Celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day at Brandywine
MEDIA, Pa. -- Every February, we take time to celebrate the many accomplishments of women and girls in sports and how far they've come in our lifetimes.
At Brandywine, it's no different. Think back to this day 10 years ago: On February 3, 2011, Penn State Brandywine offered three sports for women: basketball, volleyball and tennis (co-ed). Flash forward to the present, and the campus' offerings have nearly tripled to eight women's sports. During that time, Brandywine's women have achieved greatness, setting the standard for Penn State University Athletic Conference women's student-athletes in both the classroom and on the playing field.
The athletic achievements over the past decade are far greater than any other time period in Brandywine history. Women's basketball has made 10 trips to the PSUAC semifinals, winning three conference titles, since 2011. Volleyball is right behind at eight consecutive semifinal berths and a pair of league titles. Women's tennis, having split off from the men in recent years, owns the distinction of being one of two teams from Brandywine to own a victory over an NCAA Division II opponent. Brandywine defeated Cheyney in 2015.
The five women's sports added to Brandywine's offerings have also seen unparalleled success in a short time period.
Women's cross country was added in 2011 and won its first PSUAC crown in 2015, while Catharine Mooney became the first Brandywine woman to earn an all-American award from the United States Collegiate Athletic Association in 2019. Women's indoor track & field and outdoor track & field was added in 2018 and continues to blossom.
Softball became a varsity program in 2014 and has made postseason appearances every season. The team became the first, men or women, from Brandywine to capture five-straight PSUAC titles in 2019 and has finished in the top five at the USCAA World Series in four-straight trips.
Women's soccer was an immediate success beginning in 2015. The Lions won 7-of-11 matches during their inaugural season and reached the conference title game, losing to Beaver in a shootout. One year later, Brandywine claimed its first of four-straight league championships and began a run of four consecutive undefeated PSUAC campaigns. In 2018, the team made a run all of the way to the USCAA National Championship.
Just as on the field, Brandywine's women have been incredibly successful in the classroom. Since 2015, three Brandywine student-athletes have earned USCAA Student-Athlete of the Year, all of which were women. Miranda Biondi (volleyball), Julie Foeldes (softball) and Stephanie Harvey (softball) eached landed the prestigious honor.
Beginning with Bobbi Caprice, who is now the fourth female athletic director at Brandywine, five women have been awarded the John S. Egli Student-Athlete of the Year Award by the PSUAC since 2012. In addition, Brianna Banks (women's soccer) and Maddie Malfara (softball) represent two of Brandywine's four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.
Overall, the numbers speak for themselves when it comes to the success of Brandywine's women since 2011:
.656 winning percentage
52 USCAA All-Americans
16 PSUAC championships
5 John S. Egli Scholar Athletes
3 USCAA Student-Athletes of the Year