University of Wyoming Athletics

In 2016, the University of Wyoming Intercollegiate Athletics Department initiated a program, known as Pioneer Women of UW Athletics, designed to locate and honor women who participated in sports at UW prior to the passage of Title IX in 1972.  The Athletics Department is looking for women who competed in athletics at UW and were not recognized as student-athletes under the system at that time. These pioneers deserve to be honored because they were extremely important in building the foundation for Cowgirl Athletics as we know it today.

In the summer of 2016, The Athletics Department hosted its first Pioneer Women in UW Athletics reception attended by some 30 former student-athletes and three coaches, who participated from 1950 through 1975.  Each woman was recognized and presented with her varsity letter. It was a very special afternoon.

If you know a woman who competed in a sport at UW during this era and does not appear on our list below, please contact Brandy Brummond (blokarbr@uwyo.edu), Diane Dodson (wyosid@uwyo.edu) at the UW Athletics Department.
 

Name	Enrolled at UW/Sports Participated in while at UW	After UW-Career
Susan Youtz	1971-73-volleyball, basketball & track	Taught/coached for 20 years (Wheatland & Newcastle) 3 years as BB coach with Coach Breeding in Gunnison, Colorado.  Went back to school to become a Physical Therapist Assistant and did that for 15 years.  Retired in May 2014.
Nan Barber	1970-74 Basketball, Track (held the mile record for a few years), and "B" Volleyball	Taught Physical education, health & teen leadership, while coaching volleyball, cross country, basketball, track and tennis.  Retired after 32 years, but now, back coaching at a local Christian school.
Jean M. Spencer	1971-72 volleyball, basketball & softball	Worked in various capacities for the State of Idaho-Developmental Disabilities Program, Developmental Specialist, work on behalf of children with autism & severe behavioral disability.  Retired in 2009
Linda H. Meredith	1968-72-basketball, field hockey & softball-while earning her BS in Microbiology.	After UW-accepted into Vet School at CSU in 1972; Earned her DVM degree in 1976; Practiced small animal medicine in Casper from 1976-2015 (39 years).
Wendy (Davis) Schuler	1970-75-volleyball, basketball track & field, softball & field hockey.  Actually, was invited to the USA WBB Pan Am Trials & 2 Olympic Trials	Taught/coached for 40 years. Inducted into the National HS Hall of Fame and the Wyoming Coaches Hall of Fame.
Penny Hish	1968-1972-softball, field hockey, volleyball, basketball & track & field.	After UW: Taught/coached science, math & physical education and coached volleyball, soccer, basketball, track & field and softball in Wyoming, Utah & Colorado.  Earned her Master's degree at UNC in 1978.  Retiring from teaching/coaching this year.
Shirley T. Roberts	1969-73-field hockey, volleyball, basketball, softball and track & field.	After UW: Taught Physical Education K-12; Coached volleyball, basketball, swimming, track & field in Burlington, Kemmerer and Lyman, Wyoming.  Drove a 12 D Ton truck at P & M Coal Mine for two years in Kemmerer (1980-82). Was also a volleyball official for 20 years.  Coached for 30 years total.
Suzy Taylor	1965-69-basketball (68-69)	After UW: Taught Physical Education in Illinois and Rawlins; Married to Larry for 45 years (deceased January 2015); Working for the Cowboy Joe Club for nine years-plans to retire April 2017.
Peggy Bromley	1960-62-basketball & field hockey	After UW-Taught chemistry & math at the community college and secondary school levels. Taught 18 years overseas (Uganda-where she helped introduce field hockey to students in her school) and 18 years in he US.
Kathleen R. Browning	1969-1973-softball & field hockey.	Taught Language Arts & HS Assistant Principal at Glenrock Jr./Sr. High School for 15 years. During that time, also coaches basketball, swimming & volleyball. Went on to earn her PhD at San Diego State-went on to be the Principal at the middle and elementary school in Washington State from 1992-2014, when she retired.
Georgia Befus	1967-72 field hockey, volleyball, softball & basketball	After UW, High School physical education/coach at Medicine Bow, Green River & then, Rawlins (26 years).  Cheyenne as Curriculum Coordinator for Physical Education, Health & Safe & Drug Free Schools.  Retired in 2008
Marcia D. Fagnant	1974-77-Volleyball &track & field	After UW-taught/coached from 1978-82; Earned Masters degree in 1985; Worked for National Park Service at Fossil Butte National Monument as a Park Ranger and Chief of Interpretation from 1997-Present (October 2016).
