Steve Swift, who anchors Sound Runner Madison and coaches track at Hand High School, has just been inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at the College of William & Mary. His accomplishments as a competitive runner rank him among the best in the nation:
- Recently named one of the 25 greatest cross country runners in the 25-year history of the Colonial Athletic Association.
- Reached the NCAA Championships four times, and earned two All-American designations. In cross country, he finished 33rd as a sophomore to earn his first All-America certificate. On the track, he placed 10th at 10,000m in 1994 for his second All-America award.
- Anchored W&M’s 1990 Region II Championship team, later placing 15th at the NCAA Championships.
- Earned two All-Region awards in 1991 and 1993.
- Named CAA Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 1991 and 1993, winning the conference championship in 1993 and also placing on the all-conference team in 1990 and 1991.
- Earned three All-CAA awards, including the 5,000m gold medal in 1994, garnished by a trio of All-East honors at the IC4A Championships. In 1992, he was sixth indoors and fifth outdoors at 5,000m, before taking second at the 1994 outdoor championships in the 10,000m.
- Finished third at the 1999 U.S. Marathon Championship, qualifying for the world championships that year. He was also an Olympic Trials qualifier in the marathon in both 1996 and 2000.
He’s also pretty good at fitting runners for shoes, giving training tips, and providing encouragement. So Steve, Julie and I congratulate you for laurels much deserved.
