March 10, 2010
Notre Dame, Ind. – Nearly 200 guests, including former members of the Notre Dame track and field team and their families, returned to campus March 5-7 to take part in the Irish track and field reunion. The weekend brought together generations of former Irish track and field athletes to reconnect during the 22nd Annual Alex Wilson Invitational.
The weekend commenced on Friday night with a reception in the Notre Dame Stadium Press Box. The many track alumni who were in attendance were afforded the opportunity to spend time with members of the current track coaching staff as well as director of athletics Jack Swarbrick. Attendees were also treated with a visit from two-time Monogram winner and best selling author Nicholas Sparks `88 who signed copies of his new book “The Last Song.”
Following the track meet, which saw five individuals and two relay teams for the Irish set provisional qualifying marks for the NCAA Indoor Championships, a special dinner was held in the Monogram Room. Highlights of the dinner included remarks from Notre Dame executive vice president Dr. John Affleck-Graves as well as a tribute to the great Alex Wilson.
During the reunion dinner Wilson’s children, Pat, Bob and Dick, generously donated their father’s Olympic medals to the Monogram Club for display in Heritage Hall. Accepting the gift on behalf of the Monogram Club was the executive director Beth Hunter, along with former Irish track standouts Jim Tyler `86, Van Pearcy `85 and Chuck Aragon `81 who currently serve on the Club’s Board of Directors.
“With all that Alex Wilson has meant to this University and in particular the track program, it is only fitting that we honor him by displaying his four Olympic medals in perpetuity in Sports Heritage Hall,” Hunter said.