2008 Woodie Awards
BREAKING NEWS: SIUE women's track star says she has left university
Announcement comes after assistant track and field coach was let go by SIUE
Josh McCarty
Issue date: 7/9/08 Section: Sports
A week after she represented SIUE in the 2008 Olympic trials, junior Deserea Brown has left the university.
The former SIUE track and field standout confirmed Friday she has asked for and been given her release from SIUE.
"I will not be coming back," Brown said. "As far as SIUE is concerned, that bridge is burned."
The decision comes three days after the assistant track and field coach Ben Beyers was let go by head track and field coach David Astrauskas.
"I really don't feel like SIUE has my interest in heart or any of my teammates," Brown said. "You don't just get there on your own, you get there with your coach. You come to trust your coach. To cut that out before you graduate… They don't care about the athletes."
Astrauskas was not immediately available for comment Friday afternoon.
Brown is coming off of her best season as an athlete, winning two national titles, earning multiple All-American awards and making it to the semi-finals in Olympic qualifying meets. For her, this past week puts a dark cloud over those accolades.
"It does tarnish it," Brown said. "I ran at the Olympic trials, and I wore SIUE everyday with pride. Now I wish I was unattached. I'm very hurt by what they did."
For more information, check alestlelive.com and see Wednesday's edition of The Alestle.
The former SIUE track and field standout confirmed Friday she has asked for and been given her release from SIUE.
"I will not be coming back," Brown said. "As far as SIUE is concerned, that bridge is burned."
The decision comes three days after the assistant track and field coach Ben Beyers was let go by head track and field coach David Astrauskas.
"I really don't feel like SIUE has my interest in heart or any of my teammates," Brown said. "You don't just get there on your own, you get there with your coach. You come to trust your coach. To cut that out before you graduate… They don't care about the athletes."
Astrauskas was not immediately available for comment Friday afternoon.
Brown is coming off of her best season as an athlete, winning two national titles, earning multiple All-American awards and making it to the semi-finals in Olympic qualifying meets. For her, this past week puts a dark cloud over those accolades.
"It does tarnish it," Brown said. "I ran at the Olympic trials, and I wore SIUE everyday with pride. Now I wish I was unattached. I'm very hurt by what they did."
For more information, check alestlelive.com and see Wednesday's edition of The Alestle.
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