Women's History Month: Honoring Track and Field
Mar 07, 2017 | Track and Field
 Texas A&M Athletics honors its tremendous success in women's athletics throughout the month of March. |
One of the most if not the most successful sports on campus, the Texas A&M women's track and field program is home to dozens of All Americans, 11 conference championships and four national titles—with all the team crowns coming in the past 10 years under Hall of Fame coach Pat Henry.
With the NCAA Indoor Championships looming this weekend at the Gilliam Indoor Stadium, 12thman.com takes a look back at just a sample of the women who have etched their names forever in the lore of Aggie athletics in the sport of track and field.
Linda Cornelius Waltman '79
Any discussion of women's track and field success at A&M needs to start with Linda. A member of the Class of '79, she was the program's first All-American—posting tremendous performances in the pentathlon for three straight years. After earning a spot on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, Cornelius Waltman holds the honor of being the first female Aggie Olympian. Politics would ruin her dream, however, as the United States boycotted the '80 games which were held in Moscow. In 1985, she became the first female inducted into Texas A&M's Athletic Hall of Fame.Melinda Clark '89
Competing for legendary coach Charlie Thomas, Melinda has the distinction of being the first female individual NCAA Champion in school history. A two-time Southwest Conference Champion in the high jump, Melinda would etch her name into history as a senior in 1989. Competing on the campus of BYU in Provo, Utah, she posted a mark of 6-0 ¾ in the high jump to win the crown. Melinda's efforts would push the A&M women to a then school-record 17th place finish. It would be 15 years before an Aggie women's team would finish higher at nationals, a 13th-place showing in 2004. She was inducted into Texas A&M's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.Anjanette Kirkland '97
Anjanette Kirkland completed her collegiate career as the most decorated female student-athlete in the university's history. She also closed out the Southwest Conference as its most decorated hurdler in conference history. Kirkland won three consecutive SWC crowns in the 55-meter hurdles from 1994-96 and two straight conference titles in the 100-meter hurdles from 1994-95. Kirkland owns the SWC all-time best in the 55 hurdles (7.61), as well as the SWC meet record (7.68). Kirkland also ran the fastest 100 hurdles in SWC history, a wind-aided 12.89 in 1995. She was an eight-time All-American with the Aggies. Anjanette was inducted into Texas A&M's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in 2015.Rosa (Jolivet) Outing '98
Rosa Jolivet began her career in junior college before competing her final two seasons for Ted Nelson at Texas A&M, and the Aggies couldn't have been happier. As a sophomore, in the final season of the Southwest Conference (1996), Rosa won both the 100 and 400 hurdles. As a senior in 1998, she claimed the Big 12 title in the 400 hurdles and became an NCAA Champion in the same event that same season with a time of 55.24. A six-time All-American, Rosa was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.Katy Doyle '03
A three-time All-American, Katy competed in perhaps the sport's most technical event—the javelin. Battling through injury, she not only competed in it, she excelled…winning Big 12 titles in 2000, 2003 and 2004. Katy became an NCAA Champion with a throw of 185-7 at the 2004 meet in Austin—at the time just the third Aggie to ever win a national title. She was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.Jessica Beard '11
Jessica Beard can stake 16 All-America honors, two individual national titles and three team national championships to her legacy in Aggieland. Winner of The Bowerman award as a senior, track and field's Heisman Trophy, Jessica pulled an impressive double by claiming both the 400-meter indoor and outdoor national titles with times that ranked her among the world's best. She was instrumental in leading Texas A&M to the 2009, 2010 and 2011 NCAA team crowns—the first ones for the program's women—along with seven team Big 12 titles throughout her career. Jessica became the first Aggie athlete—male or female—to earn Big 12 Athlete of the Year honors as a senior.Porscha Lucas '10
Porscha Lucas was a four-year letter winner (2007-10) in track and field and is arguably the most decorated athlete in school history. She has more All-America honors (19) than any athlete in the program's history—all coming under Pat Henry—and was a member of eight conference title and two national championship teams. She was a two-time individual NCAA Champion in the 200 meters (2009, 2010) and helped lead the program to its first two national titles those same seasons. She was a key member of the 4X100 outdoor relay that won four consecutive NCAA Championships from 2007 through 2010 and was also instrumental in the indoor NCAA Champion 4x400 relay team in 2009. Porscha helped the women's track and field team win four straight indoor Big 12 Championships and four straight Big 12 Outdoor Championships. She was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
SEC Championships Preview: Pat Henry
Wednesday, February 25
NCAA West Preview: Pat Henry
Tuesday, May 27
Pluckers Playmakers: Episode 5
Wednesday, May 07
44 Farms Preview: Pat Henry
Thursday, April 10
