Throughout the 2014–15 school year, the Ohio Valley Conference will celebrate the stories of pioneers and leaders from each of our member institutions who paved and continue to pave the way for future generations of student-athletes and administrators. Check back here often and check out www.OVCSports.com/Diversity to learn more.
The Ohio Valley Conference has had a long history of successful track and field athletes and Olympians. One of those who blazed a trail at Eastern Kentucky University was Jackie Humphrey-Corbin.
Humphrey-Corbin (1985–88) was a standout athlete at Eastern Kentucky and culminated her career by being named the overall 1987–88 OVC Female Athlete of the Year. During her career, she was a six-time NCAA All-American and competed at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in each of her years at EKU.
She still holds the OVC outdoor record in the 100-meter hurdles with the incredible time of 13.3 seconds, which she ran in 1986.
Humphrey-Corbin’s mark on history was further cemented in the summer of 1988 when she represented the United States at the games of the
XXIV Olympiad in Seoul, South Korea. She qualified for the summer games by running at the time the sixth-fastest time ever by an American in the 100-meter hurdles in 12.83 seconds to win the U.S. Olympic Trials and top several U.S. standouts, including Gail Devers.
Prior to heading to the Olympics, she was honored by the city of Richmond, Ky., with “Jackie Humphrey Day” on August 29, 1988.
She finished seventh in a semifinal heat in
Seoul.
Humphrey-Corbin’s contributions while at Eastern Kentucky helped cement the Colonels as one of the top track and field programs in the Ohio Valley Conference. While in school, she helped her team win the 1985 and 1986 OVC Indoor Track & Field Championships and the 1985, 1986 and 1988 OVC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
EKU has gone on to win four OVC Indoor Women’s Track & Field and 11 OVC Outdoor Women’s Track & Field Championships.
All of her accomplishments were recognized in 2006 when she was inducted into the inaugural
Eastern Kentucky Hall of Fame.