DOHA, Qatar – Another opportunity to work with the best in the world has brought Cathleen Cawley to Doha, Qatar, where she'll serve as the head manager for Team USA at the 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Championships.  Competition runs Sept. 27-Oct. 6.
 
With Cathleen already off in Doha, her husband Tim Cawley, Idaho's director of track and field/cross country, reflected on the opportunity.
 
"It's a big deal," said Tim.  "It's very exciting to see her at that level, to be the head manager for the Outdoor World Championships for Team USA and to be voted in by your peers.
 
"At these events, things come up and she's never afraid to advocate for the athletes, advocate for what needs to be done, and that's what it takes in that position.  She does it on a daily basis for our team, so we're incredibly lucky.  She's very talented at what she does.  To be recognized by your peers and be put as the head manager for the World Championships, well there aren't really too many spots higher than that."
 
Cathleen has spent time with Team USA before.  She served as the women's head team manager for the 2015 NACAC Senior Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, as well as team manager for the Junior Pan Am Championships in Trujillo, Peru, in 2017 and the IAAF World Junior Championships in Tampere, Finland, in 2018.  She has also served as the USATF Women's Development Chair for the horizontal jumps since 2013.
 
"It's just like any big competition, you're excited and you're nervous," Tim said.  "As it gets closer, you realize that you're prepared for it.  There's a reason why you're there.  She's been extremely excited and honored.  She is a very humble person, so I don't think she'll express it as much as she probably should, but she's excited.  And she's going to do an incredible job."
 
Joining Cawley with Team USA is Idaho Athletics Hall of Famer Melinda Withrow (Owen).  Withrow will serve as an event manager, and has also spent time with Team USA, and the other Cawley, before.
 
"She does a great job, and it's really neat to see her go into that manager role," said Tim.  "She was a part of my team in London, so I got a chance to work with her a little bit.  She was an athlete rep for that one, and helped out a lot of the managers.  She just works hard.
 
"To see one of our school record holders out there and have a couple of Vandals on the staff out there representing Idaho, it says a lot about the program.  It says a lot about the history of the program.  I take a lot of pride in seeing the Vandals at that level."
 
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