Bowling Green State University Athletics
Title IX: A Look Back at Cross Country
October 27, 2022 | General, Women's Cross Country
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, BGSU athletics is taking a look at the history of women's sports throughout the years. The information in this series was lifted from the book 'Forward Falcons: Women's Sports at Bowling Green State University' written by Janet B. Parks, Ann Bowers, and Adelia Hostetler Muti. Forward Falcons documents and preserves the history of Bowling Green State University women's sports from 1914 through 1982. During these pre-NCAA years, women coached most of the teams, and organizations composed primarily of women set the program standards.
To read the entire book, you can go to: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bgsu_books/3/
This series will also include some of our Heritage Sports and current teams.
Cross Country
The BGSU women's intercollegiate cross country team made its debut in the fall of 1976. They opened the season with a third place finish in a triangular meet. The Falcon harriers finished their first season placing a respectable 21st out of 74 teams at the AIAW nationals in Madison, WI. The following year, as the much-improved Falcons were preparing for the Northern Illinois Invitational, Coach Williams told his team that if they won, he'd shave his mustache. In the fall of 1978, Coach Williams began to focus on his duties as head coach of the women's track and field team. Three-time cross country NCAA All-American Sid Sink began his first year at the helm of the cross country team. The Falcons met their goal as they won the Falcon Invitational and garnered a 13th place finish in the MAIAW Regionals.
They entered and came in sixth out of 17 teams in the MAIAW Regionals. Senior Becky Dodson, owner of several records, won all-region honors and advanced to the AIAW Nationals. In 1980, Bowling Green won the inaugural women's MidAmerican Conference cross country meet, with Betsy (Miller) Ryan winning the individual title. Falcons Ryan, Stephanie Eaton, Karen McQuilkin, Terri Gindlesberger, Bev Lynch, and Kathy Kaczor were named to the All-MAC team. At Midwest Regionals the following week, the BG harriers captured sixth place, and Ryan earned a place on the All-Region team.
Ryan's positive attitude gave her the perseverance to capture 14th place and qualify for the AIAW nationals in Seattle, Washington. Adding to the year's accomplishments, Coach Sink was named MAC Coach of the Year, an honor he would win three more times as the Falcon harriers captured the MAC every year from 1980 through 1983. The BG harriers continued their winning ways in 1981, placing second in the Eastern Michigan Invitational and winning the All-Ohio meet. For the second consecutive year, they took first place in the MAC meet, where JoAnn Lanciaux won the individual MAC title. Lanciaux, Kaczor, Gidget Wickham, Gindlesberger, Lynch, Rosalie Cocita, and Sandra Cook won All-MAC honors. At the regional meet in East Lansing, Michigan, Lanciaux qualified for the NCAA nationals in Wichita, Kansas. Lanciaux, Kaczor, Cocita, Gindlesberger, and Wickham were named to the All-Region team.
Sink continued to coach the women's cross country team until 1989. He served as coach of men's track and cross country and as track and field coordinator for men's and women's track and field until 1998, when he was appointed assistant athletic director for compliance and certification. Sink retired in 2007.
To read the entire book, you can go to: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bgsu_books/3/
This series will also include some of our Heritage Sports and current teams.
Cross Country
The BGSU women's intercollegiate cross country team made its debut in the fall of 1976. They opened the season with a third place finish in a triangular meet. The Falcon harriers finished their first season placing a respectable 21st out of 74 teams at the AIAW nationals in Madison, WI. The following year, as the much-improved Falcons were preparing for the Northern Illinois Invitational, Coach Williams told his team that if they won, he'd shave his mustache. In the fall of 1978, Coach Williams began to focus on his duties as head coach of the women's track and field team. Three-time cross country NCAA All-American Sid Sink began his first year at the helm of the cross country team. The Falcons met their goal as they won the Falcon Invitational and garnered a 13th place finish in the MAIAW Regionals.
They entered and came in sixth out of 17 teams in the MAIAW Regionals. Senior Becky Dodson, owner of several records, won all-region honors and advanced to the AIAW Nationals. In 1980, Bowling Green won the inaugural women's MidAmerican Conference cross country meet, with Betsy (Miller) Ryan winning the individual title. Falcons Ryan, Stephanie Eaton, Karen McQuilkin, Terri Gindlesberger, Bev Lynch, and Kathy Kaczor were named to the All-MAC team. At Midwest Regionals the following week, the BG harriers captured sixth place, and Ryan earned a place on the All-Region team.
Ryan's positive attitude gave her the perseverance to capture 14th place and qualify for the AIAW nationals in Seattle, Washington. Adding to the year's accomplishments, Coach Sink was named MAC Coach of the Year, an honor he would win three more times as the Falcon harriers captured the MAC every year from 1980 through 1983. The BG harriers continued their winning ways in 1981, placing second in the Eastern Michigan Invitational and winning the All-Ohio meet. For the second consecutive year, they took first place in the MAC meet, where JoAnn Lanciaux won the individual MAC title. Lanciaux, Kaczor, Gidget Wickham, Gindlesberger, Lynch, Rosalie Cocita, and Sandra Cook won All-MAC honors. At the regional meet in East Lansing, Michigan, Lanciaux qualified for the NCAA nationals in Wichita, Kansas. Lanciaux, Kaczor, Cocita, Gindlesberger, and Wickham were named to the All-Region team.
Sink continued to coach the women's cross country team until 1989. He served as coach of men's track and cross country and as track and field coordinator for men's and women's track and field until 1998, when he was appointed assistant athletic director for compliance and certification. Sink retired in 2007.
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