Eugene "Cy" Fritz's contributions to Millersville University athletics during his distinguished career are extensive and varied.
As men's cross country head coach from 1969 to 1985, he set a standard of excellence that likely will never be equaled. He skippered the 'Ville harriers to an outstanding 126-16-1 dual record--an 88.5 percent win ratio--and guided the Marauders to IC4A titles in 1978 and 1981, and the PSAC championship in 1979. The 1981 campaign culminated in Millersville's first and only NCAA Division II national championship, when the Marauder thinclads edged conference rival Edinboro to claim the title at Lowell, Mass. MU also earned NCAA-II East Region championship honors in 1984.
Eight Marauders earned All-American honors during Fritz's cross country tenure and two captured IC4A individual titles. He was selected as NCAA-II national coach of the year in 1981 and received top regional coach honors in 1984.
In track and field, he guided the Marauders for five years (1970-74) and led the tracksters to another superb dual meet record: 41-3 (.932), among the finest percentage-wise in any sport in school athletics history. In his first campaign (1970), he skippered the Black and Gold to PSAC championship gold. Under his tutelage, five Millersville athletes earned All-American status. He stayed with the program as an assistant coach from 1975 to 1982. In 1994, Fritz served as Head Field Referee for the NCAA-II National Championships.
From 1968 until his retirement in 1997, Fritz served as a member of the Department of Health and Physical Education (now Wellness and Sports Sciences) faculty and was the University's director of intramurals and recreation.
In 1985, Fritz was named associate director of men's athletics and was responsible for management of University athletic facilities, scheduling assistance and home event coordination during his 12-year tenure. For many years, he supervised Millersville's popular All-Comers summer track meets.
A 1960 graduate of East Stroudsburg University with a bachelor's of science degree in physical education, Fritz earned a master's degree from West Chester University in 1967.
Currently, "Cy" is a member of the Lancaster Rotary South Club, the Lancaster Beagle Club, and he annually volunteers as a meet official at the Millersville Metrics each April. He also is a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
On October 15, 2005, Fritz received the Jim Barniak Alumni Athletic Achievement Award from East Stroudsburg for post-graduate excellence.
