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By JEFF DAVISONAsst, sports editorWhen the Ottumwa High School let-terwinners are honored at the A-Club awards banquet Monday night, the Warren family is going to be very much in evidence.OHS track coach Bob Warren and his w ife, Joyce, this year have a letterwinner in each grade of high school.That’s a rare, if not unique, feat for Ottumwa.I know of some brother-sister combinations i who have lettered in the same year), Bob Warren said. But I’ve been in Ottumwa almost 20 years and I can’t remember anything like this happening before.It won’t happen again i for the Warren family), either, since Bill is a senior thisyear.Ihe others are John, a junior; Brian, a sophomore; and Ann, a freshman.They’ve all done pretty well, too, their obviously-proud father said. It's not like they’ve been struggling to do it.It’s kind of unusual that they all dopretty well in track, Bob added “Plus they do a variety of things.Bill, for example, is an ex-sprinter who became a discus thrower following a knee injury, John is a long jumper, Brian a hurdler land long jumper) and Ann a hurdler and quarter-miler Bill has lettered twice in football, once in basketball and twice in track. John has three track letters and Brian and Ann one track letter apiece.The quartet agreed on how they got their start in athletics; it was through helping Bob at track meets and watching him train for competition. Bob still competes and is a consistent winner in age-group races. Mrs. Warren doesn’t compete but is a runner and swimmer.We saw our dad work out, John said, and we got interested in helping him at meets. We helped and we got interested.” I started in about third grade, Bill said. I ran the 100-yard dash in a Junior Olympic meet. The others began competing in much the same fashion. But they don't train together We pretty much do our own thing,”John said, since they compete in different eventsThe boys concentrate mostly on sports Ann said she is involved in variety of activities (track is her only sport), including school plays, chorus, orchestra, cheerleadtng and dance training The quartet said they hear some kidding about their father lieing the track coach, but have no serious problems because of it They also agree that they were not pushed into athletics He never pushed us, Brian said. If we wanted to do it. we did If we didn't, he didn't bother us.I'm sure how I see myself is not how other people see me, Bob said, but from the time they’ve been young, they’ve gone with me tlt; meets to help mark the track and things like that and they've gotten interested. I’ve never thought of myself as pushy.”While he may not tie pushy, Bob Warren can probably 1m* forgiven if. come Monday night, he does look very proud.
Newspaper Details
Ottumwa Courier
Ottumwa, Iowa, US
Fri, May 11, 1979
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 11 Feb 2024
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