Appleton's Witt Named Division III Men's Track Athlete of the Year at UW-Whitewater

2017 Jun 1

Parker Witt, a native of Appleton, WI, graduate of Appleton North High School and junior on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's track and field team, has earned United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division III Outdoor Men's Track Athlete of the Year, the organization announced Thursday, June 1.

Witt garnered three All-America accolades last week at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio, to help the Warhawks finish as national runner-up, the program's highest outdoor finish in school history.

Witt won his second national title in the 200-meter dash with a facility- and school-record time of 20.85 seconds. He finished as national runner-up in the 100-meter dash with a mark of 10.37, only three-hundredths of a second shy of the championship result.

Witt also anchored the 4x100-meter relay team, which placed third in the nation with a time of 40.67, only four-hundredths of a second shy of the program record in the event.

For the weekend, Witt collected 19.5 points to contribute 43 percent of UW-Whitewater's 45-point total.

Witt is now a nine-time All-American in his career. He currently holds school records in four sprint events (two indoor, two outdoor).

Witt is the second Warhawk in as many seasons to earn national athlete of the year honors. Robert Starnes was tabbed NCAA Indoor Men's Field Athlete of the Year after claiming national titles in both the long jump and high jump in 2016.