Legendary Texas A&M pentathlon runner Linda Cornelius passed away on Tuesday after a hard-fought battle with cancer.
Cornelius made history at A&M by becoming the first female student-athlete inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame. Before graduating in 1979, Cornelius was a four-year letter winner in track and field, becoming the first female athlete in the sport to earn All-American honors.
The pentathlon runner also earned a spot on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team but ultimately could not compete due to the United States boycotting the Moscow Olympic Games.
After graduating, Cornelius stayed involved with the Bryan-College Station community, serving as a member of the Texas A&M Lettermen’s Association Board of Directors and eventual director of the Bryan Parks & Recreation and Facilities.
Across her impressive career, Cornelius garnered multiple accolades, including the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation, or T.A.A.F, President Award, the Texas Recreation and Parks Society President’s Award and a spot in the T.A.A.F. Hall of Fame.