Tacoma-Pierce County SPORTS SPOTLITE Newsletter of the Shanaman Sports Museum JULY 2020 | Vol.1 No.3 Kaye Hall swimming the backstroke. (Courtesy Kaye Hall) Kaye Hall’s Olympic Triumph By Gail Wood CONTENTS The moment could have been overwhelming, filled with “I can’t.” About Us 2 Lend your Support 2 And yet Kaye Hall, as a 17-year-old youngster Join the Team 5 and a senior at Wilson High School, felt only Our Members 5 excitement, a sense of satisfaction and Hall of Fame Spotlites Mac Wilkins 6 achievement. She was about to begin the Gertrude Wilhelmsen 7 biggest race of her life at the 1968 Olympics. Local Olympians 8 (article continued on page 3) LEND YOUR SUPPORT by Kim Davenport It has been more than a century since our community last faced a pandemic, and the past several months have been a challenge for us all, The mission of the Shanaman Sports Museum of individually and collectively. Tacoma-Pierce County is to recreate the history of sports in the community by chronicling the evolution of various sports through written, visual and audio Like many other organizations in our community, mediums and to educate the public about our sports the Shanaman Sports Museum relies on your heritage. support to fulfill our mission. With the postponement of our annual Tribute to Board of Directors Champions event due to current restrictions on Marc Blau, President public gatherings, we need that support now Colleen Barta, Acting Vice President more than ever. John Wohn, Secretary Terry Ziegler, Treasurer Tom Bona Become a Member Gary Brooks Brad Cheney, Emeritus Membership to the Shanaman Sports Museum Jack Connelly Kyle Crews supports the museum’s efforts to preserve the Steve Finnigan sports history of Tacoma-Pierce County and to Pat Garlock educate the public through online exhibits, Vince Goldsmith including our Online Photo and Artifact catalog, Don GustaFson Kevin Kalal Old-School Sports Programs, Clay Huntington Dave Lawson Broadcast Center, and Tacoma-Pierce County Doug McArthur, Emeritus Sports Hall of Fame. Members at all levels will be Chelle Miller recognized on our website as well as receive this Gregory Plancich, Emeritus Earl Powell quarterly newsletter featuring articles written by Terry Rice local journalists. Kate Rue Aubrey Shelton For more information about membership levels Willie Stewart Kane Tobin and to sign up, please visit our website here: Bob Young www.tacomasportsmuseum.com/membership Leonard Zarelli, Emeritus Make a Donation Staff Megan French, Museum Curator Julia Auve, Assistant Curator The Shanaman Sports Museum also welcomes Katherine Kidwell, Assistant Curator financial gifts of any amount. For more Kim Davenport, Communications Manager/Newsletter Editor information, please visit our website here: www.tacomasportsmuseum.com/waystogive/ Contact Us www.tacomasportsmuseum.com (253) 627-5857 or (253) 677-2872 We thank you for your interest in preserving the Follow Us history of the sports and athletes of Tacoma- Facebook & Instagram: TacomaSportsMuseum Pierce County! Twitter: SportsMuseumTPC - 2 - Kaye Hall, continued from page 1 worked extremely hard, too hard Hannula said. For four or five weeks, Hall worked out at “It was exciting,” Hall said. Colorado Springs. The U.S. swim team trained there because of the high altitude, preparing As the world watched, as Hall got into the pool to them for the high altitude at Mexico City. begin the 100-meter backstroke finals in the Hannula thought Hall had over trained at Olympics in Mexico City, she wasn't filled with Colorado Springs. doubt. She was filled with hope and glee. Sure, Hall had never beaten Canada's Elaine Tanner, losing all 33 times they swam against each other since they were 7-year-old kids. In their qualifying swim of the backstroke at this Olympics, Tanner beat Hall by nearly two seconds, setting another world record. Winning a gold medal didn't seem likely for Hall. But she beat the odds and beat her nemesis, breaking a world record and beating Tanner to win her prized honor – an Olympic gold medal. Kaye Hall at the top oF the podium at the 1968 Olympic Trials. “The record was just frosting on the cake,” said Coach Dick Hannula is second From left. (Courtesy Kaye Hall.) Dick Hannula, the legendary Wilson High School coach and Hall's club team coach for many years. “At the training camp, they trained hard and they trained for a lot of distances,” Hannula said. This moment was a dream Hall had first had in “They put in a lot of mileage at altitude. She 1964. It was a dream planted by Hannula, the wasn't