Bio

In 1981, Deb Vercauteren started the UW-Oshkosh women’s cross country team. Over the next 30 years, she built it into one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division III history.

The USTFCCCA named Vercauteren its Women’s Cross Country Silver Anniversary Coach during 2005, recognizing her as the sport’s best leader of the previous 25 years.

Vercauteren goes into the UW-Oshkosh Athletic Hall of Fame with her husband, John Zupanc, who coached men’s cross country and track & field at UW-Oshkosh from 1981-2010. The couple is retired and lives in Omro.

Overall, Vercauteren guided UW-Oshkosh to 18 national championships. Eight of those titles were for women’s outdoor track & field during 1990-91, 1995-97, 2004 and 2006-07. Her teams added eight other top-three finishes at the national meet and 10 WIAC championships. Vercauteren was named National Coach of the Year in 1994 and WIAC Coach of the Year nine times (1988-89, 1991, 1994-97, 2004, 2006).

Leading the women’s indoor track & field program from 1982-2009, Vercauteren coached the Titans to a pair of three-peats. UW-Oshkosh won national championships from 1984-86 and 2004-06. She received National Coach of the Year in 2006 and nine WIAC Coach of the Year awards in 1988-89, 1991, 1994-97, 1999 and 2006. Vercauteren captured 11 league titles, while her athletes placed first in 161 WIAC Championship events.

From 1986-2000, UW-Oshkosh won 15 straight WIAC women’s cross country championships. Vercauteren was voted National Coach of the Year twice (1995, 1996) and WIAC Coach of the Year 10 times (1983, 1986-89, 1993-96, 1999). One of her top runners was Tiffany (Speckman) Ebensperger, who totaled three WIAC championships and three All-America awards.

Vercauteren’s athletes combined for 58 individual national titles, along with 331 All-America finishes and 12 Academic All-America honors.

Vercauteren, from Ashwaubenon, was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame in 2006 and the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012. During the conference’s centennial celebration, Vercauteren was named the all-time coach for both women’s cross country and women’s track & field.

The USTFCCCA named its top honor after Vercauteren in 2008. The Deb Vercauteren Program of the Year Award is annually presented to the best women’s cross country and track & field program in the NCAA Division III.