Dave Wottle's dramatic finish in the 1972 Munich Olympics was the closest finish in Olympic 800 meter history and earned him a Gold Medal in the 800 meter run. Yet most people will remember Dave more for the tattered golf cap he wore during the race than the race itself. As a result of Dave’s performance in Munich, he was awarded the prestigious U.S. Olympic Spirit Award, given to the athlete who demonstrates the special spirit of Olympism, courage and achievement at the Olympic Games. Dave and his roommate in Munich, Frank Shorter, are among the last three American men to win Olympic gold medals in a distance event.
During his track and cross country career at Bowling Green State University, Dave earned All-American honors nine times, was a 7-time national champion, and broke the four minute mile 18 times. In the 1972 Olympic Trials, Dave qualified for the Olympic Games in both the 800 meters and in the 1500 meters. His performance in the 800 meters was especially memorable as he tied the world record with a time of 1 minute, 44.3 seconds. The following year he became the third fastest miler of all time by running a 3 minute, 53.3 second mile. Dave was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1982.
While in college, Dave Wottle was inducted into the national leadership honorary Omicron Delta Kappa, was an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholar and, in 1973, was runner-up to Bill Walton for the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award.
Dave retired from Rhodes College (Tennessee) in 2012 as the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Emeritus after serving the college for 29 years. In his role as an admissions officer, Dave served on the review committee for the Toyota Scholarship Program, the Scholarship & Recognition Program of the College Board, the Governing Board of the edScholar Scholarship Program, and in various leadership positions in the Southern and National Association of College Admission Counseling. He also served as chairperson of the 19-college Southern Consortium, on the Board of Directors of the Common Application (twice), and on the review committee for the Coca-Cola Scholars program. In 1994, he was awarded the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award at Rhodes, the Rhodes Student Government Award in 2001, and the SACAC William Starling Award for Mentorship in 2011.
1. The Winning Attitude
Dave Wottle’s inspirational talk begins with a showing of his Gold Medal winning 1972 Olympic 800 meter race and stresses the importance of hard work, goal setting, concentration, confidence, and a competitive spirit in the life of a successful person.
2. Never Give Up: Achieving your Goals
Using his Gold Medal winning 800 meter race in the 1972 Munich Olympics as an illustration of the challenges we all face in life, Dave addresses the process successful people often go through to achieve their goals.
3. Running Roundtable
After a brief introduction, Dave will lead a lively discussion with the audience on running, training, the Olympics, and some of the notable personalities from the golden age of distance running in the United States.
4. Getting In: The College Selection Process
Based on his 39-year career in admissions at selective colleges, Dave gives an overview of the factors used by admission officers to select candidates for their entering class. This insightful presentation will help students, parents and grandparents understand the combination of qualities needed to be a successful admission candidate.