UC Mechanical Engineering Alumnus Runs a Mile in Less than Four Minutes
Eric Finans life-long dream of running a mile under four minutes came true earlier this month at the 2014 Adrian Martinez Classic. He came in first with the lifetime-best score of 3:58.73, reported by the
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The Cincinnati Enquirer
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To make his victory twice as sweet, Finan also beat out Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano, who was the featured athlete at the race. Manzano won his medal in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He was the first United States runner to medal in the 1500 meter since Jim Ryun won silver 44 years prior.
While Eric Finan isnt an Olympic medalist yet, he does run professionally on the USA Minnesota team. The team was founded in 2001 and has since won 20 national championships from 1500 meters to marathon distances.
Eric told the Enquirer, I still feel like I am on cloud nine. The day after he explained, Im not sure if it has really sunken in quite yet. Running under four minutes in the mile has been a dream of mine since high school.
Eric Finan began his athletic career at the University of Cincinnati where he ran cross country and track & field, winning the All-American twice.
In 2011, Finan was awarded MVP for cross country, received the Gettler Spirit of Track and Field Award, and set four school records. He was also the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Cross Country Champion and the All-Ohio Champion in the 1500m and 500m.
The list of Erics achievements goes on and but the true weight of his success comes from his life outside the sport.
When Finan wasnt training or competing, he devoted his time to studying mechanical engineering at the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) at UC.
Finan was recognized as the Scholar Athlete of the Month, a title well deserved by the athlete and ACCEND student earning his bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and his MBA simultaneously.
In addition to being a bright UC track star and balancing the work load of two degrees, Finan also thrived in his co-op placements which he explains, were the deciding factor in my decision to come to UC.
While almost all engineers are required to participate in co-op education, not many can also balance the demanding life of an athlete.
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