Athlete 1998 - 2001
It is fitting that after helping Linfield achieve the highest level of success in men’s soccer, leading scorer Chris McDonald is being recognized as the first from his sport to be inducted into the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame.
McDonald, of the Class of 2002, was a key member of the 2000 men’s soccer club that claimed the Northwest Conference championship, set a record for most victories in one season, and in its first playoff appearance, reached the NCAA Division III national semifinals.
McDonald’s individual accolades stack up well against his team’s achievements. He was a three-time all-Northwest Conference first team honoree, was recognized as the 2000 NWC Player of the Year, was twice named to the NSCAA All-Far West Region squad, and to cap it all off, earned NSCAA All-America recognition as a junior in 2000.
To this day, McDonald holds program records with 101 career points and 22 goals scored during that magical 2000 season. In all, he tallied 41 goals, including 13 game winners, to go along with 19 assists.
With McDonald in the lineup, the Wildcats amassed an overall record of 56-24-2 over four seasons, including a 39-17-2 win-loss mark against conference opponents.
Twenty-one of those overall victories were achieved during the 2000 season, which remains the most successful in program history.
Nearly running the table, the Wildcats went 13-0-1 in the Northwest Conference, the only blemish a 3-3 tie on the road against Whitworth. After securing the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA playoffs, Linfield rattled off three straight victories over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Gustavus Adolphus and Ohio Wesleyan by a combined 9-2 margin. The Wildcats’ dream season ended in the national semifinals with a 3-2 loss to eventual champion Messiah (Pa.).
“To be certain, Chris can be considered one of the best players to ever grace the soccer pitch at Linfield,” said former head coach Steve Simmons, who now leads the Oregon State men’s soccer program. “He was one of those rare players who could carry a team on his back and yet play and act in an unselfish manner. This championship attribute was on display countless times during his career and was clearly evident during the 2000 Final Four season. Chris helped define an era of Linfield Soccer that put the program on the map and into national prominence.”
After college, McDonald initially pursued a professional soccer career, but injuries cut those plans short. Instead, he applied his biology degree to further study and a promising career in the health and fitness industry. In addition to completing a master’s degree in exercise science from California University in Pennsylvania, McDonald has earned certifications as a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist and CrossFit instructor.
He and his wife Meaghan, a Linfield soccer and track and field graduate, both are employed with CrossFit. Chris has worked with the CrossFit HQ Level 1 Seminar Staff, traveling the world to teach others about CrossFit benefits and methodology. Meaghan works on the CrossFit HQ Kids Seminar staff.
When not traveling, the McDonalds make their home in Portland with their two children, Maheila, and Dominik.
