The anniversary of Title IX provided the chance to reflect on and celebrate all the opportunities and accomplishments female student-athletes, coaches and sports teams have had at Illinois College and across the country in the last 50 years.
Title IX was enacted on June 23, 1972. It states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
While this law was intended to increase educational opportunities for women and made no mention of sport, female athletes soon realized the door that had been opened for them. In 1972, Title IX gave women the leverage they needed to start on a path towards equality. While that path hasn't always been a smooth one, women have continued to reach new heights of success in athletics.
At Illinois College, women's athletics has evolved over the course of history. Campus clubs and intramural competitions were offered at first, then formalized opportunities for female athletics began to emerge. In the 1970s, the college adopted the nickname "Lady Blues" for their women athletic teams.
Over the years, IC women's athletics has seen much success. The Lady Blues have claimed eight team conference titles since joining the Midwest Conference in 1982. The first title was won by the women's volleyball team in 1991. IC volleyball would go on to win the MWC championship on four other occasions in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1998. The women's basketball team put together a championship run to claim a MWC championship during the 1992-93 season.
IC has also witnessed some outstanding individual performances from female student-athletes. Melissa Norville '13 is considered the most decorated track & field athlete in school history. Norville was a nine-time national champion at the NCAA Division III level and was also a 19-time All-American. During her career she became one of three women all-time in Division III history to win three or more national titles at the same meet.
In recent years, Lady Blues athletics have continued to shine. The IC softball team was named back-to-back conference champions in 2021 and 2022, and the team recorded their first NCAA postseason victory in program history last spring.
The team was led by Head Coach Meghan Roman who has also made her mark in the history of Illinois College athletics. In November of 2021, Roman was named the first woman to serve as director of athletics at Illinois College.
"The opportunities that Title IX has brought to women, including myself, are nothing short of incredible. I am humbled by the women who fought so hard for equality both in the classroom and on the playing field. Without Title IX, I would not be where I am today, having the honor, and great responsibility of providing women with an opportunity to pursue their passions in life."
Source: https://illinoiscollegeathletics.com/news/2022/6/23/general-illinois-college-celebrates-50-years-of-title-ix-with-title-ix-highlight-series.aspx
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