Two With Ties to SCSU Athletics Honored by Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership
2/7/2024 11:30:00 AM | General, Softball, Women's Tennis
Evonne (Young) Fix and Paula U’Ren receive awards on National Girls & Women in Sports Day
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Two individuals with ties to St. Cloud State Athletics will be honored for their inspiring and influential work in girls' & women's sports. The Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership (MCWAL) will honor St. Cloud State University alumna, Evonne (Young) Fix and longtime softball head coach, Paula U'Ren on February 7 at the National Girls & Women in Sports Day-Minnesota Celebration at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, Minn. Fix will receive the Special Merit Award and U'Ren will receive the Breaking Barriers Award.
Evonne (Young) Fix
Evonne (Young) Fix attended St. Cloud State from 1991-1994 and was a member of the Women's Tennis team. She was a part of the 1991 North Central Conference Championship team and is one of the more renowned players in program history. Her name is written all over the record book and she currently ranks sixth in total win/loss percentage, sixth in doubles win/loss percentage, 13th in total matches won, 16th in singles win/loss percentage, 17th in doubles matches won and 19th in singles matches won. She played 165 career matches for the Huskies.
Shortly after her playing career, Fix began officiating high school boys' hockey games and was selected to work multiple state high school tournaments, including the first Minnesota State High School League Girls' State Tournament in 1995.
The International Ice Hockey Federation recruited Fix in 1994 for her officiating prowess to work the Women's World Championship in Lake Placid, N.Y. She was then selected to officiate the 1998 Winter Olympics – the first year that Women's Hockey was included at the Olympics.
Fix has spent over 10 years officiating collegiate hockey at all levels and has been part of two NCAA Women's Frozen Fours. Along with officiating, Fix has spent time as an instructor to mentor up and coming female officials, so they are able to reach their officiating goals and make a career out of their passion.
Fix is being awarded the Special Merit Award which represents the numerous challenges that stand in the way of opportunity for girls and women in sport throughout Minnesota. The Special Merit Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the highest level of commitment to taking action that ensured opportunities for girls and women in sport.
Paula U'Ren
Paula U'Ren started her coaching career at St. Cloud State as a graduate assistant softball coach and after nearly three decades leading the program, retired as the winningest coach in program history, finishing with 768 wins over her 26-years as a coach. Under the guidance of U'Ren, the Huskies compiled seven NCAA Tournament appearances (including a third-place finish), three North Central Conference Championships, and 16 conference tournament appearances.
She coached seven All-Americans, 22 All-Region honorees, and five SCSU Female Athlete of the Year honorees. Excellence in the classroom was also a staple of the program as six athletes earned Academic All-America accolades and more than 100 athletes were named to the Academic All-Conference Teams during her tenure.
U'Ren also took the time to train and coach her graduate assistants so they could go on to become coaches themselves. In her career, U'Ren never had a full-time assistant coach and would have to re-hire and re-train graduate assistants every two years.
In 2016-17, U'Ren appeared in federal court to testify against St. Cloud State in a Title IX trial following cuts to athletic programs in 2016. Thanks in part to her testimony, the court ruled that the university did indeed violate Title IX when the cuts impacted female athletes more than male athletes. In 2019, SCSU was ordered to take action to make reparations.
U'Ren earned her terminal degree at St. Cloud State and went on to become a professor of kinesiology. U'Ren is currently the chairperson of the Kinesiology Department and teaches Sport Management and Clinical Exercise Physiology graduate students and Recreation and Sports Management and Exercise Science undergraduate students.
U'Ren is being awarded the Breaking Barriers Award. Before and after Title IX, individuals and organizations have been faced with many different barriers in providing equity in sports for girls and women. This award is given to those who have successfully torn down those barriers to provide opportunities in sports for girls and women of all races, ages and levels of ability.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Athletics, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the Huskies on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Evonne (Young) Fix
Evonne (Young) Fix attended St. Cloud State from 1991-1994 and was a member of the Women's Tennis team. She was a part of the 1991 North Central Conference Championship team and is one of the more renowned players in program history. Her name is written all over the record book and she currently ranks sixth in total win/loss percentage, sixth in doubles win/loss percentage, 13th in total matches won, 16th in singles win/loss percentage, 17th in doubles matches won and 19th in singles matches won. She played 165 career matches for the Huskies.
Shortly after her playing career, Fix began officiating high school boys' hockey games and was selected to work multiple state high school tournaments, including the first Minnesota State High School League Girls' State Tournament in 1995.
The International Ice Hockey Federation recruited Fix in 1994 for her officiating prowess to work the Women's World Championship in Lake Placid, N.Y. She was then selected to officiate the 1998 Winter Olympics – the first year that Women's Hockey was included at the Olympics.
Fix has spent over 10 years officiating collegiate hockey at all levels and has been part of two NCAA Women's Frozen Fours. Along with officiating, Fix has spent time as an instructor to mentor up and coming female officials, so they are able to reach their officiating goals and make a career out of their passion.
Fix is being awarded the Special Merit Award which represents the numerous challenges that stand in the way of opportunity for girls and women in sport throughout Minnesota. The Special Merit Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the highest level of commitment to taking action that ensured opportunities for girls and women in sport.
Paula U'Ren
Paula U'Ren started her coaching career at St. Cloud State as a graduate assistant softball coach and after nearly three decades leading the program, retired as the winningest coach in program history, finishing with 768 wins over her 26-years as a coach. Under the guidance of U'Ren, the Huskies compiled seven NCAA Tournament appearances (including a third-place finish), three North Central Conference Championships, and 16 conference tournament appearances.
She coached seven All-Americans, 22 All-Region honorees, and five SCSU Female Athlete of the Year honorees. Excellence in the classroom was also a staple of the program as six athletes earned Academic All-America accolades and more than 100 athletes were named to the Academic All-Conference Teams during her tenure.
U'Ren also took the time to train and coach her graduate assistants so they could go on to become coaches themselves. In her career, U'Ren never had a full-time assistant coach and would have to re-hire and re-train graduate assistants every two years.
In 2016-17, U'Ren appeared in federal court to testify against St. Cloud State in a Title IX trial following cuts to athletic programs in 2016. Thanks in part to her testimony, the court ruled that the university did indeed violate Title IX when the cuts impacted female athletes more than male athletes. In 2019, SCSU was ordered to take action to make reparations.
U'Ren earned her terminal degree at St. Cloud State and went on to become a professor of kinesiology. U'Ren is currently the chairperson of the Kinesiology Department and teaches Sport Management and Clinical Exercise Physiology graduate students and Recreation and Sports Management and Exercise Science undergraduate students.
U'Ren is being awarded the Breaking Barriers Award. Before and after Title IX, individuals and organizations have been faced with many different barriers in providing equity in sports for girls and women. This award is given to those who have successfully torn down those barriers to provide opportunities in sports for girls and women of all races, ages and levels of ability.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Athletics, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the Huskies on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
2025 Husky Dome Down
Thursday, April 24
SCSU Dome Up Day 2024
Friday, January 03
2024 NCAA Diversity & Inclusion Campaign
Wednesday, November 06
Men's Hockey Postgame Press Conference 10-26-24
Sunday, October 27
