Colorado Woman Sports
Good stories don't have a gender preference
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After the 2020 season ended, junior runner Xiomara Robinson was named to the women’s All-RMAC team, marking the first female athlete at BHSU to do so since joining the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and only the second ever after alumni Alec Baldwin did so back in 2014.
Over the past 7 years, BHSU has had many athletes stand out across the conference as a top athlete in their respective sports. While Cross Country has never won a conference championship, they have had several athletes stand out since joining the RMAC in 2013.
Robinson was thrilled to get back out there when the opportunity presented itself.
“I’d have to say that it was definitely challenging not being able to race each week, but I’m proud of and very thankful for the opportunities we did have. I also believe that our girls were able to push each other more than ever before this year and that will set us up strong for next year” said Robinson when reflecting on this past season.
BHSU women finished 7th at the 2020 RMAC Championship back in October. With all 9 athletes set to return in 2021, the Yellowjackets look to build off this season.
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The 16th Annual College Colors Day–September 4, 2020
ATLANTA–Fall 2020 may look very different on college campuses and in football stadiums across America, fans can still unite in celebration of the 16th annual College Colors Day this Friday, September 4. The national holiday encourages over 185 million fans to don the apparel of their favorite college and share their spirit via social media, using the hashtag #CollegeColorsDay.
This year’s College Colors Day theme, “United We Fan,” emphasizes the power of togetherness that shared college fandom provides even though fans might be physically apart. While fans may be missing fall sports and traditional campus events, their unity and pride remains stronger than ever.
“Even though people may not be able to gather in person for College Colors Day this year, it remains incredibly special, because the connection to their favorite college means more now than it ever has before,” said Nicole Armentrout, Vice President, Marketing at CLC. “College fans are eager to celebrate and unite in support of their favorite school. We look forward to seeing countless fans post pictures of themselves wearing their favorite university’s colors on College Colors Day.”
Fans are encouraged to not only share and use #CollegeColorsDay on social media, but to visit CollegeColorsDay.com for more sharable content and other ways they can participate in the campaign. The site also offers fans a chance to win official collegiate merchandise of their favorite university.
As in years past, College Colors Day will celebrate the special community of fans that make their schools so special, because United We Fan.
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Women’s professional football quickly gaining yardage
Texas Elite Spartans defeated Utah Falconz, 19-14, in the inaugural Women’s National Football Conference IX Cup Championship held June 29 at Marv Kay Stadium in Golden, Colo.
With a small, dedicated volunteer staff, some high-profile sponsors, and the best athletes in the sport, the inaugural season of the Women’s National Football Conference has set a standard in professional women’s tackle football.
The WNFC kicked off its season in April with 15 teams, a 10-week season and a post-season wrap up IX Cup Championship last weekend in Golden, Colorado.
Women’s tackle football is not new, but it has come a long way since 1926 when the first organized team played as the halftime entertainment for the NFL’s Frankford Yellow Jackets. Since then, 30 leagues have struggled to break into the mainstream. Like its predecessors, the WNFC has a passion for the game and great athletes on the field. What makes the league different is a vocal and fierce co-founder, Odessa Jenkins, a new business model that eliminates the pay-to-play, and effective marketing.
“For those of you who don’t know, the whole point of the WNFC is to serve you, the teams that you play for in the communities where you play. We also have a very specific goal of developing full-kit, women’s tackle professional football. We don’t dream of the days that you are paid to play, we are in operation of the days that you are paid to play. That’s going to take a lot of work, it’s going to take a lot of luck, but it’s also going to take people to say yes to us.”
Odessa Jenkins, co-founder and COO of the WNFC, addresses audience at the Breakfast of Champions. Photo by Cos Lindstrom, capturing.our.senses@gmail.com.
The first to say ‘yes’ to Jenkins were Adidas and Riddell. Adidas announced it’s sponsorship in 2018 as part of the She Breaks Barriers initiative. The company not only provides financial support to the WNFC, it aired the commercial during NBC Sunday Night Football that highlighted female athletes, with a nod to women’s football, proving that marketing matters. Riddell sports also showed their support in the development of women’s professional tackle football with their sponsorship of the IX Cup Championship. Both sponsors also provide teams with gear, footwear and apparel.
