If you look up the top 10 athletes of all time, you won’t be surprised to find names like Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, or Babe Ruth. What you would find surprising is that in many of these top 10s or even tops 25s there are no women listed.
On Feb. 2, Loyola University Maryland celebrated Women in Sports Day (WISD) to showcase the athletic ability that many women have but don’t get enough recognition for. Many female elementary and middle school students attended the event and were able to get a first-hand account of what it takes to be a female athlete at the collegiate level.
Members of the each of the women’s sports teams of Loyola were in attendance to sign autographs, share their experiences as female athletes, and just spend time with all the future female athletes that were in the room. Stations were scattered all over McGuire Hall, and activities varied from blow-up games to facepaint to making posters for the game and even simply tying ribbons in girls’ hair. Every girl had smiles ear to ear as they rocked this year’s WISD shirts and got to meet collegiate athletes who play the sports they love.
WISD is an annual event for Loyola athletics that grows more and more every year. Many people in the athletic department support the day and what it represents for each of the hundreds of young girls who come to Loyola to celebrate. Associate Athletic Director Teddi Burns and Director of Athletics Donna Woodruff were present throughout the event and have been long-time supporters of the influential day.
After a morning of food, games, and speakers in McGuire Hall, all the students and athletes were taken to Reitz Arena where the Loyola Greyhounds women’s basketball team faced off against the Army Black Knights. After the first half, the energy in the room was electric as the Greyhounds led the Black Knights 39-20.
You weren’t able to tell if the screams and cheers were coming from the young visitors or all the women’s sports teams in attendance supporting their fellow female athletes. At halftime, all the students were invited to take a picture on the court as their energy intensified from the excitement of the last half.
After a short delay due to a maintenance issue in the building, Stephanie Karcz ‘20 started off the second half with nine of Loyola’s 11 points. As the crowd got louder, the Greyhounds played with more and more heart to lead them to a 71-50 win against Army. After the game, the team prepared for autographs for all the visitors and reveled in such a great win on a day as important as WISD. Students left Reitz Arena feeling inspired by all the female athletes they met and waved their pom-poms as they thanked the athletes for such a fun-filled day.
All images courtesy of Loyola Athletics
Video courtesy of Kaleigh Gallagher ’21
