Female high school athletes today have never had a time where they weren’t allowed to play, or where their practices or games had to work around the schedules of their male counterparts.
In Windom, Hildegard Bunge was a big reason why the girls of today have the same opportunities as boys.
Well before the advent of Title IX, which officially opened the door for competitive high school girls sports, Bunge taught girls physical education classes at Windom Area High School.
She also introduced girls to competitive sports through AAU programs.
Bunge eventually was inducted into the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame, as well as the WAHS Athletic Hall of Fame, for her role as a girls’ sports pioneer.
But even after her passing in 2023 at the age of 97, Bunge’s impact on Windom sports can be seen.
In her will, Bunge left $20,000 to Windom Area High School, earmarked specifically for girls sports.
A look at what Windom’s girls sports programs have done with the gift appears in the Sept. 10 print and e-editions of the Citizen.
