Former Titan Dewitt Qualifies For U.S. Olympic Trials

Former UW-Oshkosh cross country and track & field All-American John Dewitt qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials with his performance at the Chicago Marathon held Sunday (Oct. 12).

Dewitt, who was competing in his first marathon, placed 23rd out of 22,177 men and was the second-youngest runner to cross the finish line. The 23-year-old Oshkosh West High School graduate finished the race in a time of 2:17:38.

"In college, I always got better as the distances got along," Dewitt said. "So, when my coaches and I decided we were going to bump up to the marathon, we had high expectations. It just happened to be that it was my race distance."

Dewitt qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic marathon trials by finishing under 2:18:00 at a sanctioned race. The qualifying window for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials began on Aug. 1, 2013, and runs through Jan. 17, 2016.

"I made the turn halfway, and the crowd was electric, going crazy," Dewitt said. "So I really just rode the adrenaline of the crowd and started clipping off five-fifteens, which was my goal pace (for each mile)."

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya won the Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:04:11.

The 2016 U.S. Olympic marathon trials will be held Feb. 16, 2016, in Los Angeles.

Dewitt was an All-American as a runner and as a student at UW-Oshkosh, where he majored in both mathematics and secondary education. He earned cross country All-America accolades in 2012 and outdoor track & field All-America honors in 2013.

Dewitt was also a three-time Academic All-America selection, the 2012 winner of the WIAC's Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award for men's cross country, the 2013 UW-Oshkosh Senior Scholar-Athlete Award winner, and a two-time cross country winner of the Elite 89 Award, which is given to the student-athletes with the highest grade point average at each of the NCAA's 89 championships.

"I loved being a Titan," Dewitt said. "I thought it set me up well to succeed out in the real world.

"We worked hard in college. Being a Division III athlete, especially, we learned how to motivate ourselves. I'm really thankful for my experience at UW-Oshkosh."

UW-Oshkosh head men's cross country and track & field coach Eamon McKenna helped Dewitt achieve both of his All-America running honors.

"John is a testament to the results that can stem from consistent hard work, self confidence, and the desire to be your best in every facet of life," McKenna said. "It was a joy and a privilege to work with John as coach his senior year here at UW-Oshkosh, and I am thrilled for him, his success, and the opportunities that lie ahead for him. He is an excellent representation of what we strive to achieve here as Titan student-athletes."

The 2012 U.S. Olympic marathon trials featured 161 men, including two from Wisconsin. Dewitt's time at the Chicago Marathon would have been good for 39th place at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials.

"I just feel so blessed to be in this position," the 2013 UW-Oshkosh graduate added. "It's something that I could have only dreamed of a couple years ago."

The top three finishers at the 2016 U.S. Olympic marathon trials will form the United States team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The fourth- and fifth-place finishers will be Team USA alternates.

"For 2016, I'm going to go out and give it my best shot," Dewitt said. "I think the plan right now is work hard and, hopefully, make a real run at things in 2020."