Eric Kramer enters his seventh season as assistant coach for the Milwaukee men's and women's track & field teams heading into the 2018-19 season.
In his first six seasons with Milwaukee, Kramer helped UWM bring home 15 team trophies, including four Horizon League Championships. Also, Panther student-athletes have produced an impressive 110 Horizon League individual titles in his first six years on campus.
Kramer has helped Milwaukee reach new heights on the national level, bringing home five All-American honors between 2016 & 2017 - the most over a two-year span in program history. That culminated with Nate Pozolinski being named Second Team All-American in both the 60m hurdles and 110m hurdles just in 2017. In fact, Pozolinski was arguably the most consistent hurdler in the nation in 2017, clocking in at 13.80 seconds or faster in the 110m hurdles 10 times during the season - a feat no one else in the nation achieved.
Pozolinski's ascent to the top of the sport was impressive, starting his collegiate career with a time of 15.28 in the 110m hurdles and graduating tied for the school record in 13.56 and as a three-time All-American.
This past season was another one filled with success for Milwaukee. Despite once again sporting one of the younger rosters in the conference, the Panthers brought home a runner-up trophy on the men's side during the indoor season and another runner-up team title on the women's side during the outdoor season. Kramer also helped MKE to 15 Horizon League Athlete of the Week honors throughout the year.
The 2018 season was capped with Milwaukee once again sending a hurdle athlete to the NCAA West Regionals as sophomore Konner Fierek qualified in the 110m hurdles. That continued the impressive run of having at least one hurdle athlete at regionals during Kramer's entire six years with the Black & Gold, competing a total of 14 times in both the 100m, 110m and 400m hurdles with a shot to punch their ticket to nationals.
In addition to the impressive hurdle work Kramer continued with Milwaukee, the Panthers' jumps events stole the show at the 2018 Horizon League Championships. Seniors Melissa Kirchoff and Alisha Harper and freshman Kyra Arendt combined to go 1-2-3 in both long jump and triple jump as the Panthers racked up 53 points in those two events alone. Kirchoff finished the meet earning the league's top field athlete honors, while Arendt completed her indoor/outdoor sweep of the Horizon League Freshman Field Athlete of the Year awards.
Not to be outdone, sophomore Bryce McMurtry supplanted his previous best in long jump by an incredible two feet at the outdoor championships, finishing with a leap of 7.30m (23-11 1/2) to move into second place in school history. Sophomore Tri Pham also brought home the men's triple jump title after finishing runner-up at his first three league meets, moving into fourth place in program history at 15.12m (49-7 1/4).
In 2016, the Panthers sent three to the NCAA Championships. The Panthers also sent seven individuals to the NCAA West Regional meet that year - the most since the NCAA changed its qualifying standards.
The honors did not stop as Milwaukee claimed an incredible 23 league athlete of the week honors two years ago.
UWM also broke 14 school records in 2016 - the most since 17 records were toppled back by the 2007 squad.
In all, Kramer has reached some coached an impressive list of accomplishments with Milwaukee:
- UWM has qualified for the NCAA Championships seven times in Kramer’s first six years.
- Also on the national level, the Panthers won the 4x110m shuttle hurdle relay at the storied Drake Relays in both 2013 and 2014
- In the six hurdle events, UWM has now claimed 14 of the possible 36 league titles and placed a whopping 68 individuals on the podium in those 36 events over the last six years.
- Marquis Johnson earned Junior All-American status after a seventh-place finish at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2012.
Kramer's teams have also excelled in the classroom. In both 2016 & 2017, Milwaukee track & field has put forth the recipient of the prestigious Cecil L. Coleman Award - the highest honor in the Horizon League. Nate Pozolinski earned that impressive honor in 2017, one year after Brett Pozolinski capped his career with the same distinction that combines athletics, academics and extra curricular activities.
His teams have also earned special recognition each of the last three years from the NCAA for their academic work, finishing with an APR score in the top-10 percent in 2017, one year after a perfect APR score in men's track and field in 2016.
Kramer also has an impressive list of coaching certifications from the USTFCCCA:
- Program Management Certification
- Sprint, Hurdle, & Relay Specialist Certification
- Jumping Event Specialist Certification
- Strength & Conditioning Certification
- Hurdle Master Coach Endorsement (one of only 13 in country)
Kramer came to Milwaukee after spending the past year at Franklin College.
At Franklin College, Kramer helped lead the Grizzlies to impressive heights. In 2012, the team posted six school records between the sprint, hurdle and jump events that Kramer coached. He also served as the meet director for the inaugural Indiana D-III Championships and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship meet.
Kramer started out his coaching career at Franklin from 2007-2009, quickly becoming an integral part of the coaching staff. In that time, he helped coach the team to the conference indoor title. He also coached two HCAC Most Valuable Track Athlete of the Year winners and two Academic All-Americans. Additionally, he also guided the school to their first-ever men's and women's cross country league championship titles, including having one men's national qualifier.
In between, Kramer spent two years at Lake Erie College where he helped send numerous student-athletes to the NCAA D-II Championships and produced 11 All-Americans and an outstanding 31 school records. Kramer also helped coach the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.
