Hall of Fame Coach Bruce Henderson thought he had a good one when she came out for track her freshman year, but when she won her first of four state titles in the 100 hurdles, he knew he had a great one.
Tiff Pedersen, now Tiff Maliszewski, helped to put Atlantic on the Iowa High School Girls Track and Field map. She was never beaten in a Hawkeye 10 Conference meet, winning 16 gold medals in her career, and was nearly as dominant on the blue oval at Drake Stadium. Tiff won 15 medals at the state meet, 12 of which were gold, and helped lead the Trojanns to 4 straight team titles, and four times she was an elite all state selection. At the Drake Relays, Pedersen was named the meets Outstanding High School Female performer her senior year, 2001, after winning the 100 M hurdles and the Sprint Medley relay.
It was in track and field that Pedersen would shine above all, but she was dominant in other sports as well. She also earned all conference and all state accolades in Volleyball, Basketball and Softball. Her overall athletic prowess led to her selection into the IGHSAU Hall of Fame. When asked what set her apart from her teammates, other than athletic ability, Coach Henderson said it was “Her attitude and her smile. Her parents saw to it that she was never spoiled or let her success go to her head. It was never about her, but always about the team.”
After graduating from Atlantic in 2001, Tiff headed to the east side of the state and the University of Iowa. It was at Iowa that she put all of her athletic ability to use in one sport and became an All Big 10 Combined Event performer. She ended her career as a four time letter winner and a five time Big 10 medalist in the Pentathlon and Heptathlon. She ranks in the Hawkeye’s top Ten in six events; 60 meter Hurdles, 100 meter Hurdles, Indoor Long Jump, Outdoor Long Jump, Pentathlon and Heptathlon.
Tiffany was born and raised in Atlantic. Her parents are Larry and Dixie and she has a sister, Nicole and brothers Troy and Corby. She graduated from Iowa in 2005 and married Iowa baseball pitching Coach Chris Maliszewski in 2007.