Edinboro University Athletics

Yimin Wu joins former teammate Aaron Rowe as one of the all-time greats coached by Doug Watts to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is one of only four Edinboro runners to win the national championship, crossing the finish line first in 1998. The native of China is also one of only two male and three overall four-time All-Americans in cross country, joining Martin Lyons and Lisa Petsche. All told, Wu was a six-time All-American, earning two certificates in track & field. In 1998, as a first-year member of the Fighting Scots, he claimed the national championship in cross country at the NCAA Division II National Championships. He beat the second-place finisher by ten seconds while posting a winning time of 31:06.04. He did not lose a race his entire freshman season, also winning the PSAC and East Region crowns. He was named the PSAC and East Region Runner of the Year while helping Edinboro to championships in both events, followed by a fourth-place showing at Nationals. A year later, he repeated as the PSAC and East Region Runner of the Year after finishing first at both championships, while finishing fourth at Nationals to earn All-American honors for the second time. It took a heroic effort for Wu to become a three-time All-American in 2000. Running in the lead pack at the two-mile mark, he stepped in a hole and tore a calf muscle. After falling back into the high 30’s he rallied to finish 13th. That helped Edinboro come in fourth as a team. He had to settle for third place at the PSAC Championships behind teammates Jeff Barker and Rowe. He also earned All-Region honors for the third time. Wu concluded his brilliant cross country career in 2001, finishing in the top five for the third time in his career. He would come in fourth after finishing second at the PSAC and East Regional Championships to become a four-time honoree in each. Wu enjoyed his most success in track in 1999, parlaying a second-place finish in the 10,000-meter run at the national championships into another All-American certificate. He also earned All-American honors in the 5,000-meter run with a sixth-place finish. That year, he was the 10,000-meter run PSAC champion and was named the PSAC Rookie of the Year.