Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame
Steele, Tim
Tim Steele
- Induction:
- 2008
- Class:
- 1973
Regarded as one of the top distance runners in Lehigh’s storied history, Tim Steele was a two-time cross country All-American and won a combined 12 Middle Atlantic Conference championships, including three in cross country, three in the one-mile, three in the two-mile, and three in the three-mile. He was Lehigh's first ever All-American distance runner, finishing in the top-15 nationally among U.S. born runners at the 1970 U.S. Track and Field Federation Championship and again at the 1972 AAU National Championship.
“This honor really means a lot to me because I've spent so much time at the high school, college, and post-collegiate levels running,” said Steele. “I think this is a validation of all that running that I put in. There are three things in my life that are really important to me: running, my professional career, and my family, although not necessarily in that order. With this honor, I feel that the running aspect of my life is finally validated.”
Steele was a member of the first recruiting class of legendary coach and fellow Penske/Lehigh Hall of Famer, John Covert. With that class, Covert built the program into a powerhouse for years to come.
“I have often said that good athletes make good coaches and great athletes make great coaches,” Covert said. “Whatever success earlier on I had at Lehigh was due in large part to Tim Steele.”
The team captured four straight IC4A cross country championships, including a second place finish from Steele at the 1970 IC4A meet.
“I think being a member of those IC4A teams was truly one of the most significant accomplishments in my time at Lehigh,” Steele said. “Not only for the championships we won, but also the friendships and camaraderie that we developed with each other. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world.”
Steele became accustomed to seeing his name in the Lehigh record books, leaving school as the record holder in the 4x880, distance medley and the 4x-one mile, as well as the one-mile, two-mile and three-mile races. His time of 24:45 on Lehigh’s old cross country course (prior to 1999) is fourth among all Lehigh runners in school history.
Steele graduated from Lehigh in 1973 with a degree in history. In 1989, he founded MicroSpec Corporation, a company that is world renowned for producing some of the most challenging medical extrusions required by the industry. At the time of his induction, he served as CEO and chairman of MicroSpec and was also on the board of two nonprofit organizations: the New Hampshire Dance Institute and the Social Entrepreneurial Student Leadership Program.
“This honor really means a lot to me because I've spent so much time at the high school, college, and post-collegiate levels running,” said Steele. “I think this is a validation of all that running that I put in. There are three things in my life that are really important to me: running, my professional career, and my family, although not necessarily in that order. With this honor, I feel that the running aspect of my life is finally validated.”
Steele was a member of the first recruiting class of legendary coach and fellow Penske/Lehigh Hall of Famer, John Covert. With that class, Covert built the program into a powerhouse for years to come.
“I have often said that good athletes make good coaches and great athletes make great coaches,” Covert said. “Whatever success earlier on I had at Lehigh was due in large part to Tim Steele.”
The team captured four straight IC4A cross country championships, including a second place finish from Steele at the 1970 IC4A meet.
“I think being a member of those IC4A teams was truly one of the most significant accomplishments in my time at Lehigh,” Steele said. “Not only for the championships we won, but also the friendships and camaraderie that we developed with each other. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world.”
Steele became accustomed to seeing his name in the Lehigh record books, leaving school as the record holder in the 4x880, distance medley and the 4x-one mile, as well as the one-mile, two-mile and three-mile races. His time of 24:45 on Lehigh’s old cross country course (prior to 1999) is fourth among all Lehigh runners in school history.
Steele graduated from Lehigh in 1973 with a degree in history. In 1989, he founded MicroSpec Corporation, a company that is world renowned for producing some of the most challenging medical extrusions required by the industry. At the time of his induction, he served as CEO and chairman of MicroSpec and was also on the board of two nonprofit organizations: the New Hampshire Dance Institute and the Social Entrepreneurial Student Leadership Program.
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