WESTFIELD, Mass. – As the NCAA celebrates "50-years of Title IX", Westfield State Senior Woman Administrator and Associate Athletic Director Nancy Bals has announced the department's own 50-years of Title IX celebration and campaign - designed to increase support from female athletic alumni  to further fortify Owls' women's sports teams.

The Title IX amendment (to the the 1972 Higher Education Amendments Act), created and expanded opportunities for collegiate female student-athletes.

"I look forward to this celebration and campaign for a couple of reasons," said Nancy Bals, Senior Woman Administrator and Associate Athletic Director.  "The celebration will highlight the impressive accomplishments of our female athletes and those that have led their programs. Their determination, hard work, grit and determination have inspired my career. Additionally, I am confident their impact will be felt in another lasting way - the opportunity for the alumna to give financially to benefit women's sports here at Westfield State."

Westfield State athletics has won six of the last seven Smith Cups as the best overall athletics program in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.   A big part of the Owls success over that span has been due to the success of their women's teams, which has seen women's soccer, women's basketball, and women's lacrosse all advance to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances.  Owls' volleyball recently won a conference title and earned an NCAA tourney bid, women's cross country and track and field have won multiple league team and individual titles, and sent multiple athletes to NCAA Championship meets.  Field hockey and softball have appeared in their respective league title games, and women's swimming featured a number of all-conference performers.

Gifts made to the campaign will:

• Defray costs for special trips and tournaments
• Aid in recruiting events, hosting a clinic for athletes and coaches, participating in National Girls and Women in Sports Days, or sending coaches out to recruit athletes across the northeast (or even the nation) bringing the next generation of successful student-athletes to Westfield State
• Provide Professional Development for Coaches - Offering grants for coaches to attend professional development programs, improving their certifications, and raising the level of training and play for our student athletes.
• Hosting Women in Sports Symposiums – A series of annual events focused on female student athletes and their unique needs; leadership, nutrition and health, mental health, career preparation.

Throughout the campaign, which has a goal to raise $50,000, Bals also hopes to collect historical stories from Owls alumnae about their experiences in competing in intercollegiate sports at Westfield State.  

Alumnae can make a gift and/or share their experiences by visiting https://www.westfieldalumni.org/make-a-gift/title-ix

Bals will also be reaching out directly to alumnae to connect about their experience at Westfield State and how each alumna can help in this effort.

Westfield State athletics has long strived to provide great opportunities for its female student-athletes – this campaign will help further the opportunity and experiences for today's Owls athletes and beyond!

DID YOU KNOW:

Westfield State has three female alumni who were NCAA Champions as undergraduates:

Cindy (Sturm) Menard, Claudine Rice Poplawski, and Marlee Berg-Haryasz '09

Westfield State associate athletics director Nnacy Bals with the Owls three women's track and field national champions
- Claudine (Rice) Poplawski '95, Cindy (Sturm) Menard '83, and Marlee Berg-Haryasz '95.

WSU Professor Emerita, and WSU Athletic Hall of Famer Dr. Tilia Fantasia, was actively involved in coaching and teaching as the Title IX provision came into effect in 1972.

(learn more about the early days of Title IX at Westfield State in this interview with Dr. Fantasia)

Two Westfield State women's teams – field hockey and softball – played in the NCAA Final Four in the early 1980's.

 1981 Field Hockey Team members at the 2018 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.