DENVER – MSU Denver has for decades been a leader in providing equal opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics.
Today is the 11th installment of a 52-part tribute by Roadrunners Athletics to pioneers and leaders in intercollegiate athletics at MSU Denver.
Each Thursday, a key female figure in Roadrunners athletics history will be recognized.
Today, tennis star and later coach Beck Meares is featured.
Inducted into the MSU Denver Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011, Meares is known as the best women's tennis player in school history after an illustrious four-year career that coincided with the most successful stretch in program history.
She was a three-time first team All-RMAC player in both singles and doubles and was named 2004 RMAC Player of the Year after being nationally ranked throughout her senior campaign. She also captured the Fall ITA regional doubles championship with her sister, Jessica Meares, and went on to post a 17-3 mark at No. 1 singles and 19-3 record at No. 1 doubles in her final season.
The native of Australia held the MSU Denver career records of 60 singles wins (since tied by one player and surpassed by another), doubles winning percentage (.862), No. 1 singles wins (33) and No. 1 doubles winning percentage (.837). She also ranks second in school history with 75 doubles wins (one behind her sister) and No. 1 singles winning percentage (.805).
The Roadrunners captured three RMAC championships and also reached the NCAA Tournament three times during her four years. They also reached the national quarterfinals in two of those seasons and compiled a 73-20 team record during her tenure.
In 2009, she was named to the RMAC All-Time team.
She also coached the Roadrunners' men's and women's programs from 2009 through 2013, leading the men to 61 dual victories, one RMAC regular-season championship, one RMAC tournament championship and two NCAA Division II tournament appearances, and the women to 58 wins and one NCAA appearance.
Title IX, the groundbreaking law prohibiting sex-based discrimination at schools that receive funding from the federal government, went into effect just over 50 years ago – on June 23, 1972.
