Men's Outdoor Track and Field

WIAC Sweeps USTFCCCA Men’s Outdoor National Awards

Official USTFCCCA Release

NEW ORLEANS--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) swept the men’s NCAA Division III national awards from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the 2025 outdoor season.
 
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Sam Blaskowski received Track Athlete of the Year, while UW-Eau Claire’s Yakob Ekoue was tabbed Field Athlete of the Year. UW-La Crosse’s Josh Buchholtz claimed Coach of the Year honors and UW-Eau Claire’s Paul Conlin secured Assistant Coach of the Year accolades.
 
Blaskowski received the award for the second straight year. He rewrote the NCAA Division III record book in the 100- and 200-meter dash, and as part of UW-La Crosse’s 4×100-meter relay. Blaskowski ended the season with five of the top-10 fastest marks in NCAA Division III history in the 100-meter dash (including the top time of 10.05 seconds), four of the top-10 fastest marks in the 200-meter dash (including the No. 2 time of 20.33 seconds) and helped the Eagles better their own record in the 4×100-meter relay. He scored 22.5 points at the NCAA Division III Championship with victories in both the 100- and 200-meter dash, as well as a tote on the winning and meet record-setting 4×100-meter relay.
 
Ekoue also won the award in 2023. He scored 22 points in throwing events at the NCAA Division III Championship after winning the discus and placing third in both the hammer and shot put. In the discus, Ekoue won the NCAA title by more than six meters and set a facility record. Earlier in the season, he put up 26 points in those same events at the WIAC Championship, winning the discus and taking runner-up honors in both the hammer and shot put.
 
Buchholtz claimed the honor for the second straight year and sixth time in his career (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017). He led the Eagles to the team title at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship as they scored 84 points, the most by a winning team since 2007. UW-La Crosse athletes won four events, led by the 100/200 double by Sam Blaskowski, who was also a member of the meet record-setting 4×100-meter relay team. The Eagles also secured the team title at the WIAC Championship, winning eight events.
 
Conlin coached the Blugolds’ throwers to combine for 36 of the team’s 56 points in finishing second at the NCAA Division III Championship. His athletes earned national individual titles in the shot put (Adam Strouf) and discus (Yakob Ekoue), in addition to four other All-America performances. Conlin-coached athletes also amassed 65 points at the WIAC Championship.
 
# # # # #