Great Villanova Moments at the NCAA Championships: #6

Nnenna Lynch & Cheri Goddard Go 1-2 at 1992 NCAA Championships

On this date in 1992 Villanova's Nnenna Lynch and Cheri Goddard finished 1st and 2nd in the 3000 meters at the NCAA championships at Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas. It was the 6th year in a row that a Villanova woman had won the national title at 3000 meters (Vicki Huber in 1987, 1988, 1989, and Sonia O'Sullivan in 1990 and 1991). Lynch had shown tremendous improvement over her years at Villanova (for example, she finished 182nd, 38th, 12th, then 3rd in her four trips to NCAA cross country nationals), and her win in 1992 capped a great track career at Villanova.

After Villanova, Nnenna Lynch won the 1997 USA World Cross Country trials in 20:17. In doing so she bested Amy Rudolph (20:21), Gwen Coogan (20:27), Elva Dryer (20:33), and Deena Drossin (later Kastor) 20:45, among others. That same year, Lynch won the 5000 meters at the XIX Summer Universiade in Italy. A former Rhodes Scholar and NCAA Woman of the year in 1993, Lynch is currently Senior Policy Adviser to the mayor of New York for economic development.

Goddard was an 11-time All American and part of 5 Penn Relays Championship of America winners for the Wildcats. In her post-Villanova career, Goddard won the 1999 USA 5K road title with her win at Freihofer's. Cheri Goddard was a member of the 2001 USA World Cross Country team, and finished 59th at the world championship short-course race that year in Spain. At the USA indoor championships, Goddard finished 2nd in the 3000 meters each year in 1997, 1999, and 2001.

1992 NCAA 3000 Meters

1.  Nnenna Lynch	Villanova University	 9:24.59	10
2.  Cheri Goddard	Villanova University	 9:28.50	 8
3.  Laura Gomez-Henes	NC State University	 9:28.93	 6
4.  Claire Forbes	University of Virginia	 9:29.73	 5
5.  Claire Eichner	University of Wisconsin	 9:31.08	 4
6.  Laura Simmering	University of Illinois	 9:31.54	 3
7.  Mary German		Georgetown University	 9:35.15	 2
8.  Chris Lundy		Pennsylvania		 9:42.62	 1
9.  Kate Fonshell	Villanova University	 9:42.78	
10. Cathy Palacios	University of Kansas	 9:45.74
11. Frida Thordardottir	University of Georgia	 9:52.44
12. G. Hendricken	Providence College	10:03.90