(Photo – UNI Athletics)
Former Roland-Story standout Crystal (Cook) Hanson was announced as a member of the UNI Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025 on Monday afternoon. Hanson joins former Eagle Grove athlete and coach Marv Reiland as a member of the 7-inductee class, which will be formally inducted on August 29th in Cedar Falls.
Hanson, a Roland native, won 3 individual state titles in her track and field career at Roland-Story, winning the 2A Girls High Jump in 2002 and 2003, while also capturing the 2A 100m hurdles title in 2003, and won a Drake Relays title in the high jump as well. Hanson also was a two-time all-state volleyball player for the Norsemen, named 2nd-team by the IGCA in 2001 and 1st-team by the IGCA in 2002.
Following a stellar prep career, Hanson would attend UNI and originally play volleyball for the Panthers in 2003, before joining the track and field program in 2004, as Hanson won back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference indoor and outdoor titles in 2007 and 2008 in the high jump, with a career-best jump of 5′ 8.75″, as the UNI women won both the MVC Indoor and Outdoor team titles in 2008.