Hall of Fame
Arlt was on the coaching staff at Central from 1968-94, including 19 seasons as the men's head cross country coach and 15 years as the head track and field coach. He was named Coach of the Year on seven occasions, qualified nine teams for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) cross country national championships, and led six Wildcat teams to top-10 finishes. Spike also coached 22 NAIA AII-Americans and 54 individual district champions. In addition, he served as an assistant football coach. Arlt first got involved in track and field at Ritzville High School where, in 1956, he set a state high school record for the 120-yard high hurdles. In 1960, he placed fifth in the 110-meter hurdles at the United States Olympic Trials and was selected as the Washington State University Athlete of the Year. Spike was also a pioneer in the development of computer software for use in coaching through his company, Arlt Technologies. A CWU professor emeritus, Arlt is a Central alumnus, as are his wife and sons.' The Wildcats host an annual track and field meet named in his honor.
