University of Minnesota Athletics
Eileen Donaghy
9/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Eileen Donaghy |
Before arriving at Minnesota, Donaghy ran a 5:25 mile during her prep career at Highland Park High School. By her senior collegiate season, she had collected a plethora of team, conference and national awards, in addition to her record-setting performances.
Donaghy walked on to the Golden Gopher squad following her first year in school, sat out in the first three meets, and then qualified for the traveling squad in first meet. In the fall of 1985, Donaghy quickly established herself as one of the top long-distance runners on campus. She earned the Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Runner awards following her first cross country season and carried that momentum into a stellar career during her final three years.
During her 1986 sophomore cross country campaign, Donaghy earned Second Team All-Big Ten accolades and was named the team’s Most Valuable Runner after leading the team with a 13th-place finish at the Big Ten Championships.
Donaghy was the top Golden Gopher finisher in every race during her junior season, but her words of, “Oh my gosh, I don’t believe it!” when she crossed the finish line at the 1987 Big Ten Championships with the No. 1 card firmly in hand, was a highlight of her cross country career.
In the 1987 conference meet, Donaghy bursted past two runners in the final 300 meters to finish with a career-best 5K time of 16:58.0, the ninth-fastest time in school history. With her medalist performance at the conference meet, Donaghy led the Maroon and Gold to its best-ever third-place team showing. She went on to finish fifth in the NCAA District Championship to earn NCAA All-Region honors. With her outstanding season, Donaghy earned her second consecutive team Most Valuable Runner award.
Donaghy’s 1988 senior season saw the tri-captain post the top Minnesota finish in every race but one. She went on to earn her second consecutive NCAA All-Region award, finishing 15th in the district meet.
Throughout her career, Donaghy parlayed her strong cross country performances in the fall into outstanding track showings in the spring. She owned the sixth- and 10th-fastest times in the indoor 5,000-meter run, and the eighth- and 10th-fastest times in the outdoor 5,000-meter run.
It was in the 10,000-meter run that Donaghy shone on the track. The school-record holder in the 10K with a time of 33:31.96, Donaghy also held the Nos. 2, 7, 8, 9 and 10 times in the long-distance race. During the 1988 season, Donaghy became Minnesota’s lone All-American in the 10K after posting her school-record time to finish eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Equally impressive in the classroom, Donaghy finished her collegiate career with a degree in geological engineering.
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