WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State will embark on a year-long celebration to recognize and honor 50 years of women's athletics. The opportunity for women to compete in athletics for Wichita State University was solidified in September of 1969. 

This year marks the 50^th season of intercollegiate women's athletics at WSU and the Shockers will celebrate that milestone over the next 10 months, highlighted by sport reunions, recognitions and other special events. 
 
Even though the 1969-70 academic year is technically the start of women's intercollegiate athletics at WSU, female students had the first opportunities to participate in physical education classes offered for women in the early 1900's. 
 
The first event will be March 29-31 at softball. During the UConn series, WSU will be honoring the 1989 Gateway Tournament championship team, the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference championship team and all former Wichita State softball coaches. All former softball players are invited to attend as well as any former women's athletes of any sport at WSU.
 
WSU's women's intercollegiate athletics program began with six sports: basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, badminton, swimming, and field hockey. Three women, Sue Bair, Natasha Fife and Yvonne Slingerland, were tasked with starting the program. They also served as coaches, while continuing to teach in the P.E. Department.
 
In 1974, Natasha Fife was hired as the first women's athletic director at Wichita State and the women's intercollegiate athletic program was established with teams becoming members of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (AIAW). A women's athletic budget along with women's athletic scholarships were also introduced. That first year, Fife and her department had only $1,500 to $2,000 worth of scholarships to be shared between all sports. The total budget for all of the women's sports was $50,000 and all of the women's sports salaries, travel, meals and equipment came out of that budget.
 
In 1906, the first women's basketball team began play at then Fairmount College. The Fairmount women were the first team to take to the floor to represent the school, besting the first men's performance by nearly a month after taking to the court for the first time on Jan. 6, 1906. An intercollegiate varsity team was not annually in place until 1969-70, when the women's athletics department was started.
 
If you are a former Wichita State female student-athlete or coach of a women's team and are interested in participating in the celebration, please click here to fill out a registration form.