The end of March marked the end of the month in the history of women, but before the door closed, the Daily Texan explored some pivotal moments in the history of female sport in Texas.
Prevent: the hiring of Anna Hiss (1918)
The inclusion of women by Texas in sports began with the hiring of Anna Hiss as a physical training instructor. During her time, she created an intramural sports program for women, starting with Texas Turtle Swimming Club. The program extended to a total of ten clubs, thus forming the heart of the intramural sports of women at the UT – swimming, tennis, tumbling, closing, driving, archery, badminton, bowling, riflery and golf.
Production of the title IX: Donna Lopiano Era (1975)
After the adoption of Title IX in 1972, the Federal Civil Rights Act which prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities, the University of Texas formed the Women’s Athletics Department in 1974.
Donna Lopiano was hired as the first director of female athletics in 1975. Her leadership and advocacy to correct the inequalities that separated men from the female program – such as training wages, access and training facilities. Lopiano’s work as a director played a cardinal role in creating the sporting reputation of Texas women as a national model of academic and sporting excellence.
Basketball domination under Jody Conradt (1976)
The start of the Texas women’s basketball program and its dominant reputation in university sports began with the hiring of the first chief coach in the history of athletics of Texas-Jody Conradt. After the first six seasons of the association for intercollegate athletics for women, now replaced by the NCAA, Texas entered the Southwest Conference in 1982. After their entry, Longhorns made eight consecutive appearances of the NCAA tournament from 1982 to 1990, including their season 34-0 perfect from 1985 to 1985. from the NCAA and ended with the first title of national champion of Texas.
During his mandate, Conradt maintained the sports excellence of Texas with 13 other appearances at the NCAA tournament between 1990-2007, and concluded his career as a basketball coach in 2007 in Texas with a record of 783-245. In its time, Conradt finally established Texas women’s basketball as a power.
Rise of Women’s Track & Field
The renowned and dominant female athletics program was formed under two eminent coaches: Terry Crawford (1984-1992), which established the program in its NCAA ERA, and Beverly Kearney (1993-2013), which continued tradition. The program produced many Olympians – such as Carlette Guidry, Juliet Cuthbert, Nikole Mitchell, Moushami Robinson, Sanya Richards -Ross and Sandie Richards – and obtained five external national championships (1986, 98, 99, 2005), with their last in 2023.
Rachel Sanders and Al compared to the University of Texas in Austin (1992)
Seven athletes of UT women have filed a collective appeal against the university, citing violations of the title IX. The trial said that the UT did not provide equal participation possibilities for female athletes. The athletes and the university settled outside the court, which increased the amount of money allocated to the sports scholarships, and doubled the number of female athletes thanks to the creation of the women’s university, rowing and softball teams.
The success of Lady Longhorns
In addition to the success of previously established university teams, such as volleyball, tennis and swimming and diving, with 18 combined national championships, the new expansion and regular growth of female Texas reputation programs in new mediums.
With more than 60 conference championships, 30 national championships, many world -class athletes and Olympians in various sports, these moments in the history of female sport in Texas prove to be fundamental in the formation of the estimated academic and athletic reputation which is the female sport of Texas.