Washington State University Athletics

Don Bertoia found success at Washington State and internationally as a middle distance runner after early success as a cross country skier. He won the bronze medal at the 1957 Canadian Junior Skiing Championships but an injury in 1958, and wanting to please coach Jack Mooberry, he abandoned the snow skis for track spikes. The British Columbia native won the 800 meters at the 1960 Canadian Indoor Championships and represented Canada on the 1961 European Track & Field Tour. Bertoia set the Canadian Indoor 880-yards record with a time of 1 minute, 50.3 seconds. In 1962 he ran a Rogers Field record time of 1:51.3 which was the 10th-fastest time in the nation. At the 1963 NCAA Outdoor Championships Bertoia finished third in the 880y with a school record time of 1:49.1 and earned All-America status. That same year he won a gold medal for Team Canada in the 800m and a bronze medal in the 1500m at the Pan American Games. His 800m time of 1:48.3 was a Pan Am Games and school record. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Bertoia finished 24th in the 800 meters.