Event Overview

The athletics department at Barton College is proud to present a Celebration of Girls and Women in Sports Day, scheduled for today from 11 a.m. to noon at Hardy Alumni Hall. This event is co-sponsored by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the college’s Department of Physical Education and Sports Studies.

Guest Speakers

The event will feature an impressive lineup of guest speakers, including:

• Joan Adams Jones: A member of the Barton Athletic Hall of Fame who will discuss the early days of women’s intercollegiate athletics at Atlantic Christian (now Barton) College.
• Melanie Thornton Bryant: Also a Hall of Fame inductee and former Lady Bulldog in volleyball and softball. She currently serves as the volleyball coach at Cary Academy and will talk about her journey from student-athlete to high school coach.
• Claudia Duncan: Chair of the Physical Education Department.
• Mariah White: Current women’s basketball player and chair of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
• Dawn McCrumb: Physical education professor.

Significance of the Event

Barton women’s basketball head coach Wendee Saintsing emphasized the importance of the occasion, stating, “It is an opportunity for students to embrace how women’s sports have evolved over the course of time. It will be a fun time to look at the past as well as into the future of women’s sports!”

This event coincides with the National Girls and Women in Sports Day, recognized on Wednesday. Barton College is observing this day a day early to accommodate a basketball doubleheader at Mount Olive College scheduled for the evening of October 11.

A Brief History

The National Girls and Women in Sports Day was first celebrated in 1987 in Washington, D.C., as a tribute to Olympic volleyball star Flo Hyman. This event aims to acknowledge the achievements and advancements in women’s sports.