In honor of Women’s History Month, The Hawk highlighted some of the most prolific female athletes and coaches to have played or coached for SJU Athletics.
Through their legendary collegiate or professional careers, these women laid the foundation for women in coaching positions everywhere.
Elaine (McGillian) Van Blunk ’86 – Women’s cross country and track and field
Van Blunk, the first All-American in women’s track and field at St. Joe’s, secured eight individual track and field records and placed sixth at the 1986 NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship in the mile.
Subsequent to an illustrious career as a student athlete, Van Blunk would serve as an assistant coach for both the St. Joe’s women’s track and field and women’s cross country teams for eight seasons from 1988-96.
At the same time her coaching career began at St. Joe’s, Van Blunk became a world-class runner as a member of the United States Track and Field Team. In 1989, while still a member of the women’s track and field and cross country coaching staffs, Van Blunk won first place in the 1989 USA Track and Field Championship in the 3000 meter race.
Jess Mannella – Women’s soccer
Currently in her 20th season at St. Joe’s, Mannella has been instrumental in the reconstruction of the women’s soccer program since her arrival on Hawk Hill. Inheriting a program with just one win during the season prior to her arrival, Mannella turned St. Joe’s women’s soccer into a highly competitive team in the Atlantic 10 (A-10).
Mannella took over a program that had never seen a postseason trip, and has now led the Hawks to 10 postseason appearances, three coming in her first five seasons as a member of the women’s soccer coaching staff. From 2012-19 Mannella’s squads have only missed one A-10 postseason appearance. The team’s best finish came in 2016 following an undefeated 9-0-1 campaign.
As the 2016 A-10 Coach of the Year, Mannella also coached many student athletes who have found individual success, including 10 Hawks who attained all-region honors and 29 players who earned all-conference accolades, including four Rookie of the Year award winners.
Muffet McGraw ’77 – Women’s basketball
McGraw, a four-year starter as a guard on the women’s basketball team, helped guide the Hawks to a 23-5 record her senior year. This record was good enough for a top 3 national ranking in the final 1977 AP College Basketball Poll, the highest in St. Joe’s women’s basketball history.
After graduation, McGraw would go on to play one season of professional basketball in 1989 for the California Dream of the former Women’s Professional Basketball League. From there, McGraw joined St. Joe’s women’s basketball as an assistant coach from 1980-82 before earning a head coaching opportunity at Lehigh University from 1982-87.
In 1987, McGraw was hired as the head coach of women’s basketball at the University of Notre Dame where she went on to become one of the most successful basketball coaches of all time. Guiding the Fighting Irish to 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances during her 33 seasons in South Bend, McGraw is a two-time NCAA Champion with her first title coming in 2001 and the second in 2018.
McGraw is one of five coaches in men’s and women’s NCAA basketball history to win over 930 games. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 before stepping down from her position as head coach at Notre Dame in 2020.
Renie Shields ’82 – Women’s basketball, women’s cross country and softball
Shields was a three-sport athlete in her time on Hawk Hill as a standout on the women’s basketball, women’s cross country and softball teams. With basketball being her primary sport, Shields was a four-year starter at St. Joe’s and a three-time team MVP, earning a 1991 Big 5 Hall of Fame induction.
Following her expansive career as a student athlete at St. Joe’s, Shields joined the women’s basketball team as an assistant coach in 1987. She coached the team to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1987-90, advancing to the second round three times. A staple of the St. Joe’s women’s basketball coaching staff at the time, Shields would work as an assistant until her retirement from coaching in 1993.
Shields is currently the senior associate athletic director for Student Experience at St. Joe’s. She has worked in the administration of SJU Athletics for the past 27 years and previously served as associate athletic director for varsity programs before her promotion in 2018. As one of the administrators for women’s basketball, field hockey, women’s soccer and softball, Shields remains an important member for the teams she has both played on and coached during her time at St. Joe’s.
