Varsity Os Headed to Buckeyes from Women’s Sports Prior to 1975 – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
Feb. 13, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio – More than 30 years after even the youngest of them wore the scarlet and gray, former Buckeyes from 14 women’s sports will soon receive the coveted chenille Varsity “Os” for the first time. The awards, given to their male counterparts for decades, were first given to female OSU student-athletes in 1975, though over 900 female student-athletes had competed for Ohio State earlier.
Prior to 1975, varsity women’s sports recognized by Ohio State included tennis, basketball, field hockey, swimming, diving, golf, cross country, track and field, synchronized swimming, gymnastics, fencing, pistol, rifle and softball. Today, the Buckeyes field 19 women’s teams, two of which are coed, as part of the 36-sport department that is the largest in the nation.
Miechelle Willis, OSU Senior Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator, said the project has been at least seven years in the making.
“I, too, competed during a time when men received a varsity letter, while women did not,” Willis said. “I personally know how it feels and am thrilled we are able to create an opportunity for these athletes to receive the long overdue recognition they deserve. The Varsity O Women Alumnae Society worked very hard to make this dream a reality for these women.”
Efforts were taken to contact the more than 900 female Buckeyes who competed prior to 1975. The task was challenging, Willis noted, as squad rosters were not always easy to find and many of the women married and changed their name. About 160 of them were able to attend a ceremony on campus Jan. 29 in conjunction with the Ohio State women’s basketball game against Illinois. The evening included a pregame reception and halftime recognition on the court.
“13 of the women attending the ceremony competed during the 1950s and four of them began their collegiate careers in the late 1940s, so it was very exciting to have them back,” Willis said.
The banners that hung above them during that ceremony are proof that their pioneering efforts so many years ago did not go unrewarded. Now they, too, will have a medal to show for their effort.
