Maverick HERoes

The UNO Women’s Walk returns to its roots and honors Connie Claussen’s legacy

by John Fey

In 1968, a popular television advertisement designed specifically for women included the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby.” That same catchphrase could apply today for Omaha Women’s Athletics.

Looking back on it all is Connie Claussen, the university’s first director of women’s athletics. Even before the arrival of Title IX in 1972, Claussen was the driving force behind the start of sports for females at UNO.

Funding for women’s sports was scarce, to say the least. Claussen had to beg and plead for what little financial support she could obtain from the university. She went so far as to reach into her own pockets to boost the fledgling women’s athletic teams.

A historic breakthrough came in 1986 with the fundraiser known initially as the Diet Pepsi/UNO Women’s Walk. The event had a most modest beginning, Claussen recalls.

It all started with a conversation Claussen and other UNO officials had with Buzz Stibbs, who then was general manager of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. They convinced his company to become a sponsor of the walk.

“I can’t remember if I called him or he called me,” Claussen said, “but he was a big, big help.”

The event’s early years took place inside the now-called Sapp Fieldhouse. In the early years, participants walked around Al Caniglia’s football field track – when weather permitted. There were a couple of years when rain, or even snow, sent walkers into the Fieldhouse.

“I think our goal was $5,000, and we raised $12,000,” Claussen said recalling the first Women’s Walk. “I was fortunate enough to get some people in Omaha who were a little powerful to get things going. Marian Ivers got a lot of people involved with teams. She was well-respected.”

From that humble start, the Women’s Walk took off to become UNO’s top fundraiser for athletics. Since 1986, more than $3 million has been raised for the athletic programs.

The walk’s name was changed in 2012 to honor Claussen and the late Don Leahy, who led Omaha Athletics for two terms (1974-85 and 1995-97). The Claussen-Leahy Maverick Run continued to grow, moving in 2013 to Aksarben Village. In 2023, more than 2,200 participated.

This year, all funds from the Maverick Run will be directed toward women’s athletics. It is part of a new initiative embarking under a fitting name: Maverick HERoes. The first-of-its-kind philanthropic initiative is focused on growing support for Omaha Athletics including scholarships, enhanced programming, mental health and nutrition support and leadership development.

Today, a committee of former UNO athletic staff members and ex-athletes is charged with planning the run/walk. The panel includes Ellie Brecht, who played basketball at UNO (2015-18) and now serves as Omaha Athletics director of development.

“I’ve had the privilege of being involved in the Mav Run as both a student-athlete and now as an administrator,” Brecht said. “Getting to experience the Run from the student-athlete perspective helps me see the impact that it has on both our community and university. It’s been a joy and privilege to be a small part of the event’s growth.”

Creating the HERoes initiative, she said, is “a direct reflection of the hard work and the tremendous foundation that Connie Claussen and so many other trailblazers have laid.”

UNO’s move to NCAA Division I in 2011 caused the need for even more funding for all sports, adding to the importance of the Mav Run.

“You won’t meet a current or former student-athlete who doesn’t know what the Mav Run is,” Brecht said. “The reality is that this event is so critical for our student-athletes to experience because it’s our mission to position them to engage with our community and its members
and to give back however they can.”

The Maverick Run takes on a special twist on April 20 – it is Claussen’s 85th birthday. To honor her legacy, supporters are invited to add an $85 donation to the Maverick HERoes fund.

Adrian Dowell, who took over Omaha Athletics in 2021 as vice chancellor/director of athletics, learned quickly the impact Claussen had on the university and the run/walk.

“Our current successes would not be possible without the giants who preceded us, and Connie is certainly one of those impactful figures,” Dowell said. “Connie is not only responsible for creating this incredible event, but she also was the ultimate pioneer and champion of Omaha Women’s Athletics. It’s only appropriate to honor her on her birthday surrounding the Maverick Run/Walk.”

Karen Ressegieu, a retired UNO administrative assistant who helped with the walk for decades and participated, looks back with pride on what Claussen created.

“There have been other schools across the country that used the same blueprint to do fundraising,” Ressegieu said. “They tried to follow what Connie had set up as a pattern.”

Claussen is humbled by the kind words regarding her place in history.

“That is neat, but it’s probably because I’m old,” she joked. “I certainly don’t need the recognition. It was because of the others who did all the work that made it a success.”

Learn more about Maverick HERoes.