The sun beat down on Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium in late August 2009, as a freshman laced up her spikes for her first collegiate practice. Ann Dudley had no way of knowing that this would mark the beginning of her incredible collegiate athletic career.            

After four years, Dudley won championships, broke records and helped propel the MTSU track and field program to new heights.

Middle Tennessee inducted six new members into the Blue Raider Sports Hall of Fame on Friday evening with Dudley among the six recognized.  

“This ceremony means a great deal to me,” Dudley said. “When I first got here, I was not thinking when I stepped into the Murphy Center that this would be my fate going into the future.” 

During the early recruiting process, Dudley’s family and friends encouraged her to stay local in Jacksonville, Florida. However, the more they pushed her to stay in the area, the more fixated she became on coming to Tennessee. 

 “Everybody told me that I should stay home,” Dudley said. “Because of that, I was like, there has to be something good there [MTSU].”   

While Dudley left MTSU as one of the most decorated athletes in its history, it didn’t start out that way.  

The first few months of Dudley’s freshman season were the most physically and mentally challenging period of her career. She struggled to keep up in practice, continued to place last in hurdles and grappled with a mental block that kept her from jumping over five foot, two inches on the high jump.  

 “Being 5-foot-11 and not being able to jump over 5’2″,” Dudley said. “I tell you not, looking back … I don’t know what I was going through mentally.” 

 Because of her struggle, her future at Middle Tennessee became uncertain. One afternoon, Hayes called Dudley into his office and expressed doubts about whether she was mentally tough enough for his team.  

Facing the stark reality of losing her scholarship led to the spark that ignited the turning point in Dudley’s athletic career.  

“I had to really take and swallow that pill that I might be getting sent home,’’ Dudley said. “Knowing that if I go back home, I’m going back to what I know, and I’m missing out on an opportunity. I knew I couldn’t let myself go out like that.”  

Fueled by determination, Dudley finished her freshman year on a high note. She finished second overall at the Western Kentucky Invitationals with a mark of 5-4 and followed it up with another second-place finish in the high jump at the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Championships with a mark of 5-6.

After finishing her freshman year strong, Dudley didn’t look back. The following year, Dudley placed first in the high jump at both the indoor and outdoor championships while setting a school high jump record of 5-foot-11 1/2 at the Ed Temple Classic. 

Following up a historic sophomore year, Dudley realized her success didn’t stem from talent alone; it came from a shift in mindset. The adversity she faced during her freshman season fueled her throughout the year. Going into the next season, something new drove her: the desire to make MTSU and her name known in the track world.

“Coming from Middle Tennessee State, I was going against girls from [the University of Georgia] and [the University of Texas at Austin],” Dudley said. “They were not thinking about the Sunbelt Conference; they were thinking about the Southeastern Conference. So, when I walked into a track meet, I wanted them to know who I am and that I’m not going to go down without a fight.

“And that’s exactly what happened.  I was competing with the best of the girls in the nation. They knew if Middle Tennessee State is here, you’re probably not winning that high jump championship. I’m sorry.”

Over the next two years, Dudley kept up her winning ways. She became the first MTSU high jump All-American, set a new outdoor school record while winning the high jump title at the Penn Relays and finished in the top 15 in the high jump at the NCAA Championships twice. 

After four seasons with the Blue Raiders, Dudley finished as a four-time All-American, breaking three school records and winning three conference championships. 

Currently, Dudley still spends a lot of her time on the track, but instead of putting on spikes, she puts on a cap and whistle. 

“MTSU shaped me to be resilient,” Dudley said. “It doesn’t matter how many times I fall, I’m going to get back up again.”   

Her time at Middle Tennessee instilled this attitude in her, and she share it with her athletes, Dudley said.

“You’re supposed to keep making those small deposits for that big alignment to come.  Once that alignment comes, it becomes a constant thing,” Dudley said.  

To contact the sports editor, email [email protected].

Follow Sidelines on Facebook at Facebook.com/MTSUSidelines, on X @mtsusidelines and Instagram @mtsusidelines. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.