Steiner chosen as Max Sparger Indoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete

Release provided by the WIAC

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Noah Steiner has been chosen the recipient of the 2020 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Men's Indoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete Award.

Steiner, a senior from Monticello, Iowa, maintains a 3.76 grade point average and is majoring in industrial technology management with a minor in drafting & product development. He is a three-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic honoree, receiving recognition during the 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 academic years. Steiner is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and have been on UW-Platteville's Dean's List multiple times. In 2019, he received National Student-Athlete Day Award.

Steiner won the high jump at the WIAC championship this year for the second time in his career. He also placed first in the event at the 2018 league meet and placed second in 2019. A year ago, he collected All-America accolades with a third-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championship. A two-year team captain, Steiner owns the school record in the indoor high jump at 2.09 meters.

Steiner volunteered for Highway Clean-Up and has served as a manufacturing intern at Decker Precision Machining.

Also nominated for this year's scholar-athlete award were: UW-Eau Claire's Hunter Henk (Beldenville, Wis./River Falls); UW-La Crosse's Tyler Nault (Peshtigo, Wis.); UW-Stevens Point's Alex Jochman (Kaukauna, Wis.); UW-Stout's Parker Rongstad (Osseo, Wis./Osseo-Fairchild); and UW-Whitewater's Jake Schneider (Plymouth, Wis.).

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference for 22 years from 1971-93. He oversaw the transition of the conference from NAIA to full NCAA membership. Sparger arrived at UW-Stout in 1959 and served the institution in a variety of capacities, including an assistant football and basketball coach, head wrestling coach and head football coach. He served as UW-Stout's athletics director from 1969-71 and was inducted into the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012.
 
In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, he must be in his last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.
 

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