Washington College women's field hockey players running and smiling

I Celebrate

50 years of women’s athletics at Washington College

Hear the thoughts of women who attended the event in the video above, then watch the videos that played at the event on this playlist.

50 Years of Outstanding Shorewomen

In the decades since Title IX opened up college athletics for women, Washington College has seen many high-achieving female athletes move through its teams and go on to greatness in their careers as well, often powered by what they learned and practiced in College sports.

danielle sullivan race finisher

Swimming at Washington Set Course of Alumna’s Career

Danielle Sullivan ’98 Swimming, Hall Fame 2011 Inductee

Danielle Sullivan began her swim career at Washington College with modest expectations.

“I didn’t think I belonged on the team,” she recalls. “Growing up, athletics hadn’t been huge in my life. I swam, but not year-round. I wasn’t a sporty kid.”

Early that first year, unsure of her place and whether she would stay at the College, Sullivan swam as a sprinter—until coach Kim Lessard identified her potential as a distance swimmer.

READ DANIELLE'S STORY

eboni taylor-tue photo

"Be Both a Leader and a Team Player"

Eboni Taylor-Tue ’97Basketball, Hall of Fame 2008 Inductee 

On January 14, 1996, Eboni Taylor-Tue was in the zone. After scoring in a home conference game against Haverford, she recalls being startled when play suddenly stopped, her coach walked onto the court and an announcement was made.  

“My teammates told me: ‘You just scored your 1,000th point!’

READ EBONI's STORY

field hockey hero

Injuries Didn’t Prevent Collegiate Career From Starting Alumna on Her Path 

Katherine Orga Godfrey ’04Volleyball, Leadership, Athletic Training

Growing up the fifth of six active children, Katie Orga Godfrey 04 always wanted to be a teacher and a coach. Today, Godfrey has built the career she’d planned, and it grew from her experiences, both good and bad, in Washington College athletics.  

READ KATHERINE'S STORY

karen perkinson mcgee

Washington College Athletics Provided Springboard for Alumna, Twice 

Karen Perkinson McGee84, Rowing, Volleyball 

Sports have always been the thing for Karen Perkinson McGee 84, who grew up loving to watch football with her father. She went to college and majored in economics, but sports helped her choose where to study. And as it turned out, the experience would shape her career. 

READ KAREN's STORY

Liz Berquist

Principles from Washington College Sports Underpin Alumna’s Approach to Work 

Liz Tessier Berquist '00, Field Hockey, Lacrosse 

The daughter of a coach and a school principal, Liz Tessier Berquist’s path has come full circle. Like her parents, she has been a teacher and a coach. Her daughters are high school athletes at her alma mater outside Baltimore. With a PhD in Instructional Technology, she is now director of employee training and development for Baltimore County Public Schools, the 25th largest school system in the country.  

READ LIZ'S STORY

Pamela Vasquez

Swimmer Found Two Close-Knit Communities at Washington 

Pamela Vasquez03, Swimming, Hall of Fame 2015 Inductee 

Swimmer Pamela Vasquez 03 accomplished great things at Washington College. She won championships, set records and earned titles, including Centennial Conference most outstanding performer, All-American and, most notably: Olympian. 

READ PAMELA'S STORY

Carcillo

A Well-Rounded Student Experience with Athletics at its Core 

Tara Carcillo98, Rowing 

Tara Carcillo ’98 possesses an athlete’s mindset. It’s not about winning versus losing. It’s about the skills that lead to success. Focus, resilience, gritthe same qualities that make a strong leader. It’s a mindset she possessed at an early age, Carcillo says, and it has carried her to her role as CEO of The Clearing, a Washington, D.C.-based management consulting firm. 

READ TARA'S STORY

Melinda Rath

A Mentor and Example for Life 

Melinda Rath ’77Volleyball

“It was a pretty momentous time,” says Melinda Rath ’77, of the early days of Title IX. “I was on the inaugural volleyball team way back then, the College’s first sport for women.”  

An athlete in her Upstate New York hometown, Rath had hoped to play a sport in college, but opportunities to participate were still limited.  

READ MELINDA'S STORY

Wiedenmayer

Washington Star Athlete Uses Athletics to Empower Female Students 

Toby Wilmet Wiedenmayer01, Field Hockey, Softball, Hall of Fame 2012 Inductee 

The best field hockey goalkeeper in Washington College history, Toby Wilmet Wiedenmayer 01 built a career of achievements that will likely never be matched. She earned a long list of accolades, most notably being named NCAA Woman of the Year for the State of Maryland her senior year. Also a fine softball player, she was inducted into Washington’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 for both sports. 


READ TOBY'S STORY