EUGENE, Ore.—More than two dozen collegiate track & field legends will be enshrined as the first-ever class in the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame in a special kick off to NCAA Championships week in Oregon on Monday night. The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is hosting the induction ceremony at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene where 30 distinguished former collegiate track & field athletes will officially earn Hall of Fame recognition. Villanova is represented by Ron Delany (1955-58) and Vicki Huber (1985-89) among the inaugural group of inductees.
 
Monday night's Hall of Fame induction ceremony begins at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time (10:30 p.m. Eastern) and can be seen live on YouTube. Tickets to the event are free of charge but limited to those who first claim them via registration with the Hult Center – the event venue. ESPN's John Anderson will host a two-hour event that will celebrate the 30 inducted athletes with a look back at their collegiate careers via video tributes, roundtable panel discussions, and special guest appearances. Villanova's Huber is one of several inductees who will be in attendance to reflect on their own career and provide perspective on the impact of fellow inductees.
 
Nearly 150 years has elapsed since the first known intercollegiate competitions of running, jumping and throwing took place. Those events in the mid-to-late 19^th century set the stage for the modern-day sports of collegiate track & field and cross country. Millions of collegians from coast-to-coast have proven their talents on the track, the field, and/or the grassy terrain over the past century-and-a-half. A hall of fame honoring these best-of-the-best athletes is much overdue.
 
"The Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame is intended to acknowledge the great athletes who have made collegiate track & field and cross country such incredible sports," said Sam Seemes, CEO of the USTFCCCA. "Not only do we have a large queue of past athletes that are worthy of enshrinement into this hall of fame, we recognize a vital responsibility in producing first-class presentations to properly commemorate their accomplishments."
 
In addition to an annual induction ceremony, plans for a permanent "hall" location are being pursued.
 
"I'm proud that we're stepping forward to preserve our history," added USTFCCCA President Leroy Burrell, in his 23^rd year as head coach of track & field at the University of Houston. "May of the coaches in our association agree that a collegiate athlete hall of fame is long overdue to recognize the athletes who have provided us with countless unforgettable moments."
 
The inaugural Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Monday night precedes the 100^th edition of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships which will be held at Hayward Field from Wednesday through Saturday (June 8-11).
 
The first-ever induction class is made up of 30 legends who were chosen solely on their accomplishments while a collegiate athlete. This class is just a starting point to showcase the robust history of excellence in collegiate track & field and cross country. Combined, this group of 30 individuals during their collegiate careers, compiled 205 collegiate individual titles, 99 world records and 19 Olympic gold medals. Eligibility for induction this year was limited to men who had completed their collegiate eligibility prior to 2000 and women prior to 2010.