Thursday, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association officially inducted 14 former collegiate athletes, including Bowling Green alum Dave Wottle into the Hall of Fame.

The 2023 class is the second group of inductees into the Hall of Fame with the initial class being inducted in 2022. The ceremony took place at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, Ore., which is the day preceding the 2023 Diamond League Final, the Prefontaine Classic, September 16-17, in Eugene.

“I am honored and humbled to be inducted into the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame for Track & Field and Cross Country. While individual titles are important and often what people remember most, as an athlete, being recognized for the sum of my collegiate career carries an elevated and special level of meaning,” said Wottle.

“I share this honor with my Bowling Green coach, Mel Brodt, who believed in me before I believed in myself; my Bowling Green teammates, who motivated me and pushed me harder than I wanted to be pushed at times; my wife Jan and family members for their constant encouragement and support, and my God, who gave me the ability to run swiftly.”

Wottle competed for the Bowling Green men’s cross country and track and field teams from 1969-1973, earning a plethora of conference and national accolades.

In 1969, he placed 30th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. That spring, he was the runner-up in the mile at the 1970 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, earning All-American honors.

He carried his success into the 1971 cross country season, winning the MAC Championship and placing 12th at the NCAA Championships to earn All-American honors once again.

After missing the 1971 track and field season due to injury, he claimed the first individual national title in BGSU history, winning the 800 at the 1972 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

He also anchored the NCAA Champion Distance Medley Relay team, teaming with Craig MacDonald, Ted Farver, and Sid Sink. He earned his second national title at the 1972 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, winning the 1500.

Wottle qualified for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, after winning the 800 at the Amateur Athletic Union Championships and tying the 800 world record of 1:44.3 at the United States Olympic Trials.

At the Olympics, Wottle produced one of the most memorable performances in sports history, passing nearly every runner in the field before taking the lead in the final straightaway.

He lunged across the finish line, beating pre-race favorite Yevhen Arzhanov of the USSR by 0.03 seconds. Wottle was the first BGSU student-athlete to win an Olympic Gold Medal, an exclusive club that now features hockey players Rob Blake, Ken Morrow, and Mark Wells.

“Dave Wottle will always be considered one of Bowling Green State University’s greatest treasures. He has left a lifelong impact on this University and community and has positively impacted generations of alumni,” said Derek van der Merwe, BGSU Director of Athletics and Recreation.

“Widely recognized as one of the greatest athletes to ever compete in the Orange and Brown, he has made the University and its over 190,000 alumni proud of his achievements. Congratulations, Dave, on your induction into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame.”

When he returned to Bowling Green for his senior season, Wottle won two more national titles, both in the mile.

After taking the crown at the 1973 NCAA Indoor Championships, he retained it at the 1973 NCAA Outdoor Championships, running a time of 3:57.1 that remains the fastest mile time in NCAA Championship history.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in History, Wottle raced the mile at the University of Oregon, competing against Oregon’s own Steve Prefontaine, Wottle’s former Olympic teammate. Wottle finished first in 3:53.30, the third-fastest mile in world history at the time.

Under BGSU Hall of Fame coach Mel Brodt, Wottle and the Falcons placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships for four consecutive years.

Wottle helped the Falcons increase their team finish each season, placing ninth in 1969, eighth in 1970, seventh in 1971, and sixth in 1972. Wottle was a key piece of the 1969 team that also won the MAC team title, running alongside fellow BGSU Hall of Famer Sid Sink.

“This induction once again puts Dave Wottle among the all-time greats of NCAA Track & Field and Cross Country. He was chosen for displaying excellence in collegiate track & field and cross country at its very best,” said Lou Snelling, BGSU Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach.

“Beyond the stats, Dave has been such an important ambassador for Bowling Green State University and the sport as whole for over 50 years.”

A native of Canton, Ohio, Wottle was inducted into the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978, the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1982, and the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame in 1990.

He holds six indoor school records and raced for one record-holding relay team, the 4×1600. He is the first athlete from the Mid-American Conference to be inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame.