Liz Pellegrini ’16
Year: Class of 2025
Team: Women's Track & Field
Liz Pellegrini was the very first women's All- America on the track. She set the standard for the WPI sprint program for years to come, competing at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships on three occasions from 2014-16 in seven total events, culminating in an All-America honor as the runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles, in what still remains a school record.
“Liz was THE key piece to our success as a women’s program in the mid-2010’s,” said head coach Brian Chabot. “She factored into everything we did, whether it was the points (normally first-place) she would contribute in the hurdle events or being the fastest/most consistent leg on our national-level relay teams, Liz did it all for our team. She was a fierce competitor who helped raise the level of her teammates, and who continued to push the women’s program to greater heights.”
In addition to the 400-meter hurdles, Pellegrini owns school records in three different relay events, the 4x200m, 4x400m and 4x100m. She was the NEWMAC Track Athlete of the Year in 2016 and was the NEWMAC champion in the 400 hurdles and twice in the 100 hurdles.
“Liz is the kind of person that gives 100% of herself in everything she does, and when paired with her natural talent, she became a true force on the track,” said former teammate Alex Price ‘16. “Better yet, her humility, passion, and relentless drive to be the best were contagious and inspired those around her to raise their game. She played a huge part in leading the team to new heights, leaving a lasting mark on the WPI Track and Field Program.”
Pellegrini won the WPI Patricia Graham Award as the University’s top woman athlete in the junior class. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-America selection and a member of the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference team.
Liz currently resides in Watertown, Massachusetts, with her fiance and two cats, Kaida and Jiji. After a few years at Philips in the medical device industry, she went back to complete her Masters in Product Design & Manufacture at Boston University while working as a product developer for running footwear at Reebok. After graduating in 2021, she joined SharkNinja where she has been developing product and leading teams for the past four years, including a six-month tour of duty where she got to live and work in London last year. While she was there, she went to the Paris Olympics and watched Sydney McLaughlin break the world record and win gold in the 400m hurdles.
She has stayed very passionate and involved in athletics. She helped out at WPI as a volunteer assistant for a year after graduating. She ran on Boston North Track Club for four years, competing in the hurdles at meets all the way from Boston to Atlanta to LA. More recently, she has transitioned to distance running and cycling, joining Cambridge Running Club and competing in two half marathons.
