Athlete 1981 - 1984
As one of Linfield’s most successful distance runners, dual-sport athlete Glen Giovannetti has the distinction of being one of just two Wildcats to claim conference championships in both cross country and track. Owning a program record in the 10,000 meters that has not been challenged in more than 30 years, the 1984 graduate is a strong addition to the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame.
A four-year letterwinner in both cross country and track, Giovannetti was a versatile distance runner who was competitive in distances ranging from the 1,500 meters to the marathon. In fact, among his accomplishments is a ninth-place overall finish in the 1983 Trails End Marathon, good for a top-four finish among NAIA District 2 competitors.
Beginning with a third-place effort as a sophomore in 1981, Giovannetti achieved three consecutive top-six performances at the Northwest Conference Cross Country Championships, earning a trio of all-league accolades.
Saving his best for last, he became the first Wildcat in program history – and one of just two in total – to win the championship race, claiming the individual crown as a senior in the fall of 1983. Beating the field at Tacoma’s Fort Steilacoom Park by an impressive six seconds, Giovannetti’s performance remains the program’s fastest eight-kilometer time at that venue.
Linfield also won the team championship that season, the program’s only outright title.
A three-time top-four finisher at the NAIA District 2 Championships, Giovannetti qualified for nationals in each of his final three cross country seasons. He placed 29th at the 1983 NAIA Cross Country Championships in Kenosha, Wis., registering Linfield’s third-highest individual finish of the NAIA era. Together with teammates Jim Wyatt and Jesse Gore, Giovannetti helped the Wildcats place eighth in the team standings, the program’s best effort at nationals.
Giovannetti’s enjoyed year-round success, pulling double duty as a member of Linfield’s track & field program in the spring.
As a senior in 1984, he captured the league title in the 5,000 meters, clocking in at a career-best 14 minutes, 35.4 seconds. It was the beginning of a streak of first of four straight 5K championships by Linfield runners, and the performance, third fastest in program history at the time, still ranks No. 4 on Linfield’s Top 10 list.
Moving on to the NAIA District 2 Championships, Giovannetti pulled off a brutal double, topping the field in both the 5K and 10K en route to Male Athlete of the Meet honors.
Through qualifying for the NAIA Championship in both distance races, Giovannetti was only able to compete in the 10,000 meters in Charleston, West Virginia. He placed fifth, earning all-America honors and becoming the first Wildcat in program history to do so in the 10K.
His career-best in the 10,000 meters (30:17.00) broke a two-year-old program record and remains the best performance in program history by more than 10 seconds.
In addition to his athletic successes, Giovannetti was equally strong in the classroom and attained Academic All-America status in both cross country and track while completing requirements for a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
Upon graduating, Giovannetti joined the staff at Ernst & Young and has steadily climbed the leadership ladder in his 30-plus years with the company. He was promoted to partner in 1997, and since 2006 has served as the Global Life Sciences Leader in Boston.
Giovannetti is a certified public accountant in both California and Massachusetts, and has traveled or lived in more than 25 countries, including a three-year stretch at Ernst & Young’s Milan, Italy office. His extensive community outreach includes participation in the Pan-Mass Challenge Bike Ride, benefitting cancer research and treatment, and he has served on the Linfield Board of Trustees since 2013.
He married his college sweetheart, the former Lisa Crouch ’84, in 1985 and the couple has two college-aged sons: Eric and Gregory.
