Wednesday, May 27, 2009

As one of the greatest athletic careers in Jacksonville University history nears the finish line, track and field coach Ron Grigg wonders if he will ever be this lucky again.

Once Natasha Harvey completes her final long jump or sprint, either this week at the NCAA regionals in Greensboro, N.C., or at the NCAA championships June 10-13 in Arkansas, there will be a lot more to replace than her record times and distances. The near-impossible challenge for Grigg is filling the void that Harvey, a four-time All-American, will leave behind in terms of her overall impact on teammates and everyone she touched at the school.

Harvey, generally regarded by colleagues and school administrators as one of the most popular athletes to ever come through JU, cannot be measured simply on her ability to win races or outjump the competition.

Whether you spend a few minutes with Harvey or an entire day, most people feel it's not enough. Her engaging personality, like a comfortable sit-down on the couch with Oprah, leaves them wanting more. But peeling away all the layers of Harvey's tragic past, and how she refused to let it get in the way of her Olympic dream, helps to understand why this 21-year-old from West Haven, Conn., has been such an inspirational figure on the JU campus.

"It's the way she leads her life; she's the whole package," Grigg said. "She gets it more than most adults. Just when you think she's the most incredible person you ever met, there's something deeper. I don't want to sound gushing, but she's just that kind of a kid. She's an inspiration to watch how she handles situations.

"I'm supposed to be the authority figure by nature of being the coach, but there's so much I need to model after her. She has perspective. She chooses to act in a way that she's proud of the consequences."

By themselves, Harvey's athletic accomplishments make her a headliner. The Dolphins had never won a conference title in track and field before she arrived. With Harvey aboard, they went eight for eight in capturing Atlantic Sun indoor and outdoor championships, with Harvey accounting for 302 of the 1,327 points accumulated (22.7 percent) during that streak in six different events.

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Article by Gene Frenette of the Florida Times Union