Title IX had huge impact at Libertyville High School

Posted March 21, 2018 11:00 pm

By Dale Eggert on behalf of Libertyville High School

The 1921 Libertyville High School Senior Girls Basketball team. Bottom row, far right, is Ethel Titus (Hodgins), who taught many LHS grads as a longtime Libertyville Elementary teacher. She named basketball as her hobby during her high school days in the first years of LTHS. Courtesy of Dale Eggert

• The following is part of an ongoing series of articles in celebration of Libertyville High School's 100th anniversary.

Girls interscholastic athletes didn't come quickly at Libertyville High School. But one thing for sure, there was plenty of interest among girls for athletics throughout LHS's 100 years.

In the early 1920s, girls had opportunities to play basketball and volleyball. The competition was between LHS classes - the seniors vs. the juniors, for example, - they weren't allowed to compete against other schools.

The Girls Athletic Association was developed in the early 1920s. It offered "play days" for female students, which was the extent of girls athletic opportunities until the late 1960s.

Gretchen Hausmann came to LHS in the fall of 1968 to teach physical education. She could see there was plenty of interest in girls athletics and wanted to see what she could do to get it off the ground.

A few schools were having interscholastic tennis competitions. Coach Hausmann got Megan Putnam, Nancy Sullivan, and Judy Zetterberg in her car and headed to Deerfield for one of the competitions, the first LHS Girls Interscholastic competition.

By the fall of 1969, LHS had a tennis team and a couple of volleyball team competitions with other schools, the only team sport. Golf was the next to start in the fall of 1971.

In June 1972, the Title IX law was passed that stated: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

According to coach Hausmann, "By the time Title IX was passed LHS was so ready for girls athletics. The previous athletic opportunities we had before this put LHS ahead of so many schools around us."

The seasons were short at first, having anywhere from four to six competitions a season with four sport seasons. They had to practice at night after the boys' practices were finished. For the first three years they had to compete in their gym suits.

Track was the first sport to have success at the state level, as LHS placed fifth in the first Girls State Track Meet in the spring of 1973. The mile relay team of Liz Thompson, Sue Kemmer, Mary Whitmore and Jeanne Yingst won the state title. Pam Kroening added points with a third place in the mile and a fourth place in the 880.

By the fall of 1974, the schedules were full and all teams had school-issued uniforms. It didn't take long for the girls athletic participation to rival the boys.

Seventy-five girls tried out for volleyball in the fall of 1975. They competed in four levels and reached the Super Sectional finals their first two years.

Coach Hausmann left for California after the 1976 school year. But she left the girls athletic program in the good hands of several coaches, including Linda Delano, Sue Rocchi (Bruett), and Chris Trzyna.

The Fall 1970 Girls Tennis Team, the first LHS girls athletic team. Coach Gretchen Hausmann, the founding mother of the LHS Girls Athletic program, is in the second row, second from left. Courtesy of Dale Eggert

The second girls sport to form a team was winter 1970 volleyball. Janet Weidner, right, the 1971 Outstanding Senior Girl athlete (Newsom Award), is blocking her Glenbrook North opponent's shot. Courtesy of Dale Eggert

The first LHS Girls Athletic State success was the 1973 Mile Relay team of Liz Thompson, Sue Kemmer, Mary Whitmore, and Jeanne Yingst winning the state title. The team took fifth in the final standings. No uniforms yet; the girls won the state title in their gym suits. Courtesy of Dale Eggert

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