Hunter: Women grab distinction

By DAVID HUNTER

For many years women have tried to gain a foothold in male dominated sports world. Honestly, it has taken a while for them, and there is still a long way to go. However, during the summer months there were steps made in the right direction in all levels of women's athletes.

Of course, the biggest sports story of the summer was the US Women's Soccer Team becoming world champions for the first time since 1999. What made the achievement really cool was the way they got revenge on the Japanese team in dominating fashion, including a hat trick by Carli Lloyd. Her third goal from midfield was the best goal I had ever seen in the many years I had watched soccer.

I just hope their success carries over to bigger crowds for their professional league, the National Women's Soccer League, which is in its second year of existence with nine teams spread across the United States. However, it is the third attempt of a women's league since the USA won the World Cup, 16 years ago. So far, so good as the league has seen increased growth in attendance, including some sellouts at the different stadiums across the board.

Another female who has literally fought her way to national attention is UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, Ronda Rousey. If it was not for her success in the octagon, there would not be any women's fights in the UFC. She has the total package, great skills in the cage, sponsors love her, and she is not afraid to speak her mind.

However, this past Saturday night, she defended her title in enemy territory in Brazil against their favorite girl, Bethe Correia. Both fighters came into the match with undefeated records, and they do not like each other. Of course, I would not like Correia either for some the really hurtful statements she made in prefight interviews, which did not make Rousey happy.

Don't get me wrong trash talk in fine, especially in MMA, because they get to fight each other. However, Correia really went too far, and I do not even want to talk about it. I just hope Rousey does her typical thing, which is grab her, judo throw her to the ground, and then submit her by arm bar. Her last fight in February only lasted 14 seconds, and that was against somebody she respected as a fighter and person. Now, facing someone she does not like, I can only imagine what she did to her for revenge for saying those hurtful things.

By the time this article comes out this week, I hope Rousey has taught her a very valuable lesson.

Here locally, several great female Hall of Famers helped put this high school on the map, especially during a time, when they were given little chance to succeed. The tradition continues today, including a pair of sisters who rewrote the TSSAA girls' basketball scoring records during their Lionette careers.
Their success was rewarded during the Cannon Courier Hall of Fame and Sports Awards event in May. Emily Sissom was inducted into the Hall of Fame, while her younger sister, Abbey introduced her. Also, both sisters had their Cannon County High School jerseys retired during the same event.

During the same event, several other great CCHS female athletes have earned awards during the past couple of shows, including Kelli Davis, Sarah and Katie Hickman, Kristen Hale, Molly Williams, Erin and Kristen McReynolds, Cheyenne Fann, and Hannah Faulkner. As with life, many of these athletes have finished high school and move on to the next chapter of their life.

However, as usual there is a new crop of female athletes here in Cannon Courier ready to make their own mark this school year, including Livia Walker, Haylee Mooneyham, Hannah Whited, Madelynne Bogle, and many others across the sporting landscape here in town.

This summer has shown the overall growth of women's sports here in the United States and locally. I just hope it continues in the right direction and not take a step back.