On a night when the University of Puget Sound celebrated 40 years of progress and success in women’s sports at the school, the current Loggers women’s basketball team made the alumni proud.
UPS shot 54 percent from the field and held Pacific to 29 percent, eventually coming away with a 67-47 victory on Saturday night at Memorial Fieldhouse.
Kelsey McKinnis led UPS (11-8, 7-3 Northwest Conference) with 12 points, and Amanda Forshay added 11. Lindsay Layland had four points and grabbed 16 rebounds as 11 Loggers tallied at least a point.
Enumclaw native Heather Hitch led Pacific (10-8, 3-7 NWC) with 16 points.
Nearly 20 former Loggers athletes spanning four decades were announced during a halftime ceremony. Former athletes also got the chance to get together after the game for a reception on campus, where organizers showed a film presentation looking back at UPS’ history of women’s sports. Intercollegiate women’s athletics have been around in some form since the late 1800s, but it wasn’t until 1972 that the UPS athletic department funded intercollegiate varsity teams.
“The opportunities for women and the attitudes toward them have changed so much,” said Lynn (Johnson) Raisl, who played tennis at UPS and graduated in 1977. “I was here when things were really changing.”
Raisl, whose daughter Emma now runs track at the school, was grateful for the chance to come together and share stories with other UPS female athletes.
“It’s important to do things like this,” she said. “We can pass on the stories.”
Former Loggers basketball player Candy (Peterson) Nelson graduated in 1992, and still keeps in touch with a number of players on her former team.
“(Playing college basketball) made me a more well-rounded person, a more disciplined person; not afraid of things,” the Gig Harbor resident said. “It’s neat to come back and reconnect and see how far the program has come. The opportunities (players) have now are so much more than what we had 20 years ago. They can start playing more at younger ages. I think it’s good.”
After living abroad for the last five years, former basketball player Lindsay May was grateful for a chance to come back and reconnect with some familiar faces.
“My best memories of going to UPS are all centered around athletics, and all my best friends are all from my basketball team,” said May, who graduated in 2005 and now teaches in Portland. “Being a student athlete is such a unique opportunity at a school like this. I’m so fortunate that I was able to go to school here. It’s the best decision I ever made.”
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.