DePaul University Athletics
1986 Women's Cross Country Team Turned Hall of Famers
1/31/2019 2:53:00 PM | CROSS COUNTRY, ATHLETICS, WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
CHICAGO, Ill. - Reunited as a team in the place where it all started, Feb. 2 will be a memorable night for the members of the 1986 women's cross country team as they get inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame.
The real achievement came on Oct. 25, 1986 when the team beat all odds and won the North Star Conference Championship. That was the first conference title in school history.
For two members of the team, going to college was never a guarantee. Being the first in their family to attend a university, Gloria Kuiken Iverson reminisces on the great experiences she and her sister Anne Kuiken Popek gained from DePaul.
"I felt so fortunate to be given the opportunity to attend college," Iverson said. "I never expected that, not to mention the opportunity to play Division I athletics."
Throughout her time at DePaul, Iverson earned four All-Conference honors and was an MVP nominee each year spent in Lincoln Park. Looking back on her time as a Blue Demon, Iverson says she never expected anything less out of her team regarding the success they had in 1986.
"Being successful was actually very natural for us," said Iverson. "I don't think we really thought about it. We were competitive student-athletes, and if we weren't successful we would have been very disappointed in ourselves."
During the recruiting process, Iverson and her sister were recruited by Brown, North Carolina, Minnesota, Loyola and a few other Division I programs. Because of the welcoming atmosphere that was apparent from the second they stepped on campus, it didn't take long for the pair to realize they chose the right direction.
"Back when I was being recruited, my mother and father were impressed by the mission of DePaul and the sense of commitment to students who were the first in their family to attend college," Iverson said.
"At first when I chose DePaul over the other schools that offered me opportunities, I was unsure. After just a few weeks I realized I had made the perfect choice."
And many of her teammates felt the same way. After being part of the team that will go down in history, DePaul will always hold a special place in the hearts of those hard-working distance runners.
While their achievements meant the world to them, DePaul's mission and values are what ultimately left an impact that the athletes will hold with them throughout the rest of their lives.
"DePaul has a commitment to community service and that has inspired me to continue to give back," Iverson said. "I am so excited to see my old teammates and feel honored to be part of the Class of '19."
Though he wasn't here to experience that successful season, assistant cross country coach Derrick Peterson can see the impact that the 1986 team has on today's athletes.
"Having such a storied and successful past definitely makes our athletes hungrier and makes them want to achieve that same level of success if not go even further.
"The 1986 team gets brought up quite frequently and the team knows they have a legacy to uphold so they strive to do just that.
"Having the 1986 team coming back to get honored will be great for our athletes to see because they will be able to have those role models and know that can be them someday too if they continue to work hard."
