BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Patriot League in conjunction with its 10 full-member institutions has announced its Trailblazers of Distinction to recognize the accomplishments of some of their most impactful women leaders during the Title IX era.
 
The 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. The Trailblazers of Distinction were selected in concurrence with the Patriot League's yearlong celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX.
 
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.
 
When the Patriot League became an all-sport conference during the 1990-91 academic year, it initially offered 22 sports; 11 men's and 11 women's. The ability to offer an equal complement of sports was in part due to the contributions made by some of the Trailblazers of Distinction, whose collegiate athletics careers concluded before the formation of the League. The paths they paved afforded future generations more opportunities to compete is why it is important to recognize their accomplishments alongside those that directly impacted the Patriot League.

Here's a look at the five honorees from Boston University.
 
Boston University
Nancy Feldman – Women's Soccer Head Coach '95-'22
Feldman served as Boston University women's soccer head coach since the team earned varsity status in 1995 until she retired earlier this year. She is one of the NCAA's most decorated women's soccer coaches, finishing her career 22nd in all-time wins (418 wins). The Terriers won 13 conference tournament titles and 14 regular season championships across the America East and Patriot League under Feldman's guidance. Feldman won 12 conference Coach of the Year awards and was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Region Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2013. Prior to arriving at BU, she was the head coach at Plymouth State, compiling a 75-9-7 record over five years. 
 
Debbie Miller-Palmore – Women's Basketball '81
Miller-Palmore is one of the most decorated athletes in Boston University history after leading the basketball team in scoring, rebounding and every other offensive category each year while collecting four team MVP awards. With Miller-Palmore in the lineup, the Terriers made it to the Eastern finals three times and qualified for the AIAW National Tournament. A four-time Kodak District I-A All-Region selection, Miller-Palmore received All-America honors her junior and senior years and was twice named a finalist for the Margaret Wade Trophy, given to the nation's top player. She also represented the United States on numerous national teams and was selected to the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team before the boycott. She competed professionally in both Europe and South America before helping to pioneer the American Basketball League, where she served as general manager for the Atlanta Glory. 
 
Lesley Sheehan – Tennis '84, Women's Tennis Head Coach
Sheehan is entering her 38th season as the head coach of Boston University women's tennis after four years as a student-athlete at BU. She has guided the Terriers to 27 conference titles and 18 NCAA Tournament appearances. A five-time Patriot League Coach of the Year, Sheehan was the 2002 USA Tennis' New England Coach of the Year, the 2009 and 2015 USPTA New England Coach of the Year, and was inducted into the USTA New England Hall of Fame in 2019. As a student-athlete, she became the top-ranked player in New England and was in the top 40 nationally. Sheehan became the first BU player to qualify for the NCAA Championships in 1983 and earned a return trip in 1984.  

Sally Starr – Field Hockey Coach 
Starr is the longest-tenured head coach in BU Athletics history, as she is in her 42nd season at the helm of the Terriers' field hockey program with winning records in 30 of the past 37 seasons. She has led one of the top-ranked programs in the country since the mid-1980s, ranking 11th among collegiate field hockey coaches in career wins (498) and fifth among current Division I head coaches. Starr's teams at BU have won 12 conference tournament titles and 17 regular-season titles while making 14 NCAA Tournament appearances. An 11-time conference coach of the year, Starr has been named the Dita/NFHCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year three times. She was inducted into the NFHCA Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2014.
 
1973-74 Women's Rowing Team
The members of the 1973-74 BU women's rowing team were pioneers in women's sports, being one of the first NCAA Division I women's teams established after the passing of Title IX. Shortly after being formed, the team won two gold medals at the 1974 National Women's Rowing Association National Championships en route to becoming BU's first women's varsity sport. After winning the open four and lightweight four titles at nationals, they earned the right to represent the United States at the world championships in Lucerne, Switzerland.