5 Wildcats on NCAA Championships Top-10 Performances List

Sydney MareeAs might be expected, given its strong tradition in the middle distances, Villanova athletes are quite prominent among the top times ever produced at the NCAA outdoor championship meet. However, it's only in the 1500 meters and 5000 meters that Villanova currently has top-10 all-time performances. Sydney Maree still holds the fastest times ever run at the meet in both events. Also on the list from Villanova are Eamonn Coghlan (1500), Marcus O'Sullivan (1500), Bobby Curtis (5000), and Sheila Reid (5000). All but Marcus O'Sullivan's time was an NCAA title winner. The current coach at Villanova had the misfortune of running what at the time was the 5th fastest 1500 ever at NCAA nationals in the same race that Joachim Cruz ran the second fastest. While O'Sullivan is perhaps the most noteworthy Villanova great who never won an individual NCAA title, he went on to win three world championships in the 1500i meters, set a world record at that distance, and make four Irish Olympic teams. Here's a list of the events in which a Villanova athletes currently ranks among the top 12 times ever achieved at outdoor Nationals.




ALL-TIME BEST PERFORMANCES AT NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Men's 1500 meters
3:35.30     Sydney Maree         Villanova       1981
3:35.79     Abdi Bile            George Mason    1987
3:36.48     Joaquim Cruz         Oregon          1984
3:37.01     Eamonn Coghlan       Villanova       1976
3:37.07     Lopez Lomong         N. Arizona      2007
3:37.13     Leonel Manzano       Texas           2005
3:37.26     Wilson Waigwa        UTEP            1976
3:37.29     Matt Centrowitz      Oregon          1976
3:37.40     Marcus O’Sullivan    Villanova       1984
3:37.48     Leonel Manzano       Texas           2007

Men's 5000 meters
(+ = converted from 3M)
13:20.63    Sydney Maree         Villanova       1979
13:21.79    Henry Rono           Washington St   1978
13:22.32    Ryan Hall            Stanford        2005
13:22.54    Ian Dobson           Stanford        2005
13:25.39    Rudy Chapa           Oregon          1979
13:27.54    Nick Willis          Michigan        2005
13:31.4.    Steve Prefontaine    Oregon          1972
13:31.64    Adam Goucher         Colorado        1998
13:33.67+   Steve Prefontaine    Oregon          1973
13:33.93    Bobby Curtis         Villanova       2008

Women's 5000 meters
15:15.08    Sally Kipyego        Texas Tech      2008
15:16.76    Michelle Sikes       Wake Forest     2007
15:23.80    Lisa Koll            Iowa State      2010
15:24.22    Sally Kipyego        Texas Tech      2007
15:37.57    Sheila Reid          Villanova       2011
15:37.65    Molly Huddle         Notre Dame      2007
15:37.77    Amy Skieresz         Arizona         1998
15:38.23    Emily Infeld         Georgetown      2011
15:38.47    Annette Hand         Oregon          1988
15:39.38    PattiSue Plumer      Stanford        1984