- As a first year student, Tierney helped the Duhawks to the NAIA District 15 title with a second-place finish and Loras went on to place 20th in the NAIA Nationals. The next spring, Tierney was the NAIA District 5,000-meter run champion and as a sophomore, he again reached the NAIA cross country nationals.
- Tierney admits that cross country was his first love. Once Loras re-entered the Iowa Conference, Tierney was runner-up in the 1987 conference meet, took first the next year, was the conference MVP, NCAA Regional champion, NCAA Division III finals qualifier and Loras Most Valuable Performer.
- For four straight years Tierney won the 5,000-meter run title (NAIA in 1985 and Iowa Conference 1986-88), added the 10,000-meter Iowa Conference crowns in 1987 and 1988 and was runner up in the 3,000-meter in 1988. In 1987 and 1988, he was an NCAA Division III All-American in the 10,000-meter run.
- In the second semester of my freshman year at St. Lawrence High School, I was not what you would call a model student-athlete. That fall I finished 21st out of 22 freshman cross country runners on the depth chart; I was not far from failing many of my classes; and, through some rebellious streak in me, my name was well known by one or two of the Cook County sheriffs.
           However, through all the turmoil of that first year, there is one moment that defined the rest of my life. At a parent-teacher meeting that winter, the issue of my participation in track and field and how it might be affecting my studies was raised. My history teacher suggested that taking track away from me might not be the answer and that my parents should consider stricter study habits first. They conceded. I don’t think that it was until I was well out of high school that I heard that story from my parents. One can only speculate the direction my life might have taken if, in that brief moment, the alternative decision had been made.
           For the Hall of Fame to honor me for my running career at Loras College, the honor would be incomplete without my long-time teammate and friend Chris O’Donnell at my side. To talk about my career as an individual is contrary to how things really were. In that first horrible year of running in high school, I first ran to catch Chris. Later the goal was to beat him. Then came the realization of what we could accomplish together. We eventually built one of those rare unspoken relationships. Our race tactics were never discussed, only understood. We fed off each other. Flat and fast courses favored Chris. Slow, hilly course favored me. Together, we carried each other through. We were always there for each other.
           There were more headlines about O’Donnell and Tierney than there were about us as individuals. Our record through high school and college shows what we were able to accomplish together. We finished first and second overall in four conference cross country championships, won individual conference titles in numerous track and field events from 800 to 10,000 meters, helping four teams to Conference titles. We received MVP honors five times, not as individuals, but shared the honor as co-recipients.
           The 1987 NCAA Central Region Championship for cross country is by far the most memorable race in my career, even over two All-American finishes in track and field. In that race, Chris and I ran side-by-side for most of the race. As each mile clicked by, we increased the pace with the ease of a Sunday afternoon run. With one runner left in front of us, we began to discuss when to go around him, still surprised at how comfortable the pace felt. I think the fact that the runner ahead of us was constantly turning his head back made me realize that he was just as surprised as we were that our conversation carried on without losing a breath. We finished first and second that day to go on to the National Championship. Chris finished an All-American that year, but I wasn’t so fortunate. I barely finished in the top 50, never able to recover from a knockdown at the start of the race. Even though we gained many victories and honors in track and field, our first love was cross country. Though disappointed with my finish, I was happy to see that one of us gained All-American honors in what was our passion.
           This Hall of Fame nomination is not for me alone. In cross country and track, winning a race is about benefiting the team. To the casual observer, it seems a selfish sport where athletes run for individual honors in every event. I would share this honor with the coaches, teammates, friends, and family who supported me. In a sport a bit shy on spectators on cold, rainy autumn and spring days, the value of their support was immeasurable. I share this honor with Chris O’Donnell for being by my side for eight years and literally thousands of miles. But most of all, I would ask that Loras College honor my mother and father for that one decision that sent me in a direction full of wonderful and unforgettable experiences. Their caring, love, patience, and understanding are truly a Hall of Fame accomplishment.
