Sept. 8, 2006

Monica Wesley, now known as Monica Swift, was a natural-born runner.

Since the age of eight, her home was the track and by the time that she reached the seventh grade, she had made the 800-meter race her bedroom. That was the event in which she sought comfort and enjoyed the most, but as she got older and improved her skills, Swift also found that she had a talent for the triple jump as well.

While she enjoyed the 800-meter race, the triple jump became Swift's specialty, and it became an instant favorite for the former Pan American track and field standout.

"You have to work on each phase of the triple jump - the hop, skip and jump. I practiced pop-ups off the incline board to help my last phase, which was the long jump part of it," Swift said about the triple jump.

Throughout her high school career, Swift was bestowed with honor of Most Valuable Performer at C.Y. Yoe High School in Cameron, TX, in each of her four seasons. Every year, she made to the regional meet, but never made the cut for the State finals. Her talents and abilities caught the eye of former head track and field coach Doug Erickson, who instantly recruited her for his program in 1988.

"I like Pan American because it was a nice, quiet place. I had planned to go to a big-time university, but Pan-Am felt like the best place for me to be," said Swift looking back at her decision to attend Pan American University.

As she entered the 1989 season, Swift brought recognition to Pan American University by becoming the first athlete to qualify for the NCAA Division I National Championships. Not only was she the first female student-athlete to qualify for nationals, but she also made history by being the first Lady Bronc student-athlete to qualify for the NCAA Division I National Championships in any sport.

That same year that Swift qualified for the national championships also marked the last year that Pan American University would go by that name. Swift became the last student-athlete to compete under Pan American University, and in September of 1990, the merger took effect and The University of Texas-Pan American became the new University name.

It didn't matter whether Swift was competing for Pan American University or The University of Texas-Pan American because she was quickly etching her name as one of the top female student-athletes in program history.

At the American South Conference Championships, Swift broke the program record in the triple jump as she performed a leap of 41-6, shattering the old record of 38-10.5. She captured the triple jump title in the American South Conference Championship and helped the Lady Broncs earn a runner-up finish.

Swift had made a name for herself around the country, and by the end of her junior season, she was invited to the Olympic Training Camp in Colorado, but was too busy finishing up her academics and chose not to attend the camp.

As her final season took shape for the Lady Broncs, Swift suffered an injury to her hamstring, but due to her competitive nature, she continued to compete in the triple jump. As a result, she continued to train and excel and even won the triple jump title at the American South Conference Championships during both the indoor and outdoor season.

"I think that I should've red-shirted that year because I had classes that I needed to take in order to graduate," said Swift looking back.

As her career at The University of Texas-Pan American came to an end, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing and went on to become a business teacher. Swift enters her 12th-year of teaching this season at Sharyland High School and also is the head track and field coach as well.

Swift kept her roots in the Rio Grande Valley along with her husband Roy Swift, who was also a student-athlete at Pan American University for four seasons (1984-87) as a member of the Bronc basketball team.

While teaching and coaching, Swift maintains that competitive edge and will be looking to receive her mid-management certificate in the near future in order to take the next step in her professional life as an administrator.

Life might be a little more hectic these days for the former Pan American standout, but just like when she was a little girl, Swift still finds herself at the track and field every day.

After all, that's where she made her home.