Bradenton’s Glen Fausset earns Cornell University Athletic Hall of Fame induction

Growing up in Florida, Glen Fausset didn’t own a winter coat, boots or anything resembling gear for frigid Central New York.

All he had was a windbreaker and penny loafers.

That was one story, Fausset’s wife of 44 years, Dodie, heard for the first time recently in Ithaca, N.Y.

Fausset, a Bradenton resident, was sharing the story during his second trip to Ithaca in the last 45 years for his induction into Cornell University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

At Cornell, Fausset became a track and field star in the triple jump and long jump. At the 1971 Penn Relays, Fausset set Cornell records in both events. And 45 years following that meet and his graduation, Fausset still holds a place in the school’s top 10 for both jumps.

“I saved my best jumps for the big events and it was just kind of in my personality to get charged up and ready to go for the larger ones,” said Fausset from his phone during a vacation in North Carolina.

But Fausset’s athletic achievements aren’t something he boasts about regularly, even with his family of four: sons Taylor and Kurt, and daughters Emily and Bethany.

“The kids were very surprised and very excited to be there, and had a blast,” said Dodie Fausset, who also attended with their sister-in-law Pamela.

There were about 150 people at the Hall of Fame banquet from all sports. That included this year’s other honorees Kevin Boothe, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants, and Jamie Greubel, a bronze medalist at the 2014 Winter Olympics in the bobsled.

Fausset found out in June he had been selected for this year’s Hall of Fame class, which meant he would be honored during the Big Red’s homecoming football game.

“I had a lot more fun than I originally thought I would; it’s quite a big deal,” Glen Fausset said.

Fausset’s career began at Sarasota Riverview High School. The triple jump didn’t exist in high school at the time, so Fausset had to learn how to do it once he arrived at Cornell. He needed to figure out the adjustment to indoor track and the winter weather.

“The sun sets in October and comes back up in April,” Fausset said about adjusting to the New York winters.

But helping his triple jumping skills was the fact he didn’t have any bad habits.

“I was able to learn it the right way from the get-go, and fell into it pretty smoothly,” said Fausset, who learned the triple jump from a hammer thrower at Cornell and learned the long jump from a Florida State football center during his career at Sarasota Riverview.

And he was so good in the events that he sent Fausset into a special group all these years later. But it still was a shock to Fausset.

“I was stunned, because I didn’t know anybody even remembered my name,” Fausset said.

This story was originally published October 14, 2016 at 12:07 AM with the headline "Bradenton’s Glen Fausset earns Cornell University Athletic Hall of Fame induction."