Although Paula Hageman Dingle '93 didn't begin her college career at Ripon College, she ended it as one of the greatest track & field standouts in Ripon history. A transfer from fellow Midwest Conference school Monmouth College, Dingle was a National qualifier for the Fighting Scots before transferring prior to her junior year, qualifying for Nationals three more times during her two years at Ripon. An All-American in the long jump as a senior, Dingle was named MWC Outdoor Most Valuable Performer that year that season, while also earning Ripon's prestigious S.N. Pickard Award. Inducted into Ripon's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008, Dingle still holds the three longest-standing women's jumping records in school history.

"Prior to my time at Ripon, I competed in track & field because I was good at it, but my experience at Ripon made me love the sport," said Dingle.

Another reason for Dingle's new found passion for the sport came in the form of legendary track & field coach Elaine Coll, whom Dingle credits for helping achieve her ultimate goal of qualifying for Nationals, three times over.

"I had several toxic coaches before I came to Ripon, who instead of helping me succeed, told me reasons why I couldn't achieve my goals and that I'd never be good enough to make Nationals," Dingle recalled. "Coach Coll was always positive and enthusiastic and believed in me, while doing everything in her power to coach and encourage me to reach my goals."

For Coll, the feeling was mutual, as she felt just as blessed to have Dingle as part of her team as Dingle felt to be a part of Ripon College.

"It was my lucky day when Paula transferred to Ripon," Coll said. "She was already an amazing student-athlete, and at Ripon, she became a powerful long and triple jumper as well as a great sprinter, while always being open to trying a new event or technique."

A National qualifier in the long jump at Monmouth as a sophomore, Dingle contributed to Ripon in her first year with the team in 1992, but it wasn't until the following year, as a senior, that she cemented her place in Ripon lore, qualifying for Nationals in three events.

At the 1993 MWC Indoor Championships, Dingle set a school record in the long jump (18-05.75), which still stands today, 28 years after her graduation. That also stood as a conference record for several years and qualified her for Nationals for the first time in a Ripon uniform.

She followed that up during the outdoor season by qualifying for Nationals in both the long jump (19-06.25) and triple jump (37-04.5), setting school records in both events which still stand today. Each of those marks also stood as conference records, which have both since been broken.

"Since the Conference meet lasted two days, I added two additional events (triple and high jump) to my usual schedule that included long jump, 100m, 200m, 4x100, and 4x400. We were hoping I could get a fifth or sixth place finish in both of my added events to help our team's score," Dingle said. "Triple jump is one of the most physically demanding and injury-prone events in track & field, and I had been fighting through some injuries throughout the season, so I had only practiced it on two occasions that year, while high jump is a highly technical event with many athletes specializing in just that one event."

Dingle herself didn't even know what to expect on that day nor did she anticipate what was about to happen.

"Not only were these events that I didn't normally compete in, but they were happening simultaneously, which is typically unnerving for an athlete, but I still managed to win the triple jump with a new conference record and qualify for Nationals in the event," Dingle said. "This caused a stir because I entered the meet unranked in the triple jump and was therefore seen as an unlikely winner. When my father, who had come to watch me compete, told the mystified crowd around him that I wasn't ranked because I had never competed in the event, everyone's jaws dropped. I ultimately placed in the high jump as well as all of my running events to help our team finish third in the conference and I felt very honored and proud when the MWC coaches unanimously voted me Female Outdoor Athlete of the Year at the conclusion of that meet."

Dingle went on to finish fourth in the long jump at Nationals, becoming just the second woman in program history to earn All-American status.

"As a freshman in college, my goal was to make it to Nationals before my career was over, even though it seemed unrealistic. Qualifying for Nationals was an accumulation of hard work, sacrifice, and luck, but it made all of that well worth it," Dingle said. "When Coach Coll wasn't able to attend Nationals with me, (Ripon Cross Country and Distance Coach) Dick Hendricks was there for me, providing the same enthusiastic and positive support."

A native of Madison, S.D., Dingle worked in Real Estate for nearly 14 years after her graduation. She currently serves as a personal trainer and completed her first novel in 2020. Dingle currently resides in Stillwater, Minn. with her husband Mike '93. They have two sons, Sebastian and Silas, and a labradoodle named Cora.


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