Gretz Named League Athlete Of The YearMILWAUKEE, Wis. (June 27, 2007) - Senior Nick Gretz of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been named the Horizon League Outdoor Athlete of the Year, the league office announced today. Gretz is the first member of the UWM men's track and field team to earn the honor since Nick Davis in 2004. Gretz capped his Panther career in grand fashion. The Two Rivers, Wis., native became the first Milwaukee athlete to compete at the NCAA Championships since 1998. He competed in the discus throw, taking 22nd. He had qualified for the national meet by taking fifth in the event at the Mideast Regional. Throughout the season, he was ranked nationally in the event and top 10 in the region in the discus, as well as the shot put. The league champion in both the shot put and discus, Gretz reset school records in both events, establishing the shot put mark at 60-7 ¾ in winning the event at the Drake Relays. He is the first Panther to ever win an event at the prestigious meet. He also threw 181-3 to set the discus mark and was named the league athlete of the week after four-straight weekends of competition. Genni Gardner from Butler was named the Horizon League Women's Athlete of the Year. Gretz and Gardner were the only two league athletes to compete at the NCAA Championships this season.
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