Dec. 26, 2002

Updates on Bev Kearney's status following Dec. 26th Car Accident


Austin, Texas -- University of Texas women's track and field head coach Beverly Kearney was critically injured Thursday morning in a one-car accident near Jacksonville, Florida, in an accident where three were injured and two died at the scene. The accident claimed the lives of UT Women's Athletics academic counselor and former Jamaican Olympic track star Ilrey (Oliver) Sparks, 40, and Muriel Wallace, 63, both of Austin, who were traveling with Kearney as they visited family and friends in Mississippi and Florida for the Christmas holiday. This was a one-car rollover accident which took place at 7:57 a.m. Thursday morning, 35 miles west of Jacksonville.

Kearney, 44, suffered extensive back injuries and wounds in the accident, and underwent surgery Thursday afternoon at Shands Jacksonville Hospital. Following surgery, Kearney regained consciousness and was able to speak, according to hospital officials Thursday evening.

Injured in the accident along with Kearney were the other two occupants of the vehicle - former world champion sprinter and Jamaican Olympic medalist Michelle Freeman, 33, daughter of Wallace, and Imani Sparks, 2 1/2, daughter of Ilrey Sparks. Both were taken to Shands Hospital, and both were in good condition as of Thursday evening.

A seven-time NCAA National Coach of the Year, Kearney is in her 11th season as Texas' head track and field coach. She has led the Longhorns to four NCAA national titles (1998 indoor, 1998 outdoor, 1999 indoor, 1999 outdoor) and to 13 league championships. Prior to arriving at UT in 1992, Kearney was head coach at Florida from 1987-92 (where she coached All-American Freeman) and was an assistant coach at Tennessee (from 1984-86) where she coached Sparks, an All-American sprinter and relay champion. In 16-plus years as a college coach, Kearney has earned 30 NCAA, district and conference Coach-of-the-Year honors.

Ilrey Sparks was in her seventh year as a staff member of UT's Women's Athletics academic support and student services office, joining the UT staff in January of 1997. She leaves her husband, Melvin Sparks, an employee of the UT Police Department, and daughter Imani, who will turn three on Dec. 29th.

Funeral arrangements and services for Sparks were incomplete as of Thursday evening.

Sparks ran under her maiden name of Ilrey Oliver at Tennessee from 1983-87 and is one of Tennessee's most decorated female track and field athletes. She was an Olympian for her native Jamaica at the 1984 Olympics, where she ran in the 400 meter event and was a member of Jamaica's 1600 relay, which placed fifth.

"This is an incredibly sad and tragic day at The University of Texas. We've lost one of our finest staff members in Ilrey Sparks," said Chris Plonsky, Texas Women's Athletics Director. "We extend our deepest sympathies and prayers to Ilrey's family and to the family of Michelle Freeman, as Michelle lost her mother (Muriel Wallace) in today's auto accident in Florida. For this to happen during the holidays seems as unfair as possible.

"When you speak of Bev, Michelle and Ilrey, you speak of three strong women of stature, intellect, spirituality, success and strength who have influenced everyone they meet - especially young student-athletes - in such a positive way. The threads of Ilrey's work run through every student-athlete, male and female, that she's touched. Ilrey was a mentor for so many young people at UT. As a former student-athlete, Ilrey herself excelled at the highest level. She then made it her profession and her life's work to give back to collegiate athletics by counseling and guiding young people as they attempted to go down the same path and achieve as she had during her collegiate career. We want Ilrey's husband, Melvin and their daughter Imani to know that they will always be part of our UT Athletics family, and we are here to offer our support.

We hold Bev [Kearney] close in our prayers and hearts tonight. Thursday afternoon, Bev underwent extensive surgery for back injuries and wounds suffered in the accident. Right now, she is in recovery, and her prognosis has improved since she was brought to the hospital. Thursday evening, she regained consciousness and was able to speak to hospital personnel. We are praying that Bev is on her way to a full recovery. Again, we send our deepest sympathies to all the families and friends of these women who have been touched by this tragedy."



ILREY (OLIVER) SPARKS
1962-2002
A former Olympic track and field standout and NCAA champion, Ilrey (Oliver) Sparks served as an academic counselor in the Longhorns' women's athletics academic support and student services department. Sparks, 40, was tragically killed on Thursday, Dec. 26 in a one-car accident outside of Jacksonville, Fla. which claimed the life of one other and injured three, including Texas women's track and field head coach Beverly Kearney.

Sparks, born on September 2, 1962, leaves her husband, Melvin Sparks, a UT Police Department employee, and her young daughter, Imani, who will turn three on December 29th. Imani, who accompanied her mother on the planned holiday trip to Mississippi and Florida, survived Thursday's accident.

Sparks was a seven-year member of the UT women's athletics department, joining the program in January of 1997.

Texas Women's Athletics Director Chris Plonsky called Sparks "a tremendous mentor of young student-athletes with a great passion for her work ... Today, we lost one of our finest staff members in Ilrey."

"Threads of her work run through every athlete she's touched," Plonsky continued. "As a former student-athlete, Ilrey herself excelled at the highest level. She then made it her profession and her life's work to give back to collegiate athletics by counseling and guiding young people as they attempted to go down the same path and achieve as she had during her collegiate career. We want Ilrey's husband, Melvin and their daughter Imani to know that they will always be part of our UT Athletics family, and we are here to offer our support. This is such a profound loss for our UT athletics family."

Under her maiden name, Ilrey Oliver, Sparks was a standout sprinter at the University of Tennessee from 1983-87 before going on to represent her native country, Jamaica, in the 1984 Olympic Games. At the 1984 Olympics, Sparks competed in two events: the 400 meter race (did not medal) and as a member of the Jamaican 1600 relay quartet which finished fifth.

During part of her Tennessee tenure, Kearney served as an assistant coach in the Lady Vols program. One of Tennessee's most decorated female track and field athletes ever, Ilrey was a four-time NCAA National Champion, winning one individual title (the 1986 indoor 500 meter championship) and three NCAA 1600-meter (4x400) relay titles (at the 1984 NCAA indoor meet and at the 1986 indoor and outdoor competition). Sparks ran the third leg or the anchor on those winning relays. During her tenure, Tennessee finished as NCAA Indoor Championship runnerup three times (1984, 1986, 1987) and was the NCAA outdoor runnerup in 1984 while also placing fourth in 1983 and 1986.

Sparks also was an eight-time Southeastern Conference (SEC) champion in three individual events (400 meters, 500 meters, 600 yards) and in the 4x200 and 1600 meter relays - usually running the anchor leg. She still is co-holder of the Tennessee school record in the 4x200 indoor relay (1:37.42), set on Jan. 30, 1987, which she anchored.

A graduate of Vere Tech High School in Jamaica, Ilrey graduated from Tennessee in 1987 with a B.A. in human services and received her master's degree in 1989 in sports management from Tennessee.