As a track athlete at Branson High School, Brenda Hayes Raynor found inspiration through her brother, Bruce, a three-sport athlete who finished his prep career with an undefeated season in the 800 meters. Guess who also was a three-sport athlete? And undefeated in the 800 as a senior?
“Watching his journey, I figured, ‘Why not shoot to be a state champion, too?’” Raynor said. “He was a silent inspiration to me.”
Raynor certainly enjoyed a tremendous running career and soon will be remembered by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. You see, she will be among nine receiving a Wynn Award during the Women’s Sports Luncheon sponsored by the Bee Payne-Stewart Foundation and presented by Central Bank/Central Trust. The event is set for 11 a.m. March 28 at the University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield. For tickets or to support Raynor in some way, call 417-889-3100.
Her award will be presented on a day featuring the inductions of the Diamond High School Volleyball Program, swimmer Michelle Langsford Dickemann, longtime volleyball coach Ann Luetkemeyer Gulshen, college basketball assistant Lynnette Robinson, track & field and cross country coach Patty Vavra and the MSSU Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country Programs. Jacquie Dowdy will receive the President’s Award.
The Wynn Awards are named in honor of Dr. Mary Jo Wynn, the pioneer of women’s athletics at Missouri State University, a 1999 Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductee and 2014 Missouri Sports Legend. The awards are presented to former high school, college and pro athletes for their contributions in athletics.
Before going on to success at Missouri State University, Raynor won a Class 3 state championship in the 800 meters for Branson in 1989, finishing an undefeated senior season. That came four years after she qualified for the state meet but didn’t reach the finals. That year, her brother won state in the 800.
“I always received it as compliment when I was compared to my brother in track and it continued to drive me to achieve more out of the sport by pushing my limits again and again,” Raynor said.
At Missouri State, she earned 16 conference honors, including 10 in indoor track, five in outdoor track and one in cross country. Specifically, she won three conference championships (indoor 800 in 1991, indoor mile in 1992 and outdoor 3,200-meter relay in 1992). Raynor also led the program to its best track finish in 10 years with a second place at the 1992 indoor conference meet. In addition to all-conference and all-academic honors, she held or shared four school records at the time of her induction (2004) into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
“The team was like a family where we trained hard together, pushed each other running side by side in workouts both on the track and on the streets of Springfield during long distance training runs and then afterwards would eat, hang out and room together,” Raynor said. “The long van rides to meets always produced fond memories from goofy study breaks and experiencing vehicle failure to always saying it’s at least someone’s birthday at our Cracker Barrel stops so all seven of us could reap splitting the one complimentary brownie.”
What also helped was MSU challenging Raynor by adding her to the cross country team as a way to build endurance. She had never run cross country before, yet in 1992, as a senior, she was among two MSU runners who placed in the top five of the conference meet. Her time tied the sixth-fastest time in program history at the time.
“As a runner, there’s not a better feeling than running together as a pack with your own teammates pushing yourself at the highest level you can physically and mentally,” Raynor said.
Now her career is being recognized again. She will join other Wynn Award recipients in Shelley Seider Davis (Rich Hill High School/Pittsburg State University), swimmer Brianne McGuirk Madura (Missouri State University), The Opfer Sisters (Lorin Fiehler, Alix and Kasey) of Glendale High School Soccer, track & field’s Trudi Garret Spain (Barbados/Missouri State University), Dana Ozbun Stillwagon (Doniphan High School/Southwest Baptist University) and Bri Walsh (Clever High School/Missouri State-West Plains/Evangel University).
Raynor, who was voted to the MSU Track All-Decade Team, now celebrates 10 years owning Springfield-based Organizational Marketing Solutions LLC, channeling her competitive drive by serving the marketing management needs of small- to medium-sized businesses. As 2018 ramps up, she also celebrates a 25th anniversary with her husband, Jim Raynor, along with children Trey, Jade, Josh and Jack.
“My teammates both in high school and at the collegiate level,” Raynor said, “were always like my inspirations – and more in the sense of a silent accountability and motivator in all aspects to put forth the best effort in every workout, meet, academics and the desire to win.”
