Penny Graves Hewlett (2015) - Hall of Fame - University of Oregon Athletics

Penny Graves Hewlett

Induction:
2015
Class:
1988

A six-time track and cross country All-American, Penny Graves Hewlett was one of the cornerstones for the Ducks’ elite women’s distance contingents of the late 1980s as she played an integral role in a trio of Pac-10 Conference championship teams and one national title. The three-time individual conference winner and two-time Pac-10 Cross Country Athlete of the Year (1986 and 1988) was the epitome of a student-athlete who put her teams’ successes above any individual achievements. However the Port Angeles, Wash., standout wasn’t one to shy away from the competition as it was her work ethic and drive that helped make those around her better. The 1986 league cross country champion and 13^th-place NCAA meet finisher claimed the conference’s 1,500-meter title on the track her junior year and added the championship at 5,000 meters as a senior. She placed 12^th in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 1987 and a team-best 10^th at the national cross country meet in her final race as a collegian. On the oval, her intensity was unmatched. Graves Hewlett scored sixth in the NCAA 5,000 in 1987 before finishing third in the 3,000 and fourth in the national collegiate 5,000 meters her senior year. Qualifying for the 1988 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters before finishing 10^th in the latter event, she was named to Oregon’s track & field All-Decade Team in 1996 after completing her collegiate career fourth on the Ducks’ all-time ledger at 3,000 (9:07.86) and 5,000 meters (15:50.41). Her success in the classroom didn’t take a back seat to her athletic prowess as the 3rd-Team Academic All-American was the recipient of the University’s Jackson Award as the school’s top women’s intercollegiate senior athlete in 1989.