Photo by: Graham Bearman
'81 and '82 Field Hockey Teams Honored With Championship Rings
10/17/2022 1:22:00 PM | Field Hockey
OXFORD, Ohio— There were several exceptional field hockey teams on display Friday, Oct. 14 on the campus of Miami University.
Of course, there were the Miami RedHawks and Kent State Golden Flashes. Miami has won the last five regular-season Mid-American Conference championships and is unbeaten at home this year. Kent State entered the day undefeated in league play at 4-0 and just ahead of Miami in the conference standings.
However, there were two more incredible teams on the field Friday afternoon. At halftime, Miami Field Hockey honored its conference champion teams from the 1981 and 1982 seasons. 10 members of those squads returned to campus and were recognized with championship rings for their accomplishments four decades ago: Patty (Norris) Baird, Sally Beckwith, Liz Gwynne, Cindy Kivela, Sue (Erickson) Merkell, Lisa Mion, Kathy (Kiernan) Pownall, Lisa Shasky, Carrie Turner and Sharon Wolfington.
In the first year of MAC competition for women, the 1981 Miami team went 8-1 and finished tied for first place. The 1982 team also won a conference title, going 6-1 in league play and winning the Mid-American Conference Invitational.
"We had a great team," said longtime head coach Lil Fesperman, who joined her former players on the field Friday for the presentation. She served as Miami's coach for 27 years and was named MAC Coach of the Year in 1981.
"We've been trying to get these teams recognized, but it's been a wonderful thing for them to see each other and to reminisce and tell their stories," continued Fesperman. "I think it's been a good thing for Miami to bring back some of the former teams that were in the early '80s with Title IX."
The field hockey game and ring ceremony was just one part of a very special weekend in Oxford, as Miami Athletics celebrated the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX and the legislation's enduring impact on women's athletics. The festivities also included Friday's 'A Legacy of Love & Honor' dinner, RedHawk soccer and volleyball games, and a variety of open practices and alumni matches for Miami's women's programs as former athletes returned to campus.
"I want to reconnect with old friends," said Pownall, who was inducted into the Miami Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. "I hadn't seen one person for 40 years…we pick up right where we left off!" Powell was Miami's first-ever All-American in field hockey and ranks in the top three in program history for career points (142) and goals (65).
Baird, a two-time All-MAC honoree, agreed with her former teammate. "It really is like no time has passed," Baird said. Even though she still lives in southwest Ohio, she was excited to return to campus and greet friends she hadn't seen since her time as a student-athlete ended.
Baird and Fesperman both credited Miami's current coaches for helping alumni remain connected to the program. "The coaching staff here has done a remarkable job of trying to keep the history alive and let those pioneers not go unnoticed," said Fesperman.
Of course, much has changed over the past 40+ years in Miami Field Hockey history. The facilities are different (no more raking the leaves off bumpy grass fields!). The budgets have improved (in other words, the days of Wendy's baked potatoes or Ponderosa's salad bar on long van trips are likely gone forever). Video referrals exist now (with the timeout for replay surprising several of the alums in attendance).
But other things are the same. One- The grit and tenacity of Miami's teams, then and now. "Games were tough, but we were tough!," Baird said. Another- The incredible amount of work it takes to be a student-athlete at the highest level: discipline, organization, juggling travel schedules, and time management, just to name a few.
And of course- winning. It was only fitting that the 2022 RedHawks prevailed 2-1 over KSU in a dramatic finish Friday. Paula Peña Martinez scored the game-winner (her 10th goal of the season) with less than four minutes remaining on the clock, much to the delight of the home crowd.
But perhaps most importantly: The relationships and lifelong friendships that are formed through competing and succeeding at the highest level. "I have tried to stay in touch with many of my former players – some are grandmothers now!", Fesperman said. "That's made it fun too, because they grew up to be very successful businesswomen, family members, wives, and business owners: I'm very proud of not only their athletic performance, but them going into their own professional fields…
"They developed into such wonderful people, and I feel extremely fortunate and blessed that I can still be a part of their lives in some way."
