Capturing Changing Competitors

A look back at 50 years of women sports at the University of Oregon

written and photographed by SEREI HENDRIE

I had the privilege of interviewing and photographing five athletes for “Basis of Success,” the Flux story that looks at University of Oregon women sports since the passage of Title IX 50 years ago. These Ducks didn’t play the same sports, so each had a different experience.

Going into this assignment, I wanted to show where these athletes are now and what they are doing outside of their respective sports post-college. I also wanted each photo to represent what each woman did in some way. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that all of them have kept a foot in the world of sports in some way and all aim to teach and coach the next generation of athletes.

For this assignment I knew I wanted to contrast archival photos of the athletes with current ones. The goal: to deliver a “then-and-now” feel. With the photography I wanted a mix of portrait shots and photos that captured the environments that these people are in now.

I hope that this story will help readers better understand the history that lives at the University of Oregon. The school consistently has great athletes who change the game.

PEG REES

Standing behind the Knight Library at the University of Oregon, Peg Rees recalls how she played softball there when she was a student-athlete in the 1970s. “There used to be a big hill here we had to play around,” Rees says.

BEV SMITH

Bev Smith wanted to see what else there was outside the world of basketball after her time in college and playing pro overseas in Europe. Eventually she found herself helping organize sports programs for the Eugene youth community.

LAREINA STARR

LaReina Starr returns to McArthur Court at the University of Oregon. Starr was a two-sport athlete during her time at UO, competing in basketball and track and field.

LOUISA DORSCH

Though having moved on from her time as a lacrosse player in college, Louisa Dorsch helps to inspire the next generation of female athletes by lending coaching skills to her daughter’s soccer team.

GLORIA MUTIRI

Gloria Mutiri, a current volleyball player at the University of Oregon, hopes that as the world of sports evolves, women of color will have larger representation in college sports.