Western Illinois to celebrate Title IX and Women in Sports

Friday, January 06, 2023

Event to take place Feb. 3

MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the passage of Title IX with a series of events February 3-4 in conjunction with National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

Open to the public, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will honor the long and storied history and tradition of Westerwinds and Leatherneck women athletics. Registration on-line is required and can be completed at LeatherneckTickets.com. Ticket price for the luncheon is $35 while the panel discussion is free. All registrants will receive a ticket to the Western women's Summit League basketball game on Saturday, February 4 vs. Omaha. Game time is 2 p.m. The deadline to register on-line is Friday, January 27.

On Friday (Feb. 3), the event begins at 11 a.m. in the University Union Lamoine Room with a welcome from WIU Director of Athletics Paul Bubb followed by luncheon keynote speaker and former WIU softball standout Karissa Kouchis ('16, '18), a national trainer for Tony Robbins.

Following lunch, the history of WIU women's athletics will come to life with a panel discussion at 1:30 p.m. in the Heritage Room in the University Union. Moderated by Western's first women's sports information director and alumna Bonnie Barker (1977-1989), panelists include an elite slate of former student-athletes and a former coach including Scyla (Murray) Baielli (track and field, 1987-1991), Michele (Aulig) Keenan (volleyball, 1985-1989), Kouchis, (softball, 2012-2016), Lauren (Hoge) Meachum (badminton and tennis, 1974-1977) and Kathy Veroni (WIU softball coach, 1971-2005).

The audience will have an opportunity to ask questions of the moderator and panelists following the discussion. A social at the Alumni House is scheduled for 6 p.m.

During 2022 and 2023, the national sports world has been celebrating this historic law which changed the trajectory of women's athletics. Included in the Title IX landmark piece of federal legislation signed into law in 1972 was the opening of doors and removing barriers for girls and women to compete in sports by requiring all educational institutions receiving federal financial assistance to reward male and female athletes equally.
For questions regarding the celebration, please contact WIU athletics (309) 298-1190.

Bios for the "50 Years of Title IX Panel"
Moderator

Bonnie Barker (WIU Sports Information Director, 1977-1989) -- As a newcomer to WIU in 1972, Bonnie Barker was key in relaunching a coed fencing team, a sport she played at Maine West High School (IL) and her first two years at WIU.

After earning her B.S. degree from Western Illinois in 1975, she took on the challenge of record keeping and publicity for women's athletics as the first, and only, graduate assistant sports publicist.

Barker earned her M.S. degree in 1977 and was hired full-time as Western Illinois' first women's sports information director. She helped launched a county-wide contest that eventually established the Westerwinds nickname.

In the mid-1980s, Barker introduced the use of courtside computerized statistical programs during Western games – a project that was well ahead of its time during that era of collegiate athletics. She worked on the stat crews of various NCAA Division I men's basketball conference tournaments, used the computer stat programs when working with ESPN on telecasts, and worked as part of a team of volunteers with the Major League Baseball Commissioner's office at several MLB All-Star games.

She worked as head statistician/official scorer at numerous softball championships, including the 1991 Pan American Softball trials, the 1990 International Softball Federation World Games, and three ASA Fastpitch National Championships.

Barker held the title of co-sports information director when the men's and women's athletic departments merged in 1989. She continued to oversee sports information duties for the women's sports and was also in charge of some men's sports. In October 1991, she transferred to the WIU University Relations department as a public information specialist and was then promoted to assistant director of University Relations.

She retired in 2012 following 35 years of service to the University and was inducted into Western's Hall of Fame in 2014.

Panelists
Scyla (Murray) Baielli (Track and Field, 1987-1991) -- A Gateway Conference champion and record-holder in the 100-meter hurdles, Scyla Baielli competed in the U.S. Junior Nationals, the NCAA National Championships and the U.S. Olympic Festival throughout her illustrious track career.

Baiella became an all-conference hurdler for the Westerwinds, winning the 100-meter Gateway title in 1991. She placed ninth in the same event at the NCAA Championships and ran the 100-meter dash in the 1991 U.S. Olympic Festival. She placed sixth in the 55-meter hurdles at the 1992 Indoor National Championships and was a 100-meter hurdles qualifier in the U.S. Olympic Trials. She was later honored as the Gateway's Athlete of the Decade for indoor track competition in 1996.

For the past 25 years, Baielli has worked at her high school alma mater Oak Park and River Forest (IL) as an English teacher and track coach. In 2007, she was a National Endowment for the Humanities Teacher/Scholar for poetry. She won the Most Inspirational Teacher Award from Western Illinois in 1998 and was inducted into Western's Hall of Fame in 2005. Graduating from WIU in 1991 with cum laude honors, she earned an M.Ed. from the University of South Alabama in 1996.

She currently serves as the vice president of the OPRF High School Alumni Board. In her free time, she is involved in African American social and civic organizations and performs stand-up comedy in Chicago.

Michele (Aulig) Keenan (Volleyball, 1985-1989) –

Aulig

Michele Keenan was a feared hitter on the court during her Westerwinds career. She led the 1988 and 1989 teams in kills (342 and 411, respectively); and aces (50) and digs (349) in 1989. She shares the record for most kills in a match with 32 vs. Indiana State. Keenan was recognized as a first-team all-Gateway Conference selection in 1989 and a second team pick in 1988.

