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Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 12:11 pm Post subject:

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Dear Sir,

Your kind words are greatly appreciated. These young men and all that came before them always represented SMU, the University they love, with honor and passion. I am very proud of this group. The character they have shown this past season is remarkable and amazing. The passion they competed with this past weekend was beyond any hope I could have had. One thing a coach can not do for his athletes is create a pride in competing for the University they represent. This pride comes from the total experience on campus as well as the success its graduates have in the real world. I can say without hesitation that each and every athlete I have ever coached here at SMU, wore those three letters on their chest with pride. When times are the darkest, true character shows through. All alums can be certain that SMU track and field has graduated quality young men and women that have and will continue to make this University proud in everything they do.

These young men are a product of a University that demands excellence in everything they do. The professors on this campus are amazing individuals that are in education for all of the right reasons. There are also hundreds of staff on campus that go the extra mile for the students. They care about the future of the young people they are educating. To accept something less than excellence does nothing to shape the future of each student athlete or the world in which we live. I have met so many professors over the years that demand this excellence at SMU. All of us must never forget that sports participation in the University setting is a piece rather than the sum of their education.

I would never hesitate in recommending the SMU experience to parents, family or prospective recruits. It almost always changes their lives for the better. It has been a great honor for me to have been involved for sixteen years in the education process here at SMU. We have been blessed with incredible kids and I too along with the previous head and assistant coaches will always remember the hard work, dedication, success and class of the SMU track and field athlete.

Coach Wollman

Thank you for the great letter. This brings only one thing to mind... I HATE TITLE 9.

This rule is based upon manipulated percentages and wrong assumptions about sport participation.

Thank you Coach and all the SMU track and field team.
GSS

Hell yes - Coach Wollman and his staff and his team are credits to our university. I hate the way things shook out for them, but that's the reality of college athletics today. However, with that said, I hope all PonyFans can agree with me that this group of young men deserves as many cheers from all of us as any team that ever has represented our school. It would have been easy for them to quit, to mail it in, and nobody would have said a thing. These guys - and their coaches, are exactly what 50's Pony called them: Real Champions.

I'll always root for every guy on that team. Thanks for everything, guys, and best of luck.

Great letter, thanks Coach.

Don't blame Title 9. It may need some reforms but it has done wonders for women. I remember my older sister was Texas State high school tennis champion for two years. But her tennis career ended after high school because women college tennis was unknown.

Things are so much better today.

Cutting the track & field program didn't really save that many scholarships at SMU, that's the real tragedy.

Title IX is supposed to include ALL SCHOLARSHIPS on campus.

If SMU would have included the dance / ballet / music etc... and submitted that to the NCAA, then I wonder if we would have been able to keep track.

Remember though UCLA was ranked #1 in Swimming and Diving when they gave that up.

The statement about dancing and voice are true. Do you think a proportionate amount of males get those ships. Title nine says it is to be equal to male enrollment, like women to athletic ships.

Good question.