Adidas and Riddell sponsored the first WNFC IX Cup Championship weekend June 29 at Marv Kay Stadium in Golden, Colo. The weekend included the All-Star game between Atlantic and Pacific divisions. Photo by Cos Lindstrom, capturing.our.senses@gmail.com.
Cameron Collins, football director for Adidas, said he is extremely excited about supporting the WNFC, putting a spotlight on women in football, and changing stereotypes.
“Those of us who are athletes know that sports teaches core values, leadership, teamwork, and communication,” Collins said. “Statistics show that 40% of girls aren’t playing sports and the dropout rates for girls in sports is twice that of boys. Adidas wants to flip those statistics, and partnering with the WNFC we can provide better visibility and more access.”
In addition to sponsorship revenue, the WNFC is funded through private sources, branding and marketing. Teams are invited to the league based on their market, team, players, and ownership. Phase 1 of the five year plan was to get the tougher markets in the West up and running first. Phase 2 will see expansion into the eastern part of the U.S.
“We are looking at adding 15 new teams by the 2020 season,” Jenkins said. “We already identified markets we would like to expand into, like (Washington) D.C., New York and Pittsburgh.”
WNFC Board members, Adidas and other league stakeholders held a panel discussion at the Breakfast of Champions to share what’s going on in the league, and how to continue the momentum to develop it further.
Breakfast of Champions panel, from left to right, Odessa Jenkins, WNFC co-founder; Cameron Collins, Adidas football director; Dr. Jen Welter, WNFC Board member; Liffort Hobley, NFL Alumni Dallas Chapter President and Kandice Mitchell, WNFC Commissioner,
Photo by Cos Lindstrom, capturing.our.senses@gmail.com.
“It’s been a wonderful opportunity for the NFL Alumni Association to work with the WNFC,” Liffert Hobley, NFL Alumni Dallas Chapter President said. “We are excited to continue building the relationship with the WNFC and and watching the league grow.”
See also:
WNFC All-Star Game Gallery
Jen Welter’s Football Clinic Gallery -
The All-Star game between the Atlantic and Pacific divisions ended in a 0-0 tie June 29 at Marv Kay Stadium in Golden, Colo. Photo by Cos Lindstrom, capturing.our.senses@gmail.com.
PACIFIC ALL STARS
ATLANTIC ALL STARS
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Action took place at Marv Kay Stadium at Colorado School of Mines where Dr. Jen Welter, the first female coach in the NFL, held her Grrridiron Girls football clinic. Kids were coached through drills by NFL and WNFC players—breaking barriers for girls in football.
“We are extremely excited about what Jen Welter is doing for the sport and the camps that are centered around youth girls and I think if you have that professional level and you have that youth level it is certainly a step in the right direction in promoting football and girls participation,” Cameron Collins, Director of Football for Adidas said.
Photos by Angelita Foster, coloradowomansports@aol.com
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Photo by Rob White @ rwhite82@msudenver.edu DENVER – Rebecca Gonzales (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) was looking for a chance.
She got it at MSU Denver. And the Roadrunners couldn’t be happier about it.
Overlooked by many despite hitting .587 as a senior All-Continental League player at Mountain Vista High School, Gonzales has been an every-game starter in the outfield for Metropolitan State University of Denver as a true freshman.
“No one really gave me a chance,” said Gonzales, who joined the program as a walk-on. “Coach (Annie) Van Wetzinga is the only one who did. And it’s close to home, and I really love it here.”
Gonzales leads the team with a .398 average (just ahead of Darby McGhee’s (Camarillo, Calif./Adolfo Camarillo) .397) and she’s compiled an OPS of .951 heading into a home weekend with two games each against Dixie State and Black Hills State.
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Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com COLORADO SPRINGS — Starting in 2012, the Pikes Peak Athletic Conference was the dominant league for girls soccer. Five-straight Class 4A state championships were won by three different teams from the PPAC.
In the last two years, the championship has eluded the Colorado Springs-based league. D’Evelyn and Windsor brought home 4A titles in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
From the looks of things, the PPAC is itching to get its hands back on championship gold. Only, it might be a new set of hands raising the trophy.
Sand Creek – the top-ranked team in 4A – has been on a tear in 2019, winning its first eight games of the year which included a 2-0 win over Cheyenne Mountain in Wednesday’s PPAC opener. It was coach Jeremy Tafoya’s first win over Cheyenne Mountain in his five years as coach of the Scorpions.
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