50 Years of Title IX

In June 1972, the passage of Title IX transformed the future of sports.

The federal law prohibited gender discrimination in education and activities with federal financial assistance, which extended to athletics. The landmark law sparked new opportunities for women student-athletes across the country.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, we’re celebrating standout student-athletes from throughout Lakers history.

The first student teams were called the Torchbearers and later renamed the Lakers. Today, women student-athletes compete on 12 teams at Roosevelt University. Thank you to all of the players, coaches and administrators who paved the way for the Lakers.

Casey Davis, Maria O’Hara and the 2012-13 Team

Women’s Basketball

In 2012-13, the Lakers won the school’s first conference regular-season and tournament titles. The team claimed their first NAIA national championship bid that same year, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.

Coach Robyn Scherr-Wells won CCAC Coach of the Year and WBCA Region 4 Coach of the Year for her efforts. “Robyn is an experienced program builder, a tireless recruiter, and detailed tactician,” said Mike Cassidy, vice president of enrollment management and athletics. “At Roosevelt, she took a nonexistent program and created a nationally ranked conference champion.”

Coach Scherr-Wells  is now the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Evansville, an NCAA Division I program. She’s also a Roosevelt alum, having earned an MBA in 2014.

Two-time All-American Casey Davis (BA Psychology, ’14) tallied 2,203 career points, a University record that still stands. She also broke the single-game scoring record with 51 points and her jersey was inducted into the women’s hall of fame. After graduating from Roosevelt, she earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling.

“To me, the student-athlete experience meant being a student of the classroom first and being a student of the game as well,” said Davis. “My sport prepared me for my career now because it put me in a better position to be able to help the youth today.”

Maria (Tamburrino) O’Hara (BA Mathematics, ’14) is Roosevelt’s all-time leading rebounder and one of the top 10 all-time leading scorers. Today, she teaches math and coaches basketball at her high school alma mater, Jacobs High School in Algonquin.

Morgan Vogt and the 2013 Team

Softball

With a team of almost all first-years, Roosevelt finished its inaugural season as one of the conference’s best offenses with the league’s second-best team hitting mark (.311).

Morgan Vogt was the 2013 team’s ace pitcher and one of Lakers’ top hitters. She started all 40 games, making 25 appearances as a pitcher. She earned All-CCAC First Team recognition as a first-year.

Coach Amanda Scott is one of the best collegiate softball pitchers of all time in her own right. A four-time All-American, she followed up a win at the 1998 College World Series with gold at the 1998 World Championships. She was an alternate on the gold medal–winning 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.

Courtney Ermisch and the 2019 Team

Women’s Bowling

The Eagles women’s bowling team came from behind in almost every winning match on its way to the 2019 Intercollegiate Team Championships. They faced the McKendree Bearcats in the title match.

Under pressure, senior Courtney Ermisch threw two strikes in a row and put down another nine points to clinch the victory. Ermisch was named the tournament’s most valuable player in the Eagles’ second title win.

“The spark of it being ‘now or never’ is kind of where we thrived,” said Ermisch. “We didn’t have another game to wait, it was either go-time or time to go home. In this team, we never give up, there’s no quit.”

Savannah Varner

Women’s Hockey

Savannah Varner helped the Eagles claim two national championship titles during her fabled streak as a student-athlete. In 2005-06, the three-time All-American was the league’s top scorer with 52 goals. The following season, she won ACHA player of the year.

Her record-breaking accomplishments earned her a spot in the Robert Morris Athletics Hall of Fame, along with women’s hockey player Crystal Zace and the rest of the 2004-05 team.

After graduation, she played professionally for Alleghe in Italy for three seasons.

Vanessa Owusu

Volleyball

Middle blocker Vanessa Owusu was a three-time all-conference first-team selection. The team went 25-14 in the 2013 season.

After graduation, she went on to earn her doctorate in physical therapy and now cares for patients in the southwest suburbs.

“Throughout my undergrad experience, I knew physical therapy was my end goal,” she said. “As a student-athlete, my priorities were centered around being successful on and off the court.”