Orono, Maine -- Vicki Tolton was born to run fast. That became apparent as she grew up and competed at higher and higher levels.
Just how fast, however, was up to her. Over time, and with encouragement, she learned that she was capable of more and more, and reached for it.
The peak, for the University of Maine, came at the 2010 America East outdoor track and field championship meet where she was named the outstanding female athlete.
"That was a big one for sure," says Tolton. "I ran in three four-hundreds about an hour apart each day, and won them all."
Tolton's distance was 400 meters, be it a straight sprint, over the hurdles or in the 4-by-400 relay. Her grueling feat encompassed victories in all three disciplines of both the first-day heats and second-day finals.
That capped five years in Orono that ended with her holding six school records — four individual, two relays — all of which remained standing when she was selected for the UMaine Sports Hall of Fame. In addition to the 4x400 relays indoors and out, and the 400 sprint in and out, she's tops in the 400-meter hurdles outdoors and 500-meter run inside.
As a freshman, Tolton redshirted during the 2006 outdoor season following an Achilles tendon injury, thus was able to compete during the '10 outdoor season. After graduating, she joined the Canadian national team during 2010-12, but while training in Ottawa ruptured an Achilles again, ending a promising career aimed at the 2012 and '16 Olympics.
The first person from Maine to become aware of Tolton, way out in Smithers, British Columbia, was assistant coach Rolland Ranson, who was recruiting a pole vaulter at Smithers Secondary School when he happened to see Tolton, too.
"She was a great athlete all around. Tall, great coordination, agility, great running form, and the desire," says Ranson. "She would have been a great heptathlete."
In fact, says Tolton, she was quite active in volleyball and played some basketball, and was on the fence as to whether she wanted to run track in college or play volleyball. As things played out, she arrived in Orono and came under the tutelage of Dave Cusano, now head track coach at Colby College, then the assistant coaching Maine's sprinters and hurdlers.
Asked about influential people in her life, Tolton says, "Ninety-nine percent of my success I attribute to Dave Cusano. He believed in me when I didn't believe in myself."
Cusano differs: "I probably deserve about five percent. My responsibility is to look inside an athlete, to bring it out." What Cusano saw was "an exciting young athlete, tall, five-ten, thin, long legs."
Of course, there are many, many youngsters who are tall, thin and have long legs, but very, very few who accomplish what Tolton accomplished.
When he looked inside, Cusano saw "a nursing major—that's a difficult major — someone driven, a competitor. It's the intangibles — discipline, the desire to be taught, listens to feedback, the commitment to improve."
As an example of that commitment, Cusano cites what Tolton went through to compete the winter after she suffered her first Achilles injury.
She was unable to participate in daily workouts on the track, unable to put the stress of running every day on her Achilles tendon. Instead, she was in the pool every day, keeping in shape but avoiding the pounding.
"She ran only on Saturday," says Cusano, running only in meets. "She made no excuses.
"Very few have the grit to continue to push like that," says Cusano. "Athletes with lesser guts would have said, 'This is not for me'."
Tolton's "grit" and "guts" and accomplishments made a lasting impression on Cusano. Even today, he uses her as an example for his athletes at Colby.
Today, Tolton is back in British Columbia, married to James Brown, a teacher and athletic director. They have a daughter, Addison, going on 3, and a 9-month old son, Hunter. Vicki is "quite active" in CrossFit five days a week, and is a nurse.
The 30th annual UMaine Sports Hall of Fame Banquet will take place at the Black Bear Inn on Friday, Sept. 8. To reserve your spot at the banquet, please click HERE.
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