GOLDSBORO — Lee Vernon McNeill, a St. Pauls native who starred in track and field at East Carolina before reaching the 1988 Olympic Games, will be inducted into the George Whitfield Hal of Fame early next year.

The induction will be held Jan. 10, 2025 in Goldsboro.

The George Whitfield Hall of Fame was established by former ECU baseball coach George Whitfield and has recognized prominent sports figures in the state of North Carolina for over 50 years.

McNeill was part of Team USA’s 4×100 relay team at the Seoul Summer Olympics in 1988. He was also part of a gold-medal-winning relay team at the 1987 World Championships in Rome alongside Pembroke native Lee McRae, Carl Lewis and Harvey Glance.

McNeill beat the legendary Lewis head-to-head in 1985 at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in the 100-meter dash, finishing second overall.

At ECU, McNeill was a five-time All-American and his 100-meter dash school record of 10.09 still stands nearly four decades later.

McNeill also won NCHSAA state championships at St. Pauls High School in both the 100- and 200-meter dash in 1984.

He was inducted into the Robeson County Hall of Fame in 2010. His family is “working to assure” he will be inducted into the ECU Hall of Fame and possibly the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

McNeill died in 2021 at age 56.