Witt-Birn track coach to be inducted into hall of fame

Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School cross country coach Cathy Esker is headed to the U.S. College Track & Field/Cross Country Hall of Fame. Esker, then known as Cathy Branta, competed at UW-Madison in the 1980s. She is a five-time national champion and 11-time All-American. The U.S. College Track & Field/Cross Country Hall of Fame has only been around since 2022, and Esker was just announced as a member of the Class of 2025. Born and raised in Slinger, she set Wisconsin’s state championship record times (for Division 2 girls) in cross country in both 1979 and 1980 before heading to Madison to compete in track and cross country for the Badgers. While at Wisconsin, she won the Broderick Award (now the Honda Sports Award) as the country’s best female collegiate cross country runner for the 1984-85 season. Esker won the gold medal at the 1985 Summer Universiade in Kobe, Japan, in the women’s 3,000-meter event and also set the collegiate record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:07. After retiring from professional racing, Esker moved to the Wittenberg-Birnamwood area to teach high school physical education, coach track and cross country, and pass along her love of running to the next generation.