National champion track coach John Smith speaks at George Fox Legacy League luncheon Sept. 27

September 16, 2019

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Annie Wright, a national heptathlon champ, also scheduled to speak

NEWBERG, Ore. – Highly successful George Fox University track and field coach John Smith will speak when the university’s Legacy League opens its 119th year with a luncheon on Friday, Sept. 27, at noon in Canyon Commons.

Smith will discuss his coaching philosophy and how he ended up in a head coaching role, his development of teams and milestones, and a brief history of his time as an athlete at George Fox. Joining him will be Annie Wright, this year’s national NCAA Division III champion in the heptathlon, who also will speak.

Last year, Smith was named National Coach of the Year for NCAA Division III by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association when he guided his George Fox women’s team to the 2018 NCAA Division III national title, the third national championship in Bruin sports history. He is a seven-time Northwest Conference track and field and NCAA Division III West Region track and field coach of the year.

Wright is the reigning NCAA Division III National Field Athlete of the Year, a first in George Fox track history. She is an eight-time NCAA All-American and was a member of George Fox’s 2018 NCAA Division III national champion track and field team and third-place 2019 team. She was this year’s indoor and outdoor national champion in the pentathlon and heptathlon. A health and human performance graduate, she is pursuing a master of arts in teaching degree to become a secondary school physical education teacher.

The Legacy League, until a year ago known as the George Fox Auxiliary, was renamed but without a change in mission or purpose. Through its activities it raises funds for student scholarships. Last year it raised more than $25,000. Each year its endowment fund provides three scholarships.

Reservations for the luncheon ($10) must be made by Wednesday, Sept. 25. RSVP to Judy Woolsey at 503-538-7314, Connie Magee at 503-927-5011, or online at georgefox.edu/legacyleague.

George Fox University is ranked by Forbes among the top Christian universities in the country and is a Christian college classified by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best National University.” More than 4,000 students attend classes on the university’s campus in Newberg, Ore., and at teaching centers in Portland, Salem and Redmond, Ore. George Fox offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 40 majors, degree-completion programs for working adults, seven seminary degrees, and 13 master’s and doctoral degrees.

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Contact:
Sean Patterson
University Editor
George Fox University
503-554-2127