👟 Track and Field Mourns Passing of Halcyon “Tudie” MacKnight

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Former Kansas track and field member and Hall of Fame inductee Halcyon “Tudie” MacKnight passed away on Thursday (October 6) in Kernersville, North Carolina, Kansas Athletics confirmed with MacKnight’s family. She was 61 years old.

MacKnight was a member of the Kansas track and field team from 1980-83. During her time, MacKnight was one of the captains on the women’s side in 1982 and 1983.

She earned All-America honors in the long jump three times from 1982-83. The Kansas Relays’ long jump was renamed “Halcyon ‘Tudie’ MacKnight – Blake Women’s Long Jump” in 1995 to honor MacKnight’s accomplishments as a Kansas long jumper.

MacKnight was a two-time Big Eight Conference indoor champion, 1981 in the long jump and 1982 in the 4×440-yard relay. Between 1980 and 1983, MacKnight held the Big Eight Conference outdoor title in the long jump (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983) and the 4×400-meter relay (1982).

In the 1983 Helsinki IAAF World Championships, MacKnight represented Jamaica where she placed ninth overall in the long jump with a mark of 6.03m.

After her time at Kansas, MacKnight was the assistant coach for track and field at North Carolina at Chapel Hill, head coach at Methodist University for track and field and soon was the Director of Track and Field at Winston-Salem State University.

MacKnight moved to Kernersville, North Carolina and became an author, speaker, personal development coach while also being the founder and president of Halcyon M. MacKnight Enterprises. MacKnight wrote two books called “A Peek into My Soul” and “A Cry in the Dark”.