The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater athlete Chirstian Patzka was named the Wisconsin Intercollegaite Athletic Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Year in a release by the conference office on December 4th. Patzka was named WIAC Athlete of the Year in 2022 and is the second Warhawk to earn the prestige (David Fassbender - 2021).

Patzka finished his 2024 season as the National Champion, crossing first at the national meet in Terre Haute, Indiana. The senior crossed at 24:01 to win his first national crown in cross country. In the National Meet, Patzka led the Warhawks to their highest finish in school history, finishing 4th overall on the national stage.

Earlier in the season, Patzka broke a nearly 50-year old record, finishing his 8K with a time of 23:52.7 at the Augustana Interregional. Patzka became the third Warhawk in history to finish an 8K in under 24-minutes.

A week later, Patzka broke his own record again, setting a new personal and school best at the WIAC Championship meet. Patzka finished runner-up with a time of 23:48.7.

Last week, Patzka was named the USTFCCCA Athlete of the Year, claiming the first award for a Warhawk in school history.

His career accolades speak for themselves as Patzka has accumulated numerous accolades in both cross country and track and field. In cross country, Patzka is a four-time All-WIAC honoree, four-time All-Region selection, four-time All-American, the 2023 WIAC individual champion, a two-time NCAA North Region champion (2022, 2023), a two-time North Region Athlete of the Year (2022, 2023) and the 2022 WIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

On the track, Patzka has stood atop the podium five times earning the national title three times in the 5,000 (2023 and 2024 indoors, 2024 outdoors) and twice in the 3,000 steeplechase (2023, 2024).

In total, Patzka holds six individual national titles and is now a 14-time All-American with five honors both indoors and outdoors and four in cross country.