Biography

O'Brien was a multi-event performer at Holy Cross, excelling in the high and low hurdles, the high jump and the triple jump.  As a sophomore in 1963, in the IC4A Tournament at Madison Square Garden, he reached the quarterfinals in the high hurdles and then went on to clear 6’8” in the high jump, setting a new school record and becoming the first Crusader to win this event. In a meet with the University of Connecticut, O’Brien was the star performer. He won the high jump, took another first in the broad jump, and earned still another win in the 60-yard high hurdles. He finished the night with a second in the low hurdles and 18 points for the Cross. At Orono, Maine later that season, the Cross won the New England Championships with O'Brien again playing a key role with 11 points, scoring in all four of his events, including a win in the high hurdles.

In his junior year, O'Brien was the star in meets against Massachusetts, Brown and Dartmouth, and that season he set the all time record for points in one season (106). As a senior, he often performed exceptionally well, winning five events in dual meets on three separate occasions (versus Dartmouth, Springfield, and Massachusetts, respectively). He went on to win in the high hurdle event as the Crusaders again captured the New England championship (held a Brown Stadium). Kevin finished his career as a four-time New England champion and held several Holy Cross records upon graduating.