Pioneer of Boise State’s women’s sports dies
Connie Thorngren, a pioneer of Boise State’s women’s sports, died Sunday morning at 77, the university announced Friday.
Thorngren came to Boise State in 1970 and became the director of women’s athletics in 1974. She introduced field hockey, track and field, volleyball and basketball at Boise State. She served as the Broncos’ women’s basketball coach from 1970 to 1984 and finished her career with a 179-121 record, the second-highest win total in school history.
The school no longer has a field hockey team but those other sports remain, along with golf, soccer, tennis, softball, gymnastics, swimming and more.
“Connie laid the foundation for generations of student-athletes having the opportunity to compete for Boise State,” Boise State Athletic Director Curt Apsey said. “Today’s successes are a direct result of her leadership and what she accomplished during her time as a Bronco.”
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Alan Noble Hall of Fame gallery and will be open to the public. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the women’s basketball scholarship fund.
Michael Katz: 208-377-6444, @MichaelLKatz
This story was originally published October 6, 2017 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Pioneer of Boise State’s women’s sports dies."