Paul Ereng (1988-92)

Within the span of a year, Paul Ereng captured Olympic and NCAA titles and set a world indoor record in the 800-meter run. In addition to his gold medal and indoor world record, Ereng was a three-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion, three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American.

As a freshman, Ereng won the 1988 NCAA outdoor 800-meter title. He burst onto the world scene by capturing a gold medal for Kenya in the 800-meters at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, sprinting past Joaquim Cruz and Said Aouita in the last stretch of the finals. At the 1989 World Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Ereng established a world record of 1:44.84, breaking Sebastian Coe's six-year- old mark of 1:44.91. Days later, he claimed his second NCAA victory, clocking 1:47.69. The following year, he successfully defended his title in the 800-meter run, running 1:47.50.

Throughout his career at Virginia, Ereng collected numerous awards, including two team MVP awards, the 1989 WCHV Award as Virginia's best male athlete, and the 5th Annual Jumbo Elliott Award, recognizing him as the nation's outstanding male collegiate track and field athlete of 1989.