Walla Walla Community College celebrated 54 years of women’s athletics, hosting a gathering of 35 of the college’s very first female intercollegiate athletes on October 18 and 19.
It was a remarkable event recognizing the sheer grit and determination that led to the establishment of WWCC women’s Basketball and Volleyball programs in 1970.
The event created an opportunity for players to reconnect, share life updates, and celebrate their successes on and off the court. None of which would have been possible without the dedication of their coach, Dr. Mary Lynn Worl.
“This was one of the best weekends!” shared Roxanne Johns, Class of 1985. “Connecting with players and Coach Worl was an amazing experience. It’s so important to recognize the impact of Title IX. Sharing that history with current female athletes was incredible. I hope we can continue to support what Coach pushed forward for many generations to come.”
Mary Lynn was hired by WWCC in 1969 as a physical education teacher. By the spring of 1970 she proposed starting a women’s sports program. It was, Mary Lynn remembers, a time when women’s sports had little financial support, few fans, and no media coverage. She grew tired of girls and women being denied the opportunity to compete in sports. Many local students were able to compete on girls’ teams at Walla Walla and Touchet High Schools, but did not have the opportunity in college. At the time, WWCC had five athletics teams for men and none for women. So, she decided to do something about it.
She received $1,000 from the College to start a women’s basketball program, and another $1,000 to start a volleyball program. It was a modest beginning, but this marked the start of Women’s Athletics at WWCC.
In the earliest days, Mary Lynn remembers spending hours on the road, driving the team van to and from competitions.
“People volunteered to help coach, but they couldn’t drive the team to the games because they were not employed by the college,” she said.
Mary Lynn also identified expanded opportunities for her teams to compete against others in the region. In 1970 she helped form the Blue Mountain Sports League, consisting of Blue Mountain Community College, Eastern Oregon College, Whitman College and WWCC. They wrote their own rules and regulations. Two seasons later, WWCC would join the Northwest College Women’s Sports Association with other regional community colleges.
“Our teams were always highly competitive, and respected by other teams and officials,” she said. “The women were excellent representatives for WWCC on and off the court.”
It’s no oversight that WWCC is celebrating 54 years of women’s athletics. Mary Lynn had hoped to organize a 50th reunion in 2020. However, the pandemic made it impossible. This year, with the help of the WWCC Foundation, WWCC women athletes were finally able to gather and celebrate their on- and off-court achievements.
While back on campus, attendees met with current women’s basketball players, attended the October 18 volleyball match against archrival Columbia Basin College, toured campus, and enjoyed a celebratory lunch hosted by Mary Lynn.
“It was wonderful to get connected again with my former teammates and Coach Mary Lynn,” said attendee Teri Haglin Vogel, class of 1985. “We’re already planning on getting together more often and coming out to WWCC games to support female athletes at the college.”
For Teri, the timing of this weekend’s events was fortuitous in another way. She was on the cusp of retiring from 40 years of coaching junior high and high school girls volleyball.
“The timing is so cool. Mary Lynn is the primary reason I went on and coached,” she shared. “My two seasons at WWCC were awesome. She taught me so much about the game and about coaching female athletes. It’s so gratifying to inspire so many girls and stress the importance of girl’s and women’s athletics. Many of the athletes I coached are still in my life.”
Mary Lynn feels the same way.
“Seeing these women come together is wonderful. As a coach I stressed that there is much more than winning: a sense of community, teamwork, respect for yourself and others, sportsmanship, communication, responsibly and resilience. The benefits of being on an athletic team are endless,” she said.
While the women might not have realized they played a role in advancing girl’s and women’s athletics, Mary Lynn reminded them:
“Every one of you have left footprints on this path. Your legacy at WWCC is significant and transcends to the national growth of athletic opportunities for girls and women. And for me, I have treasure chests full of memories that sustain me.”
