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(don't know if she can still claim last summer's $60K or not)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 9, 2006
LADY VOL MEDIA RELATIONS: Eric Trainer, Asst. Director
WORLD CHAMPION LADY VOL TIANNA MADISON LEAPS TO PRO CAREER
Long Jumper Gives Up Final Two Collegiate Seasons To Pursue Dream
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The allure of a lucrative professional track &
field career became too much for University of Tennessee long jumper Tianna
Madison to resist. The junior from Elyria, Ohio, quit wrestling with a very
difficult decision and went public on Monday by sharing that her days of
competing for the Lady Vols had reached a conclusion.
Madison will immediately begin competing on the U.S. and
international circuit. Like former Big Orange teammate Dee Dee Trotter, who
turned pro after her junior season in 2004 and graduated from UT in 2005,
Madison will continue to train in Knoxville and remain in school with plans
to complete requirements for a degree in social work over the next year and
a half.
The defending national champion UT women opened their season on
Friday night (Jan. 6) at the Tennessee All-Comers Meet at Stokely Athletics
Center, doing so without Madison in an orange uniform. Instead, Madison ran
unattached in a black singlet and claimed victory in the 55-meter dash in
6.80 seconds. She did not, however, compete in the long jump.
A stellar sophomore campaign, which included a sweep of the 2005
NCAA and Southeastern Conference Indoor and Outdoor titles in the long jump
and a stunning triumph at last summer‚s IAAF World Championships in
Helsinki, Finland, catapulted Madison to international stardom. That
notoriety resulted in offers of contracts and other opportunities that, in
the end, were too good for a 20-year-old college honor student to pass up.
„It took me this long to really weigh the pros and cons of staying
or leaving,‰ Madison said. „It had been a recurring thought since the
conclusion of the World Championships. I didn‚t want to make a decision
there, because it would have been mostly influenced by emotion and the
environment of a win at that meet.
„I had 18 hours of classes during the fall semester, and I really
didn‚t have time to handle all the pressure of deciding whether or not to
pursue this. Over Christmas break, though, I had a long time to really
think about it. Unfortunately, my decision came just as the college season
is beginning.‰
Madison said relinquishing her collegiate eligibility wasn‚t an easy
choice to make, but the fact she could keep nearly every other facet of her
competitive situation the same was helpful in her decision.
„I love this team, and that was part of the reason it was so hard
for me to make this decision,‰ Madison said.‰I wanted to be with my team
every step, no matter what. My schedule will be the same, except for SECs
and nationals, and even though I won‚t be wearing orange now, I still bleed
orange.‰
The six-time All-American reflected fondly on her days at Rocky Top
and expressed her gratitude to the coaching staff.
„The NCAA title we won was a great feeling, and just improving on
our places nationally each year really meant a lot. I am thankful for Coach
Caryl (Assistant Coach Caryl Smith Gilbert) and Coach Clark (Head Coach J.J.
Clark) for recruiting me in the first place and giving me the opportunity to
receive this coaching and develop my skills over the years.‰
While hating to lose an athlete of Madison‚s caliber, Clark
considers Madison‚s departure an affirmation of his program‚s attributes.
„This shows what we do here,‰ Clark said. „We develop people to be
the absolute best, whether its SECs, NCAAs, World Championships or Olympics.
It is fortunate that we are at the level that youngsters have a choice about
a professional career in the sport of track & field. She is able to stay in
school here and complete her degree while pursuing this dream, so this is
great moment to see someone who came through our program be rewarded in this
manner.‰
„Of course, she will be greatly missed, but we will have to go on,
just like when Dee Dee left or when athletes like Nicole Cook, Kameisha
Bennett or Toyin Olupona graduate. We will rebound and make sure this
program continues to move forward.
While the announcement seemingly comes at a difficult time for his
program, Clark said he does not take issue with Madison‚s departure at the
outset of the 2006 campaign.
„The timing is not a factor,‰ Clark said. „Whether she decided a
month ago or yesterday, the fact of the matter is that she is not going to
be here. That‚s the reality of the situation. We weren‚t competing for any
titles Friday; we‚re competing in 10 weeks.
