Throughout the 2014-15 school year the Ohio Valley Conference will celebrate the stories of pioneers and leaders from each of our member institutions who paved and continue to pave the way for future generations of student-athletes and administrators. Check back here often as well as check out www.OVCSports.com/Diversity to learn more.
When it comes to tennis there have not been many student-athletes to experience the success that Portia George-Morrow achieved while at SIUE. From 1986-89 she earned eight All-American honors and four team national championships.
Those unprecedented feats earned her a spot in the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. Additionally each of the four teams she was a member of also found its way into that SIUE Hall of Fame.
George-Morrow teamed with Sweden native Christina Bokelund for two NCAA Division II doubles championships in 1987 and 1988 and individually she also was a three-time NCAA Division II singles finalist.
“As an incoming freshman, I had no idea of what I wanted to major in, but I felt SIUE provided different programs from which I could choose and be successful,” George-Morrow told the SIUE eConnection alumni magazine in a 2012 interview.
In the same interview she added head coach Bob Meyers ultimately helped her make her final decision. “Coach Meyers shared with me his vision and goals for the women’s program. Listening to him and meeting the other coaches and players, I knew SIUE was the right fit for me.”
She continued, ““He gave me the opportunity to have a successful academic and athletic career at SIUE,” said George. “I always remember him for that.”
As a freshman she led the team with 35 victories and advanced to the national quarterfinals in singles competition. She helped the Cougars to victories over Abilene Christian, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Northridge on the way to the program’s first of four national championship.
A year later George and Bokelund won the doubles national championship while George advanced to the championship of the singles draw. The team would once again top Abilene Christian in the NCAA Tournament, this time to claim its second-straight crown.
In 1988 George and Bokelund once again won the doubles national championship while George individually advanced to the singles championship match for the second-straight year. But the team result was the same again as SIUE claimed its third-straight national championship.
The four-year run came to an end in 1989 as SIUE hosted and won the NCAA Division II National Championship. George and Bokelund would advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, but more interestingly would square off against each other for the national singles crown, which went to Bokelund.
After her successful career at SIUE she would go on to become a regional sales account manager for Abbott Laboratories and works in pulmonary executive sales at Novartis.
“My experiences at SIUE helped me to be an independent, self-assured, self-motivated competitor,” Portia said.