It might surprise many for a recipient of the Title IX Hero Award to come from all-male Wabash College. But for those who've had the privilege of knowing former Little Giant swim coach Gail Pebworth, her accomplishments speak volumes.
Pebworth was honored by the Indiana Humanities as one of 11 Title IX Heroes at halftime of Sunday's WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and the Phoenix Mercury. The award was part of the Fever's season-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of the passing of Title IX, part of the Higher Education Act of 1972. Title IX requires gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding and was authored by former Indiana Senator Birch Bayh.
Pebworth coached the Wabash men's swimming and diving program from 1984 until her retirement at the end of the 2002 season, making her one of only a handful of women to have coached men's teams at the NCAA level. Her teams excelled in the water and in the classroom, earning 48 All-American awards, 23 All-Academic citations, four NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, two Rhodes Scholarship finalists, and her teams were on the All-Academic list for 23 straight semesters. In competition her teams posted victories in 131 of 151 dual meets and a combined record of 775-112 against all competition throughout her career as head coach.
Her peers recognized Pebworth as a top coach. She was named Wabash Coach of the Year seven times and twice was named Indiana Swimming Coach of the Year.
“I am exceedingly honored to be one of the recipients of this award and am thankful for the many opportunities I've been provided,” Pebworth said. “My hope is this provides an example of what is available for young women today.
“I am indebted to former Athletics Director Max Servies for the chance to serve as a coach at Wabash. I had the privilege to work with hundreds of student-athletes, many of whom have become lifetime friends.
Pebworth was raised in home that believed women should be provided the same opportunities as men. Her father, Eugene Moll, who was still racing for the Michigan City Striders in the 15,000-meter run at the age of 81, provided plenty of support for his family.
“My father believed in the expectation and pursuit of excellence,” Pebworth said. “He, along with my entire family, has always been a tremendous inspiration.”
Pebworth was not completely convinced that coaching a group of college men would be the perfect fit for her. She had already shown her abilities as the coach of the local Sugar Creek Swim Club.
“For the first three years I coached both Wabash and the Sugar Creek Swim Club,” Pebworth said. “I wasn't sure if coaching collegiate men would be the right fit. Fortunately I loved every minute of it.
“Because I was coaching both teams there was no time to ponder the idea I was any type of coaching pioneer. I was exceedingly busy coaching Wabash in the late afternoon, then I would be off to Sugar Creek practice that evening. The Wabash men would have a meet on Saturday, followed by a Sugar Creek meet all day Sunday.”
For all of her accomplishments, Pebworth has been recognized by Wabash as a member of its Athletics Hall of Fame, earning induction in 2000. She has also been named an honorary alumna as a member of the Class of 1991. In 1999 she was honored as one of Indiana's “Trailblazing Women.”
Through her time as a coach, her fondest memories were not of the championships, but of the hard work of her athletes.
“It was most enjoyable to build the chemistry of team,” Pebworth said. “To see a team exceed expectations was just so wonderful. That same feeling transfers to collegiate academic endeavors and career and life accomplishments of Wabash men, as well.
“When my husband, Robin, and I came to Wabash in 1967 we planned to stay two years. We were so blessed to work with wonderful faculty, staff, and administration, along with great Wabash students. I would travel to Florida every year with 20 to 30 guys and would be told repeatedly what a nice group of gentlemen we had from hotel mangers and restaurant workers. It's just a small part of what makes Wabash College such a wonderful institution, and it's one of the reasons we made Crawfordsville our home.”
Pebworth joined Kathleen Anderson, Ann Delaney, Crystal Livers-Powers, Melyssa (Morrow) Ludwig, Allison Melangton, Louise Owen, Dr. Concetta Raimondi, Kimberly S. Roberts, Susan Williams, and Mitzi Witchger as recipients of the Title IX Hero Award.
