LA CROSSE, Wis. – Haverford College's Seamus McElligott '91 is one of four athletes who will be inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCCA) Division III Track & Field Athlete Hall of Fame on Wednesday, May 22.
Wednesday's hall of fame banquet, on the eve of the D-III outdoor track & field championship meet at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, will include the induction of Julia Kirtland (Macalester College '87), Dale Kramer (Carleton College '78) and Tori Neubauer-Muesing (UW–La Crosse '84) along with McElligott.
A six-time national champion, McElligott holds the distinction of being the last D-III student-athlete to also earn D-I All-America status (cross country 1990, outdoor track 1991). He captured the D-III cross country title in 1990 then went on to win both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs in consecutive years, 1990 and 1991, at the outdoor D-III meet. McElligott also won the indoor 5,000 at the 1990 indoor championship.
McElligott earned 14 all-America certificates while running for Haverford and set school records that continue to stand in the indoor 3,000 (8 minutes, 10.6 seconds) and 5,000 (14:07.69) and the outdoor 10,000 (29:14.34).
In his post-collegiate career McElligott qualified for the finals in the 10,000 at the 1992 Olympic Trials and represented the U.S. at the 1996 World Cross Country Championship in Capetown, South Africa.
McElligott unexpectedly passed away in 1998 at the age of 29. He was a computer consultant who had been accepted by seven law schools and was undecided which to attend at the time of his death.
"Seamus loved to compete and loved to race," said Haverford cross country and track coach Tom Donnelly who is finishing up his 38th season at the helm of the Fords' running programs. "It never crossed his mind that he might not win a particular race, so he usually went out and did win. He was always totally committed to giving his best effort at all times. It was a joy and privilege to watch Seamus compete."
Haverford began hosting the Seamus McElligott (indoor track) Invitational in 1999 and continues to host the meet where an award is presented annually to the Haverford athlete with the top performance at the Invite.