Dick Buerkle

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Dick Buerkle (born September 3, 1947 in Rochester, New York)is a two-time Olympic athlete and held the world record for the indoor 1 mile.

He graduated from Aquanis Institute high school in 1966 and went on to Villanova University to graduate in 1970 with a degree in Spanish studies. At Villanova University he learned under the tutelage of head coach, Jumbo Elliott and assistant coach, Jim Tuppeny. He started on the Villanova team as a walk-on without an athletic scholarship. He didn't receive a track scholarship until his senior year when he broke 9 minutes for the 2 mile race.

Buerkle qualified for the 1976 and 1980 Olympic games. The 1976 Montreal Games turned out to be a disappointment for Buerkle who finished 9th in the fastest 5,000 meter heat in history at that point. Although he qualified for the 1980 Olympics he did not get the opportunity to run due to President Jimmy Carter boycotting the Games. The 1980 Olympics took place in Moscow and tension existed between the United States and the Soviet Union. He ran the mile in under 4 minutes 6 recorded times in his career with a personal best on Friday January 13, 1978 when he broke the world indoor mile record with a time of 03:54.93. This record put him on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine and Track and Field News magazine.