Hall of Fame
Christina “Tina” Ilgner, a member of the Class of 1986, was a true trailblazer for the Panther women’s track and field and cross country programs.
In track and field, she is one of three Panthers to earn four NCAA All-American awards in the outdoor season, earning laurels in the 800 meters and 1,500. Ilgner was the runner-up in the 1,500 as a senior, while she secured third place in the 800 in 1982 and the 1,500 in 1985, and claimed fifth place in the 800 in 1983. She won four NESCAC Championships in both events, setting an ECAC Championship meet record in the longer distance as a senior. Ilgner lowered the state’s best time in the 800 in 1983 and set a personal and school-record time of 2:12.23 during the NCAA meet, which stood for 18 years. Her clocking of 4:31.66 in the 1,500 was not bested by a Middlebury runner for 25 years. As a junior, she was the only Panther to qualify for the Division I New England and NCAA Championships.
In cross country, Ilgner was the 1983 NESCAC Champion, a three-time NCAA Championship qualifier, and the NCAA Regional runner-up in her first fall. She didn’t lose a race through her initial season and was the 1983 Vermont State Champion, setting the course record while taking down the defending winner. Ilgner set the Vermont State course record twice. A captain during her junior and senior seasons, she helped guide the program to NESCAC Championships in 1983 and 1985, as well as the 1983 NCAA Regional Championship.
Ilgner was recognized as the 1985 May Athlete of the Month by the Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. She returned to Middlebury in 2001 and serves as an assistant director in the Language Schools.
