Hall of Fame

On Friday, Bill and I, along with our middle daughter, Meagan, and her husband, Andy, made a whirlwind, overnight trip to Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, where Meagan was honored by her induction into the Sports Hall of Fame. (The kids stayed with Grandma Deb and Grandpa Stan, which was an adventure in itself.)

When Meagan was first notified of her selection a couple of months ago, she didn't want to go. I wasn't surprised that she was being honored in this way, nor was I shocked when she said she would rather stay home. 

Meagan was a member of eight GPAC championship teams, and a seven-time NAIA All American, winning six individual Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) pole vault titles. In 2008, she won the NAIA national outdoor championship. She was also a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American and NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Until February of this year, Meagan held the school record for indoor pole vault (3.96 meters/12 feet 11.75 inches) and is still tied for the top spot for the outdoor pole vault (4.0 meters/13 feet 1.5 inches).

Bill and I were proud of her accomplishments then, and we are still proud of her today.

Meagan didn't have to tell me her reasons for wanting to skip the festivities in Crete. I am well-aware that she doesn't like to be the center of attention. Neither was she comfortable taking all six of her children on a quick 800-mile round trip, or having them go along to the banquet, where they would have been both bored and excited, and she would have been too busy overseeing their activities to really enjoy the event. And she certainly didn't want to leave them overnight, even with loving grandparents who always do their best to keep the kids happy. In addition, I knew she would agonize over what to wear, and the thought of writing and giving a five-minute speech was a little daunting, although she is quite capable. 

She didn't really have a choice, though, because Bill and Andy both insisted that Meagan needed to accept the honor she so greatly deserved. In the weeks leading up to the banquet, she was more than a little crabby about it, nonetheless. 

However, she finally found a dress and wrote her speech--Andy, her resident English teacher, looked it over, finding nothing that needed further attention. She presented the speech flawlessly when the time came, and when all was said and done, the food was wonderful, the stories of the other five inductees were inspiring, and Meagan was thrilled to spend time catching up with some old college friends, teachers, and coaches. 

Meagan's college friends, Wes and Nikki, came to help her celebrate.

Coach Ed Fye, on the left, and Dr. Johnson, Meagan's math instructor and advisor, enjoyed their time with Meagan.

A large group gathered around Meagan to catch up after the banquet.

The next morning, we walked all over campus, spending some more time with Meagan's former coaches, and touring some of the new facilities. We got to meet Kaylee, the girl who broke Meagan's long-standing indoor record, and who is poised to break her outdoor record, as well. Coach Ed Fye pointed out that both vaulters are blond and quiet; Meagan majored in math, while Kaylee is studying accounting. It seems as though top female pole vaulters, at least at Doane, have a definite type.

Kaylee and Meagan pointed to their shared outdoor pole vault record.

In case you're wondering, Meagan hasn't pole vaulted much in recent years because she has been busy raising her family. But, as she stated during her speech, she will have plenty of time to pole vault in the future, if she chooses to follow in her dad's footsteps. Bill didn't take up vaulting until after Meagan had graduated from college, but he is still vaulting at the age of 70.

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31