Five Bucknell Hall-of-Famers Honored as Patriot League Announces Trailblazers of Distinction During Title IX 50th Anniversary Celebration
9/14/2022 1:58:00 PM | Field Hockey, General, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Lacrosse
LEWISBURG, Pa. – As part of the Patriot League's celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the league office on Wednesday announced its "Trailblazers of Distinction," recognizing some of the most impactful women leaders from the Title IX era. Five individuals or teams were selected from each school, and Bucknell's honorees are all rightfully enshrined in the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame.
Representing Bucknell are the school's first two women Hall-of-Famers, three-sport athletes Bobbi Castens-Seidell and Karin Wegener Knisely from the Class of 1979; pioneering women's sports advocate and administrator Margaret "Peg" Bryan; softball standout and member of the University's Board of Trustees Dawn Becker '85; and basketball superstar Molly Creamer '03.
In addition, one of Boston University's honorees also has Bucknell ties. Sally Starr, who has guided the Terriers field hockey team for more than 40 years, served as head coach at Bucknell in 1979 and 1980.
The Patriot League worked closely with staff from each of its institutions to identify and honor individual women and memorable teams for contributions to their respective athletics departments, campuses, and society at large. Each "Trailblazer of Distinction" represents the Patriot League's vision for their achievement of athletic potential in addition to values of integrity, character, and personal development. Collectively, the women and teams recognized have served as shining examples of the importance of the journey toward inclusion and gender equity.
Bucknell will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX with events throughout the academic year. A number of impactful women will be invited back to be honored during athletics events; there will be a Title IX component to the annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day festivities in February; and the athletic department will be hosting a women's sports dinner during the second semester to commemorate the occasion.
Here is more information on each of Bucknell's "Trailblazers of Distinction":
Dawn Becker – Softball '85
Becker graduated from Bucknell in 1985 and was inducted into their Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997 after one of the most decorated pitching careers in program history. The right-handed pitcher set numerous records during her career and was a two-time East Coast Conference (ECC) Scholar-Athlete Award winner and Academic All-America honoree. She is the current Executive Vice President of Federal Realty and serves on the Board of Trustees and real estate advisory board for Bucknell University.
Margaret (Peg) Bryan – Director of Women's Intercollegiate Athletics from 1945-81
The late Peg Bryan was a leading force in establishing the women's varsity program at the University, serving as the first director of women's intercollegiate athletics. Bryan ran the women's physical education and recreation program and constructed successful competitive athletics for women before the program received formal varsity recognition.
Bobbi Castens-Seidell – Basketball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse '79
Castens-Seidell was one of the first two women elected to the school's Hall of Fame after serving as a co-captain on the basketball and field hockey teams and was an integral member of the women's lacrosse team. After her Bucknell competition, she was drafted by the Houston Angles of the Women's Professional Basketball League and was selected to the Susquehanna Association First Team for four straight years as a goalie in field hockey.
Molly Creamer – Basketball '03
During her basketball career, Creamer held 22 Bucknell and 13 Patriot League records, scoring 2,462 points, second-most in League history. The three-time League player of the year earned NCAA Division I Kodak, WBCA and AP All-America honors during her career before being selected 10th overall in the 2003 WNBA Draft by the New York Liberty, the first WNBA draft selection in League history.
Karin Wegener Knisely – Basketball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse '79
Wegener Knisely was among the first two women elected to the Bucknell Hall of Fame and the first three-sport captain in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. She held Bucknell scoring records in field hockey and lacrosse, was selected to the Mid-East Team for the National Field Hockey tournament for four straight years. She earned a Fulbright Scholarship for research in freshwater biology at the University of Konstanz in Germany. She currently serves as a faculty member in the Department of Biology at Bucknell.
Representing Bucknell are the school's first two women Hall-of-Famers, three-sport athletes Bobbi Castens-Seidell and Karin Wegener Knisely from the Class of 1979; pioneering women's sports advocate and administrator Margaret "Peg" Bryan; softball standout and member of the University's Board of Trustees Dawn Becker '85; and basketball superstar Molly Creamer '03.
In addition, one of Boston University's honorees also has Bucknell ties. Sally Starr, who has guided the Terriers field hockey team for more than 40 years, served as head coach at Bucknell in 1979 and 1980.
The Patriot League worked closely with staff from each of its institutions to identify and honor individual women and memorable teams for contributions to their respective athletics departments, campuses, and society at large. Each "Trailblazer of Distinction" represents the Patriot League's vision for their achievement of athletic potential in addition to values of integrity, character, and personal development. Collectively, the women and teams recognized have served as shining examples of the importance of the journey toward inclusion and gender equity.
Bucknell will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX with events throughout the academic year. A number of impactful women will be invited back to be honored during athletics events; there will be a Title IX component to the annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day festivities in February; and the athletic department will be hosting a women's sports dinner during the second semester to commemorate the occasion.
Here is more information on each of Bucknell's "Trailblazers of Distinction":
Dawn Becker – Softball '85
Becker graduated from Bucknell in 1985 and was inducted into their Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997 after one of the most decorated pitching careers in program history. The right-handed pitcher set numerous records during her career and was a two-time East Coast Conference (ECC) Scholar-Athlete Award winner and Academic All-America honoree. She is the current Executive Vice President of Federal Realty and serves on the Board of Trustees and real estate advisory board for Bucknell University.
Margaret (Peg) Bryan – Director of Women's Intercollegiate Athletics from 1945-81
The late Peg Bryan was a leading force in establishing the women's varsity program at the University, serving as the first director of women's intercollegiate athletics. Bryan ran the women's physical education and recreation program and constructed successful competitive athletics for women before the program received formal varsity recognition.
Bobbi Castens-Seidell – Basketball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse '79
Castens-Seidell was one of the first two women elected to the school's Hall of Fame after serving as a co-captain on the basketball and field hockey teams and was an integral member of the women's lacrosse team. After her Bucknell competition, she was drafted by the Houston Angles of the Women's Professional Basketball League and was selected to the Susquehanna Association First Team for four straight years as a goalie in field hockey.
Molly Creamer – Basketball '03
During her basketball career, Creamer held 22 Bucknell and 13 Patriot League records, scoring 2,462 points, second-most in League history. The three-time League player of the year earned NCAA Division I Kodak, WBCA and AP All-America honors during her career before being selected 10th overall in the 2003 WNBA Draft by the New York Liberty, the first WNBA draft selection in League history.
Karin Wegener Knisely – Basketball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse '79
Wegener Knisely was among the first two women elected to the Bucknell Hall of Fame and the first three-sport captain in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. She held Bucknell scoring records in field hockey and lacrosse, was selected to the Mid-East Team for the National Field Hockey tournament for four straight years. She earned a Fulbright Scholarship for research in freshwater biology at the University of Konstanz in Germany. She currently serves as a faculty member in the Department of Biology at Bucknell.
2025 Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Rob Arent
Saturday, October 04
2025 Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Phil Reynolds
Saturday, October 04
Lafayette at Bucknell Women's Soccer Highlights 10-1-2025
Thursday, October 02
Bucknell Volleyball vs. Loyola University (10/4/25)
Wednesday, October 01