Becky Oakes grew an appreciation for sports growing up in Rolla, Missouri playing softball in elementary school. In High School, organized sports were not an option for girls. However, Oakes continued to participate in intramurals and community sports as well as music and Student Government. Oakes' love for athletics led her to earn her Bachelor's Degree at Southwest Missouri State University in Physical Education. Oakes continued to participate in sports as a coach for Volleyball, Basketball, Track and Field and later accepting the role of Athletic Director at Waynesville High School. In 1992, Oakes made history becoming the first female Executive Director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, serving as only one of two female Directors nationwide.
Barbara Berkmeyer has had a long and distinguished golf career winning her first Missouri Amateur Championship before graduating from college. (Berkemeyer was the first female to receive an athletic scholarship from MU). She went on to win the event four more times and finished runner up another four times. She has been a medalist in the Missouri Amateur series a total of 10 times between 1965-1988. Berkmeyer continued to play and in 2000 began a run of 9 straight titles in the Missouri Senior Amateur Championships. Berkmeyer was a runner-up in the National level in the 2002 USGA Women's Senior Amateur Championships. Berkmeyer served as a member of the MU Board of Curators (1977-1979) and Board President (1979).
Jodie Adams is undeniably one of Southwest Missouri's most accomplished tennis players. Adams played for Parkview High School and Missouri State University winning over 300 tennis titles in her competitive career. Adams took that love of sport and went on to become the first woman director of the Springfield-Greene Co. Park Board. Adams states "I truly believed every child should have an opportunity to play, no matter what the sport is. So it was important to have public opportunities for everyone". Adams served 37 years with the Park Board and during that time she greatly expanded the number of programs, facilities, and developed a nationwide background screening for youth sports coaches.
Diane Juergensmeyer grew up in a small rural Missouri town playing on one of the school's first softball teams, only playing neighboring schools as Softball was in its early stages in Missouri. Juergensmeyer returned after college as fast-pitch softball was rapidly growing and became the St. Elizabeth Lady Hornets Coach. Five years later the Lady Hornets would go on to win their first District Title. Four years later they would win their first Sectional Title. Between 1991-1997 the Lady Hornets would reach the Final Four 5 times. But not only was Juergensmeyer an excellent coach, she was a teacher in multiple subjects, librarian, girls basketball coach, bus driver, and maintained the baseball and softball fields. Juergensmeyer states "I devote all of my success to all those girls I've coached in my 31 years, It's not about me. Those girls did this for me.".
Patty Vavra was the first female to be offered an athletic scholarship at Missouri Southern State University in 1976 and was part of the University's first womens track and field team. But this wasn't Vavra's first time on a track, before graduating Joplin Memorial High School Vavra competed in the first two MSHSAA State Track & Field Championships when girls participation was offered. Vavra took her success on the track and turned it into a successful coaching career. She began her coaching career at Carthage High School, where she coached multiple sports and guided athletes to win their own state titles. Vavra moved into an opportunity to coach for her alma mater, MSSU, in 1994 and continued to have a successful career securing multiple conference and national titles.
Linda Lampkin began teaching in 1979, however Lampkin was also an athlete at Hermann High School playing both Volleyball and Softball prior to Title IX. Once in college Lampkin's love for Volleyball would grow into a coaching career that would make her the most winningest coach in Girls Volleyball with a record of 943-344-50 over 39 years. While coaching at Hermann High School Lampkin also worked her way through administration becoming Assistant Principal and later Athletic Director. When asked what lesson she wants her players to learn the most she states "The value of hard work - that it pays off. The importance of team, that no one person is more important than the other. Hopefully they are more confident people now, than they were before they started playing, because you can't worry about making mistakes. In volleyball, you can't play it safe. Hopefully it will serve them well, both on and off the court."