MADISON, Wis.—The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) recently announced the members of its 2015 Hall of Fame class. Among those honored was Bethel's head track and field coach Andrew Rock, who was an 11-time champion and 17-time All-American as a student-athlete at UW-La Crosse from 2001-2004. The WIAC established a Hall of Fame to coincide with the conference's 100th anniversary celebration that took place three years ago, which makes Rock's class just the second group voted on in league history.
 
Rock, who was in his first year eligible to receive the honor (have to be out of school 10 years), joins 29 other former WIAC student-athletes to be inducted into the conference Hall of Fame on August 1, 2015 in Platteville, Wis. He'll be welcomed by 30 others who were among the first class voted into the Wisconsin's Hall.
 
According to the WIAC release, Commissioner Gary Karner explained how difficult the selection process is given the 102-year history and incomparable success of the conference.  "Quite frankly, there are dozens, if not hundreds, more individuals deserving of this honor.  Therefore, it is our intention to continue to induct future Hall of Fame classes every three years with the ultimate goal of recognizing those student-athletes, coaches, administrators, officials and others whose contributions and achievements have established and solidified the WIAC's status as the most accomplished Division III conference in NCAA history," said Karner.
 
The UW-La Crosse website had this to say about Coach Rock:
 
A member of the Eagles' track & field team from 2001-04, Rock won 11 NCAA Division III titles and earned 17 All-America honors.  He became the first athlete in NCAA III history to win three consecutive indoor 400-meter dash championships (2002, 2003, 2004).  Rock was the third athlete in NCAA III history to win the outdoor 200 and 400-meter dashes at one championship (2003) and the fourth athlete to capture the 400 indoor and 400 outdoor national titles in the same season (2003).  He was also a member of three national champion 4x400-meter relays (indoor in 2003 and 2004; outdoor in 2004).

Capturing 17 WIAC titles, Rock was the first athlete in league history to win four straight 200-meter indoor titles and four consecutive 400-meter outdoor crowns (2001-04). He was named the WIAC Track Performer of the Meet at the outdoor championships three times (2001, 2003, 2004). Rock was a member of eight NCAA Division III championship teams at UW-L, including four indoor and four outdoor. 

He earned a gold medal as part of the United States' 4x400-meter relay semifinal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.  The relay of Kelly Willie, Derrick Brew, Rock and Darold Williamson ran 2:59.30, the then-fastest time in the world.  Rock was sixth in the 400-meter dash (44.95) at the 2004 United States Olympic Trials and claimed a gold medal at the World Outdoor Games with the 4x400-meter relay squad.  

Named to the 2003 and 2004 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American® First Team, Rock was selected to the WIAC Men's Track & Field All-Time Team in 2012 in conjunction with the conference's Centennial Celebration.  He was inducted into the UW-L Wall of Fame in 2014.
 
For more information on the WIAC Hall of Fame Class , please visit www.wiacsports.com.