Stephanie Sowell, a four-time All-American and the 2020 N-Club Hall of Fame inductee, achieved great success as an eight-time Southland Conference individual champion. To this day, she holds Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s triple jump record at 43-1, set in 2003. She was a dominant force in the NSU track and field team as well as the whole Southland Conference.

“It is a great thing to see an African American woman being appreciated and really makes me happy because it shows that I can reach that level too,” Jaslyn Smith, junior jumper, said. She acknowledged Stephanie Sowell’s role as an inspiration and the mold she created for female track and field athletes.

“Anytime an African American Queen gets the credit they deserve, it always makes me happy,” Abria Paul, junior distance jumper, said. The main thought running through these players’ minds was the appreciation for the recognition given to African American women athletes, giving them hope that they can reach that level of prestige at NSU, like Stephanie Sowell.

The impact Stephanie Sowell has had on the women’s track and field team remains significant. Women athletes are wanting to not only break her records, but aiming for one of the highest honors for any NSU athlete being inducted into the N-Club Hall of Fame.

“I want to break her record, though not just because of competition but as motivation,” Sanaria Butler, sophomore sprint/jumper, said. This sentiment, shared with Smith and Paul shows the level of respect and motivation felt throughout the women’s track and field team.

“She may not need the appreciation because she knows how good she is, but it is great nonetheless because it gives women athletes a sense of validation,” Paul said. “It is not just guys, women also play and practice hard in these sports and it’s nice to see women athletes getting the shine.”

Stephanie Sowell’s accomplishments were not only a win for African American women but for women in general. Butler, Smith and Paul believe that having a women athlete being honored in a male run football game is a sign that women athletes are being taken seriously.

That leaves motivation at an all-time high, with the will to carry on a legacy that Stephanie Sowell created. Not only to carry that legacy but create new ones, be the woman who leads NSU women’s track and field into a new age.