VILLANOVA, Pa.—One of the most accomplished athletes in Villanova history will be formally inducted to the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame on Thursday night. Five-time NCAA champion, four-time Olympian and 2000 Olympics silver medalist Sonia O'Sullivan '91 is part of the second annual induction class to the Hall of Fame created last year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Thursday night's ceremony takes place beginning at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time (9:30 p.m. Eastern time) at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, Ore. The inductions will be streamed online live and free of charge.
O'Sullivan was a part of the legendary Wildcats teams which helped to build and strengthen the program's reputation as the most successful collegiate women's cross country program in history. Villanova won six consecutive NCAA team championships from 1989-94 and O'Sullivan was a two-time individual national champion at the top of the 1990 and 1991 team lineups after previously coming in third on the team (26th overall) in 1989. Counting the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons, O'Sullivan was a five-time individual NCAA champion, a seven-time All-American, an 11-time BIG EAST champion and a six-time Penn Relays champion.
Last year marked the 100th edition of the outdoor NCAA Track & Field Championships and, in conjunction with that milestone anniversary, the USTFCCCA inducted its inaugural class to the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame. Millions of collegians have proven their talents on the track, the field, and/or the grassy terrain over nearly 150 years since the first known intercollegiate competitions of running, jumping and throwing. Consideration for induction to the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame is based solely on an athlete's achievements while competing for their respective schools.
O'Sullivan's accomplishments during her years at Villanova have earned her several Hall of Fame inductions, of which the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame is the latest. She is enshrined on the Penn Relays Wall of Fame in Franklin Field as both an individual performer and as part of the Wildcats record-setting 4x1500 meter relay championship team in 1990. O'Sullivan was inducted to the Track & Field Wall of Fame in Villanova Stadium in a ceremony on October 7, 1995 and was part of the 2007 induction class to the Villanova University Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
In addition to her individual NCAA cross country titles, O'Sullivan was a three-time collegiate national champion on the track. Two of those championships came in the outdoor 3000 meters which she won in consecutive years (1990-91) and she also was the indoor 5000 meter champion in 1991. Earlier during the 1991 indoor season O'Sullivan set the still-standing Wildcats record in the 5K with a time of 15:17.28 in Boston. Her All-America finishes on the track during her Villanova career came indoors in the 3000 meters, the 5000 meters and the mile to go along with her outdoor accolades in the 5000 meters.
O'Sullivan was a two-time NCAA District II cross country champion and a five-time individual ECAC champion. She was named the Honda Sports Award winner in cross country in both 1990 and 1991. On the track, she won BIG EAST titles in the 3000 meters (five times), the mile, the 5000 meters and the 4x800 meter relay (three times). She was also a part of Penn Relays titles in the 4x800 meter relay (1990, 1991), the distance medley relay (1990, 1991) and the 4x1500 meter relay (1989, 1990). The 1989 4x1500 relay squad set a then-Penn Relays record with a winning time of 17:22.58; the 1990 squad would break that mark and set a new record of 17:18.10 which stood for 17 years.
Following her collegiate career O'Sullivan competed in four straight Summer Olympics for her native Ireland and was a silver medalist in the 5000 meters at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She ran in the 1500 meters and the 3000 meters in 1992 (Barcelona); the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters in 1996 (Atlanta); the 5000 meters and the 10000 meters in 2000 (Sydney); and the 5000 meters in 2004 (Athens). Villanova has had three of its legendary athletes be part of the first two Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame induction classes. Last year's inaugural group of inductees included Ron Delany and Vicki Huber.
