When she was growing up in Barbados, she would run sprints against anyone in the neighborhood. Eventually, Trudi Garrett Spain opened eyes and found her way to Missouri State University, and ran right into the history books.
Now her career is being remembered by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Spain will be among nine who will receive 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 Spain 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.
“I’ll never forget running with my brother, cousins and friends in our neighborhood to see was the fastest,” Spain said. “Whenever Sports Day came around, I enjoyed competing, along with the atmosphere and fanfare that came with it.”
Soon, her high school coach recommended Spain to Ron Boyce, the longtime track & field coach at Missouri State University.
Spain won six Missouri Valley Conference championships for Missouri State University in the late 1990s and early 2000s, also qualifying for the NCAA Track & Field Championships on two relay teams (400 meters in 1997 and 1,600 meters in 1999). Both relays set school records, with the 1,600 team winning the Valley in a conference record time. Spain, who also was on the school-record 800-meter relay as a sophomore, won Valley titles in the indoor long jump and outdoor 200 meters and long jump.
“My teammates inspired me, as every day they went out and performed,” Spain said. “I saw the need to give the same effort as they did. Plus, my coaches and family were a great support system.”
Along the way, Spain helped the Bears win three Valley Indoor championships and, at the time she graduated, she held all-time top five times in school history in the indoor 60 meters and the outdoor 200 meters.
Other Wynn Award recipients will be 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 and field’s Brenda Hayes Raynor (Branson High School/Missouri State University), Dana Ozbun Stillwagon (Doniphan High School/Southwest Baptist University) and volleyball’s Bri Walsh (Clever High School/MSU-West Plains/Evangel University).
At one point, Spain was a member of the Barbados National Track and Field Team, and now works for Wil Fisher Companies.
“My coaches throughout the years, from high school to college, were great mentors – Frank Blackman, Anthony Lovell and Ron Boyce,” Spain said. “They pushed me to keep going.”
