'The year of the women'

Marcy Weston, Sue Guevara, Cristy Freese, Margo Jonker, and the late Fran Koenig and Mary Bottaro were celebrated for their impact on CMU women's athletics Oct. 8 during the homecoming game.

CMU held its first Homecoming on Saturday, Nov. 22, 1924, according to the university website. The celebration actually began on Friday with a pep rally and a bonfire followed by a dance. The next morning the American Legion decorated the town with flags, and a parade of approximately 100 cars drove down Main Street. That afternoon the football team defeated Alma College 13-0.

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Grand marshals are selected to recognize service and support to the university and community. The grand marshals return to campus to be honorary leaders of homecoming, preside over the parade, participate in halftime ceremonies and serve as ambassadors throughout the weekend.

“Dr. Elizabeth Brockman (an English professor at the university) was the chair of the Title IX Diversity Committee and because it is the anniversary of Title IX, I think she suggested that the six of us be the grand marshals because we are all women,” Guevara said, “It's the year of the women.”

Without the contributions of Koenig and Bottaro, the year of the women may not be possible.

“Fran and Mary were close friends of mine and to have them be grand marshals it just kind of completes the whole weekend,” Weston said.

Fran Koenig 

Fran Koenig was a leader, mentor, friend and an inspiration to many, as she sparked the development of women’s athletics at CMU before retiring in 1989. 

Koenig, who died in 2000, graduated from Brown University in 1950 then went on to achieve her master’s degree from Smith University. She received her doctorate from Michigan State University in 1969, according to her biography in the Concord University Chicago Athletics Hall of Fame. 

Koenig's coaching career spanned 37 years at four different schools. From 1952 to 1959, she coached every women’s sport at Morrisville Central School. She was an assistant professor at Concordia Teachers College while also coaching women’s basketball, field hockey, tennis, and volleyball from 1959 to 1964. She also coached field hockey from 1964 to 1968 at Michigan State University while working on her doctorate. 

Koenig served as the national chair of the ethics and eligibility committee of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, which was then the equivalent the NCAA. 

She was on 21 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women committees and had a part in CMU hosting the 1977 AIAW gymnastics finals and the 1980 Division I Final Four basketball tournament. 

Koenig was inducted into the CMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995 as a coach and administrator. 

Outside of Koenig’s career, she made an impact on many lives, including the 2022 grand marshals. Koenig had a big impact on Weston's career and personal life. 

“Fran hired me," Weston said. "She told me what to do and I did it. Fran was like my surrogate mom up here; I mean if I had a problem I'd go talk to Fran. She was just my mentor and my friend.

“You can tell mentors good and bad things and they have your back. And I think that was the most important part. Even when I said ‘I don't really want to do this,’ she would encourage me and then tell me ‘Yes you do, and these are the reasons why’ and she was never wrong. So I tried to give that back to my athletes.”

Mary Bottaro

Mary Bottaro, who died in 2020, left her mark on the CMU history books over 10 years as a record-setting coach. 

Bottaro, from the Detroit enclave of Highland Park, earned a bachelor's degree in 1951 and a master's degree in 1957 from Wayne State University. She earned All-American honors as a field hockey player in college and gained recognition as a basketball official, an international field hockey umpire, and for refereeing two World Cup Field Hockey tournaments.

In 1976, Bottaro was brought to CMU as an assistant professor in the physical education department as well as the Field Hockey coach.

She led the CMU field hockey team to three state championships, three regional titles and three national tournament appearances in the 1970s and '80s.  

The 1976  field hockey team was inducted into the CMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 with a 20-1-1 record. Bottaro is a member of the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame. CMU honored Bottaro and her success as a coach by inducting her into the CMU Hall of Fame in 2002. 

Listen to our "Past Deadline" podcast for a behind-the-scenes look at creating the Title IX story.

Marcy Weston

A required physical education class set then-freshman Marcy Weston on the path of a coaching career that would make a major impact on CMU women's athletics. 

Since 1972, Weston has been a major influence on intercollegiate athletics here.

Weston graduated from University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Science degree and received her Master of Education from Kent State. After earning her master's degree, Weston took a job at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she coached field hockey, softball, was an assistant basketball coach and taught six classes. 

After three years, a restriction in the physical education department led to Weston being laid off and in search of a new job. Her brother, who was an undergrad at Western Michigan, sent her a placement notice about a field hockey job at CMU. 

Weston applied for the head field hockey position in 1972 and  found it came with a teaching position. She was offered the job a week later. 

Weston talked about her experiences in a 2016 interview with Frank Boles. CM Life obtained a transcript of the interview from Bryan Whitledge at the Clarke Historical Library.

