Dathan Ritzenhein

Height:
5-7
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Rockford, Mich.
High School:
Rockford

2003 Track & Field: Ritzenhein competed in the 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000-meter races during the outdoor season. He claimed team best marks in the 3,000-meter (8:14.96) in a second place finish at the Pepsi Team Invite and the 5,000-meter (13:39.17) for a 12th place finish at the Mt. SAC Relays.

High School: Ritzenhein was a four-time all-state performer and All-Ok-Red Conference and all-region his junior and senior seasons. He finished third in the FootLocker Regionals in Racine, Wis. as a sophomore before taking the regional crown as a junior and senior, setting course records in both, the latter in 14:35. He finished eighth at the FootLocker National Championships as a sophomore before becoming the first prep athlete to win back-to-back national titles as a junior and senior. His resume expanded to the international scene following his senior cross season when he finished second at the 2001 US Cross Country Championships, earning him a trip to the IAAF World Championships where he finished third, becoming the first American junior to medal (bronze) in the race since ?81. He ran in his first USA TF Championships in Eugene, Ore. the summer after graduation, finishing 11th (13:44.70) in a 5k field that contained CU All-Americans and National Champions Adam Goucher, Alan Culpepper and Jorge Torres. It was the best effort by a prep runner since Jerry Lingren's 13:44.00.

In The Classroom: A history major, he has eclipsed the 3.00 mark all four semesters.

Personal: Dathan James Ritzenhein was born December 30, 1982 in Grand Rapids, Mich. He is the son of Jerry Ritzenhein of Rockford and Rae Marie Langlois of Grand Rapids, Mich. He has an older sister (Brienne), four stepbrothers and one stepsister. He was once an avid scuba diver and competed in a pair of triathlons.

TRACK PRs

1,500-m 3:42.99 2002 Cardinal Qualifier (outdoors)

3,000-m 8:01.72 2002 Big 12 Indoor Championships

5,000-m 13:27.77 2003 Cardinal Qualifier (outdoors)