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Women's Track and Field By Michael Westemeier, Ripon College Director of Athletics Communications

Ripon's 100 For 100: Lori "Dewi" Oleson-Krug '82

**In conjunction with the Midwest Conference's Centennial Celebration, Ripon College has selected 100 Ripon student-athletes from the last 100 years in the MWC. This will be a regular feature with 2-3 new athletes revealed per week. This is in no way meant to be a ranking, rather a celebration of Ripon's 100 years in the MWC.**

RIPON, Wis. - Lori "Dewi" Oleson-Krug '82 is the Ripon track & field team's first-ever National Qualifier, and also the school's first female All-American. She was inducted into Ripon's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992, the first year she was eligible.

"It was always a pleasure to watch Dewi run. She had great natural form and was very smooth, which made her seem to glide effortlessly around the track," Legendary Ripon track & field coach Elaine Coll said. "The Ingalls Field track at that time was made of cinder, which made practices tough, but Dewi worked hard and became an outstanding competitor on any surface."

Oleson-Krug left a mark on Ripon athletics that can still be seen today, setting outdoor school records in the 800 and 1500 meters, both of which still stand today, 39 years after her graduation. A standout in track & field from the day she stepped on campus, Oleson-Krug won conference championships as a freshman and sophomore. She finished her career with three conference titles in the one-half mile and mile runs as well as the mile relay event.

"Dewi was a crucial part of the mile relay team. She ran the anchor leg for us, and even if things looked hopeless when she got the baton, no one on the team had much doubt that she'd make up ground and hit the tape first," Coll said. "I always thought the opponents knew she would hit the tape first also."

On a larger scale, Oleson-Krug qualified for Nationals in 1981 at the Division-III Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) in both the 800 and 1500 meters. She finished that meet placing seventh in the 800 and fifth in the 1500, which earned her All-American honors.

"Watching Dewi run was inspiring, and she caught the fancy of everyone who watched her," Coll said. "At the time, the AIAW didn't pay for travel to championships, and support for her was not possible given our budget, so when she qualified for nationals, (legendary Ripon men's basketball coach) Doc Weiske '50 and local dentist and Ripon's play-by-play announcer Jack Arnold, donated the money needed to send her to Nationals in California, which resulted in her becoming Ripon's first female All-American."


CLICK HERE to view and read all of Ripon's archived '100 For 100' profiles, which will have each profile added to it once it is posted online.
 
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