National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1986 to honor female athletic achievement and recognize the importance of sports and fitness participation for all girls and women.
This year marks the 36th annual NGSWD celebration and the 50th Anniversary of Title IX!
Alycia Wagner | Track & Field | 2011 Stan State Alumna
- CCAA Outdoor Track & Field Champion (2009, 2011)
- CCAA All -Conference (3X)
- NCAA DII National qualifier (3X)
- NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field All- American (2011)
- NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field All-American (2011)
- CSU Stanislaus Female Co-Athlete (2011)
- Un-defeated Track & Field Season (2011)
- DII USTFCCAA All-Region (2011)
- *Pole Vault Club President, SAAC Vice President, and Kinesiology Club Treasurer.
"The truth to a man's character is what he does when no one is watching." Said by John Wooden, and a quote that I repeated to myself every day. It's not just a man that can do the job; it is a human that is diligent in their craft, truthful in their ways, and committed to every sacrifice necessary for clearing that next level of achievement.”
Courtney Heiner (Anderson) | Women's Track & Field | 2014 Stan State Alumna
Courtney Anderson won the 2014 NCAA Championship in the 1,500-meter run to cap off her tremendous Stanislaus State career. She was a five-time All-American in indoor and outdoor track & field and holds seven school records in these sports.
In 2014, Anderson was named the West Region Track Athlete of the Year after posting three All-Region marks. She was the CCAA champion in the 1,500 and was named the Stan State Female Athlete of the Year.
In cross country, Anderson was an All-CCAA finisher in 2012 and led the team to a NCAA National Championship appearance. She received the Sportsmen of Stanislaus Club's Outstanding Female Athlete award in 2015.
Briana McClain | Women's Soccer / Track & Field | 2011 Stan State Alumna
Briana McClain is in the top 10 list for career goals (13) and points (30). She received the DII ADA Academic Achievement Awards. In 2008 McClain made 18 starts, scored four goals and received CCAA all-academic honors. McClain was also a member of the Warrior women’s track & field team. In 2007, McClain led the team in goals scored and points with six and 14, respectively. She was also named CCAA Honorable Mention. In 2006, she scored three goals, all of which were game winning goals, including a 1-0 victory over the Cal State L.A. on Oct. 6. McClain was also a CCAA all-academic award recipient that year.
“What I want the next generation of female athletes to know is that women in sports today look different than they did several years ago. Female athletes may look different, they may come from different backgrounds, have different body types and even identify differently. You can play whatever sport you want regardless of what you look like or where you come from."
"As women, we have a hard-enough time being treated fairly and compensated equally. If we want more respect and representation then it is our job to support each other internally regardless of where we come from and what we look like.”
Channing Wilson | Track & Field | 2017 Stan State Alumna
2016 Accolades -
- NCAA Division II Women of the Year Finalist (the highest achievement award for athletics, academics and community service a female student-athlete can receive)
- 2-time All-American & 2-time All-Region award winner (hammer and javelin)
- CCAA Champion in javelin throw, finished second at CCAA Championships in hammer throw
- At NCAA Championships: 4th in hammer (192-0), 5th in javelin (169-8)
- Set Stanislaus State record in javelin (169 feet, 8 inches)
- Posted second best Stan State mark in hammer (192 feet)
- 2015-16 Stanislaus State Female Athlete of the Year
- Posted fourth best Stan State indoor mark in weight throw (53- 11 3/4)
2014 Accolades -
- All-American in javelin
- Two-time All-Region (javelin and hammer)
- CCAA champion in javelin
2013 Accolades -
- All-American in javelin
- All-Region in javelin
- CCAA champion in javelin
"My time in athletics has taught me the value of community, character, and resilience. Most of my friendships and acquaintances have been formed through athletics. Through sport, I learned how to relate to others and to be a part of a community. This experience has lead me to value working alongside others to reach a common goal."
"Most of all, athletics has taught me resilience. In sports, you rarely have a day where everything goes your way. You may have a track meet where your implements don’t weigh in, the event doesn’t begin at the scheduled time or you just can’t seem to replicate in competition what you had been practicing. However, a great athlete must find a way to be successful anyways."
