University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present University Relations

10-27-1970

Missoula girl working on a sports casting career

University of Montana--Missoula. Office of University Relations

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Recommended Citation University of Montana--Missoula. Office of University Relations, "Missoula girl working on a sports casting career" (1970). University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present. 6344. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/newsreleases/6344

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MISSOULA GIRL WORKING ON A SPORTSCASTING CAREER

MISSOULA--

Women's Liberation has hit the University of Montana Athletic Department and the

Grizzlies have a freshman female student training to become a sportscaster.

Linda Gilfillan, a 17-year-old UM freshman, is a radio-television major at the Missoula

University and plans a career as a sportscaster.

When asked why she wants to invade a profession earmarked for the male sect, Linda

said, ’’Broadcasting is a very interesting profession, but I like announcing athletic events.

Sportscasting enables me to really know the sports and the individuals."

She started writing sports features for a local Missoula radio station last year as a

senior at Sacred Heart Academy in the Garden City. Linda wrote local high school game

and feature stories and started taping sports features for the station's news shows.

This fall she entered the University of Montana and started broadcasting her five-

minute sports program over the University FM station on Friday afternoon. She also is

doing color for the freshman football and basketball teams.

Linda said her mother thinks she gets too involved in sports as she attends all the

local high school and the Grizzly games and is glued to the TV set whenever games are

televised. Her father thinks its great.

One reason for her intense interest in sports could be that her cousin happens to be

one of the world's top distance runners. Steve Prefontaine, a soph­

omore, set an NCAA three mile record last spring in the finals.

### MISSOULA GIRL WORKING--2

According to world standards, Prefontaine is the fourth ranked miler currently with a best best time of 3:57.4 and the eleventh ranked 5,000 meter runner. His best time in the 5,000 meters is 13:39.6. The world record in the mile is 3:51.1 set by America’s

and the 5,000 meter mark was set by Australia's Ron Clark.at 13:13.6.

Linda also competes in sports and enjoys the 440-yard dash in track the most. However,

she is the first to admit that she isn’t a Steve Prefontaine. She has never met Prefontaine but keeps track of him through newspapers anc sports magazines.

Linda is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.J. Gilfillan, Missoula.