UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, April 4, 1996
3B
PROFILE
Runner overcomes health hurdle
Former state champion defeats illness to guide team with determination
When Doug Hedrick, a doctoral student in the sports psychology program, speaks to high school athletes he often tells the triumphant story of Kansas senior hurdler Dawn Steele-Slavens.
By Adam Herschman Kansan sportswriter
Steele-Slavens came to Kansas with an impressive high school record that included eight state championships in track—four in the 300-meter hurdles, two in the 200-meter hurdles and two in the 100-meter hurdles.
In spring 1993 Steele-Slavens won the Big Eight Conference outdoor 400-meter hurdles as a redshirt freshman.
But the following year, during the first indoor meet of the fall season, Steele-Slavens went to the hospital after complaining of stomach pains. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.
Five days later and 10 pounds thinner, Steele-Slavens was released from the hospital. Kansas' record holder in the 400-meter hurdles faced a long road back.
"I was actually in the hospital on our first indoor track meet. I was really depressed and sad because I really wanted to be there to run," Steele-Slavens said. "There were times I would cry about it. Last season I had such a good year, and then all of a sudden it was all taken away from me."
Charles Yockey, chief of staff at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said that ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease of unknown causes, is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by ulceration of the colon and rectum.
Yockey said anti-inflammatory medicines were used to control the disease.
Hedrick, assistant track and field coach, said that when Steele-Slavens came back to start training, she was so tired her first workout was brief.
"We literally started off just walking around the indoor track," Hedrick said. "She was pretty down and devastated because there was a lot of pressure on somebody that won as a freshman to repeat."
Steele-Slavens had to redshirt the indoor season, and when the outdoor season began, she still was not in condition to compete.
Hedrick told Steele-Slavens to focus on long-term goals. She wanted to be ready by the Big-Eight outdoor championship to defend her title.
Steele-Slavens competed in a couple of outdoor meets before going to the outdoor championship.
At the Big Eight outdoor meet, she was in the finals. She and another competitor vied for the lead up to the ninth hurdle, and she just ran out of gas, placing second. Hedrick said.
Hedrick said Steele-Slavens' story was one example of someone who could achieve confidence and success by staying focused and determined.
"It was such a great performance from where she had come from to battle all the way back and get second," Hedrick said. "The amazing thing was that she was sick and started from ground zero in January, and by May she just kept on focusing in on what she had to do."
Last season, Steele-Slavens finished second again in the 400-meter hurdles at the conference championship and broke her school record with a time of 58.38, which provisionally qualified her for the Olympic trials.
Tyler Wirken / KANBAN
Steele-Slavens is the only member of the Kansas track and field team who is married. She dated Scott Slavens for five years before they married almost two years ago.
steele-Slavens said that the toughest
Steele-Slavens said that the toughest challenge between being married, attending school and running track was when she had to juggle those priorities around the traveling schedule during the spring season.
"We travel a lot," Steele-Slavens said. "We're gone almost every week of the second semester. But my husband understands."
Kansas sophomore Michael Weber said that even though Steele-Slavens is 24 and married, she still is easy to relate to.
"I think she's just really an overall good person and hard worker," Weber said. "She's so down to earth. She's just a good leader. I look up to her.
"She makes us want to work harder, because we see how good she is."
Kansas senior hurder Dawn Steele-Slavens will compete this weekend in the Texas Relays.
Senior Akilah Rounds said she was looking forward to running with Steele-Slavens because she had heard so much about her.
"When it comes time to run, she's really dedicated," Rounds said. "She's a motivator too, so she keeps us all going, and because she's good, we all want to try to emulate her. We're graduating this year so I'm really going to miss her."
This weekend the Jayhawks will be competing at the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas.
Steele-Slavens said it was one of the toughest meets of the year because many Olympians compete.
"It's an exciting meet, so I'm hoping I can do really well down there," she said.
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