Athletics Hall of Fame
Steve Melzer was a three time WIAC champion and three time NCAA III All-American for the Warhawk track and field team. Melzer gave a glimpse of his promise with a four place finish in the 600 meters in the WIAC indoor championship his freshman year. He moved up to the 800 outdoors, and earned points in the conference meet six of the seven meets remaining in his career. He won the 880 (yards) indoors in 1987 and the 800 (meters) at the '88 indoor meet. He also claimed a WIAC championship as a member of the 4x400 relay team outdoors in 1987. He placed third in the 800 meters at the 1987 NCAA III indoor meet, helping the team finish seventeenth. He added a sixth place outdoors the same year to his resume, then climbed to second at the 1988 NCAA III indoor championship. Aided by Melzer's points, UW-W finished seventh in the '88 team standings. In 1989 Melzer was a member of a school record-setting 4x400 relay outdoors, a group that qualified for the NCAA III championship. However, an injury to a relay member during the preliminaries at the national meet ended their run. The time that quartet established, 3:13.90, stood until this May when another UW-W relay broke the mark at the NCAA III outdoor championship. Melzer still holds the school indoor 800 record of 1:52.70, set in 1988. He was named UW-W's Most Valuable Runner, indoors and outdoors, three times in his career. Melzer also lettered four times, 1985-88, in cross country. He is a marketing and business education teacher, as well as vocational coordinator, at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin. He lives in Delafield.
