WVU Sports Hall of Fame

Inducted: 2015

Written by Bryan Messerly

Megan Metcalfe, who achieved a national championship and nine All-America honors, is the most prolific distance runner in West Virginia women’s track and field history.

Competing at WVU from 2000-05, Metcalfe became the first Mountaineer to achieve two All-America honors in cross country. The Edmonton, Alberta, native earned her first All-America accolade as a member of the 2001 distance medley relay team, which finished in eighth place. Metcalfe’s second All-America award, and first individual, came with a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter race at the 2002 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Her third All-America honor came with a ninth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Cross Country Championships, making her just the second female cross country All-American in school history and only the fourth Mountaineer to earn All-America honors in two sports.

Metcalfe earned her fourth and fifth All-America accolades in 2003 by finishing fourth in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and was a part of the then-school record setting distance medley relay team in that same meet.
Her sixth and seventh awards came in March 2004, when she placed fifth in the 3,000 meters and again was a member of the distance medley relay team.

Metcalfe’s eighth and school-record setting All-America honor came at the 2004 NCAA Cross Country Championships, where she recorded a 16th-place overall finish.

Metcalfe capped her brilliant career with a ninth All-America honor and a national championship when she won the 5,000 meters at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

During her career, Metcalfe’s teams had numerous top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships.

She competed at the World Cross Country Championships twice during her tenure at WVU and competed at the World University Games in Turkey.

Metcalfe earned first-place finishes in the Canadian Senior Championships in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, the Pacific World Cup in Burnaby, British Columbia, and at the 2007 Pan-American games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Metcalfe competed in the final at the World Indoor Championships in the 3,000 meters in Valencia, Spain. She competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing for Canada, making the finals of the 5,000-meter race and running a personal-best time of 15:11.23 in the opening heat.

One of three track and field national champions in school history, Metcalfe earned numerous honors at WVU: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 All-Big East, 2000 Big East Freshman of the Year and the 2003 Big East Most Outstanding Female Track Performer.

Metcalfe won the 3,000 meters at the 2002 and 2003 Big East Indoor Championships, captured the 5,000 meters at the 2002 Big East Outdoor Championships and won the 10,000 meters at the 2003 Big East Outdoor Championships.

Metcalfe still holds school records in the 3,000 meters indoor (8:58.17), the 1,500 meters outdoor (4:12.00), the 3,000 meters outdoor (9:04:02) and the 5,000 meters outdoor (15:47.64).

Metcalfe earned magna cum laude honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and graduated with a master’s degree in physical therapy from WVU in 2005.
Metcalfe is married to Jonathan Wright of Fairmont, who she met while Jonathan was competing for the WVU men's cross country team. They have one son, James and are expecting a daughter in October, and they reside in Morgantown. Metcalfe works part-time as a physical therapist at Ruby Memorial Hospital.