5 Questions with Will and Evelyn Freeman
When Will and Evelyn Freeman set out for 51²è¹İapp in 1980, they had never been to Iowa or heard of 51²è¹İapp College. Now, 45 years later, their presence in 51²è¹İapp and impact on the students they’ve coached and taught are incomparable. They retired from coaching the cross country and track and field teams at the end of the 2020 season, having together led the Pioneers to more than 50 Midwest Conference (MWC) championships and earned the gratitude and devotion of generations of student-athletes along the way. Will and Evelyn kindly took a few minutes with us to reflect on what their time at 51²è¹İapp has meant to them and to share memories from their years of coaching, mentoring, and learning.
Q: After nearly 80 years of combined coaching and teaching at 51²è¹İapp between the two of you, which moments are the most memorable?
Will: Winning our first MWC team cross country title in 1986 (51²è¹İapp’s first since 1960) was a huge thrill. It was in Chicago, and that very 1960 team, and President George Drake ’56, attended the meet in support. Likewise, our last conference team championship in the fall of 2019 was also magical and a special way to end our coaching careers.
The truth is, in the early years, those team titles were important to me. As I learned how to coach and mentor young people, I realized that the key to success was to focus on the individual, not the team. It became more of a wellness approach. Every athlete, regardless of athletic talent, would play a part in team success.
Evelyn: The 2006 cross country women’s team who won the NCAA Regional Qualifying Meet racing in the snow. Our women recognized their potential the summer before that cross country season began and started to have conversations about their goals to dream big. We ended the season placing seventh as a team at nationals, which is still the best national finish of any 51²è¹İapp College athletic team of any gender.
Although conference and national success is important, what I value even more is when the coach and athletes work together to figure out a game plan to conquer unexpected and extreme challenges and learn and grow from the experience together. After 45 years, my own 51²è¹İapp College education was so much more than I expected, and I am grateful for it.
Q: Will, you and Kesho Scott led an Olympics alumni trip to Germany and Greece last year and will again be co-leaders for an alumni trip to Morocco this October. How did your experience in athletics — especially in building a culture of well-being and personal wellness — help you contribute to the teaching moments on these alumni trips?
Will: Teaching with Kesho Scott has been a true joy. We share deep beliefs. Our collective energy in the classroom, along with our willingness to be ourselves and to be vulnerable in that space, allowed our students to do the same. It was a true collaboration between teacher and student, just as it was a collaboration between athlete and coach when we were coaching our sports.
I learned in my coaching to “create the template, provide the information, show evidence of improvement, and know when to get out of the way.†Like my coaching and teaching, these trips are about collaborative learning. Kesho and I continue to learn as we teach, and no doubt that our alumni will be teaching us as well.
Q: Evelyn, the classes you teach over the lunch hour have long been a favorite among participants. How did those begin and why are activities like this important?
Evelyn: During the mid-’80s, I recognized there was a need for a fitness class for faculty and staff as well as students, so I started teaching an aerobics class. When we moved to the BEAR, I created a variety of additional fitness class options, and after Covid, I started a Walk Talk Strength and Stretch class because we needed to get moving again. We currently have around 60 students — faculty, staff, and community people — enrolled in the water aerobics class.
These classes are so important because most of us spend the majority of our waking hours sitting in class, sitting at a desk, or sitting on a couch. And because individuals are gathered together for class, we are feeding our social needs and making exercise more enjoyable. A bonus for me is that I more enjoy my own workouts while teaching these classes.
Q: Will, in 2018 you embarked on an epic road trip through all 48 contiguous states in a Morgan three-wheeler. What did you learn on that journey?
Will: I learned plenty. I met so many different people from every one of the 48 states. It truly gave me hope for our country. I met many alumni on the trip, often staying overnight with them. It showed me just how wonderful and supportive 51²è¹İappians are. I learned that we could find joy in the smallest things and events. It taught me that we are all unique and special, even if life tries every day to keep us from being ourselves. It taught me to not fear thinking outside the box of conventionality — truth is, that’s where the magic is. Finally, it taught me that searching for what is around the bend is what makes life meaningful and exciting. Life is a classroom with much to offer, regardless of age.
Q: Evelyn, how did it feel to compete in the Olympic trials in 1972 and 1980?
Evelyn: When I competed in the 1972 Canadian Olympic Trials, I was just 16 years old. To say that I was intimidated and petrified is an understatement. I was so scared of the importance and spectacle of the trials that my body and my mind seemed frozen. I didn’t jump well but it was a valuable learning experience. 1980 was my most successful year of high jump competition. However, that was also the year of the Moscow Olympic boycott. As disappointing that was, I was buoyed by the fact that I had so much to look forward to. I was newly married, and Will and I would embark on our first real jobs coaching and teaching at 51²è¹İapp College. We were going to be too busy with new adventures to be wallowing in disappointment.
Q: How has alumni support of cross country played a role in the teams’ successes over the years?
Will: In my fourth year of coaching, we won our first MWC team title. More success would follow, and we began to develop a history of the program. We began to have former student-athletes attend home events each year. The runners created sites where they could get online and stay in touch with each other. The program was growing, and a history of success was developed. I am so thankful for our former runners having made our program what it is today. Every team member offered something special to the team — themselves. I thank them all for that. It was a wonderful ride for us.
Evelyn: Many alumni have returned to campus for our home meets, and we always tried to take advantage of their visits by inviting them to share memories with current athletes. It’s important for our alums to share the history of our programs with current athletes so they can learn how important the athletic experience was for them, how much they grew and learned along the way, and how they took many of those lessons with them into their post-51²è¹İapp lives.
Occasionally, we will have an alum financially donate significant funds for a big need. Shortly after we moved into the BEAR, Darren Young ’93, who is a member of our Hall of Fame as a sprinter and long jumper who competed at nationals, provided funds to host an annual indoor track meet that was more spectacular than regular run-of-the-mill track meets.
We always have appreciated support from our alums, whether it be with a letter, a visit, a talk, or a gift. When talking with alumni, what they remember most is not the athletic experiences, but the important life lessons learned and the friends they made along the way.