SAN DIEGO - San Diego State Athletics hosted the annual SDSU Athletics Women’s Fund luncheon this week, raising financial support and awareness to maintain excellence across all women’s Division I athletic programs. The fund, established in 2022, was part of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX celebrations.
“Today’s celebration was an opportunity to experience how the power of sport transforms lives,” Jenny Bramer, SDSU’s Deputy Athletic Director heralded. “By highlighting transformational coaches, dedicated student-athletes, and generous community members who support women’s sports, the gathering inspired attendees to empower young women in their athletic and academic pursuits.”
The Women’s Fund awarded the Aztec Impact on Women in Sports Award to track and field and cross country head coach Shelia Burrell. The award is given to a representative of SDSU who has provided significant contributions to the advancement of women through sports. In her 16th season at the helm, she has led the Aztecs to seven Mountain West Championships including six outdoor titles. She has been awarded six MW Coach of the Year awards and has been named the USTFCCCA West Region Coach of the Year twice.
Individually, Coach Burrell has mentored four NCAA Champions, four West Region Athletes of the Year and 67 All-Americans. At the conference level, four of her student-athletes have been named Mountain West Student-Athlete of the Year under her guidance and her program has totaled 81 individual champions and 244 all-conference performances. Beyond athletic performance, she trains and develops the life skills of every one her student-athletes and coaches people to be their personal bests.
Longtime donor and staunch women’s sports supporter, Judy Hamilton, was honored as the SDSU Athletics Women’s Fund Champion, given to a donor to the SDSU Athletics Women’s Fund who provided substantial support while celebrating women in sports. Judy is one of the founding partners of Hamilton Tharp LLP, started in 1980, and has been an impactful investor to SDSU for over four decades after earning her undergraduate degree and MBA in accounting from San Diego State.
The luncheon included messages from softball student-athlete DeeDee Hernandez and volleyball student-athlete Cara Braun, both emphasizing how the opportunities in sports have provided skills that are preparing them for life after sports. Former basketball student-athlete Jerica Williams served as the emcee.
For more information on the SDSU Athletics Women’s Fund, visit goaztecs.com/aztecclub/womensfund.
To donate to the Women’s Fund, click HERE.
San Diego State Hosts Annual Athletics Women’s Luncheon
The San Diego State Athletics Women’s Fund hosted its annual women’s luncheon this week, raising financial support and awareness to maintain excellence across all women’s Division I athletic programs.
