OLYMPIAN JULIE FOUDY TO SUPPORT XAVIER COLLEGE PREPARATORY GIRLS’ ATHLETICS, SPEAK TO STUDENTS

Xavier College Preparatory, the all-girl Roman Catholic high school established in 1943 in Phoenix, will hold its first community-wide fundraising event celebrating girls’ athletics on September 18, 2008. The Xavier Sports Breakfast will feature keynote speaker Julie Foudy, two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time World Cup champion and member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Funds raised at the Xavier Sports Breakfast will go toward the construction of Founders Hall, a multi-purpose building that will include much-needed community space, classrooms and places for athletic teams and clubs to meet. The event will honor women in sports and showcase Xavier’s key role in high school athletics in Arizona and the nation. In the 2007-08 school year alone, Xavier won 5A Division 1 State Championships in cross country, golf, swimming and diving and volleyball, State Runner Up in spirit line, tennis and track, and an Athletic Club Team State Championship in crew/rowing.

“The Xavier Sports Breakfast will be a groundbreaking event for girls’ athletics,” said Rich Dozer, co-chair of the event. “Parents, faculty, administration and the entire Xavier community stand behind young women’s participation in sports.”

After the breakfast, Ms. Foudy will speak to Xavier students in a presentation called Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking. Sponsored by The Century Council, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking, Girl Talk is designed to prevent underage drinking among teenage girls.

“Julie Foudy is a fantastic role model for high school girls, whether they play a sport or choose another activity such as Student Council or choir,” said Lisa Graham Keegan, co-chair of the
Xavier Sports Breakfast. “Young women need to get involved, stay involved, set goals and
constantly raise the bar for their own performance and achievements. Julie Foudy is the perfect example of this dedication and commitment to excellence.”


Stephanie Rothstein, a runner and Xavier alumna from the class of 2002, will also speak at the Sports Breakfast. Currently training in Oregon, she recently finished 12th in the Olympic Trials women’s 10,000-meter final and plans to make the 2012 Olympic team. Stephanie will tell the story of how her late father, along with a very special Xavier track coach, inspired her to excel in her sport and ultimately change the course of her life.

“Involvement in athletics is tremendously beneficial for young women and we must do all we can to advocate for girls’ sports and grow the program,” said Sister Lynn Winsor, BVM, Xavier Vice Principal for Activities and Athletics.

A graduate of Xavier, Sister Lynn joined the staff in 1974 as a softball, basketball and golf coach, and has been the school’s Athletic Director since 1977. She has remained the golf coach, and the Xavier Golf Team holds a 24-year record as Arizona Girls’ High School State 5A Golf Champions, a national record. She was recently honored by the Phoenix Women’s Sports Association with the 2008 PWSA Advocacy Award for her dedication to creating equality for and advancing young women in sports.