„I just wish her the best and look for good things from Tianna in
the future.‰
After winning the world title on Aug. 10 with a school-best leap of
22-7.25, Madison was peppered with questions from the attending media as to
whether she would turn pro immediately so she could accept the prize money
that is awarded to the victor. After consideration, Madison opted to return
to UT for the fall semester and retain her amateur status, but the questions
continued as to whether she would eventually collect the purse and forego
her final two seasons of collegiate eligibility. Her Christmas break
deliberations resulted in exactly that conclusion.
Madison winds up her UT career as a six-time All-American, having
finished first indoors and out at last year‚s NCAA Championships in the long
jump with outcomes of fifth and 10th, respectively, at those meets as a
freshman in 2004. Additionally, she took third in the 60-meter dash at the
2005 NCAA Indoor meet and was a member of UT‚s third-place 4x100m relay unit
at the 2005 outdoor competition.
Last season, Madison claimed long jump titles in four of five meets
indoors and seven of nine competitions outdoors. She did so despite
suffering from recurring strep throat for most of the outdoor schedule. She
also contributed significantly to Tennessee‚s record-setting sprint corps,
notching a third-place NCAA Indoor finish in the 60-meter dash that helped
the Lady Vols win the first women‚s NCAA track & field championship in
school history. She also aided UT‚s cause in an SEC Indoor team triumph a
year ago and tied Carol Lewis‚ American collegiate record in the long jump
with a leap of 22-3 at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Among Madison‚s awards last season were AOPi Lady Vol Athlete of the
Year, Sports Illustrated On Campus Indoor Women‚s Track & Field Athlete of
the Year, SEC Indoor Women‚s Field Event Athlete of the Year, USTCA Mideast
Region Outdoor Athlete of the Year, finalist for the Honda Sports Award for
Track & Field and USATF National Athlete of the Week (Feb. 15). She also
was chosen SEC Athlete of the Week three times, Edamerica Lady Vol Athlete
of the Month in April, and Lady Vol Athlete of the Week on four occasions.
Academically, Madison was a second-team member of the ESPN The
Magazine Academic All-District IV Cross Country/Track & Field squad and made
the SEC and Lady Vol Academic Honor Rolls for the second consecutive season.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 9, 2006
LADY VOL MEDIA RELATIONS: Eric Trainer, Asst. Director
WORLD CHAMPION LADY VOL TIANNA MADISON LEAPS TO PRO CAREER
Long Jumper Gives Up Final Two Collegiate Seasons To Pursue Dream
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The allure of a lucrative professional track &
field career became too much for University of Tennessee long jumper Tianna
Madison to resist. The junior from Elyria, Ohio, quit wrestling with a very
difficult decision and went public on Monday by sharing that her days of
competing for the Lady Vols had reached a conclusion.
Madison will immediately begin competing on the U.S. and
international circuit. Like former Big Orange teammate Dee Dee Trotter, who
turned pro after her junior season in 2004 and graduated from UT in 2005,
Madison will continue to train in Knoxville and remain in school with plans
to complete requirements for a degree in social work over the next year and
a half.
The defending national champion UT women opened their season on
Friday night (Jan. 6) at the Tennessee All-Comers Meet at Stokely Athletics
Center, doing so without Madison in an orange uniform. Instead, Madison ran
unattached in a black singlet and claimed victory in the 55-meter dash in
6.80 seconds. She did not, however, compete in the long jump.
A stellar sophomore campaign, which included a sweep of the 2005
NCAA and Southeastern Conference Indoor and Outdoor titles in the long jump
and a stunning triumph at last summer‚s IAAF World Championships in
Helsinki, Finland, catapulted Madison to international stardom. That
notoriety resulted in offers of contracts and other opportunities that, in
the end, were too good for a 20-year-old college honor student to pass up.
„It took me this long to really weigh the pros and cons of staying
or leaving,‰ Madison said. „It had been a recurring thought since the
conclusion of the World Championships. I didn‚t want to make a decision
there, because it would have been mostly influenced by emotion and the
environment of a win at that meet.
„I had 18 hours of classes during the fall semester, and I really
didn‚t have time to handle all the pressure of deciding whether or not to
pursue this. Over Christmas break, though, I had a long time to really
think about it. Unfortunately, my decision came just as the college season
is beginning.‰
Madison said relinquishing her collegiate eligibility wasn‚t an easy
choice to make, but the fact she could keep nearly every other facet of her
competitive situation the same was helpful in her decision.
