BURLINGTON, Vt. – The University of Vermont Athletic Department announced the establishment of a new $250,000 endowment fund to support women’s athletics at UVM thanks to the generosity of alumna Mary Hynes ’80 and her husband, Marc. The Hynes Family Women’s Sports Fund was announced as part of UVM’s observance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day presented by Vermont Mutual on Saturday during a in-game ceremony at the UVM Women’s Basketball game at Patrick Gymnasium.
 
“We are deeply grateful to Mary Hynes and her family for this incredible gift commitment. It will be tremendously helpful in our efforts to enhance and elevate our women’s sports teams by providing additional support for their coaches and players,” said UVM Director of Athletics Jeff Schulman.
 
Interim UVM President Patricia Prelock, UVM Foundation President and CEO Monica Delisa, Cathy Osmers Rahill, Associate Director of Athletics and the department’s senior woman administrator, were joined on-court by various female student-athletes for the presentation. “We thank the donors for this generous gift and look forward to putting the new resources to good use,” added Rahill.
 
“I remember fondly my time playing women’s sports at UVM—practices with stunning mountain views, wonderful team camaraderie, and making lifelong friends,” said Mary Hynes. “We establish this fund with the hope of inspiring and supporting future generations of young UVM women in pursuing their athletic dreams!” While an undergraduate at the University of Vermont, Mary played field hockey and women’s lacrosse. Following her graduation from UVM in 1980 with B.A. in Psychology, Mary went on to receive a Ph.D. in neurobiology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She currently runs an active lab in the Biology department at Stanford University.
 
“On behalf of the entire university, I want to thank Mary Hynes for this very special investment in UVM Athletics,” said President Prelock. “Investing in the success of our female student-athletes means more than supporting their performance on the field—it’s about providing opportunities, fostering leadership, and empowering them to excel in every aspect of their lives. This endowment ensures that future generations of women at UVM will have the resources they need to compete at the highest level, both in sports and beyond.”
 

Over the last five years the Catamounts women’s programs have won seven America East Championships. In November, the Field Hockey team advanced to its first-ever NCAA Tournament after winning the America East Championship with three wins in four days at UAlbany. In February of 2024 the Swimming & Diving program captured its first-ever league crown. On the ice the success continued for Vermont as Natálie Mlýnková became the second player in Vermont hockey history to be named Hockey East Player of the Year. In Women’s Lacrosse Ava Vasile ’24 concluded her career, which also included that program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance (2022), as the all-time program leader in goals and points.
 
To celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day UVM Athletics, in partnership with Vermont Mutual, invited girls in the community to fulfill game day roles at the Women’s Basketball game. Members of the community shadowed full-time staff in roles like Public Address Announcer, Marketing Assistant, Ticket Staff, ESPN Broadcast Assistant and more.