OLSEN, Christel (BROWN)

BROWN, OLSEN, CRAWFORD, MILLER, HORSTMEYER, WELCH

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/30/2016 at 20:41:31

Christel (Brown) Olsen, 2013
Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa

Victor, Iowa native Christel Olsen (Brown) had an outstanding career as member of the Graceland Women's Track & Field team from 1973-1977.

Christel began seeing athletic success during her senior year of high school at H-L-V. She was the Iowa state long jump champion, helping to carry her team to a second place finish at state. Christel still holds the South Iowa Cedar League records in the 100 meter sprint and long jump, as well as the H-L-V high school records.

As a freshman at Graceland in 1973-1974, Christel placed in the AIAW National meet held in Denton, Texas. With only one division for women's track, the team competed against all universities and colleges. Christel finished fifth in the 200 meter run and fourth in the long jump.

During Christel's junior year, the Graceland track & field team placed second in the AIAW Regional Championship.

In the AIAW regional track meet in May of 1977, Christel finished with two impressive performances against more than 400 other athletes. Individually, Christel walked away with a meet record in the long jump with a distance of 19'2" and rose as the underdog to win first place in the 100 meter dash with a time of .12.3. She also placed second in the 200 meter dash.

Christel's relay teams also saw great successes in the '77 AIAW regionals. Christel Brown, Peggy Brown, Nancy Crawford and Deena Miller upset the favored team to set a record of 47.6 in the 440 yard relay. Matching that performance, Christel Brown, Nancy Crawford, Deena Miller and Caren Horstmeyer came in first in the 880 meter medley with yet another record time of 1:47.82.

Graceland Hall of Fame track coach Betty Welch called '77 AIAW meet, "The highlight of my coaching career."

Christel herself takes time to point out her team's success as a whole. She notes that, not only was she individually successful in her races, but the team as a whole was able to flourish. As a team, the women finished the AIAW Regional Track & Field Championships in second place.

Now residing in Des Moines, Iowa Christel is the happy mother of two daughters and a son, and grandmother to four girls. After spending time as a probation officer and teaching at an alternative high school, she now works for Bolt Supply.

Christel was inducted into Graceland's Yellowjacket Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.

SOURCES: gujackets.com/f/Hall_of_Fame.php; gujackets.com/roster.php

Submission by Sharon R Becker, January of 2016