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In conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Rainbow Wahine sports, three outstanding women will be inducted into the University of Hawaii Sports Circle of Honor Friday.
Comprising the Class of 2011 are the late Patsy T. Mink, All-American soccer player Natasha Kai and All-American softball pitcher Brooke Wilkins. The three will be inducted in between Sets 2 and 3 of Friday’s volleyball match between Hawaii and Utah State.
Mink co-authored the Title IX amendent of the Higher Education Act, which was later renamed the the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity In Education Act. The 1948 UH graduate went on to serve in the territorial House of Representatives, the territorial and state Senate, followed by two terms in the Congress. Mink died in 2002, months after the 30th anniversary of the passage of Title IX.
Kai was the soccer program’s first All-American and three-time conference player of the year. During her career, she set more than two dozen school and conference records, including career goals (72). She helped the U.S. to a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics.
Wilkins was a two-time All-American who led the Wahine to NCAA regional appearnaces in 1994 and 1995. She shattered school career records for wins (58) and strikeouts (585) while playing just two seasons. She was on three Olympic teams for her native Australia, twice winning bronze (1996 and 2000) and silver in 2004. She was inducted into Softball Australia Hall of Fame in 2008.
