Men's Indoor Track and Field

Men’s Indoor Track & Field Awards Revealed

MADISON, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has announced its award winners for the 2025 men’s indoor track & field season, based on voting conducting by the conference coaches.
 
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Christian Patzka was selected the Kwik Trip Track Performer of the Meet from the WIAC Championship (presented by Culver’s), while UW-River Falls’ Jacob Balcome received Kwik Trip Field Performer of the Meet honors. UW-Eau Claire’s Johnny Botsch was chosen the Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year and UW-La Crosse was tabbed the Kwik Trip Coaching Staff of the Year.
 
Patzka won the mile run and 3,000-meter run at the conference championship with times of 4:12.49 and 8:14.63, respectively. His time in the 3,000-meter run established a championship record and facility record.
 
Balcome is the first Falcon to claim the field award after emerging with the heptathlon title at the conference meet with a program record 5,208 points. He is the first individual in program history to win the heptathlon and the first Falcon to secure an individual indoor title since David Paynotta claimed the 60-meter dash in 2016.
 
Botsch was victorious in the pole vault with a height of 16-7 1/4 (5.06m) and the mark established a conference season best. A newcomer is defined as a student-athlete who used his first season of participation in men's indoor track & field this season. Transfers are not eligible unless they didn’t participate in men’s indoor track & field at their previous institution.
 
UW-La Crosse’s coaching staff directed the squad to its third straight WIAC championship – and 22nd in the last 23 years. The staff includes: head coach Josh Buchholtz; assistant coaches Nick Kohl (jumps), Doug Geiwitz (pole vault), Matt Gordy (sprints), Mark Guthrie (400-meter dash/400-meter hurdles), Tommy Knoche (pole vault), Jim Nelson (throws), Nathan Petesch (distance), Derek Stanley (distance), and Jakob Tordsen (multis); sports performance director Phil Whitesitt; head athletic trainer McKenzi Schornack; and staff athletic trainers Ryley Freiberg and Kelsey Galles.
 
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