Wabash's Pebworth Honored as Title IX Hero

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.

Read More: Wabash