DENVER – MSU Denver has for decades been a leader in providing equal opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics.
Today is the 45
th installment of a 52-part tribute by Roadrunners Athletics to pioneers and leaders in intercollegiate athletics at MSU Denver. The series coincides with the passage of Title IX.
Each Thursday, a key female figure in Roadrunners athletics history will be recognized.
Today, softball coach
Annie Van Wetzinga is featured.
Van Wetzinga has compiled a record of 326-180 record in her 10 seasons coaching the Roadrunners and overall has a career record of 479-336 in 16 seasons.
She has led MSU Denver to three NCAA Tournament appearances, a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season championship, and two RMAC Tournament championships. The Roadrunners are 236-99 (.704 winning percentage) in league play under Van Wetzinga.
In 2014, Van Wetzinga's first season, she led the Roadrunners to the best turnaround in RMAC history as the team that finished 12th in 2013 rose to fourth with a 33-17 overall record and 20-11 mark in conference play. Despite a second-round loss, the Roadrunners roared back through the loser's bracket to win the RMAC Tournament. That qualified them for the NCAA tournament, where they earned a first-round win over Texas Woman's.
Van Wetzinga's players have earned spots on the All-RMAC first- or second-team 30 times and have picked up seven more all-region honors.
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.
