Zupanc Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

UW-Oshkosh welcomed its largest class ever at the Hall of Fame and Senior Awards Banquet on Sunday (May 5) in Reeve Memorial Union.

Eight inductees went into the Hall of Fame. Tiffany (Barden) Losinski, Vicki Drewa, Kevin Mlodik, Jennifer (Pekulik) Petricek, Mitchell Poppen, Aaron Richartz, Deb Vercauteren and John Zupanc joined the exclusive club, which now has 174 members.

The UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame was established in 1974 to give tribute and deserved recognition to former athletes, coaches and friends of the university. It is also intended to enhance school tradition by honoring those people who have shown exceptional ability while on the UW-Oshkosh campus and since graduation.

John Zupanc was the first coach in NCAA Division III history to win three straight cross country championships.

Zupanc served as UW-Oshkosh's head coach for men's cross country from 1982-2010, men's indoor track & field from 2006-10 and men's outdoor track & field from 2005-10. He also was the assistant coach for men's track & field from 1981-2005.

Zupanc goes into the Hall of Fame with his wife, Deb Vercauteren, who coached women's cross country and track & field at UW-Oshkosh from 1981-2010. The couple is retired and lives in Omro.

During 1988, the Titans finished second at both the WIAC Cross Country Championship at the Midwest Regional. Zupanc then led UW-Oshkosh to first place at the NCAA Division III Championship with a nine-point win over North Central College (Ill.).

The Titans defended their national crown in both 1989 and 1990 over second-place North Central, including a 63-point margin of victory during 1989.

"John's legacy is so much more than just a coach to all his runners," said Jamie Pollard, the program's first All-American (1986). "I owe so many things in my life to the lessons I learned from John. I would not have become the runner, person or professional that I am today if it weren't for John's influence and guidance."

During 2002, Zupanc was named National Coach of the Year as UW-Oshkosh captured its fourth NCAA Division III title.

Zupanc coached the Titans to seven WIAC championships in 1989-90, 1992, 1995, 2000 and 2002-03. He received the league's Coach of the Year award seven times (1984, 1987-90, 2002-03).

Zupanc mentored a pair of men who earned four All-America awards in Scott Steuernagel (1987-90) and Dave Lambert (1988-91). Steuernagel also was a two-time individual WIAC champion.

In 2009, Zupanc led the Titans to both national titles for indoor and outdoor track & field. UW-Oshkosh previously finished third at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Zupanc was honored as National Indoor Coach of the Year during 2001, National Outdoor Coach of the Year in 2009 and WIAC Indoor Coach of the Year in 2010.