Sue Melhart’s perspective on WSU women’s sports (Sept 2007)

Sue Melhart’s perspective on WSU women’s sports

September 2007, Pullman Community Update

When Pullman's Sue Melhart (see photo) takes part in WSU's "Legacy in Women's Athletics" events (see inset) here late this month, she will do so with perspective.

She played women's tennis for the Cougars. She has taught in the Pullman School District since fall 1977, starting soon after graduating from WSU. Last spring was her 18th and final season coaching Pullman High School girls' tennis.

Melhart grew up in Vancouver, Wash., graduating in spring 1972 from Fort Vancouver High School. "I did everything I could do in sports," she said. There wasn't much for girls. For the school, she played tennis and basketball and competed in track.”

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The Crimson and Gray: Honoring the Legacy in Women's Athletics — Celebrate women athletes and coaches who represented Cougar sports prior to the 1982-1983 season, Sept. 28-29, 2007, Pullman. For info contact Tammy Crawford.

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With the Girls’ Athletics Association at the school, there was a new sport every few weeks. One was ring toss. Take a rubber ring and throw it over the net where you thought your opponent couldn't catch it. “This was the type of sport available to girls. We weren't mad about it; we weren't sad about it. That's just the way it was. We knew no difference. Everything that came my way I did. Now I realize it wasn't much."

In the summer of 1972, the federal Tide IX became law. Prohibiting sex discrimination in education, it's best known for fostering gender equity in high school and collegiate athletics. Title IX would impact Melhart as a WSU student.

Living on campus in Orton Hall, she enjoyed playing coed intramurals, including flag football and coed volleyball. "Then, I heard there was a women's tennis team that would compete in the spring. I thought that might be fun."

Low key describes WSU women's tennis in 1973, Melhart recalls. Coached by Sheryl Gotts, tennis team members used WSU motor pool cars to go to and from matches in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon.

For the 1974 and 1975 seasons, Linda Hackbarth was the coach. Some know Hackbarth for her years after WSU, teaching at Pullman's Lincoln Middle School.

Prior to the 1975 season, Melhart began playing racquetball on the WSU courts to get in shape for tennis. Because she enjoyed the sport and had immediate success, she decided to continue playing it and not tennis.

Although not on the 1976 team, Melhart said the new coach, Bente Kjoss-Hansen, "took the tennis program to a new level." Former teammates said the team was "more demanding, more formal and more competitive. That's not to mean it was a bad thing, but it was a change. Today, kids have a high level of competitiveness coming into college tennis. They're prepared for it. "

Title IX resulted in athletics growing pains at the university. "In 1982, the women's and men's athletics departments merged to create one unified organization," according to the WSU Athletics Student-Athlete Handbook.

Melhart said there was "no recipe" of how to merge. "It was tough on both the women's and men's programs."

As a student, she helped with communications by being a liaison between the programs. “There was a lot of give and take, but also some amount of pushing and shoving," she said. “The men's programs were seen as being threatened because of Title IX, while women's programs were viewed as 'being given' things they'd never had before."

She credits "some open minds by men" — including 1972-1983 men's basketball coach George Raveling — for helping the merger. Jeanne Eggart Helfer was a WSU basketball and track star, 1979-1982. The funding for her WSU athletic scholarship — first ever for a woman at the university — was thanks to Raveling funding it from his Cougar men's basketball budget.

With perspective, Melhart sees today's WSU women's athletes have "always had the uniforms, the coaches ...they've had every advantage that the male teams and players have had. I see a lot of equal programs and opportunities. They know nothing different. It's okay with me that they don't even think about the history. But I know that those of us in the early years helped open the roadways for what they have today.”

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Info about Washington State University's Performing Arts Coliseum (In1981 named for Wallis Beasley)

Info about Washington State University's Performing Arts Coliseum

-The WSU Performing Arts Coliseum’s first event, on June 3, 1973, was WSU Spring Commencement. The first concert was “Septemberfest,” on Sept. 23, 1973. It featured various rock performers, including vocal-guitarist Joe Walsh, formerly of the James Gang and later of the Eagles.

--The court inside the Washington State University Performing Arts Coliseum (named in 1981 for Wallis Beasley), the Cougars' home arena, was named after Coach Jack Friel in April 1977, as announced by WSU President Glenn Terrell at a meeting of the WSU Board of Regents. Dedication of the court was on Dec. 3, 1977, at halftime of a WSU men's basketball game. Jack Friel graduated from Washington State College in 1923 and was WSC men's head basketball coach for 30 years, 1929-1958.

-On Oct. 16, 1981, WSU Regents named the WSU Performing Arts Coliseum to honor Wallis Beasley, former WSU executive vice president and acting president. He retired Aug. 31, 1981, after 33 years of service, including influential work as a faculty member and chair of the Department of Sociology.

WSU NCAA hovering football helmet

Thought this so interesting am posting this photo as a point of information, not as a sales pitch. This WSU NCAA hovering football helmet is supposed to be about one-half of real size. You can easily find this online. If you have questions about this item please do NOT ask News for CougGroup. Don’t have answers. Your questions answered online if you do a search.

