Bill McChesney, Jr. (January 8, 1959 - October 29, 1992) was an American long-distance runner from Eugene, Oregon. As of 2020, he is Oregon's record holder in the 5,000 meters.

Running career

He graduated from

South Eugene High School South Eugene High School is a public high school located in Eugene, Oregon, United States. History The school was founded as Eugene High School around 1900, and was located at Willamette Street and West 11th Avenue in a brick building that late ...

and earned All-American honors in cross-country and

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

while attending the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

. He qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team in the 5,000 meters but was unable to compete due to the

1980 Summer Olympics boycott The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott was one part of a number of actions initiated by the United States to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union, which hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and its allies later ...

. He did however receive one of 461

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...

s created especially for the spurned athletes. McChesney was ranked first in America and fourth in the world in the 5,000-meters during the 1981 season.

Death

McChesney died in a car accident in 1992 outside of Toledo,

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

. He was 33.

References

External links

University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame biographyLeaders of the Long Distance Decades-University of Oregon
1992 deaths American male middle-distance runners American male long-distance runners Sportspeople from Eugene, Oregon Oregon Ducks men's track and field athletes Track and field athletes from Oregon 1959 births South Eugene High School alumni Road incident deaths in Oregon Congressional Gold Medal recipients American masters athletes Oregon Ducks men's cross country runners 20th-century American people {{Oregon-bio-stub