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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Former Lions
All-American To Be Inducted Into Track Coaches Hall of Fame Steddum, a graduate of the social sciences program at Missouri Southern, will be the first athlete from MSSU to earn the coaches association's highest honor. Already a member of the Southern Hall of Fame (2004), Steddum sees this honor as special as it is one that her peers bestow upon her. "This one is like the icing on the cake," Steddum said. "It is an honor to be in the Southern Hall of Fame, but this award is voted on by the coaches throughout the country. Its very meaningful to know that not just your coach, but the majority of coaches out there, think you are worthy of this award. It’s like if your peers elect you for something. This feels like I’m getting the special recognition from my fellow coaches and athletes." A 14-time All-American, Steddum is the school record holder in the outdoor triple jump (42-05.50), the indoor triple jump (40-07.00) as well as the outdoor long jump (20-00.50) and the indoor long jump (19-00.75). She won the national championship in the outdoor triple jump in 1994 and took the indoor triple title the next season in 1995. She was also the runner up in the outdoor triple and long jump in 1995. Steddum was the 1995 E.O. & Virginia Humphrey award winner which is given annually to the Missouri Southern outstanding athlete that best exemplifies the qualities of having the highest respect for Missouri Southern, outstanding athletic ability, outstanding leadership and respect for fellow teammates and students. She'll remember her time at Southern as one of helping to build a young program into the one of dominance it is today. "My biggest memory that I have or most sentimental feeling is coming into the track program when it was fairly young and new and in the developmental stages," she said. "We didn’t have a lot of scholarships and didn’t have a lot of experience. Coach (Tom) Rutledge had a vision to build the program and being a part of that dream is certainly special and was a great thing to be a part of. Just to know that I was part of the beginnings of what has become a top tier nationally recognized program, I couldn’t be more proud of the University and the coaches and the athletes for what they’ve accomplished." Rutledge had a special relationship with Steddum that went far past the track as he considers her a member of his own family. "As much time as I've spent with her, I feel like I raised her," he said. "When she finished school, she lived with my family for a few years. Naturally it’s like any other person feels with their own son or daughter. She’s very close to our family and still is. We talk every week. I’m always proud to have someone like that associated with me. The accomplishments that she’s had are numerous. Track and field has taken her all over the field and she made me look awful good many times." A 2000 and 2004 qualifier for the United States Olympic Trials, Steddum has a personal best triple jump mark of 45-06.00 and still owns the Fred G. Hughes Stadium record for the long jump that she set in 2000 with a jump of 21-01.25. She was a three-time MIAA Track Meet high point scorer, which goes to the athlete that scores the most points for their respective teams each championship meet. "Her accomplishments speak for themselves" Rutledge said. "She’s been a national champ and an invitee to the US Olympic Trials. She’s one of the better, if not the best female athlete that’s come through Missouri Southern. She got paid to do what she loved to do for a long time. She always lights up the room when she walks in. She doesn’t know a stranger. When you meet her you feel like you’ve known her all your life. She’s as close to me as anyone in my family." Women's head coach Patty Vavra coached Steddum in her senior campaign. "It was great to walk in and have such a great athlete my first year," Vavra said. "It’s always a nice reflection on your school when an athlete gets this type of recognition. It’s so deserving. She’s had so many milestones. This is an obvious honor that she's certainly deserving of. She helped set the groundwork for the future success we have had. Any time you have that type of caliber of athlete it helps in the recruiting process and it really reflects well on Missouri Southern." Steddum retired from the track scene in 2005 and currently works as a logistics supervisor in the supply chain of the lubricants division of Shell Oil in Houston, Texas. She said the preparation that she learned while a student-athlete at Missouri Southern readied her for not only international competition, but for life in general. "If you want to compete on the international level, talent alone is not enough," she said. "Discipline, coaching, and work ethic are essential in that success. Both Tom (Rutledge) and Patty (Vavra) were an integral part of that preparation. When you’re done with school and you continue on with your life, you carry on that character you gained from your experience as a student-athlete." |