UW-Whitewater will have three alumni inducted into the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame this year: Willie Myers, who coached wrestling from 1968-2004; Robert Berezowitz, who served as the head football coach from 1985-2006; and Camille Ross, who competed in track and field from 1997-2000 and now serves as the supervisor of track and field and cross-country operations at Purdue University.

Willie Myers

Not only did Willie Myers coach at Whitewater for 36 years, but he also served as the men’s athletic director from 1983-98. In his first year as the head wrestling coach, Myers was named NAIA Rookie Coach of the Year, foreshadowing the successful career that followed.

Myers had a dominant run as wrestling coach, leading the Warhawks to 12 WIAC championships, including a stretch of seven consecutive titles. He is also the all-time WIAC leader in wrestling coaching wins, owning a record of 301-136-7.

During Myers time as the athletic director for Whitewater, he directed the remodeling of the Williams Center, including the addition of the Kachel Fieldhouse.

In 2005, Myers was inducted into the UW-Whitewater Athletics Hall of Fame. That same year, the university’s wrestling room was renamed in his honor, becoming the Willie Myers Family Wrestling Gymnasium.

At the age of 81, Myers died in 2021. His successful career, marked by numerous wins, awards and honors solidified his legacy at Whitewater. His induction into the WIAC Hall of Fame is yet another honor he will hold forever.

Robert Berezowitz

Coaching football for 21 years, Bob Berezowitz recorded 158 wins, the third-most in WIAC history. Maintaining that level of success over such a long period, especially in a competitive conference, is no easy feat.

Berezowitz played both football and baseball while attending Whitewater. During this time, he developed a strong relationship with former coach Forrest Perkins, who coached both sports.

“He was like a second father to me,” Berezowitz said. “When I was coaching high school, he would ask me to come in on Saturdays and be up in the press box, communicating with the quarterback on the sideline. I got a little taste of what that college coaching was like even though I wasn’t there all week.”

In 2000, Berezowitz was selected to be on the national selection committee team giving him the opportunity to scout out other competition.

“I wanted to know what it would take for us to be competitive on a national level,” Berezowitz said. “We didn’t have those difference makers that other teams had. So we scheduled both Mount Union and St. John’s for non-conference games. Even though we got beat, it was worth doing to see what it would take to beat these guys.”

In 2012, the Student Athletic Complex was renamed in Berezowitz’s honor, becoming the Berezowitz Student Athletic Complex. Berezowitz credits the people he worked with in his time at Whitewater for the success and honor.

“I met with former players and people in the community and asked them if they were willing to donate over a five-year period and we were able to raise enough money to get the building built,” Berezowitz said. “It’s former players and coaches, that’s who that building is to me.”

Camille Ross

Camille Ross competed for the Warhawk track and field team from 1997-2000. During her career, she qualified for the NCAA championships 15 times and earned eight All-American honors. In 2012, Ross was named to the WIAC Women’s Track and Field All-Time Team. She was inducted into the UW-Whitewater Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015, recognized as one of the most accomplished runners in the school’s history.

Ross developed an interest in track and field by growing up around the sport and seeing her family actively involved as well.

“My dad was a biathlete while I was growing up and we watched a lot of track as a family,” Ross said. “I’m from Milwaukee and ended up seeing this group at one little summer track meet called the Milwaukee Striders. I didn’t get involved with them until high school, but in middle school I got involved here and there which led to me ending up at the right place.”

With many accomplishments throughout her career, Ross has competed in a great number of competitions. Some of these events stand out to her more than others due to personal significance.

“I think my most memorable performance is probably winning the long jump at conference junior year, and it’s more so the fact that it wasn’t my main event,” Ross said. “I didn’t have the best technique. A lot of the coaches dogged our jumps coach about my technique. But at the end of the day, I beat everybody who’s been jumping out the womb.”

Ross expressed that her experiences at Whitewater, both bad and good, helped her discover her passion for working with other student-athletes at Purdue.

“Having positive and negative experiences that I had to navigate in college as a student-athlete in the classroom, juggling all of that, I think really pushed me to want to assist other athletes,” Ross said. “I coached at Central Michigan, Dartmouth College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Mississippi College, Jackson State University, and the biggest thing with the athletes that I work with is to be the best individual to work on the mental game.”

Ross puts a strong priority on the mental aspect of sports, considering it a key component of her coaching beliefs and something she takes great pride in when working with student-athletes.

“If I can assist an athlete to get their mental game together, for the most part, everything else falls into place,” Ross said. “Because of my background as a high level student athlete and as a coach, I’m able to give a lot of valuable information that will help these young athletes be successful.”

All three of these Whitewater alumni have left a lasting impact on the school. Their contributions to the university’s sports and the WIAC record books will now be forever honored in the WIAC Hall of Fame.