Paula Girven

Paula Girven was a high jumper for the University of Maryland and the Houston Track Club. She competed in the 1976 Olympics but also made the ill-fated 1980 USA Olympic team and represented the US in six different international dual meets. Girven competed in the 1976 Olympics just after graduating from high school. In the same summer she set a US high school record of 6-1¾ (1.86), which stood for five years.

At Maryland, Girven was twice runner-up in the high jump at the AIAW Championships, the women’s forerunner of the NCAA Meet, and was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame. Girven became a physical education teacher and, in later years, a personal trainer.

Personal Best: HJ – 6-2¼ [1.88] (1981).