Men’s Basketball 11/18/2021: WSU beat Idaho 109-61 in Moscow

Men’s Basketball 11/18/2021: WSU beat Idaho 109-61 in Moscow

RW photos during the Thursday night 11/18/2021 men's basketball game -- WSU Cougars at UI Vandals -- in Moscow in the UI new ICCU Arena. Cougs won, 109-61. 

⚽️ Kansas Falls to Washington State 3-0 in Soccer

Based on info from U of Kansas and WSU Sports Info on Sunday 9/12/2021. U of Kansas photo.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – A pair of Cougars goals in the first half spelled doom for the U of Kansas soccer as the Jayhawks fell to Washington State 3-0, Sunday afternoon at Rock Chalk Park. KU was outshot for just the third time this season, 13-6, including 9-2 shots on goal.

Kansas fell to 4-3-1 ending a two-match winning streak, while Washington State improved to 4-1-1.

Kansas senior Grace Wiltgen and sophomore Shira Elinav each recorded two shots for the match, while junior goalkeeper Melania Pasar collected six saves.

KU gave up two first-half goals against the physical Washington State offense. WSU’s Bridget Reiken scored in the fifth minute of the contest and Alyssa Gray scored in the 25th minute. Washington State outshot KU 8-3 in the first half, including 4-1 in shots on goal.

The Cougars scored their third goal of the match in the 51st minute from Elyse Bennett.

Next match for WSU is against the University of Denver Pioneer at 6pm (Pacific) on Thur., Sept. 16, on CIBER Field at University of Denver Soccer Stadium (seating capacity 1,915. The stadium opened in 2009.) The field is named for CIBER Inc., a pure-play international IT outsourcing and software implementation and integration consultancy based in Greenwood Village, Colo.

See photo from this match here via link below: xxxxx

CHANCES ARE you saw this 12:01 AM Sept 5, 2021, TWEET

CHANCES ARE you saw this 12:01 AM Sept 5, 2021, TWEET from TIM BOOTH, Associated Press/AP sports writer/editor from the Seattle area. He serves “as the only sports writer for The Associated Press for states of Washington and Idaho.” But, just in case … To see the tweet go to the URL below:

THANKS TO CARROLL HAYDEN, WSU WILL BE REPRESENTED AT THE OREGON RAIL HERITAGE CENTER IN PORTLAND

Thanks to Carroll Hayden, there will be Washington State University and WSU Cougars representation at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center railway museum in Portland.

The center at 2250 SE Water Ave, Portland, is a block away from the OMSI/Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Graduating from WSU in Pullman in 1968, Hayden was a staff member at WSU from 1968 to 2001.

Hayden and his wife, Janice (Jan), WSU Class of 1962, also a former WSU staffer, retired and later moved from Pullman to Vancouver, Wash.

In retirement Carroll Hayden created a miniature Funzville Theme Park. (See video.) The park has 10 working rides, a scale monorail and carnival music. It includes a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a roller coaster and a merry-go-round. 

He also assembled a miniature Crimson Queen paddlewheel steamboat and a Cougar pirate ship. (See photos.)

He displayed the miniatures at model railroad train shows in the Pacific Northwest.

“I often referred to my Funzville display as a ‘kid magnet for all ages’ as children would enjoy the lights and motion while adults would enjoy the nostalgic memories of the old style rides they had ridden when the carnival came to town or the fair,” Hayden said.

As the years have gone by Hayden said setting up Funzville, the Crimson Queen and pirate ship became too difficult to continue. “Creating all of this was a labor of love, specifically love of WSU. I’m happy the Oregon Rail Heritage Center will accept my donations this spring and put the donated items on display at the center as it sees fit,” he said.

He’s making his donations in memory of Ken Vogel, who died at age 71 in 2016. Like Hayden, Vogel was a loyal Cougar. A long-time Pullman merchant/clothing store owner-operator, Vogel and his wife, Sally, moved from Pullman to Winlock in western Washington after they retired. (The Vogels lived in a house in Winlock Ken designed to look like a train depot). Many of the times Hayden had his displays at the same train shows as Vogel, who specialized in selling Northern Pacific train memorabilia. On the side they both promoted WSU.

REST OF STORY

From Ritzville, Hayden and his wife-to-be Jan, who is from St. John, entered Washington State College in 1958. Carroll didn’t graduate in 1962 from Washington State University as planned because he took pause when he served four years in the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After his first year of service they married on the Mainland and enjoyed a "three year Hawaiian honeymoon" in Hawaii before returning to Pullman where he continued and completed his WSU studies with assistance from the G.I. bill.

After graduating from WSU in 1968 he worked in and for the Compton Union Building on entertainment and recreation activities. Those activities included assisting comedian Bob Hope and musicians Stevie Wonder. Elton John and Taylor Swift, who had shows in Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. “In addition, during my WSU career I also brought three carnivals to campus and organized about 10 Dad’s Weekend car shows on Glenn Terrell Mall. All of it was a wonderful experience,” he said. By the way, Hayden is working on a biography which will include recounting his work life at WSU.