Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Kathie Beisel played basketball like few had ever seen at St. Hubert’s High School. She graduated as both the program’s leading scorer and rebounder, coming out of high school just as Title IX went into effect. 

Her timing was impeccable. Beisel ushered Villanova through the end of the AIAW era, before the NCAA officially absorbed women’s sports. As a junior, Beisel helped Villanova to the Final Four, held in their backyard at the Palestra. En route to an All-Big East season, she averaged 12 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.9 steals per game, dropping. In the quarterfinals against Miami of Ohio, Beisel scored 24 and added eight assists to lift Villanova into the national semifinal. 

She would graduate with her name littered in the record books - setting a program record for career steals (339), while finishing in the top 10 in assists (507), rebounding (729) and scoring (1,328)  - and eventually her jersey would hang in the rafters.