Tributes have been paid to the former Irish 1,500 metres champion and 1988 Seoul Olympian Gerry O’Reilly who has died in the US at the age of 61.A native of Dunboyne in Co Meath, O’Reilly was a standout junior runner in Ireland, before in 1983 he took up a scholarship at Villanova University just outside Philadelphia, following in the footsteps of Ronnie Delany and Eamonn Coghlan.O’Reilly had since settled in the Chester Springs area of Pennsylvania, where he suffered a cardiac incident and died on Thursday.His running career blossomed at Villanova and he was twice runner-up at the NCAA 3,000m championships. He also contributed to multiple Villanova victories at the Penn Relays along with his contemporary Marcus O’Sullivan. In 2009, he was inducted into the Villanova Track and Field Hall of Fame.O’Reilly clocked seven sub-four-minute miles in all, including a personal best of 3:54.63 set during his junior year at the university. At the time, it was one of the fastest miles clocked in US collegiate history.He qualified for the 1,500m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and despite running a personal best in his heat, narrowly missed out on the semi-finals. He also competed in the 1987 World Athletics Championships in Rome and the 1989 World Indoor Championships in Budapest over 3,000m.Sonia O’Sullivan first met O’Reilly when visiting Villanova in April 1987, before starting out on her own successful career there that August.She said: “Gerry was one of the athletes on the overlap for me between Villanova and running on the European tour and Irish teams in the early days.” O’Sullivan said he was “one of the people that made me feel welcome – always looked out for the next generation coming through".Gerry O'Reilly took up a scholarship to Villanova University in the US in 1983 She added: “He was always so kind and helpful, and we ran a lot together around Villanova when he was also trying to qualify for the 1992 Olympics.”O’Reilly won the Irish 1,500m title in Santry in 1989 and later put his economics degree from Villanova to good use, taking up a role at the Vanguard Group where he became principal portfolio manager of one of the world’s largest mutual funds.John Treacy, the Olympic marathon silver medal winner in Los Angeles in 1984 and teammate of O’Reilly in Seoul four years later, said: “Gerry was a smashing runner and just the nicest guy, great for staying in contact and communicating with other Irish runners over the years.”Athletics Ireland said: “Gerry was a gifted middle-distance runner and went on to earn a track scholarship to Villanova University in 1983 where he excelled both academically and athletically.“Last year Gerry returned to the track in Dunboyne for the unveiling of a commemorative plaque honouring his remarkable contribution to the sport. Our thoughts are with Gerry’s family, friends, teammates, coaches and the entire athletics community. May he rest in peace.”