KEARNEY – A panel discussion on Title IX and its impact on women’s athletics is being hosted this month at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
“Title IX Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: A Walk in Her Shoes” will be presented 3 p.m. Oct. 26 at UNK’s Copeland Hall, Room 142. The event is free and open to the public.
Presented by UNK Kinesiology and Sport Sciences and the PE 429/829 sports marketing class, the event features current high school and college athletes, one retired university faculty member, a current UNK head coach and a pair of distinguished former Loper athletes working in the sports and entertainment industry.
“We’ve put together a panel of speakers whose lives have been changed by Title IX,” said Nita Unruh, chair of the UNK Kinesiology and Sport Sciences Department. “Our goal is to talk about where things stood in the past, where they are now and where we are going. This panel reflects that message and thinking.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX being passed into American law, which created gender equality and a more equal playing field for female and male student-athletes.
The panel of speakers includes:
REAGAN GALLAWAY
A senior at Amherst High School, Gallaway is one of the most accomplished female wrestlers in Nebraska prep history. A three-time state champion, she finished her junior season with a 37-0 record, pinning all of her opponents in the first period. Gallaway is undefeated against Nebraska female wrestlers and ranked the No. 1 pound-for-pound female in the state. She has had success in tournaments on the national and international levels, including competing for a U.S. team that last summer toured France, where she won a bronze medal.
MARTA MOORMAN
Moorman retired in 2019 after a 23-year career at UNK, where she led the recreation, outdoor and event management program. Prior to joining UNK, she taught middle and high school science in Oklahoma, developed a youth recreation program in Guatemala while serving in the Peace Corps, worked as an environmental educator and held various positions with the University of Arkansas. She has served on several boards and won numerous awards for her distinguished service and contributions to park and recreation, teaching and healthy community initiatives.
GABRIELLE OBORNY
A junior pole vaulter on the UNK women’s track team, Oborny graduated in 2020 from David City Aquinas High School, where she was a two-time Class C state qualifier in the pole vault and finished second as a junior. As a freshman at UNK, she was a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. In 2022, she won the Prairie Wolf Invitational in Lincoln and had five top 10 finishes in the outdoor season. She also set a new school record in the pole vault with a vault of 12 feet, 5 1/2 inches. Oborny will graduate in 2024 with an exercise science degree and in 2025 with a master’s degree in athletic training.
JoAn SCOTT
A 1986 Kearney State College graduate, Scott was a standout athlete at Ansley High School before playing volleyball and basketball for the Lopers. Since 2013, she has worked as managing director of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships, overseeing day-to-day operations of NCAA March Madness and the Final Four. Her career also includes work as director of Olympic sports marketing for Nike and director of operations for USA Basketball, where she was a member of the administrative staff with the 1992 USA Basketball Dream Team and Women’s USA Basketball team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
RICK SQUIERS
In his 24th season as head coach of UNK volleyball, Squiers is among the winningest coaches in NCAA Division II with more than 700 victories during his Loper tenure. The 11-time RMAC and MIAA Coach of the Year has led UNK to 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, including two national runner-up finishes. Prior to UNK, Squiers was head coach at Hastings College and Seward County Junior College and a high school coach in Remsen, Iowa.
BRENDA VANLENGEN
An Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, VanLengen has worked as an ESPN women’s college basketball analyst since 1996. Her work includes coverage for a variety of networks of the NCAA Women’s Final Four, WNBA, NBA and World University Games in Russia. A standout athlete at Roseland High School, VanLengen played basketball for the Lopers from 1984-87 and was a co-captain and two-time Academic All-American. Prior to her broadcasting career, VanLengen coached basketball for eight seasons, including five at the University of Nebraska. An advocate for women’s basketball, VanLengen is producing a documentary on the origin of women’s college basketball titled “If Not for Them.”
