ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Allegra Burton has the distinction of becoming the first Wesleyan woman to earn NCAA All-America honors in two sports during the same year. In 1986–87, Burton placed eighth in the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship and third in the 5,000-meter event at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships. It was her first time as an All-American on the track but her third time in cross country. Her third-place finish during the 1985 NCAA Cross Country Championship stands as the highest finish ever by a Wesleyan woman at the event.
During her cross-country career, Burton placed first in all 18 dual races she entered and took as high as second in New England Division III. She also led the team to its highest ever finish at the regional affair, a second-place showing among 23 teams in 1984. She competed in the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championship three times in addition to her four appearances at the cross-country meet. Receiving CoSIDA Academic All-America second-team honors in the at-large category in 1986, she was Wesleyan’s Maynard Award winner in 1987 as the top senior scholar-athlete.
Continuing to run in road races after graduation, she claimed a number of top-three finishes in 5K and 10K events between 1988 and 1993. In 1990, she ran alongside four-time Boston and New York City Marathon winner and Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Famer Bill Rodgers ’70 for the inaugural lap on Wesleyan’s Bacon Field House track to commemorate the opening of the facility.
A member of the American Dietetic Association, she has become an accomplished registered dietician and educator, committed to helping people lead healthier lives through nutrition education and awareness.