Former Stevens Point high school standout Suzy Favor-Hamilton headlines the 2010 class of the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame.
Favor-Hamilton becomes the first female athlete from Wisconsin to enter the Hall. She is one of the greatest distance runners in U.S. history, from her 11 WIAA State titles to her 9 NCAA individual championships at the University of Wisconsin and finally to her three Olympic appearances.
At SPASH, Favor-Hamilton won four WIAA State Cross Country championships and holds the state record for fastest time on a 3,200-meter course. In track, she won the 1,600 run at the State meet four consecutive years, and she also claimed titles in the 800 run, 1,600 relay and 3,200 relay. She still holds the State 800-meter record set 24 years ago.
At the University of Wisconsin, in addition to the nine NCAA titles, Favor-Hamilton won 23 Big Ten Conference titles and 14 All-American honors. She was named Big Ten Athlete of the Decade for the 1990’s.
Since her graduation from Wisconsin in 1991, Favor-Hamilton has competed extensively around the world. She made three Olympic teams (1992, 1996 and 2000) and was ranked No. 1 in the United States five times. In 2000, she was ranked No. 1 in the world with a 1,500 meter time of 3:57:40 and was named USA Track and Field Distance Runner of the Year.
Favor-Hamilton is the third Wisconsin athlete overall to be enshrined into the NFHS Hall of Fame. The two previous inductees were Alan Ameche in 1986 and Elroy Hirsch in 1988.
