Christopher Newport University Athletics

Arguably the finest male athlete to ever compete for Christopher Newport track & field, Richard Roethel put together a record-setting career as a multi-event star for the Captains. He was the first men's track & field athlete to win multiple national championships and he secured All-American honors seven times over the course of his tenure. A 13-time NCAA Division III National Championship Qualifier, Roethel was the first athlete to win the indoor heptathlon when he captured the title in 2012. He also went on to capture the national championship in the outdoor decathlon in his final collegiate meet in the 2014 outdoor national event.   

Roethel scored 7,086 points in the decathlon and established a new program record in the discipline with that performance. He finished in the top-10 in eight of the 10 decathlon events and notched top-five efforts in four. He won the javelin with a tremendous 57.19-meter toss and placed second in the high jump after clearing 1.99 meters. Prior to his title-winning performance as a senior, Roethel became the first male in CNU history to collect All-American honors in the same event four times, finishing third, fourth, and seventh in his previous three decathlon appearances. He was twice named the USTFCCCA Regional Athlete of the Year and was a four-time All-CAC performer.