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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater senior student-athletes
David Fassbender (Slinger, Wis./Slinger) and
Caitlin Mertins (Racine, Wis./Park) were recognized Sunday as the 2021-22 Warhawk Student-Athletes of the Year at the annual Campus Awards coordinated by the campus Career and Leadership Development office.
Fassbender is a member of the men's cross country and track and field programs, while Mertins is a member of the bowling team.
The duo was recognized for demonstrating the essence of a student-athlete at the NCAA Division III level, exemplifying what it means to be a UW-Whitewater student-athlete and displaying excellence in the classroom, in competition and in the community.
Fassbender claimed All-America honors in both cross country and indoor track and field during the 2021-22 year.
In the fall, he led the men's cross country team to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championship, matching the program's highest-ever finish (1999). Fassbender claimed his third career All-America medal with a sixth-place individual finish. He swept the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and NCAA North Regional individual titles, becoming the first regional champion in program history to lead UW-W to the regional team title. Fassbender was recognized as the North Region Men's Athlete of the Year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
During the winter indoor track and field season, Fassbender claimed All-America accolades in two distance events, placing third in the 3,000-meter run and fifth in the 5,000-meter run to lead the Warhawks to a tie for 10th place at the NCAA Indoor Championships. He earned conference titles in the 3,000-meter run and the distance medley relay and broke the program's school record in the 3K.
Fassbender is currently among the top 16 in NCAA Division III in the 5,000-meter run and 10,000-meter run heading into this weekend's WIAC Outdoor Championships.
Fassbender carries a 3.34 cumulative grade point average and is majoring in human performance with a minor in strength and conditioning. He is a three-year member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and has volunteered at the Discover Whitewater Series and other community initiatives.
Mertins was named Division III National Player of the Year by the National Tenpin Coaches Association after competing in nearly 1,000 frames during the season in NCAA sanctioned tournaments. She posted a fill percentage of 85 percent and a single-pin spare conversion rate of 92 percent and led the Warhawks to a 49-45 record against one of the most difficult schedules in the NCAA.
Mertins won the singles title at the United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Singles Championships Addison (Ill.) Sectional and represented UW-Whitewater at the USBC's Intercollegiate Singles Championships.
Mertins owns a cumulative GPA of 3.97 and will graduate with a degree in elementary education with a minor in adaptive education. A three-year member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll, Mertins is an active volunteer and employee on campus. She has volunteered for the Discover Whitewater Series and Fairhaven Senior Services while working as a teaching assistant at UW-Whitewater's Children's Center and was the Social Networking Teams Coordinator and an executive board member of UW-W's National Society of Leadership and Success.
