Eastern Connecticut State University

Timothy W. Quinn was characterized by his coach and teammates as a tireless worker who thrived on challenges. As a four-year member of the cross country and track & field programs between 1973 and 1976, the Hartford native served as a major building block for the foundation of both programs in the early 1970s.  He lettered on the cross country’s third intercollegiate season in 1973 and ran two seasons on the track & field “club” before the program was elevated to intercollegiate status in the spring of 1975. Displaying a relentless work ethic and unwavering determination under extreme weather conditions, Quinn qualified for national competition twice in cross country and once in track & field, and on consecutive weekends as a junior in 1975, first captured the New England Division III cross country title, then placed fourth in the prestigious Codfish Bowl. In track & field, the 5-foot-7 inch, 125 pound Quinn set records which remain today at two, three and six miles. Quinn’s legendary fourth-place finish in the rain and mud in a field of 300 at the 1975 Codfish Bowl at Franklin Park in Boston allowed Eastern to finish tenth overall among 45 Division II and III teams and qualify as a team for the NCAA Division III nationals for the only time in program history. In addition to leading the cross country team to that berth in the national meet as a junior in 1975, Quinn paced the Warriors to second place by winning the New England Division III championship at Plymouth, N.H, breaking broke the Plymouth State course record by 27 seconds.