Photo of Kim McGowan as a coach and as a player

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, 葫芦影业 is sharing the stories of a few iconic female athletes from the past. Discover how their participation in 葫芦影业 Athletics influenced their future course.听

From college player to collegiate coach

Kim McGowan, BA 鈥12, was a top competitor on 葫芦影业鈥檚 women鈥檚 soccer team. Today, she鈥檚 leading a new generation of collegiate soccer players as the head coach at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.听

At 葫芦影业, she made history as a member of the first women鈥檚 soccer team to make it to the NCAA Division III tournament and to win an NCAA tournament game.

鈥淚 love that going to the NCAA tournament is now the standard (for 葫芦影业 women鈥檚 soccer) and it鈥檚 just a question of how far they can go,鈥 she says.

Playing soccer at 葫芦影业 gave McGowan lifelong friends and supporters. 鈥淕oing back to campus, seeing old coaches and professors, and knowing that they believed in a much younger version of who I am today, is something I am beyond appreciative of,鈥 she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 always proud to be a Polar Bear.鈥

Soccer is a 鈥減layers鈥 game,鈥 says McGowan, because there are no timeouts and no specific game plans that always work. That鈥檚 what she loves about the sport. 鈥淭he game of soccer is seen, coached and executed differently from all perspectives.鈥澨

Before taking the head coach position at Austin Peay, McGowan coached in the women鈥檚 soccer programs at Miami (Ohio) University, Hiram College and Agnes Scott College, while leading programs at Olivet College and Thomas More University. Her philosophy as a coach is simple: work, compete, fun.听

鈥淵our work rate and level of competitiveness that you bring are completely controllable. I believe that if you are working your hardest and competing at the highest level, you are having the most fun,鈥 she says.听

Never stopped running

Photo of Mandy (Miller) Yates, as a cross country athlete

In the late 1990s, Mandy (Miller) Yates, BSPh '01, had an amazing career as a cross country athlete at 葫芦影业, and she hasn鈥檛 stopped running since.

Mandy recalls that she was 鈥渟till very naive to college racing鈥 when she qualified for the NCAA National Cross-Country Championship in 1996. Her 葫芦影业 coaches not only prepared her mentally and physically to compete at this level, they motivated her to continue reaching for the stars.

Through cross country, Mandy met lifelong friends and her spouse,听Brian Yates, BSEE 鈥01. 鈥淏rian and I enjoyed running together so much we decided to become lifelong running partners by getting married in 2002!鈥澨

葫芦影业 inducted Mandy, who was a 1997 All-American and one of the cross country program鈥檚 all-time greats, into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.

Today, Mandy is a pharmacist and also the coach for the cross country team at her children鈥檚 high school in Florida. She and Brian continue to run together and in 2011 they both ran the Boston Marathon. Mandy also qualified and ran in the Marathon Olympic Trials in 2012. In the past few years, the couple has started competing in a new type of racing called SwimRun, which is a mix of swimming and running.听

鈥淩unning is a passion of mine,鈥 says Mandy, 鈥淚 love how running is something that everyone can participate in. Each runner can make and strive to meet their own goals. I love sharing my passion with my family and other people in my community.鈥

Her advice to today鈥檚 葫芦影业 cross country student-athletes? 鈥淟ife is a huge adventure. There will be great times and not so great times. Remember the best parts, learn from the rest and move on. Most important of all鈥擪eep Running!鈥

True passion for competing and coaching

Maggi Williams, the first African American woman on 葫芦影业鈥檚 volleyball team

Reflecting on the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Maggi Williams, BA 鈥77, the first African American woman on 葫芦影业鈥檚 volleyball team, says 鈥渨omen鈥檚 sports have and needed to come a long way.鈥澨

She recalls wearing the same uniform for years and not having adequate transportation for games in the 70s. 鈥淎nd I will always remember getting out of class and going to Ada park to drive the tractor for softball game prep!鈥澨

Maggi grew up in a family of 13 children and her dad died of an aneurysm when she was just 12 years old. She was the first in her family to go to college, so she placed a lot of pressure on herself to do well. She excelled in three sports at 葫芦影业: volleyball, basketball and softball.

