Cross Country/Track and Field standout Kurt Michaelis enters the Hall of Fame as the only athlete in school history to be a two-time Vindicator/YSU Male Athlete of the Year. Michaelis earned Athlete-of-the-Year honors in 2002-03 and 2003-04.
Michaelis represented the Guins well on a national level both during the indoor and outdoor campaigns during his career. He twice competed at the NCAA Outdoor Regionals and ran the mile at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship.
He won three Horizon League indoor championships – the mile in 2003, the mile and 800 meters in 2002 -- and five Horizon League outdoor titles - the steeplechase and the 1,500 meters in 2004, the 1,500m in 2003 and the 1,500m and 800m in 2002. For his efforts in the classroom, he was a five-time Horizon League Academic All-League Team member and a second-team CoSIDA All-District Academic selection.
Michaelis only ran cross country and competed in the outdoor season as a senior in 2004. He had a strong spring advancing to the NCAA Regionals in the steeplechase. He was named the Horizon League’s Outdoor Track and Field Outstanding Running Performer. At the league meet he won the 1,500 meters and the steeplechase. At the NCAA Mideast Regional he posted a time of 9:24.79 in the steeplechase to finish 16th.
In 2002-03, Michaelis had a banner year. He was an All-American at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, was named the Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year, won the mile championship at the Horizon League Indoor Championships while leading YSU to its first league title in school history, won the 1,500 at the league outdoor meet and set school records in the steeplechase (outdoor), mile (indoor) and 1,000-meter run (indoor).
At the 2003 NCAA indoor championships, Michaelis placed ninth overall in the mile with a time of 4:07.79. By being the seventh-place American finisher, he earned first-team All-America status. At the Horizon League Indoor meet, Michaelis won the mile for the second consecutive year, placed third in the 1,000 and was fourth in the 800.
At the 2003 outdoor league meet, Michaelis won the 1,500 meters, placed second in the steeplechase and was third in the 800. He qualified for the NCAA Regionals in all three events and eventually finished 10th in the 1,500m finals. He finished 31st in the steeplechase as well.
His year began in the fall as a junior member and team captain of the cross country squad. Michaelis placed 19th at the Horizon League Men’s Cross Country Championships with a time of 25:43, while YSU placed third as a team.
In 2001-02, Michaelis had an outstanding campaign as well. On the outdoor circuit, he won the Horizon League titles in the mile and the 800-meter run. At the indoor championship meet he won the mile and 800 meters as well. He was named the Outstanding Runner Performer at the indoor league meet. In the fall, he finished 24th at the Horizon League Men’s Cross Country Championships.
He earned his degree from YSU in Exercise Science at YSU and is a sales consultant for Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals.
Before coming to YSU, Michaelis had a stellar career in track and cross country at Holgate High School. He won the Division III state championship in the mile in 1997 and was the runner-up in 1999. In cross country, has was the state runner up in 1998. Michaelis was a four-time All-Ohio honoree in cross country and a three-time selection in track.
Kurt and his wife, Kristen, have three children, Bryce, Jackson and Claire. The family resides in Milan, Ohio.
