New Orleans, La. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse freshman
Sam Blaskowski of
Oshkosh (West) has been named the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III North Region Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the organization announced Tuesday.
He also earned the 2022 USTFCCCA North Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
Blaskowski was named the 2022 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Track Performer of the Meet and WIAC Newcomer of the Year after the league's outdoor championships. He swept the 100 (10.14) and 200 (20.80) meter dashes at the conference meet on May 6-7 at UWL's Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex, setting school records in both events. His time of 10.14 in the 100-meter dash ranks as the third-fastest in NCAA Division III history.
He was also a member of the Eagles' second-place (41.05) 4x100-meter relay at this year's WIAC Championships with
Caden Pearce,
Justin Kotarak and
Kaleb Schuster.
Along with the finishes on the track, Blaskowski captured this year's league title in the long jump (23-11 1/4).
He became the seventh sprinter in school history to sweep the 100 and 200-meter dashes at the same championships. Blaskowski is the eighth UWL student-athlete to earn the WIAC Track Performer of the Meet, joining
Danny Tutskey (2000),
Andrew Rock (2001, 2003, 2004),
Nate Olson (2005),
Marcus Walgrave (2006),
Alex Rooker (2008),
Ernest Winters (2016, 2018) and
Seth Holden (2021).
Blaskowski is the first UWL student-athlete to be named the Newcomer of the Year, an award which started in 2021.
He is seeded first in the 100-meter dash and third in the 200-meter dash and long jump at this week's NCAA Division III Championships scheduled for May 26-28 at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Blaskowski is also a member of UWL's 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay set to compete at this year's national meet.
Blaskowski was also named the 2022 WIAC Indoor Track Performer of the Meet and WIAC Newcomer of the Year.
