June 6, 1998
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Notre Dame senior Errol Williams finished third in the 110-meter hurdles on Saturday at the University of Buffalo to turn in the best performance by a Notre Dame athlete at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships in 29 years. Williams topped his school record by running 13.53 for the best Irish finish since Bill Hurd placed third in the 200 meters in 1969. Texas A&M’s Larry Wade won the race in 13.37 while South Carolina’s Terrence Trammell was second in 13.41.
Williams becomes an All-American for the second time in his career with his third-place finish. He garnered All-America honors as he placed eighth in the 55-meter hurdles at the NCAA indoor track and field championships in March in his first appearance in the indoor championships.
Williams entered the final with the fourth-best time of the semifinals after placing second in his heat in 13.67 on Friday. The Lauderhill, Fla., native, topped his school-record time of 13.60 which he set as a freshman in 1995 by finishing in 13.53. Williams, who had qualified for the event in 1995 and 1997 but failed to reach the finals, had the highest finish for a Notre Dame participant in the 110-meter hurdles since Pete Whitehouse was second in 1964.
The third-place finish caps off a senior season in which Williams became a two-time All-American and won his first BIG EAST titles in the 55-meter hurdles indoors and the 110-meter hurdles outdoors. He also captured the 110-meter hurdles at the Drake Relays and the ICAAAA Championships. Williams was named the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year after graduating with a 3.727 cumulative grade-point average in accounting.
1998 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
110-Meter Hurdles Results1. Larry Wade, Texas A&M 13.372. Terrence Trammell, South Carolina 13.413. Errol Williams, Notre Dame 13.534. Jeremichael Williams, Clemson 13.765. William Erese, USC 13.706. John McAfee, Baylor 13.797. Greg Hines, Clemson 13.808. Kareem Archer, Villanova 13.85