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The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has selected UW Oshkosh’s John Zupanc as its 2009 NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.

Zupanc guided the Titans to three significant victories this past outdoor season, including a first-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championship held May 21-23 in Marietta, Ohio. The USTFCCCA also named UW Oshkosh as its winner of the NCAA Division III Outdoor Power Rankings and the NCAA Division III Al Carius Program of the Year Award.

Led by event champions Tony Baker (sophomore, Oshkosh) in the discus throw and Willy Kaul (senior, Menomonee Falls) in the 10,000-meter run, UW Oshkosh scored 46 points to capture the team title at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship. The Titans finished the meet with seven All-America performances, including a school-record tying effort in the 400-meter relay.

Zupanc has been a coach in the men’s cross country and men’s track and field programs at UW Oshkosh since 1981. He was named head coach of men’s cross country in 1982 and head coach of men’s track and field in 2005.

Last March, Zupanc led UW Oshkosh to a share of the team title at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship. His cross country teams won NCAA Division III titles in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 2002.

During his tenure as head coach, Zupanc has tutored 82 NCAA Division III All-America performances, including 36 in cross country and 26 in outdoor track and field. He has coached five event champions in indoor track and field and three in outdoor track and field.

The latest NCAA Division III Coach of the Year Award is the third for Zupanc. The USTFCCCA previously honored Zupanc in indoor track and field in 2001 and in cross country in 2002.

A Monroe native, Zupanc received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UW-Madison. He is married to Deb Vercauteren, the head women’s cross country and head women’s track and field coach at UW Oshkosh.