The Movement of Title IX

Becky Oakes

Becky Oakes was a leader at every level of high school sports for 40 years – from her six years as a high school coach and two years as athletic director with the Waynesville Public Schools, to her 24 years with the Missouri State High School Activities Association to her final 11 years on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) staff. After serving as Assistant and Associate Executive Director of the MSHSAA for 10 years, she became Executive Director for 13 years – the second female to serve as a state association executive director on a full-time basis. During her time as MSHSAA executive director, Oakes served four years on the NFHS Board of Directors and was chosen the first female President of the Board. In 1997, as President of the NFHS Board, Oakes testified before the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation regarding the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 in support of high school sports and the protection of the interests of the NFHS and its 51 state associations. She also was chair of the NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee for 8 years and served on the NFHS Foundation Board of Directors. In her 11 years on the NFHS staff (2006-17) as director of sports, Oakes was a rules editor for the sports of track and field, cross country, volleyball, gymnastics, water polo, and swimming and diving. She also directed the Task Force on Inclusion. Oakes has been recognized with multiple awards such as the NFHS Coaches Association National Citation, MIAAA Gerald Linneman Lifetime Achievement Award, MSHSAA Irvine Keller Award and most recently the NFHS Hall of Fame Award.

Jennifer Rukstad

Jennifer Rukstad is a Missouri native. Originally from Frankford, her family briefly lived in West Plains before moving to Columbia when she was 10. She attended Rock Bridge High School, where she was a student-athlete and participated in other activities. She earned her bachelor’s and graduate degrees from the University of Missouri.
She currently serves as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources for Columbia Public Schools. In 24 years with CPS, Rukstad served most of that time at Rock Bridge High School. She taught mathematics and coached two sports for the Bruins before becoming Athletic Director and then Principal. In 2019, she became the Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools in Columbia. Rukstad has been a member of the MSHSAA Board of Directors and a member of the MSHSAA Appeals Committee. During her time as athletic director, she served on the Missouri Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) Board.
Outside of school, Rukstad has served on the ACT Services Board of Directors, the NCAA Student Records Review Committee and the Columbia Sports Commission. She holds a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, as well as an Educational Specialist in Mathematics Curriculum Leadership, a Master’s in Educational Administration and a Bachelor’s in Secondary Mathematics Education. She and her husband, Jeff, have two children, Trevor (21), and Hayden (6).

Jodie Adams

Springfield native Jodie Adams was a standout high school tennis player having an undefeated four year record. She went on to play Women's Tennis for Missouri State on three different teams that advanced to the AIAW Division I National Tournament in 1976-1978. Adams was known as one of the top players in her region, winning over 300 tennis titles during her competitive career. Adams has also served as a high school and collegiate official for over 20+ years and is a member of several Hall of Fames including the United States Tennis Association Missouri Valley Section Hall of Fame, Missouri State University Athletics Hall of Fame, Springfield Softball Hall of Fame, and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and most recently the USTA Barbara Williams Service Award.
In 1979, Adams declined a doubles wild card invitation to the Wimbledon Tournament in England to begin working at the Springfield Park Board. In 2011, she retired as Director of Parks on the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, the first woman ever to hold a director position on their board. Her service with the United States Tennis Association spread numerous years and capacities, earning her multiple awards for her efforts in advancing the sport of tennis. Part of that advancement was due to her large role in bringing the professional world TEAMTENNIS to Springfield by becoming the first General Manager to the Springfield Lasers. Adams was also actively serving her community through multiple committees from Ozark Greenways Trail Watch to leadership roles in WIN (Women's Intersport Network).

Trish Marsh

A native of Marshfield, Mo., Marsh was the Lady Jays basketball most valuable player in 1987 and 1988. As a senior in 1988, Marsh helped lead Marshfield High to a perfect 32-0 mark and Class 3A state title. Marsh went on to a standout four-year basketball career at Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla), where she broke virtually every three-point shooting record in school history and led the nation in Division II three-point percentage as a freshman. A 2011 inductee into the Missouri S&T Athletics Hall of Fame, she remains the sixth all-time leading scorer with 1,125 points.
Marsh received the Missouri Valley Conferences Most Courageous Award in February 2011. She was also honored by the Springfield Women's Intersport Network as the organizations 2009 Courage Award winner in recognition of her triumph over breast cancer and her continued influence as a role model in womens athletics.
Marsh served as Assistant Coach at Drury from 1999-2007 later joining Missouri State University in 2007 as associate head coach for the Lady Bears. Marsh supervised the off-season strength and conditioning program, oversaw the programs compliance measures and assisted with practice and game preparations. In 2013, Marsh returned to teaching and coaching at several schools around the Springfield and Ozark area. In December of 2017, Marsh was recognized as a Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Filbert Five recipient for her outstanding contributions in the sport of basketball. Two years later, Marsh, along with the Marshfield Lady Jays Basketball program, was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Today, Coach Marsh can be found at Rock Bridge High School (Columbia), where she teaches sports psychology, US Studies, and coaches basketball.

Samantha (Heck) Lavy

A graduate of North Callaway High School in 2009 (Heck) Lavy compiled over 2,000 career points, 1,200 rebounds and close to 500 assists in just over 100 games playing basketball for the Lady Thunderbirds. (Heck) Lavy led the state of Missouri in rebounding as a senior, with an average of 13.9 rebounds per game. She was a 3x All-Missouri selection and earned second team All-State honors as a freshman. She once scored 40 points in a single game. (Heck) Lavy also recorded a 20 point, 14 rebound and 10 steal triple-double game.
(Heck) Lavy then went on to play basketball at the University of Evansville and is one of only four players to score 1,300 points. She finished her collegiate career ranked in the top 10 All-Time School Records in numerous categories that include 4th in blocks (83), 5th in rebounds (745), 6th in field goals (505) and 7th in points. During the 2013 season (Heck) Lavy was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference second team. She was also selected to Colorado Universities Omni Hotels Classic All-Tournament team crashing the tournaments field goal percentage record and single-game field goal percentage record all in one game. After college she went to continue her basketball career with the NetScouts USA Women's Basketball All-Stars playing overseas in China and for TKH in Hanover, Germany.
(Heck) Lavy has served as Assistant Coach for the William Woods University Women's Basketball Team.

Jeni Hopkins

Hopkins has a long history with sports, playing basketball herself before starting her professional career coaching girls basketball at Hillcrest High School in Springfield for 16 years. Hopkins was also a multi-sport athlete in high school and college. Playing two years of college Basketball and a 3x National Champion in Missouri Handball at Missouri State University. Before coming to Hillcrest, Hopkins coached for 8 years at Greenwood Laboratory School. She retired from coaching with a career record 332-206, 6 District Championships, 3 Sectional Championships and 2 Final Four Appearances (1997, 2015). She has been named Coach of the Year six times and has also been invited to coach numerous all-star games such as the Missouri Challenge, the Gerald A. Pilz All-Star Game and the Lions Club All-Star Game. Hopkins currently serves as the Media Coordinator for the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, a group she led when she served as President for two years. She also works as a game analyst for Mediacom Channel 22. The former Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame President is also the founder and director of a basketball luncheon held during season called 'Court Talk' and hosts her own radio show called "A Coach's Perspective". Hopkins also founded and is the Director for CHAMPS (Champion Humans and Mentoring Partnerships for Success) a mentoring program for seniors in high school. She currently serves as Interim Assistant Director of Greenwood Laboratory School and is also a Collegiate Sports Counselor.