Alumni, students, faculty and staff gathered Saturday morning for the 11th annual Panther Prowl – followed by the unveiling of the new Panther statue in front of Enderis Hall.
Crowds cheered runners and walkers as they passed the Maryland Avenue bridge, and were greeted by cowbells as they entered Kenwood Avenue for the first leg.
“Running under the bridge and seeing all the people cheering was definitely one of my favorite parts of the race,” said Delafield’s Dan Baker, coach of the Marquette High School cross country team.
Hosted by the UWM Alumni Association, Panther Prowl raises money for scholarships. Teams and individuals raised $38,150, as nearly 1,700 participants ran or walked the course.
UWM’s Office of Legal Affairs was first with $2,905 raised. Athletic teams from Milwaukee participate in the event every year, including UWM’s Women’s cross country team, whose members all ran on Saturday.
“The Panther Prowl signifies a time when faculty, staff, community members and alumni display exceptional spirit and synergy to help decrease the financial burden for current and future UWM students,” said Rachel Flessner, events and programs specialist with the Alumni Association. “By running and walking we continue to embody the true definition of what it means to be a UWM Panther.”
Following the race, Adrienne Bass, associate vice chancellor for alumni relations, helped to unveil the new Panther statue, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Panther mascot. Alum James Cheski, who designed the original panther logo in 1965, was present, along with alum Tom Queoff, who designed and cast the 1,200-pound, six-feet tall Panther.
“Many of you will look back on this, I know I will, as one of the proudest moments in our university’s history,” Chancellor Mark Mone told the crowd.
Mone said he spoke with alumni who graduated forty years ago and was reassured by the profound impact they said UWM had on their lives.
UWM’s cheer and stunt team encouraged participants, as members of UWM’s basketball team ran alongside the last few steps of the race to offer their support.
For some, the Prowl offered a chance to return UWM after a long time away.
Brandon Schlass, (‘02 History) a captain in the U. S. Army, returned to Wisconsin from the Middle East only a week prior to the race. He read about the event in an alumni newsletter and decided to run. He said he was flying to Germany the next day. Schlass was joined by his nephew Anthony Schlass, a junior at West Bend West High School.
“I roped in Anthony, because his dad is a UWM alum,” Brandon Schlass said.
Karen Schmitt, (‘87 Criminal Justice) returns each year to run the race.
“It’s a beautiful day, a beautiful campus,” Schmitt said. “It brings back a lot of memories, and it’s nice to see everything that’s new.”
For UWM senior Patrick Ruhland and his mother Joyce Ruhland, the Prowl was a chance for some family bonding.
Joyce Ruhland won first place in the women’s 50-54 division for the second year in a row.
