Klecker, Marks, and Tollefson to Speak

Olympians Janis Klecker, Shani Marks, and Carrie Tollefson will participate in a panel discussion titled "Minnesota Female Olympians: Stories, Experiences & Inspirations" tomorrow evening at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Center.

The program begins at 7:00 p.m. Details can be found HERE. There's a brief interview with Marks promoting the event, HERE.

The discussion, moderated by U of M sociology professor Doug Hartmann, is part of series of lectures that explores issues related to girls' and women's involvement in sport and physical activity.

"The performances of Olympic athletes inspire and captivate our imaginations," promotional material about the event said. "However, the Olympics are not only about medal counts and wins and losses. They occur within a complex set of issues related to gender, class, race and nationalism. To provide context for this complexity, along with acknowledging the accomplishments of our distinguished sportswomen, Professor Hartmann will critique the Olympics in general and the Beijing Olympics in particular. He will share his own experiences of his travels to China followed by a discussion with our featured panelists where we'll learn about their life stories and inspirations."

Klecker, a U of M graduate, participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as a marathoner. She won the Olympic Trials Marathon that year, one of five she qualified for in her sterling career.

Marks competed in the triple jump at the Beijing Games this summer. The Gopher alum, who won the 2008 Olympic Trials in the event, was a three-time all-American as a collegian.

Tollefson, who competed in the 2004 Athens Games in the 1500 meters, was a 13-time Minnesota State High School League champion and a five-time NCAA champion. The Villanova University alum won the Olympic Trials 1500m in 2004.

Speaking of Olympians ... Duluth native Kara Goucher was inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame over the weekend. There's a nice recap of her CU career HERE, thanks to the University of Colorado sports media folks.

Goucher, of course, is preparing for her marathon debut at next weekend's ING New York City Marathon.