PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Pilots cross country and track & field runners Anna Pataki and Cathal Doyle have been named the University of Portland 2020-21 Fr. Chester Prusynski Student-Athletes of the Year after putting together impressive seasons. The award recognizes the top University of Portland student-athletes based on athletic and academic credentials.
Pataki was dominant during the cross country season as the top runner for the Pilots. She claimed first at the WCC Cross Country Championships this spring, becoming just the 14th Pilot to win the title and the first since Lauren LaRocco did so in 2016. She helped lead the team to a second-place finish at the WCC Championships, securing Portland their third appearance as a team at the NCAA Championships. Her performance at the conference meet earned her NCAA XC National Athlete of the Week, making her the first ever Pilot runner to collect the prestigious award.
At the NCAA Championships, Pataki finished 31st individually and guided the Pilots to a 22nd-place finish as a team. Pataki's race was the sixth-best finish in program history and helped her collect All-America honors as well.
Doyle also had a stellar year for the men's cross country and track and field teams. Doyle was the only runner to represent the Pilots at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., finishing 11th in the 1500-meter run while setting a new program record in the race with a time of 3:39.99. Doyle earned the opportunity to run in Eugene after finishing eighth at the West Preliminary meet, breaking the record in the 1500m in the process. The Irish native also notched the fifth-best finish in program history in the 800-meter run at the Portland Twilight Meet on May 8.
Doyle was a key contributor to the men's cross country team this spring. He helped the Pilots finish third at the WCC Championships as the final scoring runner and helped the Pilots finish 21st as a team at the NCAA Championships as the third Pilot to cross the finish line. The Pilots were consistently among the top 10 teams in the nation all season long.
The Fr. Chester Prusynski Student-Athlete of the Year award is the most prestigious University honor for student-athletes and is presented annually to one female and one male who have excelled both in athletics and in the classroom. Winners are selected by a vote of athletic administrators. The name of the award was changed in the summer of 2010 in honor of Rev. Chester Prusynski, C.S.C., who served the University community and was a fixture at Pilot athletic events for nearly 50 years.
