Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2013
A four-time national champion, Amy Harper Avrit claimed NCAA Division II national championships in cross country in both 1982 and 1983, leading Cal Poly to team titles both years, and captured NCAA Division II titles in both the 1,500- and 5,000-meter runs in 1983, also leading the Mustangs to the team title.
She also holds the school track record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15 minutes, 50.64 seconds, set in 1983.
As a sophomore in cross country (1981), Harper Avrit placed 10th in the nationals. In her junior season (1982), she was CCAA champion and, after capturing the national crown, finished 17th in The Athletics Congress national championships. She won each of her cross country races that year except for a fourth at the Stanford Invitational and her 17th-place finish at the TAC.
Harper Avrit claimed the CCAA title again as a senior in 1983.
In track, she finished second in the 1,500 at the nationals as a sophomore. In her junior season she was fourth in the Division I indoor two-mile, won both the Division II 1,500 and 5,000 outdoors and claimed second place in the TAC 5,000 en route to CCAA and Cal Poly female athlete of the year honors. As a senior in 1984, Harper placed third in the 3,000 meters and led Cal Poly to another national team title.
In all, she is a eight-time All-American in cross country and track and field and twice was nominated for the Honda Sports Award in cross country.
A Prospect High School (San Jose) graduate, Amy and her husband, Doug Avrit, have a son (Derek) and two daughters (Kathleen and Nicole). She has taught math at Bret Harte High School for over 30 years, also serving as chairperson of the mathematics department. She also has coached cross country, track and field and the school's Academic Decathlon team in addition to serving as the school's California Scholarship Federation advisor for the last 17 years (through 2020).
