Central Michigan University Athletics
Women's Letterwinner Celebration Brings Many Back
Oct. 17, 2000
MOUNT PLEASANT - Marcy Weston has seen a lot in her 28 years at Central Michigan University.
But, Saturday's Women's Athletics Letterwinner Celebration was like nothing she'd ever been involved with.
"It was an electrifying evening," said Weston, Central's senior associate athletics director. "It was probably the most heartwarming, memorable event I've been to."
A total of 248 former CMU women athletes received their letters at a banquet in the Indoor Athletic Complex (IAC) on Saturday night. These were women who competed for the Chippewas prior to 1985 when letters weren't awarded.
"Getting letters wasn't an issue back then," Weston recalled. "We just didn't do it. We gave the athletes certificates and plaques, but no letters."
Athletes from as far back as 1946 returned to campus for the ceremonies, and the response from those honored was extreme gratitude.
"What a wonderful thing you have done for all female athletes," e-mailed one honoree. "We did not compete for the cloth letter but it was nice to be recognized anyway for what we did."
"I'm still so excited about the event," e-mailed another. "It turned out so awesome and memorable that I'm so happy we never received our letters years ago. The magnitude and success was unbelievable. The memories and renewed friendships are worth their weight in gold."
And, finally, another e-mailed: "The women who played in the 1940s made me realize even more how important they were for us and how important we are to the generations that followed. If other universities have not yet recognized their women athletes they need to do so."
Central Michigan is not the first in the country to honor their former women athletes but only a couple have done so. Northern Michigan held a celebration three years ago that gave CMU the idea.
"I talked with some of the players back for a women's basketball alumni game in 1998 and that started the ball rolling," Weston explained.
One of athletes who was honored, former track letterwinner Joan Perry Ludtke, had a special fan in the audience - her daughter, Jane, who is a current letterwinner on the Chippewa track squad.
"It was better than I ever could have imagined," Weston said. "We knew it was going to be special evening but we couldn't factor in the human element. It was quite an emotional evening - lots of laughs and lots of tears."