Woodruff Enshrined In Inaugural Collegiate Athlete Hall Of Fame For Track & Field
4/14/2022 2:04:00 PM | Track & Field
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Former Pittsburgh track and field legend John Woodruff has been inducted posthumously into the Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame for track & field, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Thursday afternoon. Woodruff is one of 30 members in the inaugural Hall of Fame class.
"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 also recognize a vital responsibility in producing first-class presentations to properly commemorate their accomplishments"
During his storied Pitt career, Woodruff collected three straight NCAA titles in the outdoor 800m run from 1937-39 as he is the lone three-time NCAA outdoor champion in program history. Woodruff's decorated legacy also includes gold medals at the historic Penn Relays.
Woodruff was the first Pitt athlete to earn Olympic gold and did so at the famed 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. At those '36 Games, he was the first of four African-Americans to win a gold medal in track and field. Woodruff claimed his gold medal in the 800-meter run, winning a race that is considered one of the most dramatic in Olympic history.
The athletes selected to be in the first group inducted are Jenny Barringer, Ralph Boston, Ron Delany, Harrison Dillard, Suzy Favor, Charlie Greene, Carlette Guidry, DeHart Hubbard, Vicki Huber, Jackie Johnson, Jackie Joyner, Sally Kipyego, Carl Lewis, Gerry Lindgren, Randy Matson, Ralph Metcalfe, Rodney Milburn, Bobby Morrow, Suleiman Nyambui, Billy Olson, Merlene Ottey, Jesse Owens, Mel Patton, Steve Prefontaine, Meg Ritchie, Henry Rono, Wilma Rudolph, Jim Ryun, Erick Walder and John Woodruff.
The first class of inductees – 30 chosen solely on their accomplishments while a collegiate athlete – displays excellence in collegiate track & field and cross country at its very best. Combined they have compiled 205 national 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.
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"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 also recognize a vital responsibility in producing first-class presentations to properly commemorate their accomplishments"
During his storied Pitt career, Woodruff collected three straight NCAA titles in the outdoor 800m run from 1937-39 as he is the lone three-time NCAA outdoor champion in program history. Woodruff's decorated legacy also includes gold medals at the historic Penn Relays.
Woodruff was the first Pitt athlete to earn Olympic gold and did so at the famed 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. At those '36 Games, he was the first of four African-Americans to win a gold medal in track and field. Woodruff claimed his gold medal in the 800-meter run, winning a race that is considered one of the most dramatic in Olympic history.
The athletes selected to be in the first group inducted are Jenny Barringer, Ralph Boston, Ron Delany, Harrison Dillard, Suzy Favor, Charlie Greene, Carlette Guidry, DeHart Hubbard, Vicki Huber, Jackie Johnson, Jackie Joyner, Sally Kipyego, Carl Lewis, Gerry Lindgren, Randy Matson, Ralph Metcalfe, Rodney Milburn, Bobby Morrow, Suleiman Nyambui, Billy Olson, Merlene Ottey, Jesse Owens, Mel Patton, Steve Prefontaine, Meg Ritchie, Henry Rono, Wilma Rudolph, Jim Ryun, Erick Walder and John Woodruff.
The first class of inductees – 30 chosen solely on their accomplishments while a collegiate athlete – displays excellence in collegiate track & field and cross country at its very best. Combined they have compiled 205 national 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.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
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