Carl C. Quitzau has been elected to the Northeastern University Hall of Fame as one of NU's greatest overall athletes, competing in track & field and rowing.
Quitzau, Class of '84, was New England's finest decathlete for four years then in his fifth season rowed on the Huskies' varsity crew.
Quitzau brought a strong track resume with him from Mt. Olive High School in New Jersey. He had set school records in the high hurdles, high jump and long jump, and was the state champ in the high hurdles. His overall athletic prowess led NU coach Irwin Cohen to point him towards the decathlon, in which athletes have to compete in 10 different events. Quitzau quickly proved Cohen right by winning the 1980 New England championship as a mere freshman.
His sophomore season, Quitzau won the indoor New England pentathlon (five events) with 3,776 points to set an NU record that still holds today. The consummate team player, his points earned in the hurdles, jumps and relays led the Huskies to a 21-4 dual meet record over the next two years.
After finishing second in the New England decathlon in 1981, Quitzau regained his title in 1982 with 7,200 points, an NU record that still stands the test of time. He also won the New England and Greater Boston indoor 55-meter hurdle title and was voted Northeastern's Track Man of the Year.
Quitzau was elected captain of the 1982-83 track team and led the Huskies to a 9-1 dual meet record and an outdoor New England championship. He again won New England and GBC indoor high hurdles titles and won an unprecedented third New England decathlon title. He left NU with four Husky track & field records: 14.2 seconds in the 110-meter high hurdles, 54.1 seconds in the 440 intermediate hurdles, the pentathlon and decathlon. In his four years, NU's dual meet record was 36-7.
With a fifth year of athletic eligibility left but his four years of track eligibility exhausted, Quitzau set his eyes on the Huskies' vaunted crew program. Though never having rowed a stroke, he made NU's varsity six seat and caused head coach Buzz to exclaim, "He is the best athlete I've seen in my 20 years of coaching."
During his track career, Quitzau met a Boston University runner by the name of Stacey Atterton. They married and moved to Sydney, Australia where he rowed for the elite Sidney Rowing Club. Several years ago, Quitzau took up sculling and is currently the New South Wales and Australian National Champion in the single sculls in the 44-49 year old Masters category.
