Before I wrecked in 1991,
and joined the TBI (traumatic brain injury) club, I was an active, married
mother of two great kids. One was a new toddler, and one just entering
school. Before that I was a wife, new mother and homemaker.
And even before that, I
was a college athlete, competing at the University of Oregon. But before
becoming a Duck, I only knew that it was some sort Track Capital.
Somehow, I was sent a list
of the times high
school athletes needed to run, in order to be considered for a scholarship at
that school. That Track
Capital, the University in Oregon.
Looking at the times in the events I ran, I said, Nope, I can’t run that fast. And, at that time, I wasn't even aware the
hurdles were higher, and further apart. I mentally took the U of O off my
list. But next thing I knew was I was in
a car, heading to Salem, and then Eugene, Oregon. My brother was checking
out housing in Salem, as he was going to attend Willamette Law School. And, my
dad had arranged a try out, of sorts, down the road in Eugene, at the U of O.
My dad had called Tom, the
Duck’s head women’s coach and simply told him I was very good, and that we
would come to Eugene so they could see for themselves.
Once there, I remember
running Pre’s trail over the river to the football stadium, in new, jazzy
colored Nikes, and back to our hotel. I
remember being taped (reel to reel) by the head coach Tom, as the hurdle coach
Mark looked on. It was then I learned the
hurdles were higher and further apart, but I did my best. I was told I’d also be running the 400
hurdles. Was I up for it? The coaches asked.
I guess if that’s what it’d take
to be a Duck, I am. I replied.
Well, you all know I went
to Oregon. At 1st, just on a
partial scholarship, but at the end of my freshman year they made it a full ride.
I finished in 1983, after I ran some record times, scored some
points for the team, got married, and underwent knee surgery. I continued to run the next year for Coast
Athletics in Long Beach, CA. I finished course work for my BBA degree at Cal St Northridge (my degree was awarded from Oregon) and prepared for the ’84 Olympic
Trials. I didn’t make the team, and retired
from track. Continuing to run, for the sake of fitness, I did several road
races in So Cal. I ran primarily for the
T-shirt you were awarded for finishing, because everyone knows I hated distance!
Years passed, and
occasionally my husband would say, You
should be in the Hall of Fame at Oregon!
I didn’t think a lot about it, and many years passed. I divorced, and
moved back to my home town where I began coaching. In the beginning it was only Cross Country
(remember the road racing I did?) and then girls’ basketball, and finally,
track, specifically hurdles. At one
point I received an e-mail from Tom’s wife, Janet. She said she was updating my Hall of Fame
application for Tom, and wanted to know what was happening in my life. So there was a brief time I thought, Maybe I’d get in. More years passed and it didn't cross my mind again,
until I got a call this May.
My daughter Rachel and her
boyfriend Joe were visiting, and my new
husband Dan, and I had planned a trip to Glacier Park for them. We were heading
out the door, when my cell phone rang.
It was the Duck’s Athletic Director, and my 1st thought was, Crap, they’re going to ask for money, and I
don’t have any to give. After introducing himself, he said it was long overdue,
but they were inducting me into the hall of fame in September.
Then I remembered the day
before. I had driven by my high school
track, where my picture is on the wall with other hall of fame members. My thoughts had gone like this: Oh,
that’s cool, but it’s really just a high school in a small Montana town. Maybe
it’s not all that cool.
I’m hoping for a new pair of jazzy colored Nikes.
