Historical February 1980 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Every day, thousands of people take to the streets, parks, and dirt paths to go running or jogging. Minds wander from the actual path —some think of their schedule of things to do; others take in the scenery, wary of automobile traffic; many, if not most, imagine running before a wildly-cheering crowd, striving for victory, dreaming of the Olympics: the next Jesse Owens or Wilma Rudolph or. Bruce Jenner. For most people, such thoughts are merely dreams, never to be attained. For at least one runner in our neighborhood, that dream will most likely become a reality.
Karen Hawkins is the name of that runner. Remember it —
Karen Hawkins. You will be hearing a lot about her when the Olympics take place this summer in Moscow. Barring any injury or upset. Karen will be there —and you will be able to see her on your television screen.
Karen has been running for quite some time now; she competed in tournaments while a student at Hamilton School and later gained a lot of attention while running for Sumner High School. While at Sumner, Karen set a state record in the 100 meter sprint as her team won the state championship. Currently she is attending Texas Southern University in Houston on a full scholarship and is ranked fourth in the 100 meter dash among American women.
This remarkably talented runner is the daughter of Laura and Roosevelt Hawkins, who live in the 5900 block of Pershing:
Karen has three brothers and three sisters. Two of those sisters, Gail and Lynne. are both establishing themselves as top sprinters at Sumner. Gail, a senior, ran with Sumner when they captured the state crown again last year: she hopes to receive a college scholarship after this season. Lynne, a junior, will be running with the varsity team this year as Sumner tries to defend its championship.
In this her first attempt at making the Olympic team, it is Karen who stands in the spotlight at the present time. Her credentials appear quite strong after participation in several international meets – in Puerto Rico. Moscow, Montreal, and France. She went to Puerto Rico to take part in the 1979 Pan American games. Karen won a gold medal as one of the four runners on the winning 400 meter relay team. (Each runner runs 100 meters.)
In August she went with the American team to Moscow for the Spartakiade, a sort-of test run of the Olympics, particularly true this year since the track events were held in the same stadium which the 1980 Olympics will be run. Karen shone in Moscow, winning two silver medals for her second place finishes in the 100 meter and 200 meter sprints. Her recorded times were the 8th and 10th best (in 100 meters and 200 meters respectively) ever recorded by an American woman; and she accomplished the feat before 103,000 spectators.
None of these accomplishments. though, is enough to be on the Olympic team. Every Olympic runner must first run in an Olympic-qualifying meet, to be held this June in Eugene, Oregon. Based on her past performances,
Karen has already been invited to run in these Olympic trials. If she runs as well as she has been doing lately, Karen will more than likely make the Olympic team and run in the 1980 Olympics in August.
The entire Hawkins family will be watching Karen run on television. Even though Mrs. Hawkins would love to be in the stadium to cheer her daughter in person, she explained that not only are the transportation costs prohibitively high, but “all the hotels in Moscow are booked solid you couldn’t possibly get a room reservation now.” The Hawkins family will be viewing the Olympics from Pershing Street, but their hearts and thoughts will almost certainly be in Moscow, as will the thoughts of every person who has dreamed of being an Olympian. For
Karen Hawkins that dream is about to become real.
Originally published in The Paper, February 1980.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1980_02.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