“So, I loved it here,'' Weston said in the interview. “I mean, I loved it. I coached for 17 years, and I was the only coach that didn’t want to go to a 12-month contract, because I liked having a 10-month contract. I made less money, but I could golf in the summer, listen to the Tigers or go to Tiger games.”

After two years as the field hockey head coach, Weston found herself on the verge of not having a job again; her predecessor was returning to the program. Determined to fight for her job, Weston took her contract to the dean at the time and preached that she was full-time, regular faculty. 

When he didn't agree, Weston made the decision to take the issue to the union. She was told she would be viewed as a troublemaker, but purportedly fired back.

"I'm not a troublemaker," Weston said in the interview. "This is not right."

She took a position as the volleyball coach; months later Weston was named the women's basketball head coach. 

“My favorite was probably volleyball and that was my worst sport as an athlete, but it was my favorite to coach,'' Weston said. “A lot of the volleyball players back then also played basketball because there were multi-sport athletes. ...  I would coach them in volleyball then I would coach them in basketball, and so those athletes are the most I am connected too. I was probably part of them for two-thirds of every year they were in college.

“I don't have any children, so my athletes were like my daughters.”

Weston posted a 419-143-15 record in 15 years with the volleyball program, while coaching three Mid-American Conference Players of the Year, 20 All-MAC student-athletes and seven academic All-MAC honorees. 

In 1981, Weston set the CMU volleyball single-season record for wins with 54, including a 13-game win streak. That led to the best winning percentage of .864 with a record of 38-6 in 1982.

Aside from coaching, Weston found a passion for refereeing due to a required officiating class during her undergrad years.

According to her profile on the CMU Hall of Fame website, Weston was the National Coordinator for the NCAA Women's Basketball, officiating from 1986 to 2005. She officiated the 1982 and 1984 NCAA Women's Basketball championship games.

“I liked to feel I kind of had some influence because I was the national coordinator of officials for the NCAA for years,'' Weston said. "So I got to help with those processes and work for the betterment of officials in general, but certainly for women's basketball officials."

The NCAA recognized Weston in 1991 as one of nine major contributors to the first decade of NCAA women's basketball. Weston was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

The National Association of Sport Officials honored Weston in 2008 as the first female to earn the Gold Whistle Award.

After coaching and officiating, Weston took advice from her mentor, Koenig, who suggested that she go into administration. She served as senior associate athletics director from 1989 until 2011. 

“When I went into administration I didn't sit in my office, I was always out and about,” Weston said. “I'd get in about 7:15 in the morning and I'd make my rounds with the men's and women's coaches. I'm a talker, I am a people-person, and I thought I needed to develop relationships with all of our coaches because athletics is about coaches ... impacting the lives of their athletes.”    

Weston oversaw five sports including volleyball, soccer, field hockey, gymnastics and women's basketball as the executive associate director of athletics and a sports administrator at CMU. 

Sue Guevara

Sue Guevara, who was inducted into the CMU Marcy Weston Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020 has no doubt made an impression on the collegiate basketball world.

Guevara, a native of Saginaw, attended Saginaw Saint Stephens High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Saginaw Valley State in 1982 and her master's degree in athletic administration from Ohio State in 1985.

Before making her way to CMU, Guevara spent time as a grad assistant at Ohio State and was an assistant coach at Auburn, Ball State and Michigan State. In 1995, she was named associate head coach at MSU. 

In 1999, Guevara was named head coach at University of Michigan, where she spent seven seasons. She led the Wolverines to five postseason appearances, including three NCAA tournament berths.

Guevara was named head coach of the Chippewa program in April of 2007. She spent 12 seasons with the CMU women's basketball team, leading it to three NCAA tournament appearances. 

“(The players) knew how much I cared about them," Guevara said. "And how my only mission, the mission of our program, wasn’t to win championships -- that can be our goal, but the mission was to help these young women become successful, confident women. (So) ... when they graduate, they are going to go out into whatever community they’re in, and they’re going to be self-sufficient. That's what it has always been about.”

In 2017-18, Guevara led CMU to NCAA Tournament wins over No. 24 Louisiana State University and No. 10 Ohio State en route to a berth in the Sweet 16.

“I know that they enjoyed themselves here, even when they didn't like me, and I didn’t like them,” Guevara said. “And that wasn't very often. But there was loyalty here. A loyalty and a love.”

In her last season (2018-19), Guevara led the Chippewas to their third-consecutive Mid-American Conference regular-season championship and second-straight NCAA Tournament bid.

“It’s always been about Central Michigan, this women's basketball program and all the people that contributed to the success of our program,” Guevara said. “I've been so grateful to have the assistant coaches that I had, to have the administration I had, from the president down.”

Guevara was then named the Kay Yow National Coach of the Year and earned her second MAC Coach of the Year Award.

