My Words: A Badger Through and Through

My relationship with Wisconsin Athletics began in the fall of 1980 when I started my freshman year at the UW. Being a Badger was somewhat of a family tradition as one brother and two sisters had attended Wisconsin. 

I was the only one who would become a student-athlete, walking on to the women’s track and field team. In high school, I won a state championship in the shot put as a junior and finished second as a senior. 

Surprisingly I was also a sprinter, qualifying for the state meet as a senior in the 4x100-meter relay, finishing seventh.

As an athlete, I scored in four Big Ten Championships, primarily in the shot put but I also scored in the discus after setting the school record in the event twice during my career. 

My personal best at the time (1984) was 158 feet, 5 inches, a mark which no longer ranks in the top 10 of the UW all-time list! That just shows you how much training and coaching has improved over the years.

As a team, my Badgers won six of eight Big Ten indoor and outdoor championships behind extraordinary head coach Peter Tegen. 

Peter was and still is an amazing influence in my life. After my track career, I had the chance to work with his cross country and track teams as a member of the sports information staff. His zest for life as well as his sometimes unbelievable stories are something I will never forget and have inspired me to go out and explore. Peter is also an incredible musician, making him a true renaissance man. 

In the throws, I was coached by Loren Seagrave for two years and Wisconsin All-American Jeff Braun for two years. As a freshman, I thought everyone threw as far as Jeff! Little did I know what a special athlete he was as well as an outstanding coach. 

Both the men’s and women’s throwing corps changed a lot during my career. 

In my first season, I was sometimes the only thrower competing at meets while by my senior season, we had one of the strongest throwing squads in the Big Ten. 

We had an amazing group of both female and male athletes that became my throwing family, sharing hours of training and lifting as well as memorable road trips, group dinners and nights out. Two honors that stood out for me were winning the Most Improved Award as a sophomore and being named a team captain as a senior.  

As a journalism major, I was hoping to become a newspaper reporter but fate would step in during a chance meeting in a parking lot outside of Camp Randall Stadium. After my four seasons in track, I needed an extra semester to finish school so I contacted Tam Flarup, who was then the director of women’s sports information, to gain some work experience. Even though I would only be able to work in the office for a few months, Tam gave me a chance to gain the experience I needed but also start me on a different career. 

After my graduation in December, I didn’t have another job lined up so Tam asked me if I could continue to work in the office during the spring of 1985. That started a two-year internship within the department and a memorable nearly 40-year career in sports information or athletic brand communications as it’s called now. 

Tam was an incredible mentor, teaching me the profession but also introducing me to members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (now College Sports Communicators) Hall of Fame, organization leaders and fellow SIDs (Sports Information Directors). 

But more importantly she taught me how to stand out as a woman in a profession that is (still) male dominated. 

I remember meetings at the organization’s national convention where a pioneering group of women got together to establish ways to support women in the profession. Nothing like being a bit of a rebel – a trait I carried over to my career in supporting my teams, coaches and athletes. 

Even doing radio broadcasts for volleyball has become part of my duties. With such a wide variety of responsibilities, it’s hard to explain to your family and friends accurately what you do, and I’m sure our coaches, athletes and other athletic staff don’t know exactly what we do! 

There are also difficulties to being employed in athletic communications – working nights and weekends, missing holidays and family events, keeping up with all of the changing trends and somewhat low pay in the field. Some of my biggest challenges have been finding the time to assist all of my sports especially as demands have increased. There have been years where I’ve only had two sports but other years where I’ve worked with eight sports. 

That’s not to say that this job hasn’t given me some of the best memories of my life.

I have been to more NCAA championships than I can count. I was a part of the host staff for the 1993 and 1998 NCAA Volleyball Championships in the Field House and Kohl Center, respectively. My teams have won three national titles – 2007 men’s indoor track and field, 2011 men’s cross country and 2021 volleyball, making two trips to the White House – and numerous Big Ten Championships. (My championship jewelry collection is quite impressive!) 

In my 40-plus years as a Badger, I can still remember many of the thousands of coaches, student-athletes and staff that I have worked with whether it was an All-American or national champion, or someone who rarely competed. I have also traveled to nearly all 50 states and visited several foreign countries during my career. 

A few of my favorite athletes were Chris Solinsky, who had the shoulders of a football player, but won five NCAA championships in the distance events, and Dana Rettke, who handled becoming one of the faces of Badger volleyball with ease. 

With the exception of three years working at UW-Milwaukee, I have spent nearly my entire career at Wisconsin. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work for my alma mater, supporting all of the Badgers. It doesn’t get much better than that! 

Over the course of my career, one goal has always been foremost – do what you can to support the UW teams, student-athletes, coaches and staff, giving them the best experience they can have while at Wisconsin. I hope that my work has made an impact on their lives as much as they’ve made an impact on mine. 

I look forward to the next stage of my life. Whether its volunteering, traveling or attending Wisconsin events as a fan, I will always be a Badger. 

Once a Badger, Always a Badger! 

Did you enjoy reading this? Read more My Words stories from the Badgers here.