Groenendaal remains track worthy

Former North Salem HS, U of O, International Runner still cruising the oval

In the late 1970s, Claudette Groenendaal (Grew-nen-doll) was a national track and field phenom. Competing as a freshman at the then-three grade level North Salem High School, Claudette finished second in the 1500 meters, and was a member of the Vikings 4X400 meter relay, leading her team to the third place trophy in the 1978 OSAA Track and Field Championships.  Later, she was a dominant force as part of the University of Oregon women’s cross country and track teams.

Now, at age 58, Claudette still looks like she can motor around the track with anyone half her age.  And while she has definitely dialed back her training regimen, her competitive edge has her always pushing her limits—much in the same manner as she did in becoming a U of O Hall of Famer in 1997.

I had the chance to interview Claudette this week while she made a stop in Salem for some personal business, which included spending time with tracksters from her beloved North Salem High.  Claudette fondly remembers her time at North, but when pressed about whether she had an influence on any of her teammates, she is decidedly uncertain.

“I’d like to think I was an influencer like that, but I’m not sure that I was,” she admits.

“I had some fabulous teammates… but if I encouraged someone to run, I’m not aware of it, but I’d be thrilled to know that I did. That would make me happy.”

Claudette’s list of OSAA state meet achievements at North included three second-place finishes in the 1500 meters, with one state title in 1979, and three third-place medals in the 800 meters. She also was an All-State honoree and Prep All-American. When Groenendaal graduated from North Salem in 1981, she was doggedly pursued by Stanford University to join their track team.  Despite their repeated overtures, Claudette said she never wavered in choosing her home-state Ducks.

“It was really hard for me as an Oregon athlete, not to go to Oregon,” she admits.

“The excitement I got going to Hayward Field… there was like track royalty there, watching Alberto (Salazar) and the whole team… and so, even though it was a tough choice… Stanford is a wonderful school… I went with my heart and I have been very happy with my decision.”

The Oregon Ducks were also thrilled with Claudette’s choice.  She was a valuable member of the Cross Country team, which won a national title in 1983.  But Groenendaal really strutted her stuff for the track squad her junior and senior years.  In 1984, Claudette won the 1500 and placed second in the 800 at the NCAA Championships, then flipped the script in 1985 with a first in the 800, and a second in the 1500 as the Ducks won their lone NCAA track title.  She was named the team’s performer of the year.

Claudette recalls how her mental attitude changed before her junior year, and helped her to push ahead of the competition at crunch time.

“I was still doing the same workouts I had done the first two years, but I remember telling myself that if I was in the lead group (of a race) near the end, that I was going to win,” she remembers.

“It was like my body took over what had been in my head, and it just escalated from that.”

When she moved onto the international stage in 1984, Claudette found success during her first race in Oslo, Norway.  She finished second in a very fast field of runners—losing only to Romanian Doina Melinte, who later won the Olympic Gold medal in the 800 in Los Angeles.

Claudette finished her career at Oregon as a six-time All American, and held the NCAA record in the 800 meters (1.58.33) for an astounding 25 years, from 1985 until 2010.  In her record-setting race at the USA Track and Field Championships, she actually finished second to world renowned distance runner Mary Slaney, who set the American record in her victory.

Claudette’s shift to international (and professional) competition was a time of mixed and sometimes frustrating results—mostly due to overtraining on her part.

“There is so much more I know today, that I didn’t know then…  and (when it came to training),  I occasionally needed to back off,” she admits.

“Sometimes, I couldn’t tell the difference.”

Those training frustrations translated into disappointing finishes during Olympic years, which kept her from ever competing in the Games during her tenure.

Still, her time after college was not without its rewards. Besides the Oslo finish and NCAA record in the race against Slaney, Groenendaal won events on the Grand Prix professional track circuit—she switched between the 800 and 1500-in Lausanne, Rome, and London. Plus, she got to visit exotic locations all across Europe.

For a year in 1988, Claudette took a year off from running as she planned for the birth of her son, then began slowly expanding her training program as a Master’s level (aged 35 and older) runner—now training at the Santa Monica Track Club, her new home base.  She would plan her training around the practices and numerous sporting events for her son, Alex, trying to minimize the disruption in his life.

These days, Claudette is making plans to work at the World Championships in Eugene this July.  But she also would like to compete in the World Masters Championships in Finland in the weeks before the Eugene event.  She is working on running the 800 meters, but admits she is still nursing a hamstring injury—and is not certain whether she will be ready in time.

As to whether or not the competitive juices still flow for Claudette, she makes it clear that you don’t want to sit too close to her during a tight distance race on TV.

“I still get the… chills and the heart rate increasing when I watch (my) events… it is like I am going to run, even though I am pretty far removed from it now.”

It is that same fire that made Claudette such a successful elite runner for so many years, and a drive she hopes to stoke for many decades to come as a Master’s level competitor. 

I know I won’t be counting her out.

Note:  Claudette will be honored with a Beacon Award from the Salem-Keizer High School Sports Booster Club on June 18th at Salem’s Elsinore Theatre.  Tickets can still be purchased at this link.