Hall of Fame
McChesney, Bill
Bill McChesney
- Induction:
- 2002
The comparisons were inevitable, especially when the former South Eugene High School product broke Steve Prefontaine’s state meet record at 3,200 yards by 12 seconds (8:50). But the four-time NCAA All-American and 1980 Olympian was able to create a legacy of his own. Still holding the school record at 5,000 (13:14.80) and 10,000 meters (27:50.82), the American collegiate record holder ranked atop the nation’s 5,000-meter list and fourth in the world in 1981, in addition to posting the world’s ninth-fastest 10,000 time (27:47.25). Yet it was his junior year which grabbed the attention of the sport’s enthusiasts a year earlier, recovering from a heel injury to finish third in the Pac-10 and NCAA 5,000 before duplicating that same finish in the Olympic Trials in Eugene. Later that same summer, he became America’s second-fastest standout ever in the 5,000 and sixth-best 10,000 standout of all time while running in Europe. Competing in four NCAA cross country meets during his collegiate tenure, he aided the Ducks to their fourth NCAA cross country title as a freshman in 1977 as well as runner-up finishes in 1978 and ?79. The 33-year-old distance standout died in a traffic accident on the Oregon coast in 1992.
Duck Insider 9-9-25
Tuesday, September 09
Duck Insider 9-8-25
Tuesday, September 09
Dillon Thieneman: "Keep grinding day in and day out."
Tuesday, September 09
Ify Obidegwu: "Going the extra mile."
Tuesday, September 09
