By JEFF OLSON
Special to The Gazette
In the last couple of weeks, Chris Horvat went from being a no-name runner to being one of the best middle distance runners on the UW-Stevens Point men's track and field team.
Two weekends ago, Horvat ran the men's 800-meter race with the nation's fastest time this year. This past weekend, he broke a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record in the men's 800-meter event by running a time of 1:53.42, a record that has not been broken in 12 years.
Rick Witt, coach of the men's track and field team, said, "Chris is a perfect example of a collegiate athlete who did not have that much success in high school, but by hard work and patience, he has gotten to where he is today."
Horvat, a senior at UW-SP, has been running his whole life and loves the competition. Originally from Menomonee Falls, he had a hard time when he first came to UW-SP. "I put him on hurdles, and he didn't do so well, but I did see he was a very hard worker," said Witt. Now, all of Horvat's hard work is finally paying off.
As for Horvat, he gives a lot of credit to his coaches and the rest of the team at UW-SP. "A lot of the success has gone to the coaching staff," he said. "We also have a lot of camaraderie on the team. As a team, we study and eat together."
As for his future after he graduates, Horvat plans on running if he can. "The Olympics are a possibility," he said, "but mostly I just try not to talk myself up too much."
This weekend, Horvat, a three time All-American, and the rest of the UW-SP Track and Field team will compete at the NCAA Division III Championships in Oshkosh.