University of South Dakota Athletics

One of the all-time great sprinters in the NCC and NCAA Division II, Gdowski won three MVP titles, 19 NCC individual and team titles while competing for South Dakota from 1988-91. An eight-time all-American, Gdowski had 11 team or individual indoor titles and eight outdoor titles. With fellow inductee Siebels-Cleveringa, Gdowski helped transform the women's track and field program into one of the nation's best in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Gdowski, a three-time outdoors 400 meter champ in 1988-90, also won two 200 meter outdoor titles as well as anchored four winning 4x400 meter relay squads (outdoor). She was fourth in 1990 (55.03) in the 400-meter dash and anchored the third place 4x400 meter relay squads at the 1990 NCAA outdoor nationals. Indoors, she won three straight 400 meter titles from 1989-91, two 300 meter (discontinued) titles and anchored four 4x400 meter relay squads. From 1988-90, Gdowski anchored the 4x400 relay that finished fifth in 1988, second in 1989 and fourth in 1990 at the NCAA Division II indoor nationals. She still holds the NCC record in the 300 meter run at 39.82. Originally of Fremont, Neb., Gdowski scored 20 points at both the 1989 and the 1990 NCC meets. She received a BSED degree in 1991 from USD.