In the early years after Title IX, just as Gonzaga Prep welcomed women, Catherine (Koenigs) Lamb `77 carved a path in Prep athletics—one that would lead to college competition and open doors for future Bullpups.
From the start, Catherine made her mark through athletics. Athletics and involvement at Prep were part of her family’s life, so in many ways, it was baked in for her from the beginning. Two of her older brothers, Paul and Mike, played football, basketball, and track. Brother Chris, `72, played basketball and was editor of the Gonzagan, and Marty, `76, played tennis and was involved in drama and music. Older sister Mary Jo (MCA `73), while not a Prep alumna, starred in Prep's spring play.
Catherine played basketball, volleyball, golf, and later tennis in her senior year. But opportunity did not come easily. It was just a handful of years after Title IX became law—in theory providing equal access to academics and athletics, and in those early years of coeducation, resources for female athletes were limited. The school had no proper locker rooms. “We used the Prep visitor locker room during games, or a corner of the gym, and there were limited bathroom stalls,” Catherine recalls, and the girls had to get on a bus and head up to Mount St. Michael’s because the boys team practiced in Scarpelli Gym.
Still, Catherine did not let those obstacles define her experience.
Instead, they fueled her.
“My sister Rita, `79, was more talented, but I was scrappy.” Her determination earned her a chance to play at the next level, and she went on to compete in basketball at the University of Portland—becoming one of the first Gonzaga Prep women to play collegiate athletics. Rita went on to play for Santa Clara.
For Catherine, sports were about more than competition. They instilled discipline, resilience, and the ability to push through adversity—lessons that would carry far beyond high school.
Yet her Prep experience was not defined by athletics alone.
She remembers the deep sense of community that surrounded her during those formative years. Her mother fell ill, and in the last year of her life, the teachers were particularly kind to her and Rita when assignments were missed or late. After she died—just after Christmas break Catherine's senior year—the entire Ancilla and Knights of the Leash formed an honor guard behind her casket.
One moment, in particular, has stayed with her: after a school Mass, a Jesuit offered her a simple, heartfelt hug—at just the right time. It was a small gesture, but one that reflected the care and compassion at the heart of a Jesuit education.
That experience left a lasting impression. Years later, Catherine and her husband were thrilled that two of their four children Jesuit universities, believing strongly in an education that forms the whole person—academically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally.
Catherine was the first of many female student-athletes who would go on to play at the collegiate level, each carrying with them those elements of a Jesuit education.
The following list of Gonzaga Prep alumnae went on to compete at the collegiate level:
(Did you play in college after Prep? Let us know and we will add you to this list.)
