UCR Athletics Reflects on 50th Anniversary of Title IX
6/24/2022 2:25:00 PM | General
"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
Title IX of the Civil Rights Act was signed into law on June 23, 1972 by President Richard M. Nixon.
June 23, 2022, marked the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the life-changing civil rights legislation that, in a single sentence, transformed higher education for the United States.
Student-athletes at UC Riverside have long reaped the benefits of this landmark law. If it weren't for Title IX, Vesta Bell would not have won UC Riverside's sole NCAA Division I national championship, in indoor weight throw; breaking both the school AND the facility record with a top mark of 73' 6.75". If it weren't for Title IX, UC Riverside alumnae and 40 under 40 recipient Brenda Martinez would not have clinched a spot at the 2016 Olympic Games, running the 1500 meters; she finished second at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships in that same event while competing at UC Riverside.
If it weren't for Title IX, we would not have had the privilege to witness one of the greatest women's sports seasons in UCR history. If it weren't for Title IX…
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Daphane Mendez, Jazmine Mendez and Quinley Quezada wouldn't have represented their respective national teams at the CONCACAF W Qualifiers
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Linda Perez wouldn't have had the impact she had in her freshman season as an All-Big West honoree, Big West 10k champion and Big West Freshman of the year
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Kate Villegas, Tiffany Le and Vanessa Betancourt would not have finished in the top 10 of the Big West Championships, and Villegas and Le would not have been named All-Big West
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Nicole Powell would not have been able to bring her decorated collegiate and professional experience to a revitalized Highlander women's basketball program
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Nikki Palmer would not have led UCR softball to the biggest turnaround in program history
The effects of Title IX have resulted in massive strides made for gender equity in sports that have been implemented at all levels of competition. At UC Riverside, we celebrate these breakthroughs and recognize those who came before us, those here and those who will come after us.Â
