Sue Davis, Millennium Hall of Fame

Anything beyond running and cycling, and Sue Davis will tell you to

go jump in a lake.

While triathlons seem to gain more notoriety in the mainstream of

sports journalism, there are plenty of multifaceted athletes, like Davis,

who prefer to create their own moisture.

“It’s too cold to get in the water,” said Davis, who captured her

first age-division (35-39) duathlon world championship last Saturday at

Huntersville, N.C.

Davis, who won her second national championship in the run-bike-run

endeavor earlier this year, has gone from volleyball to running marathons

to duathlons.

Unusual for a runner, Davis has increased her speed as she gets older.

On the Fourth of July this year at the Huntington Beach 5K, Davis

recorded a personal best of 17 minutes 39 seconds at age 36.

But winning her first world championship in the duathlon, finishing

second overall among women, puts an exclamation point on the Costa Mesa

resident’s career after several years of training.

“I’m told that triathlons are easier than duathlons, because in

swimming you don’t really use your legs as much, and in running and

biking, it’s all legs,” said Davis, whose 5-foot-6, 120-pound frame is

perfectly chiseled to endure the duathlon rigors.

Davis also won a duathlon national championship in the 30-34 age

division in 1997.

“I’d have to say I’m a really hard worker, because I only o7 wishf7

I was one of those gifted athletes,” Davis said. “It took me six years to

win (a world championship), so it’s not like I’m an overnight success. I

just work really hard and attribute (my work ethic) to my background in

club volleyball.”

Davis, an original member of the Orange County Volleyball Club and a

former Corona del Mar High standout, was in the right place at the right

time when women’s athletics received a boost from Title IX, the NCAA

ruling on gender equality in the 1970s.

But, after earning a volleyball scholarship to Arizona State and

playing for the Sun Devils for two years, her knees could no longer take

the wear and tear on the hard court.

Nine months after retiring from volleyball, Davis ran her first

marathon and the beginning of a second athletic career was underway.

Eventually, Davis added cycling to her workout regiment and her

longtime mentor and former teacher at CdM, Bill Leach, inspired her to

try duathlons.

Now, she’s on top of the world.

“I can’t tell you how lucky I was to grow up in a community where it

was totally acceptable for girls to play sports,” said Davis, who was in

CdM’s Class of 1980, but graduated early in December 1979. “I’d practice

(volleyball) three hours a day, six days a week and think, ‘Don’t all

girls do that?’

“I can’t think of a better experience than growing up here and playing

sports. This community, in my observation at least, is pretty supportive

of female sports. In my era, volleyball and tennis were big for girls.

Now, I can’t imagine anybody not doing sports.”

Davis, who often cycles to work, runs during her lunch break and

cycles home, started playing volleyball at age 11. Dale Flickinger, who

would later coach Davis at Arizona State, was her first club coach, then

later she played club under Charlie Brande. “With Charlie, we basically

had an all-star team, with two players from Corona del Mar, two players

from Newport Harbor and two players from Laguna Beach,” she said.

In four years at CdM, Davis was part of a core of players who “put CdM

volleyball on the map.” Corona del Mar advanced to the CIF Southern

Section 4-A finals all four years, winning titles in the fall of 1977

(under Coach Kathy Blumer) and ’78 (under Coach Mike Cram).

In ‘77, CdM swept Newport Harbor, 15-7, 15-10, in the first of four

meetings in the CIF finals between the Back Bay rivals in girls

volleyball.

Davis, who today trains with her husband, Jeff, has competed in six

marathons, but none recently. Her best time is 3 hours, six minutes,

accomplished at the San Diego Marathon.

“Usually, every time I utter the word marathon, I get injured,” said

Davis, injury-free for about eight years now, and liking it.

Davis, however, is strongly considering a return to marathon running,

hoping that with her improved speed she can crack the three-hour barrier.

“With the Olympic qualifying mark at 2:50, I’d really consider it,” Davis

said.

As a prelude to her duathlon career, Davis ran cross country at Irvine

Valley College under Leach when the community college first opened its

doors in 1991. She was one of several runners in their late 20s or early

30s, and IVC went on to win the state championship.

Davis, whose goal is to break the three-hour marathon milestone at age

40, has worked for the city of Newport Beach the past 15 years in the

Marine Department. And, today, she becomes the latest member of the Daily

Pilot Sports Hall of Fame, celebrating the millennium.