Vicki Betts has a special place in the history of Cal State L.A.’s women’s outdoor track and field program.
Betts became the first individual national champion in the program’s history when she captured the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) title in the long jump in 1973. Betts also teamed with Jarvis Scott, Margo Tiff and Gloria Whitfield for a second AIAW national title, this one in the sprint medley relay.
Her best mark of 21-11.75 in the long jump is still No. 3 on Cal State L.A.’s all-time list.
Betts also represented Cal State L.A. at the World University Games held in the Soviet Union in 1973 and placed 12th overall. In 1976, she was an alternate on the U.S. Olympic Team in the long jump.
She continued to compete after graduating from Cal State L.A. in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education with an equivalent major in psychology. Upon graduation, Betts spent a month traveling in Calcutta, India.
When she returned from India, Betts began concentrating on the long jump while she was working full-time at Hughes Markets as a retail clerk. At the 1980 Olympic Trials, she got food poisoning just before the competition began and missed placing in the finals of the long jump by one-eighth of an inch.
She continued to train after the close-call and was looking forward to competing in the 1984 Olympic Trials, but a hamstring injury curtailed those plans and she retired from competition.
Betts earned her Master’s Degree in marriage, family and child therapy in 1991 at Phillips Graduate Institute and worked from 1991-2001 as a case manager, therapist and foster care social worker. In addition, she worked with developmentally disabled adults, helping them to maintain independence within their communities. She has been self-employed since 2002 and her business is yard care, landscaping and fire hazard abatement in Big Bear Valley.
She currently enjoys running, mountain biking, hiking with her dogs, mountaineering, backpacking, cross country skiing and kayaking. While still at Cal State L.A., she enrolled in a winter mountaineering and cross country skiing course which led to her taking intermediate and advanced rock climbing classes at the Yosemite School of Climbing. In 1986, she made a technical ascent of the East Face of Mt. Whitney (14,495 feet), located outside of Lone Pine.