Interested in making a donation to support Miami Field Hockey? Please click here to make a gift to the program's Excellence Fund or contact Assistant Vice President for Development Dr. Jeff Porter at jporter@miamioh.edu to learn how you can get involved.
Of course, there were the Miami RedHawks and Kent State Golden Flashes. Miami has won the last five regular-season Mid-American Conference championships and is unbeaten at home this year. Kent State entered the day undefeated in league play at 4-0 and just ahead of Miami in the conference standings.
However, there were two more incredible teams on the field Friday afternoon. At halftime, Miami Field Hockey honored its conference champion teams from the 1981 and 1982 seasons. 10 members of those squads returned to campus and were recognized with championship rings for their accomplishments four decades ago: Patty (Norris) Baird, Sally Beckwith, Liz Gwynne, Cindy Kivela, Sue (Erickson) Merkell, Lisa Mion, Kathy (Kiernan) Pownall, Lisa Shasky, Carrie Turner and Sharon Wolfington.
In the first year of MAC competition for women, the 1981 Miami team went 8-1 and finished tied for first place. The 1982 team also won a conference title, going 6-1 in league play and winning the Mid-American Conference Invitational.
"We had a great team," said longtime head coach Lil Fesperman, who joined her former players on the field Friday for the presentation. She served as Miami's coach for 27 years and was named MAC Coach of the Year in 1981.
"We've been trying to get these teams recognized, but it's been a wonderful thing for them to see each other and to reminisce and tell their stories," continued Fesperman. "I think it's been a good thing for Miami to bring back some of the former teams that were in the early '80s with Title IX."
The field hockey game and ring ceremony was just one part of a very special weekend in Oxford, as Miami Athletics celebrated the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX and the legislation's enduring impact on women's athletics. The festivities also included Friday's 'A Legacy of Love & Honor' dinner, RedHawk soccer and volleyball games, and a variety of open practices and alumni matches for Miami's women's programs as former athletes returned to campus.
"I want to reconnect with old friends," said Pownall, who was inducted into the Miami Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. "I hadn't seen one person for 40 years…we pick up right where we left off!" Powell was Miami's first-ever All-American in field hockey and ranks in the top three in program history for career points (142) and goals (65).
Baird, a two-time All-MAC honoree, agreed with her former teammate. "It really is like no time has passed," Baird said. Even though she still lives in southwest Ohio, she was excited to return to campus and greet friends she hadn't seen since her time as a student-athlete ended.
Baird and Fesperman both credited Miami's current coaches for helping alumni remain connected to the program. "The coaching staff here has done a remarkable job of trying to keep the history alive and let those pioneers not go unnoticed," said Fesperman.
Of course, much has changed over the past 40+ years in Miami Field Hockey history. The facilities are different (no more raking the leaves off bumpy grass fields!). The budgets have improved (in other words, the days of Wendy's baked potatoes or Ponderosa's salad bar on long van trips are likely gone forever). Video referrals exist now (with the timeout for replay surprising several of the alums in attendance).
But other things are the same. One- The grit and tenacity of Miami's teams, then and now. "Games were tough, but we were tough!," Baird said. Another- The incredible amount of work it takes to be a student-athlete at the highest level: discipline, organization, juggling travel schedules, and time management, just to name a few.And of course- winning. It was only fitting that the 2022 RedHawks prevailed 2-1 over KSU in a dramatic finish Friday. Paula Peña Martinez scored the game-winner (her 10th goal of the season) with less than four minutes remaining on the clock, much to the delight of the home crowd.
But perhaps most importantly: The relationships and lifelong friendships that are formed through competing and succeeding at the highest level. "I have tried to stay in touch with many of my former players – some are grandmothers now!", Fesperman said. "That's made it fun too, because they grew up to be very successful businesswomen, family members, wives, and business owners: I'm very proud of not only their athletic performance, but them going into their own professional fields…
"They developed into such wonderful people, and I feel extremely fortunate and blessed that I can still be a part of their lives in some way."
Interested in making a donation to support Miami Field Hockey? Please click here to make a gift to the program's Excellence Fund or contact Assistant Vice President for Development Dr. Jeff Porter at jporter@miamioh.edu to learn how you can get involved.
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