LHS at 100: Title IX opens doors for Libertyville High School girls sports
• The following is part of an ongoing series of articles in celebration of Libertyville High School's 100th anniversary.
Girls athletics at Libertyville High School began in the early 1920s, but for many years it was class against class; there was no interscholastic competition except for perhaps one day a year a team might go against a neighbor school.
The Girls Athletic Association formed in 1922 and ran all the athletic activities.
That changed with the passing of Title IX in 1972. By 1973 there were many sports sponsored, including tennis, basketball, softball, golf, gymnastics, swimming and track.
The schedules weren't complete and there weren't team uniforms. The girls wore their gym suits with one team wearing pullovers.
Nonetheless, in the 1973 state track meet, the first IHSA girls state-sponsored meet, LHS placed fifth behind a state championship mile relay team.
Pam Kroening placed third in the mile, fourth in the 880. Gretchen Hausman was the first coach for girls track along with other sports.
By the fall of 1974, girls sports got full schedules and uniforms. The volleyball team opened the year with a sectional title.
Libertyville won every regional title during Linda Delano's 12 year head coaching stint from 1975-86.
The Golf team took fifth in the state in the fall of 1975 behind the efforts of Pam Miller who placed third in the state.
Miller went on to play for Brigham Young University where she was an All-American and eventual BYU Hall of Famer. She played several years in the LPGA.
Softball advanced to the Sectional finals in 1978. They won their first conference title in 1979. A top player was Mary Tiegs who went on to have a successful career at Eastern Illinois University, being named to the EIU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Tiegs was the LHS head softball coach from 2006-11.
Linnea Magnus earned All-State swimming honors in the late 1970s. Her top finish was third in the 200 medley in 1979. This was the top LHS girls swim finish for 33 years.
The tennis team was a state power in the early 1980s.
They took third in the state in 1983 and 1984 under the direction of Craig Hunter, a 1966 LHS grad. Sarah Griffith was the top finisher, pairing with Janelle Bolen in 1982 doubles for a state second place, pairing with Susan Evans to again place second in 1983. Jill Galiene took third and fourth in singles in 1983 and 1984.