Charles J.E. Cole (2010) - Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame

Charles J.E. Cole

Induction:
2010
Class:
1988

Charles Cole is another in a long line of outstanding cross country and distance runners at Bucknell. Cole led the Bison cross country team to four consecutive East Coast Conference championships, and he made three NCAA Championship appearances from 1985-1987. As a sophomore, he placed 94th individually, and a year later he moved up to 91st while leading Bucknell to a 19th-place team finish. As a senior in 1987, Cole placed 107th while competing through a heel injury.

Cole was a two-time ECC individual cross country champion, a three-time All-ECC selection, and a two-time ECC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In 1986 he was an All-East performer (and likely would have been in 1987 but had to withdraw from the District 2 meet due to the aforementioned injury), and he was part of teams that went 44-0 in dual meets during his career. In his four ECC Cross Country Championship races, Cole finished 10th-2nd-1st-1st.

Cole, a native of Chaptico, Md., was also a part of seven ECC track and field championship teams, four indoors and three outdoors. As a senior, he won the 5,000 meters and anchored the winning distance medley relay at the ECC Indoor Championships. Outdoors, he captured ECC gold medals in the 5,000 meters in 1986 and in the 10,000 in 1988. At the time of his induction, Cole still held the sixth-fastest time in Bucknell history in the outdoor 5,000 (14:18.84).