DENVER – MSU Denver has for decades been a leader in providing equal opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics.
Today is the 46
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, former softball coach Jen Fisher is featured.
Charged with re-starting the Roadrunners' softball program from scratch in 2008, Fisher turned it into a Division II juggernaut, with a three-year record of 125-36 that culminated with a 53-6 mark and a trip to the national tournament semifinals in 2010. Fisher is still the second winningest coach in program history, while her winning percentage of .776 ranks first. She was the National Coach of the Year in 2010 and a two-time RMAC Coach of the Year (2009, 2010).
After a solid debut season of 32-18 overall and 26-11 in the RMAC in 2008, the Roadrunners were the RMAC regular-season and tournament champions in 2009 while going 40-12 overall and 29-7 in the RMAC before making the Division II national tournament for the first time. The 2010 team, which set a national record with 112 home runs, cruised to both RMAC titles while going 37-2 in league play, setting the RMAC record for league wins.
The Roadrunners were ranked fourth in the country heading into the eight-team, double-elimination national championships. The Roadrunners bounced back from a frustrating first-round loss (the Roadrunners were called for 20 illegal pitches) to defeat No. 7 Wayne State (Mich.) and No. 1 North Georgia before being eliminated by No. 3 Hawaii Pacific.
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.