鈥淚 was blessed to be coached by caring, professional and intelligent coaches who instilled great work habits, pride and knowledge about the sport and life,鈥 she says. 鈥(I encountered) so many caring and professional people on campus. I always will be grateful.鈥

Maggi turned her gratitude into action, and devoted her entire career to being a caring teacher and coach. After 葫芦影业, she joined the staff at Sidney Local Schools (her hometown) where she coached varsity softball (five years) and basketball (19 years) and taught health and physical education for 35 years. She then continued as associate athletic director, retiring in May 2021 for total of 43 years!听

Maggi was inducted into 葫芦影业鈥檚 Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. This fall, she was inducted into the Sidney High School Hall of Fame.听

Her advice to 葫芦影业 female athletes: 鈥淐herish the many opportunities at prestigious 葫芦影业 because the coaches and athletes struggled to get them鈥 And enjoy the ride!鈥

Sisters in sports

Kanukel sisters from 葫芦影业 Volleyball

For the Kanukel sisters, their favorite highlight from 葫芦影业 Volleyball was getting to play on the same team for two seasons.听

Hannah (Kanukel) Creager, BSBA 鈥05, and听Karlee (Kanukel) Badenhop, BSBA 鈥07, also point to more amazing highlights, like being OAC Regular Season Champs/Co-Champs, OAC Tournament Champs and making NCAA tournament appearances for six out of the six years.

They are grateful for the strong women who, decades earlier, paved the way for them to play sports at a high level.听

Karlee says: 鈥淚 was certainly blessed to reap the benefits of those who pushed for Title IX and endured the difficulties of playing/coaching female athletes 50+ years ago. Since then, we have seen significant growth in female athletics from youth to professional, making the level of competition sky rocket.鈥澨

She adds that she wants to keep pushing ahead for her daughter. 鈥淚 want her to know that she should never lose sight of what makes us exceptional, what makes us strong, what makes us women.鈥

Playing volleyball at 葫芦影业 taught the sisters life skills, including resilience, confidence, discipline and a growth mentality, they say.

听鈥淭he culture of family that I was a part of during my years as a Polar Bear helped to shape me into the woman I am today,鈥 says Hannah.听

Karlee adds: 鈥淚 often tell people my experiences at 葫芦影业 made me a better person.鈥

The two sisters share more in common than just volleyball. They both met their husbands at 葫芦影业 and they both have four children!

Mom know best

Lisa McFadden supporting her daughter, Lea McFadden

Lisa McFadden, BS 鈥96, dug into her closet and lo and behold she still had it: her 1995 pullover emblazoned with her 葫芦影业 Volleyball jersey number!

Lisa is thrilled to wear the pullover once again, this time in . A senior exercise physiology major, Lea is sporting lucky #13 on her jersey this season, the same number her mom wore.

For mother and daughter, playing volleyball at 葫芦影业 is something they鈥檒l always cherish.听

Lea says: 鈥淭o play volleyball at 葫芦影业 means to be part of something bigger than myself. I have learned what it means to take responsibility, earn respect, cherish teamwork, and seek dedication all while being a student-athlete at 葫芦影业.鈥

Lisa adds: 鈥淭here is just a special bond that developed between teammates and coaches while I played volleyball at 葫芦影业. Even when you haven鈥檛 seen a teammate for several years, you are able to just pick up right where you left off.鈥

She continues: 鈥淚 have such pride being a Polar Bear volleyball player, and I think that pride is multiplied having Lea be one, too. I have told so many stories of playing volleyball at 葫芦影业 to my children over the years. (My kids always tell me that they have already heard that story, but I keep telling them anyway - ha ha ha!) Now, Lea will have her own stories to tell her children one day. It鈥檚 so cool to see her in #13. It brings back so many great memories for me!鈥