Last weekend marked a time of celebration at Seton Hall University as the Pirates recognized 50 years of women’s sports. There was a panel discussion, recognition at last Saturday’s women’s basketball game (a 78–54 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore), and a cocktail reception and dinner on Saturday evening that was attended by more than 200 former student-athletes.
People came from around the U.S. and even Europe, and every sport that has competed over the past 50 years—including discontinued ones like track and field—were represented. Participants shared the stories of all the sports.
“It was a great opportunity to look back and celebrate the foundation of Seton Hall athletics and these women [who] did so much to pioneer,” said Tatum Colitz, deputy athletics director for compliance and student-athlete development, and senior woman administrator. “We wanted to really make sure that we’re doing right by the women who built this and make sure we’re representing every decade, every generation, and treating it like a celebration.”
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The two sports that began women’s varsity competition during the 1973–1974 academic year were basketball and tennis. Of the 12 members of that first basketball team, 11 were on hand. Two women from the team shared their stories on Friday with students, faculty, and campus members about “[w]hat it was like to be on a campus where women were only recently included in the academic experience (Seton Hall went coed in 1968), let alone the athletic experience,” said Colitz. “Having our student-athletes in that space hearing those stories—they were so moved.”
Also making the return to campus was track star Flirtisha Harris, the first Seton Hall woman to win an individual NCAA title. “She is one of the most decorated track and field student-athletes in the state of New Jersey,” said Colitz.
While some of those original student-athletes spoke about being grateful for simply having an opportunity to compete, women from the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s addressed their efforts toward equitable treatment. After Saturday’s basketball game, current-student athletes led groups of alumnae on tours around the campus and the athletic department.
“They could see the parts of the building that have been renovated, locker room spaces, the refueling spaces, and all of the things we have for our current-student-athletes,” said Colitz. “Our current student-athletes learned so much from the alums.”