Dick Buerkle - 1947-2020

 
Remembering Dick Buerkle

• Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
• Atlanta Journal
• Villanova University

Career Highlights
Career Best Times

• 1 mile - 3:54.93
• 3000m - 7:53.2
• 2 mile - 8:21.76
• 5000m - 13:23.20
• 10,000m - 28:25.0
• Marathon - 2:21:36

High School (Aquinas Institute - class of 1966)

• 4:28 (1 mile) and 10:01 (2 mile) in high school—didn’t start running until his senior year at Aquinas Institute (NY)

College (Villanova University - class of 1970)

• walk-on at Villanova
• All-American was 3rd in the 2-mile at the 1969 and 1970 NCAA Indoor Championships, 3rd in the Outdoor 3-mile in 1970
• Member of two NCAA X-Country Championship teams (1967,1968)

Post-College (New York AC - 1971+)

• 2-time U.S. Olympian - 5000m (1976,1980)
• 2-time U.S. Champion - 5000m (1974,1976)
• Ranked #4 in the World in the 5000m (1974) 
• Ranked #1 in U.S. in the 5000m (1974, 1976)
• Set a World Indoor 1 mile record - 3:54.93 (1978)
• Winner of the Wanamaker Mile at the 1978 Millrose Games
• Beat Steve Prefontaine at 2-miles at the 1974 CYO meet in College Park,MD - Pre’s 1st loss to an American in a distance race since 1970         

Hall of Fames

• New York Athletic Club Hall of Fame (1993)
• Villanova University Varsity Club Hall of Fame (1994) 
• Villanova Stadium Track & Field Wall of Fame (1998)
• Greater Rochester Track Hall of Fame (2008)