Skip to main content

University of Oregon Athletics

Cross

Her Roots At Oregon Strong, Cross Now Helping Women In Flight Grow

09/20/18 | Acrobatics & Tumbling, Duck Athletic Fund

Former acrobatics and tumbling student-athlete Alexis Cross will now oversee the Women In Flight fundraising program for women's athletic programs.

Somewhere in a box of old photos at the Eugene home where Lexi Cross grew up, there's a photo of her as a toddler wearing an Oregon cheer outfit.

In college, Cross swapped that for the uniform of Oregon's acrobatics and tumbling team, for which she was a four-year letter winner before graduating earlier this year with a degree in business administration and a minor in economics. As of this fall, Cross has transitioned to the professional world, but she'll still represent the Ducks, as associate director of development for the Duck Athletic Fund, overseeing the Women In Flight program.

"I keep saying I was born and raised a Duck – literally," Cross said. "There are pictures of me in a little cheer uniform, and at all the games. I think I was at a game at one-week old, or something crazy."

117253

Cross replaced Callie Wagner, who fostered Women In Flight over the past four years, and is now director of annual giving for the DAF. Cross becomes the third straight former UO student-athlete to hold the position, following Wagner – who played lacrosse for the Ducks – and Janell Bergstrom Cook, the former UO softball player who oversaw Women In Flight at its inception.

Under Wagner, Women In Flight grew into a sustainable fundraising program, with a core base of committed donors. The program helps fund overseas trips to play preseason games, team-building activities and more.

Women in Flight's impact at Oregon has spurred other athletic departments from around the country to contact Wagner about its success.

"We've made really big strides at Oregon, and we're not done yet; support for Women In Flight is continuing to grow through the generosity of our many donors, and we have our goals set high," Wagner said. "How can we impact women who are college athletes around the country? It's our hope to continue to be the model program for the rest of the country, based on the success we've achieved."

That responsibility will now be in the hands of Cross, with continuing input from Wagner. Rather than building a working relationship, they're sustaining one – Cross first approached Wagner for information about administration of Women In Flight while she was still competing for the Ducks.

108825

"It really resonated with me, all that Women In Flight does," Cross said. "I saw the benefits of it first-hand, being a student-athlete, and I'm so appreciative of the network of people who support all the program does."

Knowing Wagner was happy in her job, Cross assumed she'd have to move elsewhere and start a similar program from scratch. Instead, the hometown kid is staying in Eugene.

"I had the student-athlete experience, and I have the love of the Ducks to back that up," Cross said. "Carrying that on is really exciting and quite an honor."

Follow this link for more information and to contribute to Women In Flight.