From Sidelines to Headlines: Women's Involvement in Sports at Virginia Tech

Sports at Virginia Tech have been part of campus life since the foundation of the university. In the very first Bugle (1895), there are mentions of various sports teams such as football and baseball. However, women originally could not participate in sports because of the prejudices of the time.

The most common way a woman could be invovled in a sports team before 1921 is through sponsorship. Women also sponsored several companies of the corps of cadets which can be seen in The Bugle.

After 1921, there was a push from the women students to have their own sports teams.

The links below show how women were involved in sports at Virginia Tech:

The first instance of a woman involved in a sports club at Virginia Tech. Her name was Miss Maurice.

She sponsored the baseball team in 1913.

Sponsors may have cleaned the uniforms, organized events, and/or handled administrative tasks.
Miss Mooers sponsored the general atheltic association in 1916.

Women were not allowed to attend Virginia Tech as students until 1921.

Therefore, the women sponsors seen here were likely relatives of male students and/or the staff and faculty at the time.
Miss Julie Curtis sponsored the athleteic association in 1919.

Despite women being allowed as students in 1921, they faced challenges establishing their own sports teams.

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The first women's basketball team at Virginia Tech. The women's basketball team would remian officially unsanctioned until 1972 and in 1976 would receive varsity status.

These clippings from the 1929 Tin Horn show the woman's basketball team at Virginia Tech. This was the first year the team had a coach.

The cheerleading team from 1960 as seen in the Bugle.

The women's swim team at Virginia Tech were officially sanctioned by the univeristy in 1970. They first appeared in The Bugle in 1972.

This oral history interview is with Susan Manero. She was part of the women's rugby team in 1979. She also discusses her sexuality and the first denim day at Virginia Tech.

http://spec.lib.vt.edu/pickup/Omeka_upload/Bugle1981_pg154_CheerLeading.jpg

The cheerleading team from 1981 as featured in the Bugle.

A clipping from the 1982 Bugle featuring Ginny Lessman Stonick who was the first woman volleyball athlete inducted into Virginia Tech's Sports Hall of Fame.

Reneé Dennis was the first woman in any sports team to have her jersey retired at the end of her collegiate career in 1987.
She was also the first African-American woman to be inducted in Virginia Tech's Sports Hall of Fame.
She was an amazing basketball player and led Virginia Tech to numerous successes during her career at Tech.

She starred on the basketball team from 1983-1987.

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In 1990, the women's volleyball team made a major comeback after a disapointing season in 1988. They won twenty-four of thirty-four games.

A clipping from 1998 of Katie Ollendick who was an All-American athlete in Track and Field, specifically the High Jump. She was also inducted into the Virginia Tech's Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

A clipping from the 1999 Bugle of Lisa Witherspoon's player profile. Witherspoon was an inducted into Virginia Tech's Hall of Fame in 2009. She was a basketball player at Virginia Tech from 1995-1999.