"When quarantine began and I decided to take a break from Track and Field, I was a little lost. I took my values of community, character and resilience and tried to redirect my focus into time with family, growing in my career, and looking inward at what is truly important to me. During an unexpected and unprecedented time, I believe the resilience that I developed through athletics helped me to find some success in these new goals."
Chaunte Mitchell-Simmons | Track & Field | 2008 Stan State Alumna
Two-time NCAA champion pole vaulter Chaunte Mitchell is raising the bar yet again, as a member of the CCAA's 2020 Hall of Fame Class. A five-time All-American for Stanislaus State (three outdoor, two indoor), Mitchell was one of the finest pole vaulters to ever hail from the CCAA. She was named the 2003 CCAA Freshman of the Year before picking up three conference pole vault titles (2004, 2005 and 2007).
Mitchell was a pole vaulting pioneer, as she became the first woman in NCAA Division II to capture back-to-back outdoor titles in the pole vault, winning championships in 2004 and 2005. She is one of three women to ever win back-to-back pole vault national titles during the outdoor season. She picked up her first NCAA title by clearing 3.90 meters (12-9½). In 2005, her second title was won by leaping 4.01 meters (13-1¾), a NCAA Division II outdoor championship record at the time.
Mitchell's 4.09-meter (13-5¼) leap in 2005 still stands as the outdoor pole vaulting record at Stanislaus State. After graduating in 2008 with a degree in liberal studies, Mitchell went on to work in human resources and now resides in Southern California. She was inducted into the Stanislaus State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015, and earned her place in the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame in 2018.
"Being a female in sports is important because you’re able to inspire others with similar dreams, and show them that GIRLS ROCK!!!"
"For me, being a female in sports wasn’t the only challenge, because I’m also a woman of color. Therefore, being able to dominate my sport was a huge victory and very important to me because I brought more exposure to an event that people who look like me generally don’t excel in. I showed my community, school/conference, and the NCAA how important I am as a Women in sports."
Jennifer Buck (Arnold) | Softball | 2012 Stan State Alumna
Jennifer Arnold was part of the 2007 West Region Championship team, which was the program's first to appear in the NCAA National Championship tournament.
Arnold was a three-time All-West Region selection and a four-time All-CCAA honoree. She's on the Stan State top 10 lists 12 times as a slugger and seven times as a pitcher.
Arnold posted a .476 career slugging percentage with 189 hits, 35 doubles, 23 home runs and 114 RBI. Her 23 career home runs is the second most by a Warrior. As a pitcher, she posted 35 wins with 34 complete games and 192 strikeouts.
"Athletics has taught me to work with a team to reach a common goal. I'm currently a 6th grade teacher and I have to work closely with my colleagues to ensure my students reach a common goal or standard.Softball taught me that sometimes there is more than one way to reach a goal. Not everyone arrives at that goal in the same way, the same day or in the same amount of time. I believe my time playing a college sport benefited me in helping receive my dream job."
Cynthia Mejia | Cross Country \ Track & Field | 2021 Stan State Alumna
Mejia, as a senior cross country and track & field student-athlete for Stanislaus State, she was one of the top distance runners in the country in 2020. After posting the 12th fastest time in the country in the 5,000-meter in 2019, Mejia was back in action in 2020 and earned All-American honors in the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter races during the indoor track & field season. She qualified for nationals in both events and was one of the favorites heading into the championships before they were cut short due to the pandemic. Her name will forever be etched in the Stan State record books as she was named the school's Female Athlete of the Year and is the school record holder in both the mile and the 10k.
Mejia is a four-year member of the Dean's List and a USTFCCCA Scholar-Athlete. Mejia has been named to the CCAA Academic Honor Roll and previously selected as a Presidential Scholar-Athlete. Additionally, Mejia has put in efforts to enhance her community. She helped Stan State plan and coordinate National Girls and Women's Sports Day events, including community outreach. She served as a peer mentor on the Warriors' campus helping her fellow students academically and with campus outreach programs such as new student orientation.
"Athletics has positively impacted my life by allowing me to build leadership and communication skills necessary for success after graduation. My experience as a student athlete has allowed me to bring a unique perspective to graduate school and my current internship in the UCLA Athletic Department. Without athletics, I would have never realized that you can make a career out of athletics and business, and more importantly, do it in a way that makes a positive impact on others. I am forever grateful for my time at Stan State and the person it has shaped me to be today."