Hopkins School District #270

01/22/2013

Hopkins Alumna Toni St. Pierre will be recognized at the 2013 Minnesota National Girls and Women in Sports Day award ceremony in February. St. Pierre, a 1973 graduate of Hopkins Eisenhower High School, is being honored for breaking down barriers and blazing the way for girls to play in sports. St. Pierre won a lawsuit that allowed her to compete on Title IX boys cross country and skiing teams. At the time, there was no other option for girls to play. St. Pierre's victory in the lawsuit made news nationwide.

St. Pierre was the State Champion in the half-mile and mile races in 1973. She also set the national record in the half mile with a time of 2:18.3. Since her high school years, St. Pierre has become a figure in the running world. She has completed in local and national marathons, as well as triathlons. In 2009, she qualified for Nationals in her age group. She was inducted into the Hopkins High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.

St. Pierre, the mother of three daughters, said her proudest moments were watching her daughters cross the finish line in their cross country track meets. She credits the passage of Title IX with giving young girls and women the motivation and encouragement to be active in sports.

St. Pierre will be honored on Feb. 6 at the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda in St. Paul in an awards ceremony that is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Some of the Minnesota's most inspiring and influential student-athletes, coaches and athletic leaders will be recognized.