The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DIANNE Woodside-Johnson returned to her alma mater at Murray State University where she was one of eight athletes inducted into the 2022 Hall of Fame Class over the weekend in Murray, Kentucky.

Accompanied by a group of family and friends, led by her twin sister Dawn Woodside-Johnson, who also competed with her during their tenure from 1987 to 1990, Woodside-Johnson got inducted during the ceremony on Friday night.

On Saturday, the inductees were honoured during Murray State’s football and basketball games.

Calling it the greatest individual achievement of her life although she considers her teaching and coaching chores that enabled her to participate in the Olympic Games as a team honour, Woodside-Johnson said she’s grateful to her former coach Margaret Simmons and the faculty, staff and committee for selecting her for such a prestigious accolade.

“It’s very surreal, an amazing experience to be back here,” Woodside-Johnson said.

“It’s an honour and a privilege, very humbling experience to be able to accept the award and to be able to accept the award from my alma mater for my contribution to the track and field programme here.”

One of the rewards of returning to Murray State University, Woodside-Johnson said she got to reconnect with a lot of the athletic department and even some of her professors, so she enjoyed every moment of it.

Among the credentials that Woodside-Johnson accumulated while at Murray State University were All-time best indoors in the women’s 55m hurdles in a time of 7.98 seconds and both long jump with a leap of 20-feet, 5-inches, both in 1990 and the triple jump with 41-1 ½ in 1988.

Additionally, during her outdoor campaign, Woodside- Johnson produced the trifecta in the three disciplines with performances of 13.81 in the 100m hurdles in 1989, 20-4 ¼ in the long jump in 1989 as well and 40-2 in the triple jump in 1988.

In 1990, she was also crowned the Ohio Valley Conference Most Outstanding female athlete.

While she hasn’t reached that Hall of Fame status as yet, Dawn Woodside-Johnson said she’s just as thrilled to be a part of the honour and recognition of her twin sister.

“It was a good experience. I didn’t feel anything because I never went to the NCAA Championships. I almost made it, but I didn’t,” said Dawn Woodside- Johnson, who competed as a thrower in the shot put and discus. “I was happy for her. We enjoyed the experience with her. I was very, very happy for her.”

Also included in the delegation that accompanied Woodside-Johnson were her husband Terrance Johnson and daughter Rayanne Woodside- Hepburn, one of their older sisters Carol Woodside-Philips, her niece Cailyn Johnson, nephew Colin Johnson II, family friend William Byrd and their former principal at St Augustine’s College, Sonja Knowles.

“Everybody came out on Wednesday ahead of the storm (Hurricane Nicole) and so it wasn’t any interruption here,” Woodside-Johnson said. “It was a good night, very well planned event. It was a very special night that I will cherish. “Whenever you are recognised for your contribution, especially when you do it yourself, it’s special. I’ve coached many teams from CARIFTA to the World Championships and the Olympics. They were good achievements for me for my skills. This one was really for my individual accomplishment.”

As twin sisters, Woodside- Johnson said they both achieved the goal intended when their deceased mother Monica Woodside allowed them to follow in the footsteps of their older brother Joe Woodside, to attend Murray State. On their return home as they both ventured into teaching at their alma mater at SAC, Woodside-Johnson formed the Club Monica Track Club in honour of their mother that lasted for 15 years before she took a break from coaching in 2018.

“I took a break. I needed a break,” she said. “Maybe. Maybe. I have not closed the door on that yet (coaching). It was consuming a lot of time in my life and I had to focus on some other areas. So I’m not closing the door on it. I’m still assisting SAC whenever and I didn’t leave the club name out there because I could still come back and use it again, even if it’s on a smaller scale.”

For now, she’s just basking in her glory as an inductee into Murray State University’s Hall of Fame Class of 2022.