Kara Grgas-Wheeler Goucher (2008) - CU Athletic Hall of Fame

Kara Grgas-Wheeler Goucher

Induction:
2008
Class:
2001

2000 NCAA Individual Cross Country Champion
2000 NCAA 3,000 and 5,000 Meter Champion
Seven-Time All-American
Five-Time Big 12 Conference Champion
2008, 2012 USA Olympian

The most celebrated and acclaimed women’s athlete in CU athletic history... CU’s Female Athlete-of-the-Year for both 1999-2000 and 2000-01, the only repeat or two-time winner in the 24-year history of the award... Also CU’s Female Career Athletic Achievement Award winner in 2001... She is one of just six CU athletes to have won as many as three NCAA championships, including the cross country title in 2000 when she led CU to its first national crown... Also won the 2000 NCAA individual crowns in both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs, just two days apart at that... A seven-time All-American (twice in cross country, five times in track) and an eight-time All-Big 12 performer (three XC, five track)... Won five Big 12 titles, including the 1999 and 2000 cross country crowns... the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame female college athlete of the year for 2000... Nine-time CU Athlete-of-the-Week recipient, a record at the time and still shared (with Mason Crosby)... The first American woman to ever medal in the women’s 10,000-meter run in the world championships, claiming the bronze in Osaka, Japan, in August 2007... Earning her degree in Psychology with a 3.6 grade point, she was a frequent member of the Dean’s List, an Academic All-American, a four-time Academic All-Big 12 team member in both cross country and track, and was the recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate scholarship... She placed ninth in the 5,000 meters and 10th in the 10,000 meters at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing...She switched to the marathon for 2012, qualifying for the London Olympics after a third place finish third at the US Olympic Trials... She is a three-time USA Outdoor 10,000 runner-up (2007, '08, '11) and the 2006 USA Outdoor 5,000 runner-up... Married former Buff and teammate Adam Goucher after college; husband inducted into CU Hall of Fame in 2006.

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