Women’s Athletics

The story of women’s athletics at Davidson begins with the 1972 formation of an intramural swim team. No large advances were made in women’s athletics until 1982, when women began to participate in Southern Conference play. However, only four sports — tennis, basketball, field hockey, and swimming — took part in conference play. The program was slowly strengthened as cross country, volleyball, track and field, soccer, and lacrosse were added to the roster of sports. The athletics program was slow to gain momentum, but that didn’t stop players from excelling.

Rebecca Stimson ’77 lettered in four sports at Davidson, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996. In recognition of this achievement, Davidson established the Rebecca E. Stimson Award, which is presented to the Davidson woman who best typifies the Davidson spirit in athletic competition and campus leadership. Since the beginning of conference play, female athletes have garnered top honors and the teams have made great strides.

The biggest honor came in 1984 when the women’s tennis team won the Division III national championship. In 1986, the basketball team won the State Division III Championship, the soccer team won Southern Conference Championships in 1993, ’94, and ’95, and the field hockey team won six consecutive Deep South Field Hockey Championships between 1991 and 1996. Today, Davidson boasts of an excellent women’s athletics program, and many foresee bright days ahead for the Wildcats.

Time Line of Notable Events

1972
Women’s Sports begins with intramural swim team.

1973
Trustee’s vote to include women’s sports at Davidson College Basketball and Field Hockey are first two varsity sports

First volunteer coach – Ann Holland

 

First “paid” coach – Susan Roberts for both Basketball and Field Hockey.

1980-82
Record breaking year for Field Hockey – 14 straight wins

 

Emmy Knoblock is the first All American Athlete in Women’s Tennis.

1985
Athletic Director “Kit” Morris was forced to cut women’s basketball from varsity athletics at Davidson.

1986
Women’s Basketball team won State Division III championship

 

Women’s Tennis won Division III National Championship.

1987
Rebecca Hawkins hired as Volleyball coach.

1988
Missy Willis ’90 – first woman athlete to gain All Southern Conference – Cross Country.

1991
Women’s Tennis team wins conference

Field Hockey won six consecutive Deep South Field Hockey Championships.

1992
Women’s Basketball was reinstated with Coach John Filar.

1992-93
Emily Knobloch ’82 inducted into Hall of Fame.

1993
Women’s Soccer team won Southern Conference in 1993-94, 1996.

1996
Rebecca Stimson ’77 inducted into Hall of Fame

Sarah Womack Parham ’80 inducted into Hall of Fame and is the only player to have her jersey retired.

1997
Carolyn Kirsch became the first female basketball player from Davidson College to be selected for the first team All-Conference.

Carolyn Kirsch also earned the title of Southern Conference Player of the Year Award.

Jennifer Blizzard Halliday was named head coach for Field Hockey.

1998
Women’s basketball ended the season with an 18-9 record the best in the school history

Other milestones:
School record of 18 wins;
School record of 13 conference wins;
10-1 home record;
2nd in the Southern Conference regular season;
17th in the nation in field goal percentage;
1st time for three consecutive winning seasons.

1999
Mary Kirk Cameron Ayars ’79 became a pioneer in women’s athletcs at Davidson College. She suggested to college administrators that a field hockey program be formed and was named to the All-Deep South first team. She also played singles on the women’s tennis team with a 6-2 record. She was nationally ranked in a sport in which Davidson has never had a team – Squash.

2000
Ginny Dye was named to the GE Academic All District Fall/Winter at-large first team. She was one of nine females voted to the District III first team, made up of memebers from all fall and winter sports. She was the only Southern Conference athlete on the first team.

Tami Darwin is hired as the Head Coach of the 2000 Women’s Volleyball team.

2001
Annette Watts is hired as Head Coach of the Women’s Basketball team.

Christy Morgan is the new Head Coach of the Women’s Field Hockey team.

2003
Allison Matlack and Lauren Williams earned positions on the 2003 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Association Division I Academic Honor Roll.

2006
Women break school 1600mm Relay record at SoCon Indoor Championship

2007
Davidson College has joined with 11 colleges from four NCAA conferences across the region as a charter member of the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), a new active Division I men’s and women’s swimming and diving conference.

Works Cited

Beaty, Mary. History of Davidson College. Davidson, NC: Briarpatch Press, 1988.

Cavanaugh, Christine B. “A Davidson Woman Needs No Introduction” Davidson Journal, Fall 1993.

Lloyd-Steel, Robert. “Celebrating Women’s Sports. Davidsonian. 1 March 1993.

Quips and Cranks, 1909

 

Author: Jason Hamrick and Sarah Enders
Date: October 1998 and March 2008

Cite as: Hamrick, Jason and Sarah Enders. “Women’s Athletics” Davidson Encyclopedia October 1998, March 2008 <https://digitalprojects.davidson.edu/omeka/s/college-archives-davidson-encyclopedia/page/women-s-athletics>