Paula McDaniel	1968-71-field hockey, softball & track & field	After UW, taught physical education in Wyoming for 18 years and then 14 years in Special Education.
Donna Marburger	Enrolled at UW from 1950-54 during which time she participated in field hockey, tennis, softball & basketball.   She was also a Coach of field hockey (67-70) and softball (67-68) while she was a physical education teacher at UW.	After earning her BS in physical education in 1954, Donna went to Texas, Colorado & Montana to teach PE, while she completed her Masters.  She returned to UW as a faculty member in 1967 in the College of Education.  Marburger served as coordinator of women’s physical education, acting head of the Department of Physical Education and acting associate dean of the College of Education. She also coordinated the UW Undergraduate Physical Education Professional Program, from 1972 until her retirement in 1992.
Kathy (Merklin) Kissack	1974-78-volleyball, basketball, softball & track & field.	Taught elementary physical education and did some coaching for 6 years; 1978-awarded the Admiral Land Award from UW. Went on to teach Jr..,sr. HS PE for 2 years New Guinea; Returned to Gillette, got married and they raised cattle and continue to do so now.
Coach Bonnie J. Hultstrand	Faculty member 69-74 in physical education-Head Volleyball (69-73), Track & Field (69-70), Tennis (69-70) & Assistant WBB Coach (69-74).	After UW, left to teach physical education at the University of Idaho-retired in 1999
Coach Margie McDonald	Coached at UW women's basketball from 1974-1982?	Third winningest head coach in school history with a 123-114 mark in nine seasons -Led her team to a program a 25-7 record overall and a 10-4 mark in Intermountain Conference play in 1978-79 -With that record, the team earned a post-season berth in the AIAW Regional Tournament. -Later became the first Executive Director of the High Country Athletic Conference which later merged in the Western Athletic Conference -Served as the Deputy Commissioner of the WAC and worked as the Coordinator of Women’s Basketball officials in the MW -Elected into the Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame with the team in 2008 and as an individual in 2002 -Currently the color analyst for Cowgirl basketball for the past nine years
Lona Nachtman	1972-1976-1 yr. field hockey, 3 years volleyball, 4 years basketball, and 3 years softball.
Lori Kline Waddell	1979-83 basketball	4-year letterwinner; holds the all-time career blocks records with 322, 3rd in rebounding (947); 10th all-time in scoring in school history with 1521 points & 14th in games played (116). Holds the 2-4 spots on the single season block list with 93, 85 & 80.
Janice Lee Livingston	1972-73-volleyball
Ina Hubbell	1964-69-field hockey, volleyball, basketball, and softball, all four years.	After UW: Taught/coached in Buffalo, Wyoming for 13 years.  Taught/coach 2 years at Lowell, Wyoming. Athletic activity director 5 years in Lowell.
Patsy (Fitzgerald) O'Hearne	1970-74 Volleyball, basketball and track & field	Taught physical education, health, sex education; wrote curriculum for Douglas School system; coached volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, track and worked with divers; became an RN Nursing degree;working at Caspet Clinic and a cardiology testing lab for 11 years.
Yolanda Pfeifer	1971-74-volleyball, basketball & softball-while earning her Pharmacy degree	Worked as a Pharmacists in Iowa City, Iowa for a few years then, moved back to Sheridan, Wyoming  with the Sheridan Veterans Administration and retired from that in 2008.  Went back to work (from home) for another 5 years.   Plays pickle ball, rides her bike and snow skis.
Kathy Nickerson	1971-76-field hockey, softball and track & field	After UW: Operation Manager for the Science Zone in Casper, Wyoming (children's museum).
Kathy Hamer-Smith	1976-1981-volleyball & softball	After UW: Taught at Torrington High School for 33 years; head volleyball coach for 12 years and assistant basketball coach for 20 years; still coaching track (36 years).  Volleyball official for 24 years; Inducted into the Wyoming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2008; Inducted into the National High School Coaches' Association Hall of Fame in 2014.
Paula Hansen	1968-1972-basketball	Taught/Coached for 3 years, then sales Rep for a  truss manufacturing plant, eventually bought the company in 1988 and closed the plant in 2011 and now, working for Laramie County School District.
Millie Hood	1972 - 1976;  played 1 year basketball.
Shona Heim	1972-76-field hockey, track & field and softball	Earned her MA in Counseling Education from UW in 1980; jointly owned/managed small farm in SW Nebraska; certified social worker and licensed independent mental health practioner.