Tanyshia Ridley

Sprinter to attend
Olympic leadership conference

Sprinter Tanyshia Ridley has been selected to attend the 2008 conference sponsored by U.S. Olympic FLAME, a program dedicated to inspiring minority college students to succeed.

Ridley, a sophomore and student athlete on the NAU track and field team, has done well as a Lumberjack in her first two seasons. During the indoor track season in 2008, she set a lifetime best in the triple jump with a leap of 38 feet, 8.75 inches, qualifying for the Big Sky Championship.

"Tanyshia will be a good representative for this program," said head coach J.W. Hardy. "I believe she possesses what it takes to be a solid young leader."

The U.S. Olympic Committee's program known as FLAME, which stands for Finding Leaders among Minorities Everywhere, began in 1994 to foster the Olympic ideals of persistence, vision, focus, discipline and commitment.

The four-day, all expenses paid conference will take place in June at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

The Center for High Altitude Training approached NAU Athletics mid-semester for recommendations in identifying a candidate for the FLAME conference. Ridley was selected with input from the track and field coaching staff.