HPU Alum Tamas Kovacs To Compete in London Olympics

High Point University graduate Tamas Kovacs will compete in the 2012 Olympics in London representing Hungary in the marathon. Kovacs was an All-Conference honoree and Academic All-American in cross country and track & field for HPU from 2005-08.

“We are so proud of Tamas for achieving the goal he has talked about since he came to High Point as a freshman,” said HPU head coach Mike Esposito. “It’s a great honor for our program to have another alumnus compete in the Olympics. All of the credit goes to Tamas for his commitment and work ethic, and it’s exciting to know we may have had some part in helping him achieve this.

“Tamas has always been a very proud supporter of High Point University and we couldn’t be happier that he has achieved his dream of going to the Olympics.”

The Olympic marathon will be run August 12 at 11 a.m. in London, or 6 a.m. Eastern in the U.S. It’s the second Olympics Games in a row that High Point University will be represented after 2005 graduate Taylor Milne competed in the 1,500-meter for Canada in Beijing in 2008.

Kovacs posted Hungary’s best time in the marathon – 2:14:23 – in Italy on Dec. 11, 2011. He has run several marathons and posted a previous best of 2:16:21 in Prague, Czech Republic, on May 8, 2011. Kovacs ran a career-best 1:03.39 in the half marathon in Austin, Texas, on Jan. 25, 2009.

Originally from Veszprem, Hungary, Kovacs came to High Point in 2005 and made an immediate impact in Esposito’s first season as head coach. Kovacs placed second at the Big South Cross Country Championship that fall. He went on to earn two more All-Conference honors in cross country.

In track & field, Kovacs set several High Point University records. He still holds the Panthers’ outdoor 5,000-meter record at 13:59.43. Kovacs also set collegiate bests of 3:48.68 in the 1,500-meter and 8:14.03 in the 3,000-meter. He earned multiple All-Conference honors in indoor and outdoor. track & field.

A four-time Millis Scholar-Athlete, Kovacs was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection. He graduated in 2009 with 3.9 grade-point average in International Business.