To the editor:

In 1969, I began running on our high school’s track. Almost every evening I ran hurdles or the quarter mile. There was no competition for me to participate in because I was a teenage girl. My running happened alone, after our high school track team (only boys) finished on the track.

In 1971, our central Kansas high school finally awarded the girls a track team. We were given the high school boys old, gray warm-ups and an enthusiastic, but clueless, teacher as a track coach. My junior-high-age sister and I pooled our money and bought one pair of track shoes between us. We didn’t care, because finally we got to compete! The high school girls were given the opportunity to function as a team, and we learned to give our all when we thought we had nothing left to give.

When I heard the news that our Kansas University women had won the NCAA Championship, I was flooded with emotion and, for a moment, felt like I was rounding the final curve in the 400 meters. I am so very proud of our KU team. Thank you from every Kansas woman who has ever strapped on a pair of track shoes, whether it was in the early years of Title IX or yesterday. You are truly our champions!