She ranks in the top five in the Westerwinds record book in career kills, attack attempts, and service aces.

Currently, Keenan is a health and wellness teacher and the boys' and girls' volleyball coach at Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, IL. She also had coaching stops at Glenbrook North (boys and girls) where she led the boys' team to a state championship in 1993; Barat College; Benedictine University; and Lakes Community High School (boys and girls) in Lake Villa (IL).

After receiving her bachelor's degree from Western in 1990, Keenan returned in 1993 to earn her master's degree in sport management, while serving as the Westerwinds assistant coach.

From 1999-2014, Keenan was a stay-at-home mom, raising her five children born in seven years.

Karissa Kouchis (Softball, 2012-2016) –

KarissaKouchis_

Karissa Kouchis excelled in the classroom and on the field for Western. A two-time second team all-conference selection, she started all but two games while wearing the Western uniform during her four-year career. Kouchis finished as Western's batting champion her senior season with a .327 average, while also leading the team in runs scored, hits, stolen bases, and on-base percentage.

In her senior year, Kouchis was selected to receive an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, becoming the eighth Western student-athlete to earn the award. In 2016, she was Western's Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Kouchis was also a Rhodes Scholar nominee, a finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, and was inducted into the WIU Honors College Hall of Fame.

A top national trainer and peak performance strategist for Tony Robbins, Kouchis has brought her high-energy training to over 1,000 events for companies like Fox Sports, Salesforce.com, The NFL, Zoom Video Communications, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ace Hardware, Keller Williams, BeautyCounter, Equinox, New York Life, Marriott Hotels, and Barre3 Fitness.

She previously worked as an assistant account executive for United Entertainment Group, a marketing associate for Idea Marketing Group, and director of marketing and promotions for WIU athletics.

In 2016, Kouchis earned her bachelor's degree with a double major in journalism and communications. She earned her master's degree in 2018 from Western.

Lauren (Hoge) Meachum (Badminton and tennis, 1974-1977) –

Lauren Meachum was a four-year badminton player who recorded a 25-6 singles and a 22-5 doubles records her senior year to help lead the Westerwinds to a third-place finish in the AIAW National Badminton Championships.
She was also named Western's outstanding tennis student-athlete as a senior.

Now retired as a career litigator, she began her professional life as a captain in the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General Corps. After military service, she joined the law firm of Quinn, Johnston, Henderson and Pretorius in Peoria then O'Connor and Schiff in Chicago. After private practice she joined Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. During her 31 years at Liberty, she ran the Chicago Legal Office and served as the assistant to the Regional General Attorney for the Southern Midwest Region.

A frequent lecturer and author of numerous articles, Meachum published a chapter titled "Claim Adjuster Role and Ethics" for the Illinois Workers Compensation Guidebook, Larson Series.

Meachum was inducted into the WIU Hall of Fame in 1996. She graduated summa cum laude from Western in 1977 with a B.A. degree and earned her J.D. from the University of Illinois in 1980.

Kathy Veroni (WIU Softball Coach, 1971 -2005)

-- One of the winningest coaches in NCAA softball history, Kathy Veroni compiled an 869-631-3 (.579) record with the Westerwinds. She led the Westerwinds to five AIAW national tournaments and three NCAA tournaments during her 34 years as head softball coach, and she ended her career ranked among the top-15 winningest coaches in NCAA history. As head coach for Western Illinois softball, field hockey and the Macomb Magic, a women's premiere fast-pitch summer team from 1979-85, Veroni coached approximately 2,200 games.

A respected coach, clinician, and author of three books, Veroni was president of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association for eight years and chair of the NCAA Softball Rules Committee. She is also a member of the Illinois State University, Illinois Amateur Softball Association, and National Fastpitch Coaches Association halls of fame.

Veroni led Western Illinois to 19 consecutive 20-win seasons and 27 winning campaigns. The Westerwinds advanced to the NCAA Tournament after sweeping through the Gateway Conference (1992) and the Mid-Continent Conference (2000 and 2001) tournaments. The Westerwinds enjoyed a record-breaking season in 2000, collecting a school-record 46 victories, including 25 consecutive wins.

The squad also won a school-record 21 conference games and reached No. 4 in the final NCAA Mideast Regional poll, the highest regional ranking in school history. Western ended the season with a 46-14 overall record and a 21-1 mark in conference play. Repeating as Mid-Con Tournament champs in 2001, the Westerwinds went undefeated in the three-game championship series, then allowed just one run in the NCAA play-in series to advance to back-to-back NCAA tournaments.

Having led Western to more regular season titles than any other conference school, Veroni's teams captured six championships in 12 Mid-Con seasons, including four straight from 1995-98, and never finished lower than third. She developed six players of the year and 74 all-conference selections. Her players set nine single-season and seven career conference records.

In field hockey, Veroni guided Western's teams to state titles in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982. She amassed 314 victories in seven years coaching the Macomb Magic, which included five regional championships and five national tournaments (finishing fourth twice). She also coached in two National Olympic Sports Festivals.

Veroni was inducted into the WIU Hall of Fame in 2007.

She earned her bachelor's degree from Illinois State in 1968 and her master's degree from Michigan State in 1971. Her professional playing career included a stint with the world champion Connecticut Falcons in 1977. She was also a member of the longest-running women's fastpitch team in the nation, the Pekin Lettes, from 1969-75.

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