New Orleans, La. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse junior Sam Blaskowski of Oshkosh (West) and men's track & field head coach Josh Buchholtz have been recognized by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the organization announced Thursday.  Blaskowski was recognized as National Track Athlete of the Year while Buchholtz was named National Head Coach of the Year. 
 

Sam Blaskowski, Junior, sprints

• Blaskowski was named most Outstanding Performer of the Championships from the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. 
• Blaskowski scored 22.5 points at the 2024 NCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Championships thanks to victories in both the 100 meters and 200 meters, as well as a leg on the winning 4×100 relay. 
• Being named the Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year gives Blaskowski a sweep in national awards as he was also honored at the end of the indoor season as he was named Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
• This past weekend Blaskowski won his third 100-meter National Championship with a time of 10.24. Just a few weeks earlier, Blaskowski set a wind-legal NCAA DIII record of 10.09 in the 100 meters at the UW-La Crosse Eagle Open.
• Also on Saturday, Blaskowski won the 200-meter championship with a time of 20.63 which is the third fastest all-time performance in the 200. 
• Blaskowski ran the third leg of the 4x100 relay which recorded one of the top four times all-time in the relay (39.82). 
• Earlier this season, Blaskowski's wind legal time of 10.20 in the 100-meter surpassed the Olympic Trials standard. Blaskowski's time currently sits 14th with the top 36 times that hit the minimum standard making the Olympic Trials.  

 
Josh Buchholtz, 16^th Season 

• Buchholtz has been named the USTFCCCA National Indoor Coach of the Year five times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024) and National Indoor Coach of the Year four times (2013, 2014, 2023, 2024). 
• UWL won their NCAA Division III record 16^th Outdoor National Championship this past weekend which gave UWL a sweep of the 2024 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor titles. The Eagles had 12 individuals earn NCAA III All-America Honors along with both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay team.
• Buchholtz has now led UWL to 11 NCAA Division III titles, including six indoor (2009, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2023, 2024) and five outdoor (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024).
• At this year's outdoor championships, the Eagles scored 76 points. Those were the most points scored by a winning men's team at the meet since 2007. UW-La Crosse scored points in 11 different events, including ten or more in five: 200 meters (14), steeplechase (11), 100 meters (ten), 800 meters (ten), and 4×100 relay (ten).
• Under the coaching of Buchholtz and his staff, the Eagles won their 32nd Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) outdoor title in the last 33 seasons. The UWL coaching staff was honored as the WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year.