Getting Physical: Women's Athletics at MU MU stacked logo in yellow and black -- links to main university of missouri at columbia web site MU Libraries -- links to home page of the University Libraries of the University of Missouri at Columbia University Archives -- links to home page of the University Archives of the University of Missouri at Columbia MU stacked logo in yellow and black -- links to main university of missouri at columbia web site University Archives -- links to home page of the University Archives of the University of Missouri at Columbia University of Missouri -- links to home page of the University of Missouri at Columbia spacerHeader graphic

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National Archery Association Bulletin
National Archery Association Bulletin
(University Archives, C:8/18/8, Box 4)

Pathfinders Club, 1931
Pathfinders Club, 1931
(University Archives, C:8/18/8)

With the opening of the new Women's Gym in 1923 archery became one of the new sports available for women. By 1929 the sport was so popular that the National Archery Association sponsored a national intercollegiate "telegraphic" archery competition for women. Each team shot one "Columbia Round" comprised of twenty-four arrows each at distances of fifty yards, forty yards and thirty yards. The target was a regulation forty-eight inch target; each hit in gold, nine points, a hit in red, seven, a hit in blue, five, a hit in black, three, and a hit in white, one. Competitors making a score of over 425 received a certificate and a gold pin while those scoring between 300 and 424 received a certificate. Top scores were telegraphed to judges for compilation and determination of winning institution. By 1936 there were eighty-three teams competing.

Archery Competition, 1932
Archery Competition, 1932
(University Archives, C:8/18/8, Box 7)

Many minor sports and athletic activities have been explored by MU women athletes through the years including wall scaling, hiking, table tennis, field hockey, dance, indoor baseball and badminton. Some sports were very popular at times. Indoor baseball competition included a "color tournament", an early form of intramurals in which participants were assigned to teams identified by different colors, as well as inter-class tournament. In 1924-25 the sophomore class team won the class championship by defeating the upper class team by a score of 23-15. The Pathfinders, a hiking club, was formed by women interested in outdoor life. Ten to fifteen mile hikes were common on weekends. Field hockey has been a popular sport for women at MU since 1912; although major changes in uniforms and equipment have been made through the years.

Wall Scaling Team, 1931
Wall Scaling Team, 1931
(University Archives, C:8/18/8)

Faculty Field Hockey Team
Faculty Field Hockey Team
(University Archives, C:8/18/8, Box 7)

Indoor Baseball Game
Indoor Baseball
(University Archives, C:8/18/8, Box 2)

Table Tennis, 1953
Table Tennis, 1953
(University Archives, C:8/18/8)

Gallery 3 of the Exhibit

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