Celebrating 108 Years Of Delta Sigma Theta: 5 Influential Deltas in Sports
By: Baigen Seawell
I have to be biased at least once this year.
January is known for great feats when it comes to the cultural area that is Greek Life. Five organizations alone are housed in the month of January, some of these are some of the oldest organizations in the National Pan Hellenic Council (NPHC) or “Divine Nine”.
And me being a member of D9, I know how influential we have been in sport. From A’ja Wilson (AKA) to Maritza McClendon (SGRho), to Colin Kaepernick, Bill Russell AND Wilt Chamberlain (Kappa)... Sports and Greek Life have a special relationship.
As a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta and former athlete, I gravitate greatly to those who share the same letters as my own, who also committed their time to competition at any level.
For our Founders Day, I decided to compile a list of some of these influential members as we celebrate our 108th year of creation!
1. Wilma Rudolph: Track and Field
Wilma Rudolph Winning One Of Her Olympic Gold Medals
The Black Gazelle, The Tornado, The Flash. Soror Rudolph ran track & field throughout the 1950s and 60s, where she would be the first to win 3 gold medals in a single Olympic Game. She became a household name because of her speed, but also the athletes she was around. Cassius Clay and Oscar Robertson made great company in the 1956 Olympic Team, and they kept in contact after the fact. Rudolph was a part of the famed Tigerbelles of Tennessee State University. While there, she was initiated through Alpha Chi Chapter.
2. Olympia Scott: Basketball
One of the most fashion savvy players of her era, I knew her for her finger waves and overall performance while at Stanford. Soror Scott was a high school All-American before going on to attend Stanford University, where she averaged 12.9 points and 6.4 rebounds. While there, she was initiated through the Omicron Chi Chapter, where Soror Candice Wiggins would attend later on. After Stanford, Scott played around the budding WNBA, where she would be the first to win two different championships with two different teams.
3. Francena McCory: Track and Field
Back to the track, Soror McCory was influential to the modern era of track and field, running in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, winning gold in both appearances. Instead of attending the numerous schools she was offered at the grander scale for her college career, McCory attended Hampton University. She honed in on and continued her success, breaking her own personal record with 50.49sec in the 400M dash. She’d then go on to run in the 2011 USATF Outdoor Championships, which thrusted her to the Olympic level the following year where she contributed to the 2012 and 2016 4x400M teams respectively.
4. Candice Storey Lee: Athletic Director
While we’ve seen many who have contributed to sport through the act of playing. Soror Lee was very influential at Vanderbilt where she played all four years at the university. While at Vandy, she joined the Mu Rho Chapter, before going on to receive her Master’s and Doctoral Degree. She stuck it out at Vanderbilt, serving as Deputy Athletic Director. But in 2020, she was named as Vanderbilt’s first Black Female AD at Vandy and the first Black Female AD in the SEC Conference.
5. Nia Sapp: Basketball, Sports Media
A personal favorite and an inspiration to me when it comes to sports media and analytics! Soror Sapp has served in numerous roles, but she got her start in Georgia, hailing from Arabia Mountain HS. She would go on to play for UAPB, Miami Dade and finally Alabama State University, where she was initiated through Beta Eta Chapter. Her contributions to the game have been extensive as she wears many hats, from producer to freelance work. You name it, she’s done it.
As there are countless women serving as coaches, playing overseas, making the stories and telling them... there are many great women of Delta who contribute in their communities, line of work and otherwise.
I say all of this to say: HAPPY FOUNDERS DAY to the Devastating Divas of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated!
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