COLUMBIA, Mo. — Mizzou Athletics mourns the passing of Dan Lavitt, one of the most accomplished student-athletes in Missouri track and field history and a 2000 inductee into the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. Lavitt, 67, passed away Sunday.

A native of Raytown, Missouri, Lavitt starred for the Tigers from 1977-80, establishing himself as one of the nation's premier hurdlers. He captured four Big Eight Conference individual championships and earned four All-America honors across three events during his distinguished career.

Lavitt played a pivotal role in Missouri's 1979 Big Eight Indoor Championship, helping the Tigers capture their first indoor conference title since 1965.  In 1980, Lavitt set the Missouri school record in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 13.53 seconds. The mark was the fastest collegiate time in the nation that year, surpassing even the time of legendary hurdler Renaldo Nehemiah.

Lavitt also helped establish another enduring Mizzou standard as a member of the Tigers' 1,600-meter sprint medley relay team that set a world record of 3:12.5 in 1979. Lavitt's highest NCAA finish came in 1980, when he placed third in the indoor 60-yard high hurdles.

His remarkable career earned him induction into the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000, recognizing his lasting impact on Mizzou track and field. Lavitt, for years a dentist in the Central Missouri area, remained a member of the Columbia community following his collegiate career.