           In closing, I would like to send a message to parents, coaches, and administrators in high schools and colleges everywhere. It is very hard to see the true value of athletics today in a world of multimillion dollar endorsements and skyrocketing salaries. Role models come along in diminishing number in the likes of Michael Jordan, Chris Zorich and Tiger Woods to name a few. But for every athlete competing for the big contract, there are thousands of kids accomplishing things that last a lifetime and touch so many lives. Those accomplishments have nothing to do with money or fame. To those skeptics of athletics, the value for those kids is immeasurable. Don’t ever give up on them. To reach one kid in hundreds is a wonderful accomplishment.
StoryIn the second semester of my freshman year at St. Lawrence High School, I was not what you would call a model student-athlete. That fall I finished 21
st out of 22 freshman cross country runners on the depth chart; I was not far from failing many of my classes; and, through some rebellious streak in me, my name was well known by one or two of the Cook County sheriffs.
However, through all the turmoil of that first year, there is one moment that defined the rest of my life. At a parent-teacher meeting that winter, the issue of my participation in track and field and how it might be affecting my studies was raised. My history teacher suggested that taking track away from me might not be the answer and that my parents should consider stricter study habits first. They conceded. I don’t think that it was until I was well out of high school that I heard that story from my parents. One can only speculate the direction my life might have taken if, in that brief moment, the alternative decision had been made.
For the Hall of Fame to honor me for my running career at Loras College, the honor would be incomplete without my long-time teammate and friend Chris O’Donnell at my side. To talk about my career as an individual is contrary to how things
really were. In that first horrible year of running in high school, I first ran to catch Chris. Later the goal was to beat him. Then came the realization of what we could accomplish together. We eventually built one of those rare unspoken relationships. Our race tactics were never discussed, only understood. We fed off each other. Flat and fast courses favored Chris. Slow, hilly course favored me. Together, we carried each other through. We were always there for each other.
There were more headlines about O’Donnell and Tierney than there were about us as individuals. Our record through high school and college shows what we were able to accomplish
together. We finished first and second overall in four conference cross country championships, won individual conference titles in numerous track and field events from 800 to 10,000 meters, helping four teams to Conference titles. We received MVP honors five times, not as individuals, but shared the honor as co-recipients.
The 1987 NCAA Central Region Championship for cross country is by far the most memorable race in my career, even over two All-American finishes in track and field. In that race, Chris and I ran side-by-side for most of the race. As each mile clicked by, we increased the pace with the ease of a Sunday afternoon run. With one runner left in front of us, we began to discuss when to go around him, still surprised at how comfortable the pace felt. I think the fact that the runner ahead of us was constantly turning his head back made me realize that he was just as surprised as we were that our conversation carried on without losing a breath. We finished first and second that day to go on to the National Championship. Chris finished an All-American that year, but I wasn’t so fortunate. I barely finished in the top 50, never able to recover from a knockdown at the start of the race. Even though we gained many victories and honors in track and field, our first love was cross country. Though disappointed with my finish, I was happy to see that one of us gained All-American honors in what was our passion.
This Hall of Fame nomination is not for me alone. In cross country and track, winning a race is about benefiting the team. To the casual observer, it seems a selfish sport where athletes run for individual honors in every event. I would share this honor with the coaches, teammates, friends, and family who supported me. In a sport a bit shy on spectators on cold, rainy autumn and spring days, the value of their support was immeasurable. I share this honor with Chris O’Donnell for being by my side for eight years and literally thousands of miles. But most of all, I would ask that Loras College honor my mother and father for that one decision that sent me in a direction full of wonderful and unforgettable experiences. Their caring, love, patience, and understanding are truly a Hall of Fame accomplishment.
In closing, I would like to send a message to parents, coaches, and administrators in high schools and colleges everywhere. It is very hard to see the true value of athletics today in a world of multimillion dollar endorsements and skyrocketing salaries. Role models come along in diminishing number in the likes of Michael Jordan, Chris Zorich and Tiger Woods to name a few. But for every athlete competing for the big contract, there are thousands of kids accomplishing things that last a lifetime and touch so many lives. Those accomplishments have nothing to do with money or fame. To those skeptics of athletics, the value for those kids is immeasurable. Don’t ever give up on them. To reach one kid in hundreds is a wonderful accomplishment.
