Hall of Fame
When one thinks of UW-Oshkosh women’s cross country and track & field, former athletes and coaches across Wisconsin think of Cheryl Niederberger.
Niederberger competed in cross country from 1985 to 1988 earning a varsity letter all four years. In 1986 she helped the Titans to its first then-called WWIAC cross country title, a streak that now stands at 14 consecutive years. At the NCAA Division III Championship, she gained her first of three All-America honors by running to a 22nd-place finish, helping the team to a third-place national showing. One year later in 1987, Niederberger ran to the WWIAC individual title and garnered an All-America performance at the NCAA Division III Championship by placing third overall. Her performance catapulted the Titans into the national cross country scene as UW-Oshkosh captured its first NCAA Division III title.
Again in 1988, Niederberger took home the WWIAC individual title and led the Titans to a second consecutive NCAA Division III cross country crown by running to a second-place finish. She was named the UW-Oshkosh cross country team’s most valuable runner in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
Niederberger’s track & field accomplishments rival her cross country accolades. She was a five-time All-American and a nine-time WWIAC champion. Earning four varsity letters, she was a member of the indoor and outdoor 1988 and 1989 WWIAC championship teams. Similar to what she did for the UW-Oshkosh cross country team, Niederberger was influential in making the UW-Oshkosh women’s track & field team a force in the WWIAC and at the NCAA Division III national level. The WWIAC indoor and outdoor championship teams of 1988 were the first in UW-Oshkosh history.
Not only are her athletic achievements stellar, she also excelled in the classroom. She was awarded an NCAA post-graduate scholarship, was named a Chancellor’s Award For Excellence winner and was named a 1988 and 1989 College Sports Communicators Academic All-American.
