FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Drew Sauer,Graduate Assistant to Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Jan. 31, 2012 - From the moment she stepped onto the campus of North Central College, this year's Cleo Tanner award recipient, Bev Thornburg, made it her responsibility to revolutionize opportunities for female athletes at North Central for generations to come.
Thornburg came to North Central College in the fall of 1970 following the retirement of Cleo Tanner. Upon arriving at the college, Thornburg took over the responsibilities of head tennis coach and instructor of physical education. At the time, this was the only athletic opportunity for women on campus and she wasted no time in changing this. In a span from 1971-1975, Thornburg pioneered the way for women's volleyball, basketball, and softball while at the same time coaching all three sports.
“I saw a need for more to happen. It took courage and persistence, but it was what needed to be done,” Thornburg recalled.
At the time the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) did not sponsor women's athletics. The governing body of women's athletics, which was similar to the NCAA, was the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). Bev served on the volleyball committee of the AIAW from 1976-78, and in 1977 North Central College hosted the women's National Volleyball Tournament. She also served a two-year term as President of the Illinois Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (IAIAW).
“It was a way to meet new people that had the same vision as I did and it was a way to promote new ideas," Thornburg remarked. "It was fun, it was my whole life, it was my passion." It was this passion that eventually led to the NCAA sponsoring women's athletics in 1982. “At first there was some resistance from the AIAW," Thornburg stated, "but who can do a better job in promoting women's athletics than the NCAA? We are here for the athletes, not ourselves.” It is that attitude and persistence that have given female athletes the opportunities that many are grateful for today.
A Women's Athletic Celebration luncheon will be held for female alumni who have been involved in athletics at North Central College on Saturday, Feb. 4 in the Wentz Concert Hall lobby at 12 pm.
“Many of the women who were involved in athletics haven't seen Bev since she left North Central. This is a great opportunity for many women involved in athletics over the years to get together as a collection female athletes,” said North Central assistant athletic director Stevie Baker-Watson.
Thornburg was honored with the 2012 Cleo Tanner Award Tuesday afternoon as part of the College's National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebration and will also be honored at the luncheon on Saturday.
