Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics

A case could be made that IUP has produced no better all-around athlete than the man who went by Jim Wooding during his time on campus. After all, he competed in the decathlon on the grandest stage in sports—the Olympic Games.

Wooding gave an early indication of his prowess when he broke the school high jump record with a leap of 6-8¼ in his very first meet at IUP. He wrapped up his career as a seven-time All-American under coach Lou Sutton, seemingly setting a record every time he stepped onto the track.

He then represented his country at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, finishing seventh in the grueling 10-event decathlon. Wooding’s time of 47.62 in the 400-meter run—his specialty while at IUP—was second best among the 26 competitors, behind only the 46.97 clocked by Daley Thompson of Great Britain, the gold medalist.

Wooding won the 400 at the PSAC meet in all four of his years at IUP and also went four-for-four as a member of the 4x400 relay team. He earned four All-America honors in the decathlon, three times at the NAIA national meet and once at the NCAAs; two more in the NAIA indoor high jump; and one in the 4x400 relay at the 1977 NAIA meet in Arkadelphia, Ark. He anchored a team that included Don Freedline, Steve Schunk and Ron Steele to a time of 3:12.45, still the school record.

Wooding twice narrowly missed winning a national championship. He placed second in the high jump at the 1976 NAIA indoor meet in Greensboro, N.C., and earned runner-up honors in the decathlon at the 1977 NAIA outdoor meet, with a total of 7,107 points, shattering his own school record.

He continued to improve in the decathlon after graduating from IUP. Wooding represented the United States in the decathlon from 1980 to 1984 and twice won The Athletics Congress national championships. The highlight of his decathlon career was his performance in Los Angeles, where he held his own against the premier athletes on the planet.

Wooding, a 1977 IUP graduate with a degree in health and physical education, is retired after working as a pit boss at several Atlantic City casinos. He and his wife, Liya Chen, reside in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. They have two daughters, Christine and Brittany, and three grandchildren.
 

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Personal Reflection: 

I would like to thank the IUP Athletics Hall of Fame for the nomination. It is with great gratitude and appreciation that I accept this honor.

IUP was a cornerstone for my education as well as my athletic endeavors. The coach and staff, which it was a privilege to be associated with, were professional and committed to bringing out the best in the athletes. I have to admit that the long, hard workouts were important to the development and success in the overall program.

There was one coach in particular I would like to give a special thanks to. That is coach Lou Sutton for taking me under his wing. He took a skinny high school kid and saw potential. Between he and my mom, they set up a college career at IUP for the next four years. At the time I wasn’t too excited about it because I had a girlfriend back home. I also didn’t know anyone at IUP. I remember my parents dropping me off at IUP and what a lonely feeling that was. I didn’t know at the time that I would make lifelong friends and be part of a team that would shatter many records.

The track and field team that Coach Sutton put together would be the envy of other schools. I am proud of my teammates and the coaching staff. We broke records and brought notice to the IUP track and field team. It was a great four years at IUP. We worked hard and had some fun, too. 

I’m sure that IUP was instrumental in my accomplishments outside of college. After seven more years of training, I was able to make the USA team four times and was national champion twice in the decathlon. The highlight of my career was making the USA Olympic team in 1984 in the decathlon. I came in seventh in the world. That was the greatest moment in my life until my kids were born. 

I’m sure that IUP played a pivotal role in my success in school as well as my accomplishments after. I would like to say.

“Thank you” to my family, friends, teammates and coaches for a life experience I will never forget. You all have helped make me the success I am today. Love to you all and God bless.
 

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