Did Mary Decker Compete For Her High School / College

She ran for the University of Colorado, Sara Gorton/Slattery just broke her school record in the indoor mile a few years ago, which was again lowered by Sarah Vaughn this past winter.

http://www.cubuffs.com/downloads1/40814.xls?ATCLID=32584&SPSID=4660&SPID=265&DB_OEM_ID=600

just for a year or two if i remember correctly. I think Kenny Moore talks about it in his chapter on decker in his "Best Efforts" book.

She is given credit for competing for Orange High School in 1974 and holding the Orange County high school girls record for the 800, which is 2:02.3. I think that would be her sophmore year.

I think I also read she has the fourth best girls 1600/mile for an Orange County high school girl from the same year.

She still holds the Orange County HS all-time record for 880/800 of 2:02.3 ** Mary Decker (Orange HS) 1974

Mary Slaney graduated from Orange High School (Orange, California) in 1976, I know because I sat right next to her during graduation. She did not compete for the high school but would sometimes come out and watch us and talk to us boys about our workouts and compare our race results with hers. Mary had her own workouts to manage with Denoon (blue angels) and then Ted Devian for a while. If memory serves me right she didn't compete much in 1975 and 1976 due to injury and excruciating shin splints (later diagnosed as compartment syndrome). There was a lot of talk about her "burning out" early, but I remember talking to her when she was recovering from an injury and her desire to run/train was so strong that it was evident to me she would not burn out, Mary just loved to run fast. I wanted to ask her out but she was completed wrapped up with this slightly older guy, Bill Graves.

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1088482/2/index.htm

if memory serves me correctly, she is originally for flemington, nj and would have gone to hunterdon central if she actually stayed here. or course, right down the street is north hunterdon which has has a few good runners themselves, as well as the boy from the original charlie in the chocolate factory, and the late bonnie blakley.

The one and only time I ever beat Mary Decker was at the blue Angels cross country meet in , lets see, either 75 or 76 (the trophy is in the attic somewhere). I actually outkicked her, and I never had a "kick". that compartment syndrome is some nasty stuff. She ended up running much much faster later on. It was fun to watch.

jersey boy wrote:

if memory serves me correctly, she is originally for flemington, nj and would have gone to hunterdon central if she actually stayed here. or course, right down the street is north hunterdon which has has a few good runners themselves, as well as the boy from the original charlie in the chocolate factory, and the late bonnie blakley.

Think it was Bunnvale N.J.. Not too far from Flemington.

Bunnvale is in Lebanon Township, which is part of the Voorhees High School district, so she would have run for Voorhees had she stayed in NJ.

That's where Brad Hudson began his high shool career.

Didn't she win a college xc Nationals for CU when Kathy (sp) Mills went off course?

Mary decker was during the years 1971-1972 runninbg for Long Beach Comets because I was in the sam club. Her coach was Don Denoon.

Elisabeth from Sweden

Mary was runnng elite meets when she was 14.

I was on the Blue Angels with her....It did not make sense for her to run High School or College...she was too fast.

I think she may have ran a couple of high school races and realized it was not for her.

She was at Colorado for 2 years..then moved to Eugene.

In college you are asked to run for the school and score points for the school.... Mary did not run to make others look good....she left college to be a runner...

That was a GREAT move.

I fixed your last sentence..

In college you are asked to run for the school and score points for the school.... Mary did not make herselfs look good....she left college to become a cry baby and a doper...

Remember that high school girls track was not part of the state meet until 1975. They started in 74, but full fields and qualifiers were not until 75.

HS Girls track was nothing like it is today which is one reason why the club programs were so popular.

Also, not taking away from German's performances, but this is why Rich Kimball only had an hour between his mile and two mile double, because in 74 it was essentially a boys only meet.

Regardless of her singlet, Mary ran for Mary. She always struck me as self-centered, selfish, and, yes, a cry-baby. She thought the world revolved around her first.

Being an admitted packrat, I still have receipt signed by Mary from Frank Shorter's running store for two posters (one of Ryun & Keino and one of Shorter) that I bought back in the late 70s.

Decker won in '78 while representing CU.

There is a great book called The Silence of Great Distance. It catalogs early competitive distance running with most of its focus on Stephanie Herbst (now a different last time) who attended U of Wisconsin just before Suzy Favor with Peter Tegan as their coach. These chapters are most compelling and great to read if you are a runner in general, especially a female runner, a coach of females, or just interested in the history of the sport.

I bring it up because in the beginning there is a part about Mary Decker that has a lot of information. I think the author takes on a somewhat negative viewpoint of her.

This is a very good history of female distance running at the competitive level.

wow. I knew there was no track for girls at my high school until 75, but I had no ideas that '75 was the very first girl's state meet.

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