Stephanie Hightower

Stephanie Hightower (born July 19, 1958) is an American former hurdler, community leader, nonprofit executive, and former president of USA Track & Field (USATF). She is a four-time U.S. Champion at 100 meter hurdles and a five-time U.S. Indoor Champion at 60 meter hurdles. She also won the 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials, but was prevented from competing in the Moscow Olympics due to the boycott. She won a silver medal at the 1987 Pan American Games.

Hightower became president of USA Track & Field in December 2008. She resigned as chair of the USATF board in April 2015 and was elected to the IAAF Council in August 2015 She resigned as president of USATF in December 2016. Since 2011, she has served as the first female president and CEO of the Columbus Urban League in Columbus, Ohio.

Early life Stephanie A. Hightower was born on July 19, 1958, in Louisville, Kentucky, into a military family. Her parents were originally from Warren, Ohio, and her maternal uncle is Paul Warfield, the Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver who played for the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins and competed as an athlete at The Ohio State University. Hightower's father served in the U.S. military for 30 years, including tours in Vietnam and Korea, and the family lived in multiple locations during her childhood, including Maryland, Washington D.C., Germany, and Kentucky. While living in Germany in sixth and seventh grade, Hightower initially aspired to be a ballerina. Her athletic ability emerged during an "Olympic Day" event at school, where she discovered she could outrun her male classmates.

Athletic career Hightower was a collegiate track star at Ohio State University . From 1977 to 1980, she did not lose a race in the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles or the 100-meter hurdles, and earned Big Ten Conference, NCAA and National championship titles. She held 11 Big Ten and Ohio State records and set a world record in the 60-yard hurdles. Hightower missed the 1984 Summer Olympics, finishing fourth in what looked like a four-way tie at the Olympic Trials. Kim Turner won the race in 13.12 seconds, with Benita Fitzgerald-Brown in second, Pam Page in third and Hightower in fourth, all running 13.13 seconds, in what was possibly the closest elite race in history. The photo of the finish was later used for instruction in the use of photo finish devices.

Administration Twenty-eight years later, as President of USATF, Hightower was part of the administrative committee formed to settle another controversial close finish, when Jeneba Tarmoh and Allyson Felix tied for the final qualifying spot in the 2012 Olympic Trials.

After retiring from competition, Hightower has held various positions with the USATF, including serving as assistant manager for Team USA at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, head manager at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain, chief of delegation for Team USA at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships in Paris,

Post-athletic career Following her retirement from competitive track and field in 1988, Hightower pursued leadership roles across government, education, and the nonprofit sector in Columbus, Ohio. She served as president of the Columbus Board of Education from 2001 to 2005, overseeing a district with an annual budget of approximately $1.3 billion. She also served in the Columbus Mayor's cabinet for Sports Development. She is the organization's eighth president and CEO. Silver medal, 1987 Pan American Games

National titles Four-time U.S. 100 meter hurdles Champion (1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984) Five-time U.S. Indoor 60 meter hurdles Champion (1980, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1986) Won 1980 USA Olympic Trials

International competitions