Last Sunday we marked the 40th anniversary of Title IX by releasing our Top 40 most influential people in region female athletics, along with a list of honorable mentions.
But we knew we couldn't get everybody. So we asked you to tell us who we missed. Here is that list.
go valpo writes: "Three-time Paralympian Patty Cisneros, Lake Station (**River Forest**) and VU, Basketball
2008: Gold medal, U.S. Paralympic Women's Wheelchair Basketball Team - Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
2008: ESPY nominee, Best Female Athlete with a Disability
2008: First place - North American Cup, Birmingham, Ala.
2008: First place - Joseph F. Lyttle World Basketball Challenge, Warm Springs, Ga.
2008: NWBA Women's Division National Championship - University of Illinois (Head Coach)
2007: Gold medal, Team Captain - Parapan American Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2004: Gold medal - Paralympic Games, Athens, Greece
2002: Silver medal - IWBF Gold Cup, Kitakyushu, Japan
2000: Fifth place - Paralympic Games, Sydney, Australia"
mightydog writes: "Forget about athletes who won state or coaches who won state titles, it was because of Janis Qualizza, Mildred Ball, Margaret Kelly, Bernie Adtkins, Pat Roy, Gayle Green, Aletta Hicks, Nancy Walsh, Joanne Shaffer, Carol Core, Bobbie DeKemper and Connie Hamilton that got the future stars their starts. They were the ones that coached 5 sports, ran the GAA program and fought day in and day out for the girl's programs. That is where the ground work started.They got one salary for all they did.Most of your top 40 got there because of these people. If you are going to write about Title IX these were the trail blazers for those others. Yes those others put the region on the map for their individual accomplishments, but they didn't set the foundation."
swimr writes: "Aubrette Biegel - Lake Central.
State champ in 2004 in the 200 yard Freestyle and the 200 yard freestyle relay. Continued here swimming career at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC."
ManofSteel writes: "Why aren't tennis players included? The region has three state champion doubles teams in Kavita Chowdary / Annie Knish (Munster), Aby Madrigal / Elizabeth Quinn (Highland), and the Madrigal sisters (Highland). Also, Mary Hill (Munster) is the only girl to win a state title as a singles player. Title IX isn't just about basketball."
Batman and Robin writes: "A huge ommision: Nancy Walsh - Valparaiso Coach, PE teacher, female athletic director and driver of Title IX."
A P writes: "Amy Werkowski, Bishop Noll, Field Events
Amy was a four-time qualifier for state while at Bishop Noll, four years for shot put and three years for discus. Her senior year she placed 2nd at the US Junior National Track and Field meet, earning her a spot on the 1986 Junior National team. She placed 2nd (**THIRD**) at the Junior Pan-American games, and 13th at the Junior World Championships that year. She continued her career at the University of Illinois where she was 4 time Big-Ten All Conference. She was inducted into the Hammond Sports Hall of Fame in 2002."
Sue writes: "Becky Mateja should have been in the 40. From when she was the only girl playing with the guys at the gym, to one of the first girls to get a full ride, to starting a women's basketball league in Australia, giving a scholarship to a female student/athlete (actually trained Mel Dumezich when she was a kid), to currently promoting girls sports every day in the Region (currently coaching, training, and working on first softball tourney in Whiting), she is a mover and a shaker."
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