A national standout and All-American in the long jump, Orville Sweeney set two school records and was a three-time Eastern Collegiate Track Conference Champion during his four-year career at New Haven.
Sweeney had a breakout season as a sophomore during indoor competition, finishing top-three at all nine events, including earning medalist honors five times. He capped off the season with title honors at the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (EIAA), while earning All-EIAA and All-Collegiate Track Conference accolades. He also earned All-New England and All Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) distinction.
During the subsequent outdoor season, Sweeney saw his first NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the long jump, finishing first in six of the eight spring events. He concluded that season with All ECAC, All-EIAA and All-Connecticut Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) honors in the triple jump and long jump, while also earning All-New England and an IC4A qualifying mark in the long jump. Following that year, Sweeney was named the 1990 Male Athlete of the Year at New Haven.
Sweeney’s junior year began in impressive fashion when he hit an NCAA qualifying mark in the first meet of the season, setting his first school record with a distance of 7.51-meters in the long jump. He capped off the indoor season finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships, earning the program’s second ever All-American accolades. During the ensuing summer, Sweeney traveled to Jamaica to compete in the Olympic Trials.
After being sidelined by injury during his senior year, Sweeney returned to complete his outdoor eligibility during graduate school and went on to earn Most Valuable accolades at the ECAC and ECC Championships. During the outdoor season, he set a second school record, again in the long jump, with a distance of 7.43 meters at the IC4A Championships. His second place finish earned him his fourth IC4A All-East selection.
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