TSU unveils new
Olympic Plaza
By Nate Rau, Sports
Correspondent
May 26, 2005
Before they
competed on sport�s grandest stage, some of the greatest
athletes in United States Olympic history first represented
Tennessee State University.
To honor names like Wilma Rudolph, Ralph Boston, Wyomia Tyus,
Edith McGuire Duvall, Chandra Cheeseborough and many other
former Tigers-turned-Olympians, the university will dedicate
its brand new Olympic Plaza
Saturday at 10 a.m. The plaza will be located at the north
end of the main TSU campus next to the Gentry Center.
�It�s often said, and rightly so, that TSU has won more
medals than most countries,� said Steve Gillett, TSU
director of campus planning. �This is to honor those
athletes.�
The number of TSU athletes to compete in the Olympics has
reached 59, with Paralympian Ryan Fann as the most recent.
Those athletes have won 17 gold medals, eight silver and
seven bronze.
The plaza, which was still receiving finishing touches this
week, will feature a 46-foot tall monument, creating by TSU
arts professor Jane-Allen McKinney to honor the Tigers�
Olympic tradition.
The sculpture, which is of an athletic figure carrying a
torch, is comprised of brass, aluminum and copper, which
represent the gold, silver and bronze medals won by TSU
athletes at the Games. The amount of material used is equal
to the number of medals each one represents.
The plaza will be adorned with commemorative bricks bearing
the names of all past TSU Olympians and will have space
available for bricks for future Olympians from the
university.
�The Olympic Plaza and sculpture are there symbolically as
part of the TSU Olympic legacy,� Gillett said.
Every one of the 59 TSU Olympians will have their name
represented on a brick at the plaza and more room will be
left for future TSU Olympic team members.
Cheeseborough, who now coaches the TSU women�s track and
field team, won three medals at the 1984 Olympics. She came
back to Nashville with two gold medals and one silver.
�It�s an honor because a lot of years have passed,�
Cheeseborough said. �A lot of people put their blood, sweat
and tears into this. Thank God for the vision of the
university to honor those [athletes] who have gone before
us.�
reprinted from the
Nashville City Paper com, photo by M.J. Masotti Jr.
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