West Hartford Resident Named Captain Of RPI Track & Field Team

WEST HARTFORD, CT — West Hartford resident Grant O’Connor, a Hall High graduate, has been named captain of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s track and field team, the school announced this week.

O'Connor is in his second season as a track and field captain and fourth overall. He also filled the role for two years with Rensselaer's nationally-ranked cross country team. As junior, he competed in the mile, 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters in indoor. He was second in the 5,000 and third in the 3,000 at the Liberty League Championship Meet.

In outdoor, O'Connor ran the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters, earning the Liberty League Track Performer of Year and USTFCCCA National Male Track Athlete of Year. The electrical engineering major won the 5,000 meters at the Liberty League and NCAA Championship meets and was the national runner-up in the 10,000 meters. He had the most points by any male individual at the national championship meet. O'Connor also earned National All-America in the 10,000 meters with a third-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championship as a sophomore.

In addition, he is a three-time All-America in cross country, including a fourth place finish at the 2017 Championship. The team has competed in each of the past three national events and this season came in 13th place, which tied the best finish in program history.

As a team, the Engineers had seven top 3 team finishes in 2017-18, highlighted by their 10th straight Liberty League Outdoor Championship and a school record fifth place at the NCAA Outdoor Championship.

This year's squad, which has 23 freshmen, 19 sophomores, 26 juniors and 12 seniors, began competition on Saturday at the UMass Boston Opener. The indoor season continues through the middle of March with the outdoor campaign beginning on March 23 in Baltimore.

Contributed press release and photo via RPI Athletics

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