Dawn Harper, who won six state championships while at East St. Louis Senior High, made her hometown proud when she earned a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team in Beijing China.
The phone was ringing of the hook after she earned her place at the recent Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. I phoned Mr. Stanford Scott, who didn’t miss a meet while Harper was at East Side and I could hear the cheers for the former UCLA All American through the phone as he answered it.
His wife Barbara and others were so proud of the East St. Louis heroine. “I’m so proud of this young lady,” said the joyful Scott. “She has earned everything she’s getting. Another East St Louisan is going to the Olympic Games.”
Of course, the great Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and her brother Al Joyner set the Olympic tone in East Boogie in the 1980’s and 90’s with their gold-medal winning performances.
Harper earned her spot on the 2008 team by placing 3rd in the 100-meter high hurdles with a time of 12.62, nipping Nichole Denby by 0.008 of a second. Lolo Jones won the event with a time of 12.29, which was her fastest time ever. Although wind-aided, Jones almost could have leaped to Beijing if she had run and jumped any faster. She was that good on Sunday!
But for Harper, her family, friends, longtime supporters, future track & field Hall of Fame coach Nino Fennoy, and countless others over the last week have spoke with joy regarding Harper’s feat in Eugene.
Notwithstanding her accomplishments both on and off the track since leaving East St. Louis Sr. and becoming an All- American at UCLA.
As her arms went flying across the finish line on the campus of the University of Oregon and Dawn had realized that her dream had indeed had come true. She stood in her lane and thought of all the hard work from middle school until her last practice and race for UCLA.
And realizing that she had defied the odds like a lot of great athletes have done coming from East St. Louis. It didn’t matter if she only won by 0.008 like a local columnist wrote. It didn’t matter that the difference between third and fifth place was less than a second.
It didn’t matter that no one noticed who she was in Eugene Oregon that week. Because if you really KNOW Dawn Harper, her family, and the way she was raised, she wouldn’t want to be NOTICED.
But one thing for sure, you and the world will get to know her while she’s doing her thing in Beijing! East St. Louis people are always underdogs. Don’t be surprised if this East St. Louis young lady leaves Beijing with a medal either!
Scott’s Notes
All is quiet on the ‘Slick” Rick Majerus front this summer. I promised my ‘Slick Rick” Report card for the 2008 season so here it is better late than not at all:
? Coaching – In all my criticism of “Slick Rick,” I have never said he couldn’t coach. In fact, I defended him in the hood on that one. BUT, some nights in the A-10 last season, ‘Slick Rick’ got out coached, and didn’t allow his best players to PLAY. Often making points to players and fans, which is good sometimes. I guess. Grade: C.
? Public Relations- Although “Slick Rick” hasn’t visited the ghetto yet like “Brad Lost in Space” Soderberg would from time to time, and let’s see, coach radio shows were …Let’s just say The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.
Wonder who will sit with Bob Ramsey and Earl Austin Jr. since assistant coaches Paul Biancardi and Angres Thorpe are gone? Anyway, Coach always gave me access to his locker room to talk with players after games. Wish I could have come to a practice some time. I forgot my name doesn’t end with a vowel. Since there has been no known appearance in the hood yet. Grade: F.
? Supporting the players publicly: Lets not rehash this one. Hopefully he will admit at least to himself that the “618 Boys,” Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch, are indeed pretty good players. It will be interesting how “Slick Rick” deals with freshman phenom Ruben Cotto (Alton) and his support group from the 618. Grade:F-.
Again, Coach is a good coach, but I’m not apologizing for the things he said last year about those kids because he didn’t recruit them. In addition, he sure as hell didn’t light up the A-10 with a roster that Brad “Lost in Space” Soderberg won 20 games with the season before. And it wasn’t pretty either not letting his best players Lisch and Liddell not play on some nights, benching players for making mistakes.
I hope we all learn from last year. See you in the fall.
? The East St. Louis Flyers football program left yesterday to attend the prestigious NIKE Team Camp at NIKE Headquarters in Oregon.
? East St. Louis Flyers’ star pitcher Antione Hendricks participated in the Double Duty Classic @ U S Cellular Field in Chicago, IL. Hendricks a fireballing senior to be played very well according to representatives I spoke with from Vanderbilt, Missouri State, Clemson, among others speaking about Hendricks’ unlimited ability.