Hall of Fame
Cindy Springman graduated from Muscatine High School in Muscatine, Iowa in 1980 after an outstanding prep career as a long-distance runner in both cross-country and track. Springman brought her talent to Truman and would go on to be a four-year letterwinner in both sports, as well as graduate as one of the top 10 Agriculture students (with a focus in the Equine Studies). Springman made an auspicious debut as a Bulldog harrier, placing first in her first two meets as a freshman (the CMSU Mule Festival and the NWMS Bearcat Classic). Springman then set the school record in the 5,000 meters at the Southwest Missouri State Ozark Invitational with a time of 18:03. She would break her own record with a first-place finish at the MAIAW individual championship with a time of 17:56. She went on to finish 10th at the AIAW Division II Region 6 Championships, qualifying for the national championship race. Springman's freshman campaign came to a disappointing end at the national meet when she collapsed just 200 meters from the finish with a fractured thigh bone. She was in eighth place at the time of the injury. The lingering effects of the injury prevented Springman from competing until late October of her sophomore year, but she recovered sufficiently to qualify for nationals again with a fifth place finish at the regional meet. In her finest moment as a Bulldog harrier, Springman became the first female cross-country runner in Truman history to earn All-American honors with a 20th place finish at the national meet with a time of 18:48. Team improvement characterized the second half of Springman's Truman career. During her junior season, the team finished second at the MIAA championships. Despite being hampered by bursitis for part of the year, Springman ran a season best of 18:19 at the Central College (Iowa) meet and her time of 19:09 was good for sixth in the conference and 15th in the region in her final race of the season. As a senior Springman was the co-captain of a vastly improved Bulldog squad that captured first place in four regular season meets. She was the top Truman finisher in each race, finishing first at the Northwest Missouri State Invitational (18:42), finishing first and breaking the course record at the Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Invitational (19:05), finishing second at the Missouri-Rolla Miner Invitational (18:00) and taking third at the Washington University Invitational (18:22). The entire Truman squad went on to qualify for the regional meet by virtue of a third place finish at the MIAA championships (Springman finished fifth, 18:39). The team fell just two places short of qualifying for nationals, finishing fourth at the regional competition (Springman finished 13th, 18:42). Springman also enjoyed a prolific career competing in indoor and outdoor track. As a sophomore she set the school indoor record for 1,000 yards with a time of 2:50.8. She also set a school record in her fourth-place finish at the MIAA championships with a 38:16.6 in the 10,000 meter run. As a junior Springman enjoyed her most outstanding track season. She broke school indoor records in both the two-mile and three-mile runs with times of 11:22.2 and 17:22.3, respectively. During the outdoor portion of the campaign Springman broke school records in the 3,000 meters (10:36.7) and the 10,000 meters (37:30.0). She qualified for nationals in the 10,000 and went on to finish 18th at the national meet. In her final campaign for the Bulldogs Springman again lowered her school records in two events, setting the bar at 11:12.1 for the two-mile distance indoors at the MIAA Championships and 36:43.0 in the 10,000 meters, again qualifying for the national meet in this event.
