Celebrating Women in Sport and Physical Activity - Profiles
Entries
Carmen Strazisar - 2013 Honoree
When your father is a police officer who leaves for work wearing a uniform and a gun, you tend to mind what he says. But when it came to high school sports, Carmen Strazisar followed her heart and not her father�s wishes.
Elizabeth Van Tiflin - 2013 Honoree
While she�s a lifetime basketball player, Elizabeth �Biz� Van Tiflin, �12, greatly admired Mia Hamm and the way she led the U.S. women�s soccer team to the World Cup championship in 1999.
Sarah Zelenka - 2013 Honoree
Sarah Zelenka turned the Laker nation into rowing enthusiasts when she and her partner competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Shari Bartz-Smith - 2014 Honoree
There are two significant photos of Shari Bartz-Smith from early in her career as an athletic trainer. In one, she is pictured with the volleyball team at Northwood University, the other with the football team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Claudette Charney - 2014 Honoree
When she first accepted a head coaching position, Claudette Charney was just a few years older than her basketball players. She also had to work at three other jobs in addition to coaching part time at Muskegon Community College to make ends meet.
Cari Draft - 2014 Honoree
Cari Draft graduated from Grand Valley in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in advertising and public relations. She found her next passion by drawing on her background as a fitness enthusiast, and became a certified personal trainer.
Joanna Kitlinski - 2014 Honoree
It's been quite a journey for Joanna Kitlinski since she first picked up a rugby ball. From her first year as a rookie on Grand Valley's club sport team, Kitlinski's passion for the sport has increased proportionally with her talent and determination.
Pat Oldt - 2014 Honoree
Pat Oldt has advocated for women and girls to have the same opportunities as men and boys. While superintendent of Northview Public Schools in the 1990s, Oldt commissioned the district's first Title IX audit, showing inequalities in girls and boys sports.
Wendy Burns-Ardolino - 2014 Honoree
When she talks about competing in triathlons, you wouldn't know that Wendy Burns-Ardolino is a relative newcomer to the sport. Her first triathlon was in 2010. She's completed many more since, including the Michigan Titanium in Grand Rapids in late August