recovered from training.” Hall of Fame swim coach at Wilson and the Tacoma Swim Club coach. And in the prelims in the backstroke at the Olympics, Hannula saw a fatigued Hall swimming “When I was 12 or 13, I really started thinking and finishing nearly two seconds behind Tanner. about the Olympics,” Hall said. “Coach set me up to be focused on going to the next Olympics.” “The plan was resting that whole week coming off of that,” Hannula said. “And not having Back then when Hall was only 13, the Tacoma anything really hard for that week. I think that News Tribune ran a story about Hall’s goal, her was a big factor.” ambition for qualifying for the 1968 Olympics. So, that meant no workouts, no sightseeing and “Coach set up that story that said I had my sights no goofing around. Just resting and taking it easy. set on the '68 Olympics,” Hall said. “And they had a picture of me as a 13 year-old seventh grader.” “Coach didn't want me to get worn out,” Hall said. The dream was planted. And it was a dream come true as Hall headed to Mexico City. In the Up to that point, Hannula had just been an preparation leading up to the Olympics, Hall, observer, a fan in the stands early in the under the direction of several Olympic coaches, - 3 - Olympics. But he was given the coaching duties fabulous job. Get out there and do the best you for Hall after her swim in the preliminary. can. And we love you and we couldn't be happier no matter what happens.” “I believe she was just too tired from all of that altitude training she did in Colorado,” Hannula That meant she wasn't going to let anyone down said. if she didn't win. Often, the mindset leading up to a big race is “That was the permission to just let go,” Hall train harder. But Hall didn't work out at all. said. “In that sense I remember it was almost a feeling of relief. I didn't have anything to lose. I “I think she was comfortable with that,” Hannula just had to get out there and swim my race the said. “Both of us were.” best way I knew how. And everything would be okay.” It was the perfect plan. Hall, pushing herself, got off to a spectacular start in the 100-meter Hall didn't disappoint. She ended up winning two backstroke finals, taking an early lead against gold medals and a bronze medal in the 1968 Tanner and never giving it up. Hall won with a Olympics. She won her first gold medal time of 1:06.2, beating Tanner by a half second. swimming the backstroke as the lead-off leg of the medley relay, which set an Olympic record. And Hall won by breaking the world record, the Then she won her second gold medal by beating record Tanner had just set in the preliminaries. Tanner in the 100-meter backstroke. She then Tanner also broke the world record in the finals. placed third in the 200-meter backstroke to win a And yet it still wasn't fast enough to catch Hall. bronze medal. An international swimming For Hall and her winning performance, it was all magazine named Hall the best swimmer of the about mental preparation. meet. “I swam the For Hall, who married Ken Greff in 1976 and now winning race in my has two children and five grandkids, her Olympic head,” Hall said. achievements were all about focus. “Elaine was the last thing I thought “She was focusing on just one thing,” Hannula about.” said. “And that was to focus on herself. No way did she focus on what other people were doing in To help Hall get that race.” that proper mindset, she kept It's one thing to have talent. It's a different thing everything in to have the determination, the willingness to perspective. She train and use that talent. And Hall's legacy is she knew that making it didn't waste her talent. She made the most of to the Olympics was a big achievement, what she had, winning two Olympic gold medals. something that couldn't be taken away. Winning medals was an added achievement. “She was an amazing talent,” Hannula said. “I knew people in Tacoma were really proud of Gail Wood is a Wilson High School grad (class of me,” Hall said. “I found a letter my dad had ’72) and former sportswriter for USA Today and written to me. He just said look, you have done a the Daily Olympian. - 4 - JOIN THE TEAM Sharon Dusek Dick Hannula Gayle Hazen The Shanaman Sports Museum honors the Ardath Herbel history of sports and the rich culture of athletics Kevin and Sue Johnson in Tacoma-Pierce County. In order to maintain Joseph Kreger Ron Medved that tradition, the museum and the board of Don Moseid directors is pleased to invite the general public to Jim Nettles show their support by becoming a member.