She and Greg Marsden talked for more than an hour, and she ended up writing a feature on a high-level camp he was organizing that would bring some of the country's best gymnasts to the U. campus.

"Greg always found innovative ways to get kids on the campus," she said. "Without spending his recruiting budget."

Linda said the coach had such a good team and brought such prestigious competitions to Utah that eventually the rest of the state's media outlets began cover the U. gymnastics team on a regular basis as well.

Linda regards her time spent covering gymnastics as some of her favorite memories. She's also enjoyed covering the Jazz.

"When the Jazz traded for John Drew and Freeman Williams, several sportswriters I talked to by phone in Atlanta urged me to ask Drew about his reported drug abuse, which then was only rumored. Jazz writer Dave Blackwell was on vacation at the time. After the Drew-Williams press conference in the Salt Palace, Jazz PR man Dave Fredman asked if I had any other questions, and I said I did have one for Drew. So Fredman found a very tiny room, a closet really, and put me and Drew in there alone — and I was going to ask this big guy whom I'd just barely met about his drug habits. I figured someone would find my body in a few days. But I asked anyway, and Drew was nice about it, though I could tell he wasn't being truthful. He said, "No, I hates drugs, I don't doesn't do drugs."

"Later, Blackwell was shocked that I had asked Drew about it. Maybe a year later, Blackwell brought up the incident to Drew, who confirmed our conversation and admitted he didn't like me very much at that moment, though we were OK with each other after that."

That's Linda — all business and no regrets.

I loved being assigned to help Linda cover anything because not only does she know her subjects — both the people and the games — she is happy to have me along to help. She offers me story ideas, suggestions, background information and even hints on where the food is. And if I decide to veer off and do some off-beat story I have my heart set on, she simply offers me support.

I have wondered how she maintains her commitment to a job that can swallow your life whole. Not only is she always on time and never absent, she's both available and knowledgable — regardless of the time clock.

Even when her husband was dying of esophageal cancer three and a half years ago, she was as reliable as Cal Ripken.

"I have enjoyed it," she said of the job. "It's been a lot of hours. Sometimes I wish I hadn't put in 120 hours a week."

And if you think she's exaggerating, you'd be wrong. I've tried learning everything I can from Linda, but I've never fooled myself into believing I could keep up with her.

I know she doesn't think it's a big deal to be the first woman — and in fact, the only woman to win the Sports Writer of the Year Award from the National Sports Writers and Broadcasters, which she won in 2000 — but the fact that she marched right through any discomfort and then was willing to show me the same path has meant more to me than I can ever express.

"It didn't seem all that different to me," she said of being the only woman. "In fact, I never think about it."

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E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com