Girls and Women in Sports Day set for Feb. 1 at CSB

by Cori Hilsgen

news@thenewsleaders.com

The College of St. Benedict will host a Girls and Women in Sports Day at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1 during the CSB basketball game at the Claire Lynch Gym. The CSB Blazers will play St. Olaf. National Girls and Women in Sports Day recognizes athletes, coaches, athletic directors, parents and lawmakers who are committed to expanding opportunity for all girls and women.

CSB assistant athletic director and event organizer Steve Kimble said the day recognizes the advancement of girls’ and women’s sports and offers a chance to honor pioneers and people of impact.

Marcia Mahlum will be honored with the 2017 Breaking Barriers award. The award is given each year to an individual who has had  significant impact in girls and women in sports and has helped continue to break down barriers female athletes face. The honoree of this award is also recognized at the state Capitol each year at an event attended by the governor.

Mahlum said the day is a chance to celebrate all that has been accomplished and to see all the potential that lies ahead for girls and women in sports, all because of changes since Title IX. The 1972 legislative approval of Title IX created new avenues for girls and women in sports, and it helped make the career of Mahlum come to full bloom as director of the College of St. Benedict’s recreation program. That law, an education amendment, is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any school that receives federal funds.

“As a professional in athletics and recreation, it is our responsibility to carry on the legacy of providing quality sport experiences for girls and women,” she said. “CSB has led the way in providing sport opportunities for women (with) competitive collegiate sport experiences, club sport experiences, girls summer sports camps, intramurals and recreation and we continue to push the envelope to be better and stronger every year. As a young girl, I didn’t have to fight to play a sport I loved. Opportunities have always been available to me.  I am grateful for the student athlete experience I had while playing volleyball for CSB, and am truly grateful for the past 21 years as the recreation and club sports director. It has afforded me lifelong experiences and a career to fulfill what Title IX has provided girls and women so my daughter, and any other girl or woman who plays sports, has the opportunity to shine for many generations to come.”

Kimble said Mahlum works tirelessly to provide the ultimate best in facilities, resources, programming and experience for women in sports on the CSB campus and in the area.

He said she is a strong advocate for girls’ and women’s sports and has been nominated for the award several times in the past.

Mahlum, a CSB graduate, played volleyball at the college for two years. She was unable to play during her senior year due to an injury.

During her four years as a student at CSB, she was the intramural department student manager, managing all intramural sports leagues offered at the time.

“Interestingly enough, when my supervisor at that time took me out to lunch to talk about my future and what I wanted to pursue, I said ‘Someday, I want this job,'” Mahlum recalled.

She said her dream became a reality when she was hired in 1997.

Some areas in which Mahlum has helped bring about changes include being the head junior varsity/assistant varsity volleyball coach at CSB for the 2000 and 2001 seasons and increasing group exercise offerings at CSB from eight classes each week, each semester, to 15-20 classes each week, each semester.

As programs and services grew, the need for more student staff grew, increasing from 25 student employees to 60-65 today. She supervises these student employees who help execute programs and services including officials, desk attendants, lifeguards, group-exercise instructors, personal trainers and more.

Mahlum developed a personal-training program. She also integrated technology with two equipment systems. One called Expresso involves virtual racing bikes where riders can race against each other or against others at other locations and in competitions. Another is the Preva System on cardio equipment.

She also developed a Women’s Expedition program to provide outdoor experiences for women to explore areas such as dog sledding, winter camping, outdoor rock climbing, canoeing, camping, hiking and more.

Mahlum continues to add new intramural options for CSB students, such as volleyball, basketball, soccer, tennis, badminton, ping pong, kickball, racquetball, floor hockey, lawn games, pickle ball and more. She has also increased competitive sport offerings by supporting, advocating and expanding the CSB competitive sports.

Mahlum started the first Rape Aggression Defense Women’s Self Defense program in the state and helped establish the program at 10 other colleges in the state. She became a certified cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructor for American Red Cross and then the American Heart Association to provide certification to student staff and all students on campus.

Mahlum has planned many campus-wide events such as Insane in the Haehn, Women’s Walk, Illuminated Run for President Hinton’s inauguration, and organized an outreach program for  Girl Scout fun night with local troops on campus.

She also assisted with the renovation and expansion planning for athletic and recreation facilities at the Haehn Campus Center and outdoor fields.

The Girls and Women in Sports Day event will also include a performance by the CSB Dance Team. The team recently finished in the top 15 in the nation at the Universal Dance Association Nationals, held at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla.

Fans are invited to participate in a shooting contest at half-time. Some in-game promotions, including drawings, will take place during the event and T-shirts will be tossed when the Blazers score three-pointers during the game.

Autographs by the St. Benedict players will be available after the game.

CSB Athletic Director Glen Werner commented about Mahlum being honored with the award.

“Marcia was a competitive athlete when the real results of the institution of Title IX legislation was felt in women’s athletics,” Werner said. “It took 20 years into the legislation before real strides were being seen and felt by girls and women alike. In the 21 years Marcia has been leading sport and recreation efforts on campus at CSB, even more progress can be seen and felt.  We now have a generation of women who come to us with two decades of sport experience in playing on teams since they were toddlers. Their expectation is that opportunities have been there for them and will continue to be part of their daily life. Marcia has been instrumental in making the environment just what our women expect when they arrive. We have the programs, equipment and facilities in place to meet their fitness, recreational and competitive needs. Marcia had been and remains a key support to past, present and future Bennies with her work to support and grow women in sport.”

Werner, a CSB graduate, played on the Blazer basketball team, which included four consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament from 1990-93. She also helped the team to the Sweet 16 in 1992 and was part of the 1993 squad that won its first 28 games in a row and made it to the Division III Final Four. The team is in the College of St. Benedict Hall of Fame.

In her career, Werner worked at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center and at VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa in Colorado Springs, Colo. before returning to the college as the athletic director.

Girls and Women in Sports Day has been celebrated nationally for 31 years and the college has celebrated the day with an event since 2000.

Admission to the game is free to all girls and women wearing sports jerseys.