New Orleans, La. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse head men's track & field coach
Josh Buchholtz has been selected the 2017 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Outdoor Men's National Coach of the Year, the organization announced Thursday. National winners are determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. It marks the fourth time overall (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) and third straight year Buchholtz has earned the honor. He also has been named the USTFCCCA National Indoor Men's Coach of the Year twice (2013, 2014).
Bucholtz led UWL to its 15th NCAA Division III outdoor title May 25-27 in Geneva, Ohio and his fourth as head coach (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017). He has also led the Eagles to four indoor (2009, 2013, 2014, 2017) national crowns.
UWL scored 47.0 team points to capture the 2017 outdoor national title with UW-Whitewater finishing second (45.0 points), the University of Mount Union (Ohio) third (29.0) and Benedictine University (Ill.) fourth (28.0). The Eagles have also won outdoor national titles 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2015 and 2016. UWL has also won an NCAA Division III record 18 indoor titles, including the 2017 crown in Naperville, Illinois.
It marks the 12th time (1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2013, 2017) UWL has swept the NCAA III Indoor and Outdoor titles.
The Eagles earned 13 individual All-America honors at this year's outdoor meet.
Ian Ewers (3,000-meter steeplechase,
Luke Rohloff (110-meter hurdles) and
Ross Denman (400-meter dash) won NCAA III titles. Ewers became the second runner in school history to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase, joining
Brett Altergott who won the title in 1997 and 1998. Rohloff took the 110-meter hurdles crown, also the second runner in UWL history to accomplish the feat after
Marcus Walgrave took the title in 2006. Denman joines
David Coates (1994) and
Andrew Rock (2003, 2004) as UWL national champions in the 400-meter dash.
Denman also earned 2017 NCAA III All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in the 200-meter dash while also being a member of the Eagles' seventh-place 4x400-meter relay. He joined
Zak Wallenfang,
Sam Smith and
Ben Jordan on the 4x400-meter relay.
Matthew Foster,
Ernest Winters,
Zach Rothering and
Joe Koenecke were on the Eagles' second-place 4x100-meter relay at this year's outdoor championships to garner All-America accolades. UWL's
Brendan Deiss was fifth in the high jump to earn All-America honors.
UWL has placed in the top-five nationally in all 18 championships under Buchholtz, including four second-place outdoor finishes (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014). The Eagles were fifth at the 2009 NCAA III Outdoor Championships. At the indoor championships, UWL finished second in 2015; third in 2010, 2011 and 2016 and fifth in 2012.
He has been selected the USTFCCCA Outdoor Midwest Region Coach of the Year three times (2013, 2014 2017) and USTFCCCA Indoor Midwest Region Coach of the Year on three occasions (2013, 2014, 2015).
Buchholtz, in his ninth season as the Eagles' head coach, was named the 2017 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's Coach of the Year for the ninth straight season. He led UWL to the league championship May 5-6 at UW-Platteville as the Eagles captured their 27th straight outdoor championship and league-record 53rd in school history. UWL recorded top-three finishes in 14 of the 21 championship events, including six titles. The Eagles had four second-place and seven third-place finishes.
He led UWL to the 2017 WIAC Indoor Championship February 24-25 at UW-Stout as the team earned its 16th straight title and 42nd in school history. The Eagles have swept the WIAC indoor and outdoor titles in each of Buchholtz' nine seasons as head coach.
UWL has won an NCAA III record 33 national titles (18 indoor; 15 outdoor) in school history. A total of 247 individual All-America honors (126 indoor; 121 outdoor) have been earned under Buchholtz. Eighty-one student-athletes have been named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team in Buchholtz' nine seasons.
