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

Digman swept the hammer throw (194-6), shot put (49-11 3/4) and discus throw (157-4) in helping lead UWL to its 11th straight team title at the WIAC Championships May 5-6 at UW-Whitewater's Rex Foster Track Complex. She is the second athlete in WIAC history to sweep the hammer throw, shot put and discus throw at the league championships. Digman joins UW-Oshkosh's Robyn Jarocki who won all three events in 2004, 2005 and 2006. 

Digman won the hammer throw for the third consecutive season, setting a WIAC meet and UWL school record. Her throw of 194-6 broke the championship record of 193-6 in 2015 set by UW-Oshkosh's Melanie Brickner. Digman broke her own school record of 189-2 set earlier this season. She is one of two throwers in WIAC history to win three straight hammer throws, joining Jarocki (2004-06).  Digman became the first UWL thrower to win the shot put since Kendra Antony in 2017 and the first to capture the discus throw since Patti Franckowiak in 1998. 

It marks Digman's second straight year being named the WIAC Field Performer of the Meet. She is one of seven UWL student-athlete to earn the WIAC Field Performer of the Meet, joining Jill Welda and Shelly Rud (1993), Franckowiak (1998), Ali Trudeau (2002), Ashton May (2010) and Jena Weigel (2013).  Digman was also selected the 2020 and 2023 WIAC Indoor Field Performer of the Meet. 

Digman currently ranks first in the shot put and hammer throw and fourth on the discus throw on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Honor Roll. 

Lawrence swept the 100 (13.84) and 400-meter (1:00.80) hurdles at this year's league championships. It marks the third straight season Lawrence swept both events at the league championships. She became the fourth runner in WIAC history to win three consecutive 100-meter hurdles titles and fifth to win three straight championships in the 400-meter hurdles. Lawrence was also on UWL's winning 4x100-meter relay (46.73) with Bella Seitz, Lauren Jarrett and Emily Dawidowich. 

It is the second time (2021) Lawrence has been named the WIAC Track Performer of the Meet. She earned the 2023 WIAC Indoor Track Performer of the Meet. Lawrence is one of nine student-athletes to earn the WIAC Outdoor Track Performer of the Meet, joining Vicki Otto (1991), Luanne Bruss (1993), Misty Gorski (1998), Angela Klatt (2003, 2004), Stephanie Perleberg (2010), Claire Elliott (2012), Meg Heafy (2016) and Savannah Rygiewicz (2019). 

Lawrence ranks second on the NCAA Division III Honor Roll in the 100-meter hurdles and third in the 400-meter hurdles. 
 

Hansen won the high jump (5-7 3/4) at the WIAC Championships, the first UWL student-athlete to win the high jump since Amy Jo Garringer in 2009. She was selected the 2023 WIAC Indoor Newcomer of the Year. 

She is tied for third in the high jump on the NCAA Division III Honor Roll. 

UWL earned the WIAC Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year Award for the fourth straight season under head coach Nickolas Davis. The award was not presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 public health threat. Davis was also named the 2018 WIAC Outdoor Coach of the Year. The Eagles won their 11th straight WIAC Outdoor title this season with 363.5 team points. It is UWL's 38th league championship in school history. The 363.5 team points are the most scored in league history, surpassing UW-Oshkosh's total of 313.0 in 1996. 

The Eagles won 11 individual and two relay titles at this year's conference championships, scoring at least 10 points in 19 of 21 events. 
 
Davis, in his fifth season as UWL's head coach, has led the Eagles to four (2018, 2020, 2022, 2023) indoor and five (2018-19, 2021-23) WIAC Outdoor Championships. He was named the 2018 WIAC Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year.  Davis led UWL to the 2023 NCAA III Championship after second-place finishes at the 2021 NCAA III Outdoor and 2022 Indoor 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.