Oct. 21, 1999

At halftime of Villanova's football game against Northeastern on Saturday, Oct. 23, two former Wildcat track & field standouts will be honored by having their shoes retired in a ceremony that will exemplify the rich heritage of Villanova track and field, and forever recognize these individuals for their tremendous collegiate careers. The honorees, Jen Rhines and George Guida, will join the Wall of Fame and have their names displayed forever on The Pavilion wall overlooking the Jumbo Elliott Track.

George Guida.

Running on the Main Line from 1992-96, Rhines rates as one of the most outstanding track and cross country performers to ever wear a Villanova uniform, garnering All-America honors 10 times throughout her career. After winning the NCAA individual title in cross country in 1994 and guiding Villanova to the team title, she was named the recipient of the Honda-Broderick Award and was cited as the 1994 Cross Country Athlete of the Year. All told, she was a member of three NCAA Champion cross country teams at Villanova. On the track, Rhines captured four NCAA individual championships, including winning three-straight 5,000 meter outdoor titles and one 5,000 meter indoor championship.

One of the top 600 yard runners of his era, Guida is considered by many to be the first great Villanova track athlete. A 1949 graduate of Villanova, Guida was a member of the 1948 United States Olympic Team, where he earned a third place finish in the 400 meter run. Also, in the 1948 Olympics, Guida ran a leg on the 4x400 relay team that won a silver medal. During the 1948 games, Guida and Villanova teammate Browning Ross befriended Ireland's Jimmy Reardon who eventually became the first of many Irish runners to compete for Villanova, thus starting the Irish Pipeline. Besides competing in track for Villanova, Guida was also a standout flanker on the Wildcat football team.