump; long jump; triple jump; pentathlon). UWL won 10 individual and one relay title. 

Davis, in his sixth season as UWL's head coach, has led the Eagles to four indoor (2018, 2020, 2022, 2023) and four (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) WIAC Outdoor Championships. He was named the 2018 WIAC Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year.  UWL was selected the 2019 and 2021 Outdoor Staff of the Year. Davis led UWL to a second-place finish at the 2021 NCAA III Outdoor Championships and to second-place national finishes at the 2022 NCAA III Indoor and Outdoor Championships. 

Davis is joined on this year's coaching staff with Katie Wagner, Doug Geiwitz, Derek Stanley, Nathan Petesch, Julianne Merkes, Jenna Starck, Jim Nelson, Elizabeth May, Hannah Beilke and Phil Whitesitt.

The WIAC Coach of the Year award was re-named the Coaching Staff of the Year starting in 2019-20.