Lady Bulldogs have come a long way, baby

Thus the Nellie P. Elliot Award was born. Keating was named as its first honoree, and one of the first steps toward building a successful women's athletic program at Yale began.

The growth of Yale's women's athletics, along with the expansion at other Ivy schools, is being commemorated in the Ivy League Silver Anniversary Celebration of Women's Championships (1974-1999), a year-long effort that will call Yale home this weekend.

`Pioneers and Competitors'

Top to bottom: Amanda Walton, SY '02 (#11), Kristen Gengaro, SY '00. Rosie Wustrack, BR '99

Yale is the final school to host an individual event as part of the celebration, and the festivities will conclude with a large symposium in New York City on Fri., Apr. 23 to Sat., Apr. 24. Yale's athletic department has coordinated a diversified program for this weekend, including panels with both current and former Yale athletes, and a reception with special guest Donna Lopiano, the executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the growth of women's ../sports worldwide. "As it's the 25th year of women's Ivy championships, what we aim to do is recognize and honor our past athletes and help set a good direction for the future," Associate Athletic Director Barbara Chesler said. "It's a chance to pay tribute to all those who laid the foundation
for Yale's program--and it's an opportunity to close that first chapter while looking forward to what lies ahead."

Yale's event, entitled "Pioneers and Competitors," will honor the Bulldog members of the Silver Anniversary Honor Roll. Keating is on the list, as is former track star Louisa Gerritz Garry, BK '87. Garry, who coaches track at Friends Academy in New York City, looks back on her Yale experience fondly. "Running at Yale had a huge impact on my life," Garry said. "I had such a wonderful experience that I continued to keep running as part of my life. Now, it's even more thrilling to see some of the runners I coach at Friends Academy move on to Yale and run for the same coaches [MarkYoung, ES '68, and Steve Bartold] that I ran under."

Proud to wear the Old Blue

All of this year's honorees can attest to the special feeling that comes from being a Yale athlete. Yet the University celebrates its past in the midst of a successful present. Women's athletics at Yale have grown considerably, and many teams are consistently in contention for league and regional titles. This weekend's festivities will allow current Yale stars to reflect on what participating in Bulldog athletics means to them.

"It's not hard to get distracted at Yale with so many opportunities tempting students, so I feel those who truly commit themselves to athletics here have a real passion for the sport and a strong desire to accomplish something out there on the fields, in the rink, and on the courts," field hockey and lacrosse rookie sensation Amanda Walton, SY '02, said. "There is nothing easy about being a Division I athlete here, but when you're surrounded by people who could easily be doing other things instead, it makes playing much more fun and rewarding."

Volleyball star Rosie Wustrack, BR '99, the only current Yale athlete on the Silver Anniversary Honor Roll, feels that being a female Yale athlete has given her a chance to appreciate her place here. "Playing at Yale has really given me a sense of ownership--I feel as if I have a personal stake in the University, and playing gives me a great opportunity to represent Yale," she said. "All students represent Yale in everything we do, but being able to wear the jersey and represent Yale in that way has given me a chance to consider what it means to be a member of the Yale community."

Wustrack also noted the importance of being a female athlete on campus. While the Ivy League may still seem to outsiders as one of the last bastions of male dominance, Wustrack and her fellow female athletes continuously demonstrate that this perception is misguided. "Being able to be a part of athletics has really given me a lot of self-confidence, and that's important for women," Wustrack said. "As a woman here now, I've come along at a time when it's not so unusual to have women playing ../sports--but the Anniversary Celebration is really giving us a chance to learn about the struggles that those who came before us had to go through. It's really opened my eyes."

Forging a future

Participating in athletics also allowed for growth in the athletes themselves. Lopiano thinks the experience that ../sports provide for women can be crucial later in life. "There is no question that ../sports as the concept of teams as models are the way that organizations and companies are structured," she said. "In any organization, you are putting together a group of people in search of a common goal, with aspects such as loyalty playing a key part in that quest. Certainly, ../sports give women a direct relation as to what life outside the collegiate ranks is like."

Honor Roll member Kelli Bartlett, ES '96, a star in Yale softball and field hockey, is now a ../sports marketing specialist for Compaq. She believes her Eli playing days allowed her to succeed in the business world. "Playing team ../sports at Yale definitely gives you a different attitude," Bartlett said. "You're able to learn a lot about balancing different aspects of your life, and it also gives you a great mentality. I think going through so many competitions gave me a competitive edge coming out of school."

No one denies that women's athletics at Yale have come a long way in 25 years. Keating would often find herself spending her warm-ups clearing the football field of debris so the field hockey team could play. Her basketball team had to practice after the men's junior varsity team. With their own practice facilities, women now command a greater presence in Yale athletics. Yet just as it is obvious that strides have been made, it is equally clear that the expansion of women's ../sports at Yale, and nationwide, is a work in progress. Lopiano will address the issue of growth in her speech to the Yale athletic community on Sat., Apr. 10. "We're only halfway there. There are still a lot of areas of participation that are not open to women," Lopiano said. "Once you sow the seeds of participation, however, you breed demand. We're working towards getting more women involved in ../sports that are traditionally seen as male-only, such as wrestling and weightlifting. Hopefully, within the next 25 years, we can achieve a true equal balance."

According to several Yale athletes, the key for successful women's programs both at Yale and around the nation is to stress involvement at a young age. Softball captain Kristen Gengaro, SY '00, has noticed trends that point in a positive direction. "When I was in fourth and fifth grade, it was still at a time when sons would play ../sports and daughters might tag along," she said. "But now when we have clinics for younger girls, the turnouts are absolutely incredible. The difference from when I was growing up is just amazing."

Photo of Rosie Wustrack, BR '99, and graphic courtesy Sports Publicity Office. All other photos by Julia Tiernan.

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