„I love this team, and that was part of the reason it was so hard
for me to make this decision,‰ Madison said.‰I wanted to be with my team
every step, no matter what. My schedule will be the same, except for SECs
and nationals, and even though I won‚t be wearing orange now, I still bleed
orange.‰
The six-time All-American reflected fondly on her days at Rocky Top
and expressed her gratitude to the coaching staff.
„The NCAA title we won was a great feeling, and just improving on
our places nationally each year really meant a lot. I am thankful for Coach
Caryl (Assistant Coach Caryl Smith Gilbert) and Coach Clark (Head Coach J.J.
Clark) for recruiting me in the first place and giving me the opportunity to
receive this coaching and develop my skills over the years.‰
While hating to lose an athlete of Madison‚s caliber, Clark
considers Madison‚s departure an affirmation of his program‚s attributes.
„This shows what we do here,‰ Clark said. „We develop people to be
the absolute best, whether its SECs, NCAAs, World Championships or Olympics.
It is fortunate that we are at the level that youngsters have a choice about
a professional career in the sport of track & field. She is able to stay in
school here and complete her degree while pursuing this dream, so this is
great moment to see someone who came through our program be rewarded in this
manner.‰
„Of course, she will be greatly missed, but we will have to go on,
just like when Dee Dee left or when athletes like Nicole Cook, Kameisha
Bennett or Toyin Olupona graduate. We will rebound and make sure this
program continues to move forward.
While the announcement seemingly comes at a difficult time for his
program, Clark said he does not take issue with Madison‚s departure at the
outset of the 2006 campaign.
„The timing is not a factor,‰ Clark said. „Whether she decided a
month ago or yesterday, the fact of the matter is that she is not going to
be here. That‚s the reality of the situation. We weren‚t competing for any
titles Friday; we‚re competing in 10 weeks.
„I just wish her the best and look for good things from Tianna in
the future.‰
After winning the world title on Aug. 10 with a school-best leap of
22-7.25, Madison was peppered with questions from the attending media as to
whether she would turn pro immediately so she could accept the prize money
that is awarded to the victor. After consideration, Madison opted to return
to UT for the fall semester and retain her amateur status, but the questions
continued as to whether she would eventually collect the purse and forego
her final two seasons of collegiate eligibility. Her Christmas break
deliberations resulted in exactly that conclusion.
Madison winds up her UT career as a six-time All-American, having
finished first indoors and out at last year‚s NCAA Championships in the long
jump with outcomes of fifth and 10th, respectively, at those meets as a
freshman in 2004. Additionally, she took third in the 60-meter dash at the
2005 NCAA Indoor meet and was a member of UT‚s third-place 4x100m relay unit
at the 2005 outdoor competition.
Last season, Madison claimed long jump titles in four of five meets
indoors and seven of nine competitions outdoors. She did so despite
suffering from recurring strep throat for most of the outdoor schedule. She
also contributed significantly to Tennessee‚s record-setting sprint corps,
notching a third-place NCAA Indoor finish in the 60-meter dash that helped
the Lady Vols win the first women‚s NCAA track & field championship in
school history. She also aided UT‚s cause in an SEC Indoor team triumph a
year ago and tied Carol Lewis‚ American collegiate record in the long jump
with a leap of 22-3 at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Among Madison‚s awards last season were AOPi Lady Vol Athlete of the
Year, Sports Illustrated On Campus Indoor Women‚s Track & Field Athlete of
the Year, SEC Indoor Women‚s Field Event Athlete of the Year, USTCA Mideast
Region Outdoor Athlete of the Year, finalist for the Honda Sports Award for
Track & Field and USATF National Athlete of the Week (Feb. 15). She also
was chosen SEC Athlete of the Week three times, Edamerica Lady Vol Athlete
of the Month in April, and Lady Vol Athlete of the Week on four occasions.
Academically, Madison was a second-team member of the ESPN The
Magazine Academic All-District IV Cross Country/Track & Field squad and made
the SEC and Lady Vol Academic Honor Rolls for the second consecutive season.
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