MSU Bobcat Great Celebrates Her Own Record Being Broken
Imagine holding THE record in track and field, and then celebrating when someone else breaks YOUR record? Some might find that very hard to do. It wasn't hard for former MSU Bobcat track & field great Erin Graf. Check out her response.
MontanaSports.com shared this update over the weekend: "Billings native Hailey Coey broke Erin Jones-Graf's Montana State record in the triple jump with a mark of 40-03.25."
Erin Jones-Graf grew up on a ranch in Harlowton, Montana and did track & field along with her husband Eugene at Montana State University. She was there with her daughter Razel when her record fell.
Erin Graf: "My final record, of the 4 I held over 20 years at MSU fell to an awesome young woman…Also from Montana! I was so thankful Razel and I could be there working the pit. Razel was wondering after Hailey’s over 20’ long jump if she would get my tj record later in the meet. I told her I hoped so as it had been long enough! I have been thrilled about every record of mine being broken, 1. Because broken records mean the betterment of women’s sports and athletes, and 2. Because broken records continually show to the world the toughness and strength of our girls and women through extreme hard work, pain and injury, lack of sleep, and being incredibly organized and focused."
She also shared her thoughts about the importance of protecting women's sports in what she describes as an impassioned plea to save girls in our sports.
Erin Graf: "I couldn’t help think shortly after how I was thankful it wasn’t a man I just saw break a 20 year old record…A record that no female out of probably 50 or so division 1 MSU triple jumpers had been able to break (indoors) before. I have thought on and off about how I would have felt and would still feel if it would’ve been a man breaking that record or any previous record of mine. A jump that I would’ve had to measure and announce. I feel nauseous at the thought and even more so nauseous the there would have been people (although few) who would have celebrated and cheered for it. It would have been a showing to Razel, that no matter what she does and how hard she works in sport, there may always be a man to rise above her. Sports opportunity for girls and women are so young, it is OUR GIRLS who need to improve womens sports, break records, and break barriers. It is OUR GIRLS who deserve to be National Champions, olympians, and record holders. Please put yourself in my shoes, down at a sand pit, at 40 some years old, watching young motivated exhausted intense beautiful young women giving everything they have to break your record. Isn’t it them who you would cheer for? We DO have to save women’s sports. And we all have to stand up for it. Hailey deserves this record, and the next girl after her. Who knows, maybe Razel"
CHECK IT OUT: 100 sports records and the stories behind them
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