Knox College Athletics

There are currently four women in the Christiansen Hall of Fame.  Two of whom came long before my time—that’s still possible by the way—and two of whom were on my tennis teams for four years—One of those two on the tennis team, Marcia Millon came to Knox in 1974, graduated in 1978, played tennis, basketball and softball—and was subsequently inducted into the Hall of Fame.  You ask why am I talking about Marcia and I say to you—you can’t really talk about Cathy McDevitt without mentioning Marcia.  They were teammates for 3 years in tennis, basketball and softball; very good friends; and most significantly, two of the finest athletes in the history of women’s athletics at Knox College.  How fitting that they should both have a space in the Hall of Fame.

Cathy came to Knox in 1975 from Robinson, Illinois ( a little town in Southern Illinois about 30 miles from the Indiana border.)  Somewhere along the way Cathy got the message “Never, Say Never”.  She was a consistent team leader, my player-coach on the team, with the firm conviction that she could defeat anyone on any given day!  She was an excellent singles player and could switch to doubles and be as much a contributor in a heartbeat.

From tennis, Cathy moved to basketball where she continued to contribute both on and off the court, earning four letters and starting three of her four years.  Playing for Coach Joe Campanelli, who was also our head football coach,  Cathy took some of the pressure off him with extra duties and as I recall with the designated driver of the station wagon on out- of –town trips.  It seems to me that wagon sliding through the stop sign on Main Street near the car wash. (or was it a 360)

Spring found Cathy out for softball as a club sport for three years and as a varsity sport her Senior year.  As a result of all these activities she won virtually every athletic award available to include the Zetterburg for Women, the K-Club president her senior year.
Cathy was also the recipient of the Pearl Harris Award, going to the junior woman making the greatest contribution as a campus citzen to the life of the College.  “I wonder how long the committee deliberated on that one!”

In addition to her athletic career,  Cathy distinguished herself as an outstanding student—(maybe one B).  She served as chairperson of Honor Board, was a member of Mortar Board, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa.  After University of Rochester.  She is presently a professor of economics at Central Michigan University and the mother of two small children.