West Hartford Resident Earns Prestigious RPI Athletics Award

WEST HARTFORD, CT — West Hartford’s Grant O’Connor, a Hall High graduate, has been selected for one of the most prestigious annual department awards at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) for 2017-18.

Each coach had the opportunity to nominate student-athletes and peers for the awards. The final ballot is voted upon by head coaches and administrators from the athletic department. Below are O’Connor’s accomplishments, via RPI:

Male Athlete of the Year: Grant O'Connor – Cross Country and Track & Field Junior … CROSS COUNTRY: 2017: Captain ... Seven meets ... Season-best 6K was 19:44.7 at Vassar (10th) ... Season-best 8K was 24:14.0 at Atlantic Regional, finishing first (first male in school history to win regional meet) ... First at Liberty League Championship in conference and course record 24:55.9 ... First in two other meets … One runner-up … School-record fourth at NCAA Championship (24:19.35) ... National All-America ... Liberty League Weekly Honor Roll 1x ... Liberty League Performer of Week 5x ... ECAC North Runner of Week 3x ... All-Liberty League First Team ... All-Region ... Liberty League Runner of Year ... Atlantic Region Athlete of Year ... TRACK & FIELD – Distance … 2018 Outdoor: 1500, 5000 and 10000 … First in 5000 at Liberty League Championship (15:01.46) … NCAA Champion in 5000 (14:26.03) … National All-America … NCAA runner-up in 10000 (30:17.88) … National All-America … Most points by male individual (18) at NCAA Championship … Liberty League Track Performer of Week 3x … Liberty League Track Performer of Year … All-Region in 5000 and 10000 … USTFCCCA National Male Track Athlete of Year … 2017-18 Indoor: Mile, 3000 and 5000 … Second in 5000 (15:05.76) and third in 3000 (8:39.29) at Liberty League Championship … Other: Electrical Engineering major ... Dean's List.

Pictured, from left to right: Dr. Lee McElroy, director of athletics, Grant O'Connor, Kaitlin Joyce, Brian Niguidula & Jon Satkowski, head men's tennis coach. Photo via RPI Athletics

Like West Hartford Patch on Facebook below: