Throwback Thursday: Joni Huntley
November 07, 2019 | Women's Track & Field
This week's edition of Throwback Thursday features a trailblazer in track & field history who helped female athletes gain recognition on a national scale. As a four-time national champion in the high jump, All-American Joni Huntley would etch her name into the Oregon State history books for years to come.
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Joni Huntley shattered records and broke barriers for female athletes across the country throughout her impressive career.  At one time, she was the best high jumper in the United States and one of the best in the world. As the first woman to receive an athletic scholarship from Oregon State, Huntley would make her mark as one of OSU's all-time great female athletes.
Born in Sheridan, Ore., Huntley was a high-school standout in track & field as she won six state titles from 1972-74 at Sheridan High School. At a time when Steve Prefontaine was the face of track, Huntley set an American record by becoming the first woman to clearing 6 feet in the high jump which she achieved at the state meet.
Huntley went on to letter at Oregon State from 1975-78. She won the high jump as a freshman in 1975 and twice competed in the Olympics – at Montreal in 1976 and Los Angeles in 1984. She was also the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women's (AIAW) national champion and an All-American in the high jump and long jump in 1975 during her first year in Corvallis. Huntley was the U.S. National champion in the high jump from 1974-77 and would go on to receive a bronze medal for a third-place finish at the 1984 Olympics.
She was the gold medalist in the high jump at the 1975 Pan American Games and won the bronze medal in the same event in the 1983 Pan American Games.
She was the recipient of the prestigious Hayward Award in 1974 which signifies the state's top amateur athlete. During her career, she was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. five times and appeared in the top 10 for 13 consecutive years. Huntley was inducted into the Oregon State Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and to the State of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Most recently, Huntley was named to the Pac-12 Conference's All-Century Women's Track & Field Team in 2016.
She is still the school record-holder in the high jump (6' 2.75") and ranks No. 5 all-time in the long jump (19-6.25).
Follow Us on Social
For more information on the Oregon State women's track and field team, visit OSUBeavers.com or follow the team's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/BeaverTFXC, on Facebook at Facebook.com/BeaverTFXC, or on Instagram at Instagram.com/BeaverTFXC.
Â
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
Â
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Joni Huntley shattered records and broke barriers for female athletes across the country throughout her impressive career.  At one time, she was the best high jumper in the United States and one of the best in the world. As the first woman to receive an athletic scholarship from Oregon State, Huntley would make her mark as one of OSU's all-time great female athletes.
Born in Sheridan, Ore., Huntley was a high-school standout in track & field as she won six state titles from 1972-74 at Sheridan High School. At a time when Steve Prefontaine was the face of track, Huntley set an American record by becoming the first woman to clearing 6 feet in the high jump which she achieved at the state meet.
Huntley went on to letter at Oregon State from 1975-78. She won the high jump as a freshman in 1975 and twice competed in the Olympics – at Montreal in 1976 and Los Angeles in 1984. She was also the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women's (AIAW) national champion and an All-American in the high jump and long jump in 1975 during her first year in Corvallis. Huntley was the U.S. National champion in the high jump from 1974-77 and would go on to receive a bronze medal for a third-place finish at the 1984 Olympics.
She was the gold medalist in the high jump at the 1975 Pan American Games and won the bronze medal in the same event in the 1983 Pan American Games.
She was the recipient of the prestigious Hayward Award in 1974 which signifies the state's top amateur athlete. During her career, she was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. five times and appeared in the top 10 for 13 consecutive years. Huntley was inducted into the Oregon State Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and to the State of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Most recently, Huntley was named to the Pac-12 Conference's All-Century Women's Track & Field Team in 2016.
She is still the school record-holder in the high jump (6' 2.75") and ranks No. 5 all-time in the long jump (19-6.25).
Follow Us on Social
For more information on the Oregon State women's track and field team, visit OSUBeavers.com or follow the team's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/BeaverTFXC, on Facebook at Facebook.com/BeaverTFXC, or on Instagram at Instagram.com/BeaverTFXC.
Â
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
Â
Writing Her Chapter - Sydney Guthrie-Baker Shares Her Dam Change Story
Wednesday, February 17
Oregon State Track and Field
Tuesday, June 14
Track & Field Recap: High Performance Meet 5/1/15
Tuesday, June 14
Track & Field Dual Meet vs Utah Recap 3/21/15
Tuesday, June 14
