Ohio University lands a star runner

By J.D. Estep
Richwood High School

"On you mark! Get set! Go!"

And the two racers were off. They were head-to-head and going as fast as their little feet would allow. One of the racers started to pull ahead.

"Go! Run! Hurry!" cheered the excited children of the neighborhood.

As the runners neared the end of the street, Pam Nettles took a definite lead and slowed to a stop for an easy victory. She had just beaten Jay Hewitt.

This neighborhood foot race was the first of Pam Nettles' many victories in her running career, but few have felt as good as that particular race.

Today, her childhood opponent -- a former Richwood High star athlete -- is playing basketball for Gale Catlett's Mountaineers at West Virginia University. Now Nettles, a Richwood senior, is off to Ohio University on a track-and-field scholarship.

"I am pretty nervous because I won't know anybody," she said. "But I felt very comfortable with the team and coaches, and I am sure they will make me feel at home."

At Ohio University, Nettles is expected to run the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, compete in the long jump and maintain a 3.0 grade point average.

She plans to major in public relations and minor in business. Her personal goals as far as track and field are simple ones. She hopes to make it to the nationals, run anchor for the relay teams and run in the lower lanes in the 100-meter dash.

Ohio University wasn't always in the cards for Nettles. She had received a full scholarship to Duke University for track and field, but the university took back the scholarship for undisclosed reasons. That was a huge disappointment for her.

"I was very hurt, but I know that God has a purpose for everything he does and I think it turned out for the best," she said.

Paul Nettles, her father and longtime track coach, said he knew when his daughter was young that she would be an excellent runner.

"I think it was in about the third grade and Pam's P.E. teacher came to me and said the Pam was turning in times that he had never seen before," he recalled. "She was beating everybody."

He said that he is glad to be both track coach and father. "I have heard people say it differently, but, for me, I feel very fortunate to have a daughter with her ability, and also to be able to coach her. Sure, we have our moments, but every coach and player or runner do. A long time ago, we decided that if she acted like a child then I would treat her like a child. But, we leave it on the track."

Late in last year's season, Nettles suffered a broken foot that continues to affect her running. "I am not in shape and it is showing," she said. "It really hurt me last year."

Her father said that she is at about 90 percent right now. "But I think we will see a big difference in the next two weeks. She should be back to normal. Her cast caused her to lose a lot of strength in her ankle, and strength is hard to get back. The injury itself really didn't cause any problems; it was the cast that hurt her.

"Pam has a number of strengths," he added, "but her top two are her God-given athletic ability and she is a hard worker. Her one weakness is that it is hard for her to motivate herself for an everyday track meet. If it is for something big, like the state meet or the Gazette Relays, than she has no problem getting motivated."

Injuries and other factors have made Nettles' running career one of ups and downs.

"My highest moment in running was when I broke the state record in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore," she said. "My lowest was probably my entire senior year. I kept getting beat all the time due to the injury and that is hard to get used to."