CAA Title IX 50th Anniversary Team - William & Mary
Rob Washburn
The Colonial Athletic Association continues its celebration of the 50
th Anniversary of Title IX by recognizing five women from each institution who made a significant impact during their time as a student-athlete, coach or administrator.
Today we feature
William & Mary.
Martha Barksdale, Basketball (1919-21)
Barksdale was part of the initial class of 24 women admitted to William & Mary, making it the first coeducational state college in Virginia. She helped found and was a member of the school’s first women’s basketball team. Following graduation, Barksdale became known as the “Mother of William & Mary Women’s Athletics” after serving 38 years as the women’s basketball coach and working for 44 years at the school as a professor. She still ranks second in career women’s basketball coaching wins (133) and was inducted into the W&M Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975. The Martha Barksdale Award is given annually to the top senior women’s student-athlete at W&M.
Jill Ellis, Soccer (1984-87)
Ellis was a four-year standout for the Tribe women’s soccer team, earning third-team All-America honors as a senior. Playing forward, she finished her career with 32 goals and 19 assists and ranks ninth on W&M’s all-time points list (83). Ellis helped lead W&M to the NCAA Tournament during all four seasons, including a berth in the Elite Eight in 1987. Ellis went on to an outstanding coaching career, guiding the U.S. Women’s National Team to back-to-back World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019. She became the first coach in Women’s World Cup history to win consecutive championships and just the second to accomplish that feat in FIFA history. Ellis is currently the President of San Diego Wave FC in the NWSL.
Megan Moulton-Levy, Tennis (2004-08)
Moulton-Levy was one of the top tennis players to ever compete in the CAA, earning All-America honors six times and receiving CAA Player of the Year accolades during all four of her seasons at William & Mary. She competed in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships during each of her four years, reaching the semifinals in singles in 2006 and advancing to the finals in doubles in 2007. Moulton-Levy, who captured the ITA National Indoor Doubles title in 2006, was chosen as the ITA East Region Senior Player of the Year in 2007 and was a two-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship. She graduated as W&M’s all-time leader in combined wins with 249 (125 doubles/124 singles) and led the Tribe to a 76-27 dual match record with four NCAA Tournament appearances and three CAA championships. As a professional, she reached No. 50 in the world doubles rankings and competed in 14 Grand Slam tournaments.
Lynn Norenberg Barry, Basketball (1977-81)
Norenberg is the only William & Mary women’s basketball student-athlete to have her jersey retired following a sensational career. She was chosen as the Piedmont Conference Player of the Year in 1978, was a three-time VAIAW All-State choice and made the VAIAW All-Tournament team three times. Norenberg ranks fifth in career points (1,504) at W&M and still holds the school mark for points in a game (39). She was also an outstanding student, receiving Academic All-America honors twice and earning a spot in the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2001. Norenberg, who was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, was also named W&M’s Senior Female Athlete of the Year in 1981 and was placed in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. She worked as an assistant executive director for USA Basketball (1985-96) and was selected as the WBCA Executive of the Year in 1994.
Elaina Balouris Tabb, Cross Country/Track & Field (2010-14)
Balouris was a four-time CAA Athlete of the Year, receiving the award twice in cross country (2012, 2013) and twice in track and field (2013, 2014). She earned All-America honors six times (4 track, 2 cross country), which was the most-ever for W&M track & field athlete, including first-team accolades in 2014 after placing fifth in the 10,000m at the NCAA Championship. She was named the Portsmouth Sports Club Female Virginia College Athlete of the Year in 2013, and placed sixth in the National Cross Country Championship to claim a spot on Team USA in 2015. Following her career at W&M, Balouris signed a professional contract with the Boston Athletic Association. She placed 12
th overall, and second among Americans, at the 2021 Boston Marathon.