“That was a surprise,” Guevara said. “But I don't do it all by myself, I have help and it takes a village, and I just happen to be the mayor of the village.”  

Guevara guided five players to the professional level, including Reyna Frost, Presley Hudson, Tinara Moore, Cassie Breen and Micaela “Twin” Kelly. Hudson and Kelly have now returned to the CMU basketball program to be a part of the coaching staff under Guevara's former player, Heather Oesterle. 

“There are so many kids, young players I could talk about what they are doing,” Guevara said. "And it makes my heart happy to know that they are doing what they love, and they are successful at it."

Cristy Freese 

Just behind the football stadium sits Cristy Freese Field, named for the woman who led the CMU field hockey program into the modern age. 

Before coming to CMU, Freese was a four-year letterwinner in field hockey and a captain her senior year for the Buckeyes, while earning a bachelor's in education. She earned her master's degree in physical education from James Madison University. 

While playing at OSU, Freese faced off with CMU in the regional tournament. 

“So because of that connection, and what Mary (Bottaro) was able to do, and the way she was able to elevate the program here at CMU, when ... she was retiring,” Freese said, "I knew they had a very good field hockey program. And I knew I wanted to be a part of that.”

Freese led the Chippewas to four MAC championships, and she earned the MAC Coach of the Year award four times.

More than 100 of her players earned All-MAC honors during her 29 years as the field hockey coach. 

“I wanted my student athletes to be good students,” Freese said. “I mean, you can ask any one of them, I recruited them because you’re going to come and you’re going to get a degree here.”

She currently holds a record of 219-315-6 as the field hockey coach.

“I never did it to have a field named after me,” Freese said. "And you always preach it's about everybody but again since then, I do feel that my legacy here is attached to that and I'm proud of my time here." 

Before retiring in June of 2019, Freese received the MAC Diversity and Inclusion Administrator award for her work in the league's diversity and inclusion initiative. 

Margo Jonker

Multiple Halls of Fame, a decade of MAC championships and gold medals are just a few of the achievements of Margo Jonker.

Jonker earned her bachelor's degree in physical education from Grand Valley State in 1976. A year later, she began coaching at GVSU while also serving as the softball coach at West Ottawa High School.

When arriving at CMU in 1979, Jonker served as a graduate assistant volleyball coach under Weston, in addition to her softball duties. 

After spending one year as an assistant on the softball coaching staff, she took the reins of the softball team and became the head coach. She went on to coach the Chippewas for 40 years. 

In 1981, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) merged with the NCAA and drastically changed the percentage of women coaches and administrators in college sports.

“That was tough,” Jonker said. “Because AIAW, I was all in, because they started women's sports and the NCAA didn't want women’s sports, but (the NCAA) took over now because (women's sports) are making some money. So it was frustrating to me.”

Jonker is one of the most decorated coaches in the NCAA softball world. She led the Chippewas to 10 MAC tournament championships, 10 MAC regular season titles, 13 NCAA tournament appearances and a berth each in the Women’s College World Series and the AIAW National Championship. 

In 1982, Jonker's third season as head coach, the Chippewas won a program-record of 51 games and captured their first MAC title. The squad advanced to the AIAW National Championships in Oklahoma City, where CMU finished fourth with a 4-2 record.

In 1987, Jonker led CMU to a MAC Championship, the Mideast Regional Championships and a fifth-place finish at the College World Series. 

“I look back and think how did this ever happen because I grew up on a small dairy farm in Holland, Michigan,” Jonker said. "I feel like God’s been so good to me, and put the right people in front of me to be my mentors and to lead me in the right direction.”

In the mid-to-late '90s, CMU set a program record of four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. 

Alongside her success in the CMU softball program, Jonker served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic softball team that went on to win the gold medal in the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia. 

“You get to be around the best in the sport that you love so it was an amazing experience,” Jonker said. “Going to the Olympics and hearing them announce that, 'this is the Olympic Games' in only the voice the Olympics have, and then walking across the field to the first-base coaching box because I was the assistant was just like, goosebump city. ”

In 2004, the Chippewas started the season by knocking off No. 5 Oklahoma, 3-2; and No. 4 Washington, 1-0. CMU then went on to win the MAC regular-season title.

Jonker, with an overall record of 1,246-780-6 at CMU, was honored during the 2008 season, as the Chippewas softball facility was renamed Margo Jonker Stadium. 

“I have felt more at home on the softball field than any place in the world, so nothing is strange about being in the softball world and being in that third-base coaching box,” Jonker said. “That is who I am. That's who I was. But I have always said, 'coaching is ... not something I do. It's who I am.'”

On April 22, 2010, the Chippewas defeated Michigan State, 5-1, to give Jonker her 1,000th career victory, making her the 11th Division I coach at the time to reach that milestone.