University of Minnesota Athletics
Olympian Shani Marks Part of Tucker Center Series
10/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
The University of Minnesota's Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport has announced its Fall 2008 Distinguished Lecture Series will take place on Wednesday, October 22, featuring Minnesota track & field Olympians: Janis Klecker, Carrie Tollefson and Shani Marks. The lecture, titled "Minnesota Female Olympians: Stories, Experiences & Inspirations", and moderated by U of M Professor Doug Hartmann, will be held at the Hubert H. Humphrey Center on the West Bank Campus from 7-9:00 pm.
In the wake of the Beijing Olympics, we are proud to honor and celebrate this elite group of Minnesota's finest female athletes. The purpose of this series is to explore the most important issues related to girls' and women's involvement in sport and physical activity. We have invited the best and the brightest from around the globe to share their insights, knowledge and experience.
The performances of Olympic athletes inspire and captivate our imaginations. However, the Olympics are not only about medal counts and wins and losses. They occur within a complex set of issues related to gender, class, race and nationalism. To provide context for this complexity, along with acknowledging the accomplishments of our distinguished sportswomen, Professor Hartmann will critique the Olympics in general and the Beijing Olympics in particular. He will share his own experiences of his travels to China followed by a discussion with our featured panelists where we'll learn about their life stories and inspirations.
Janis Klecker competed in the 1992 Olympic marathon in Barcelona, Spain -- the same year she won the Olympic Trials. A native of Edina, and an alumnae of the U of M, Klecker is a five-time qualifier for the Olympic Trials, a Twin Cities Marathon champion and winner of countless other races. Such outstanding achievements have earned her a place in the U.S. Track & Field Minnesota Hall of Fame. Currently, Klecker holds the women's world record for the 50K, a record she has held for over 25 years.
Carrie Tollefson began her career as a distance runner while growing up in Dawson, Minnesota. She was a 13-time Minnesota State High-school Champion in both cross country and track & field. However, her unprecedented achievements were just beginning. At Villanova, Tollefson continued her winning ways becoming a five-time NCAA Champion and 12-time All-American. During her post-collegiate career, she has won a national championship in both cross county and indoor track. In the 2004 Olympics, Tollefson competed in the 1500m race after winning the Olympic Trials.
Shani Marks, a native of Apple Valley, was a three-time All-American triple jumper and NCAA runner-up while competing for the U of M. Marks is also a two-time defending national champion in the indoor and outdoor triple jump, the current Olympic Trials champion, and just represented the United States in the triple jump at the Beijing Olympics. Marks is currently in her fourth season as a volunteer track and field coach for the U of M.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
(Release courtesy of the Tucker Center)
