University of Pittsburgh Athletics
McCandless, Williams-Murphy Inducted into Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame
9/23/2023 12:00:00 PM | Cross Country, Track & Field
PITTSBURGH – Pitt Track and Field Forever Panthers Maureen McCandless and Allison Williams-Murphy were inducted into the 2023 Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame class at the Petersen Events Center yesterday evening.
McCandless established herself as one of the most decorated distance runners in Pitt history. Competing for the Panthers from 2002-06, she was a three-time All-American, earning national honors in cross country as well as the indoor and outdoor 5,000 meters. McCandless won two Big East individual championships (indoor 3,000 and 5,000 meters), while spurring the Panthers to three Big East team titles (2005 indoor, 2005 and 2006 outdoor). She won the 2004 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region cross country championship and was selected the NCAA Division I Cross Country Mid-Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year. McCandless concluded her career owning eight school records.
"Congratulations to Maureen McCandless on her induction into the Pitt Hall of Fame," said Director of Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country, Alonzo Webb. "She was a major contributor to Pitt women's track and field and cross country program success. She was a force in the Big East Conference in cross country and on the track. She was the closest thing to a sure thing each time she stepped to the line to compete. She was a fierce competitor, leader and great person who brought respect to Pitt cross country and distance running."
Williams-Murphy was a highly decorated hurdler at both the conference and national levels during her Pitt career (1989-94). She was a seven-time Big East champion, winning the indoor 55-meter hurdles four times, the outdoor 100-meter hurdles twice and also earning gold as part of the outdoor 1,600-meter relay team. Her performances helped lead the Panthers to three Big East outdoor team championships. On the NCAA stage, Williams-Murphy was a three-time outdoor All-American. She was a two-time All-American in the 100-meter hurdles and also as a member of the 1,600-meter relay. Following her final collegiate season, Williams-Murphy was honored as Pennsylvania's NCAA Woman of the Year.
"Allison Williams-Murphy's induction into the Pitt Hall of Fame is well deserved," Webb stated. "She has been the standard for hurdling excellence at Pitt for the past three decades and continues to be. She was the queen of Big East hurdling. But she is more than that, she is also representative of what we expect at Pitt in our athletics department, a true student-athlete, leaving Pitt with three degrees, obtaining her bachelor's, master's and PhD, and becoming an NCAA All-American and NCAA Woman of the Year in Pennsylvania. Allison is just an overall amazing person and proof that you can do it all at Pitt."
McCandless and Williams-Murphy are a part of the 12-member class which collectively represents eight different sports. Other honorees include Richard Bradshaw (Swimming and Diving Coach), Ruben Brown (Football), Matt Cavanaugh (Football), Chris Doleman (Football; Posthumous), Larry Fitzgerald (Football), Keith Gavin (Wrestling), Bobby Lewis (Baseball Coach; Posthumous), Joe Luxbacher (Men's Soccer), Suzanne Pulley-Klacik (Women's Swimming), and Clive Vaughan (Men's Basketball). These members were chosen through nominations solicited from the public and evaluated by the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame selection committee earlier this year before being approved by the Director of Athletics, Heather Lyke. Candidates had to have been five years removed from their final year of collegiate competition and not currently playing professional sports.
The inductees will be introduced on the field at Acrisure Stadium later this evening when Pitt football takes on UNC at 8:05 p.m.