W-b Man Gets Probation In Domestic Dispute Case

153 Cyclists Pump Out $45,000 For A Good Cause 
A Record Number Of Participants 
Raise Money For Hospice St. John, 
And Follow It With Barbecue Dinner

Tuesday, July 30, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1B 





Golden girl in the eyes of her parents &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 David and Ruth Madl of Rice Township don't think of these Olympics Games as
a disappointment, they think of them as an opportunity for their daughter to
realize a lifelong dreamDiane Madl's hopes of winning a medal in Olympic
women's field hockey ended Sunday night when the United States was
mathematically eliminated from medal contention. Madl and the Americans
conclude competition today at 5:30 p.m. against Spain at Morris Brown College. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sure, David and Ruth Madl would have loved seeing their daughter win a
medal. There is some sadness that won't happen. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But there is no disappointment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 No way. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Madls remember the little girl they once promised they'd take to the
Olympics. Things didn't work out quite that way. Instead, things worked out
better. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It was Diane who took us," David said with a laugh. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Madl's parents experienced every up and down on the emotional roller
coaster that took their daughter to the Olympics. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Things looked great in 1989. Diane had just won the Honda Broderick award
as the nation's top collegiate field hockey player. Later that year, she made
the U.S. National Field Hockey team, completing a journey that began at
Crestwood High School and included the University of Connecticut. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Things looked dismal two years later, however. Diane retired from
competition with the national team and it looked as if her playing days were
over. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Her parents, though, knew better. They knew she would be back. "We knew
Diane," Ruth Madl said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In many ways, Diane is a mirror image of her parents, especially when it
comes to personality traits. David and Ruth Madl are humble, good-natured and
caring people, just like their daughter. At the same time, there is a
competitive fire that Diane also carries. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It was her lifelong dream to play in the Olympics," David said. "We knew
she wasn't a quitter." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Diane did come back, too, accepting an invitation to return to the national
team in 1995. Then on May 15, 1996, she was officially named to the Olympic
roster. That was the greatest day of the family's life until the Centennial
Games in Atlanta started. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I always felt she would make it to the Olympics," David Madl said. "This
fulfills a dream." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's why the entire Olympic experience is a high point for the Madls,
even though there will be no medal. They shed a few tears of joy each time her
name is announced before a game. They felt goose bumps when the American
athletes entered the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremonies, knowing
Diane was among them. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It was just unbelievable when she came over that ramp and down into the
stadium," Ruth Madl said. "Words can't describe it." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That joy is something the Madls are determined to experience. Like their
daughter, the Madls won't let the fact that some kook or kooks bombed
Centennial Park early Saturday morning detract from it. They won't let
setbacks on the field detract from it, either. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Disappointment? Are you kidding? How can you feel that when your daughter,
after a lifetime of work, has established herself as one of the best in her
sport in her country. How can you feel that when she has taken on the best
talent in the world and has proven a worthy adversary. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There is no disappointment here in Atlanta for the Madls, which might not
add up for those who meticulously tabulate medals won. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Perhaps it's something only a mother can understand. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And a father, too. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Steve Sembrat is a Times Leader sports writer covering the Olympic Games in
Atlanta. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Golden Girl In The Eyes Of Her Parents 
David And Ruth Madl Of Rice Township Don't Think Of These Olympics Games As A 
Disappointment, They Think Of Them As An Opportunity For Their Daughter To 
Realize A Lifelong Dream.

Golden Girl In The Eyes Of Her Parents David And Ruth Madl Of Rice Township Don't Think Of These Olympics Games As A Disappointment, They Think Of Them As An Opportunity For Their Daughter To Realize A Lifelong Dream.