Feb. 8 was full of activities honoring the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of women’s varsity sports at the University of Redlands. Along with softball and basketball games, women’s teams hosted open houses where current and alumni female athletes had the opportunity to meet and mingle.
There was also a special banquet at 3 p.m. in the Orton Center, where several people made speeches commemorated this anniversary. Director of Athletics Jeff Martinez talked about the history of female athletics at Redlands, explaining that women’s basketball, established in 1974, was Redlands’ first women’s varsity sport. Redlands now offers 11 varsity women’s programs–with flag football soon to be added–in which more than 210 student athletes compete. Martinez then went on to highlight accomplishments of female athletics as a whole and within the individual programs.
“The University of Redlands is one of only two institutions in the SCIAC that have won at least one conference championship in every women’s program,” he said.
After celebrating the female athlete alumni and coaches who helped make these accomplishments possible, Martinez welcomed Chloe Bullock ‘25, a senior on the cross country and track teams, to the stage. Bullock is an accomplished athlete with multiple SCIAC Champion titles, school records, national qualifications and even an All-American honor to her name. Her speech began with a tribute to her mother, who instilled in Bullock a love for sports, and then elaborated on the significance of athletics in general.
“As student athletes we consistently put ourselves in difficult situations and push our teammates to do the same. This in turn makes us better,” Bullock said. “It is within these types of programs that we are allowed to try, fail, care, and succeed. Institutions that invest in their athletic programs can make changes to the lives of students in more ways than they could ever realize.”
Bullock then shared her experience and struggles as a female athlete in today’s society.
“As women, we are labeled as cocky, arrogant, or self-absorbed when we acknowledge the things we have done. As a woman in athletics, I constantly balance the division between being confident and arrogant, which often leaves me feeling guilty for acknowledging my accomplishments.”
Bullock concluded her speech with a call to action for the audience.
“As you leave today, take with you the importance of athletics in creating the people you want to see leading the world, and remember we don’t create those young women by calling them crazy or arrogant but by empowering them to make their voices louder, acknowledge their accomplishments, and care about life so passionately that they are relentless.”
Voices of Current Bulldog Female Athletes
This enrichment that sports bring to life was echoed by several current female athletes, including Lindsey Whelan ‘27 who plays tennis, Vivian Reukauf ‘25 and Briannah McGee ‘27 who play lacrosse and Sabrina Semmere ‘26 who plays soccer and track and field.
Credit: University of Redlands
“What I enjoy most about playing sports, especially at the college level, is the sense of release,” Reukauf said. “Life as a student-athlete can be demanding, with the weight of academic pressures and personal responsibilities. But when I step onto the field, those worries fade away. My focus narrows to the next practice, the next game, the next play. It’s really just a form of active meditation.”
They also shared the value this anniversary holds in their eyes.
“As a woman, being able to compete is a statement, a privilege, and an everyday fight to earn respect in society,” McGee said. “Women have had a deep and painful history of defeat and disadvantage. It’s important to focus on the strength of those before us who fought tooth and nail to earn us the right to participate in athletics at any level.”
Just as the previous female athletes paved the way for organized female sports, these Redlands student athletes offered some advice to aspiring female athletes:
“Stay confident and never let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve your goals,” Whelan said. “Remember to have fun and enjoy the journey, because the experiences and friendships you make along the way are just as important as the wins!”
“The discipline, leadership, and teamwork you learn will be valuable assets in your future career,” Reukauf said.
“Keep working hard, set achievable goals, and focus on your mental attitude,” Semmere said. “A positive mentality is crucial to gaining confidence and success in your passions.”
“Be painfully yourself,” McGee said. “Women were not created to fit into anybody’s box or stereotypes and the best way to succeed is by being yourself and finding what you have to offer your teammates and those around you that make you special.”
Women’s Sports Throughout the Years
For much of history, women were forced to sit on the sidelines as spectators of athletic competitions. This was rooted in the scientific belief that the female figure was not equipped for intense activity and that such excursion would be damaging to their health. In addition, athletic competition was simply regarded as “unladylike.” Many women refused to adhere to society’s expectations and organized their own informal athletic leagues, but even these were few and far in between.
A major turning point came in 1972, when the Title IX of the Education Amendments provided equal opportunity for women in all sports in the United States. Since then, females have taken to the fields, arenas and courts in surging numbers. The 1990 Paris Olympic Games featured the first women participants, where they made up 2.2% of competitors. Female participation has gradually increased since then, from 23% at the 1984 Los Angles games to 48.8% at the 2020 Tokyo games. When the Olympic Games returned to Paris in 2024, nearly half of the competitors were women. However, as Reukauf pointed out, there is still far to go in the race towards gender equality in sports.
“With the rollback of [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] efforts and the banning of trans athletes, we are witnessing a potentially dangerous regression of the progress that has been made,” Reukauf said. “This anniversary isn’t just a moment for celebration, it’s a reminder of the need for continued advocacy and support for women and all marginalized groups in sports.”
This 50th Anniversary of varsity women’s athletics at Redlands, and the annual Girls and Women in Sports Day (which was Feb. 5 this year), stand as reminders of the progress made and are sources of encouragement to continue striving for gender equality – not just in athletics, but all areas of life.
McKenzie Rose is a freshman at Redlands with interests in Environmental Studies and Journalism. She worked for the last three years as a freelance journalist with the Hermiston Herald, a newspaper near her hometown of Echo, Oregon. She is looking forward to covering the interesting, the exciting, and the intriguing happenings at the university for the Redlands Bulldog!
