Hall of Fame
A two-sport athlete, Joan Murdock Kalfahs entered into the Hall of Fame after she played basketball for the Crusaders back in 1950-52 and also competed for two seasons on the women’s tennis team. Named the “Most Outstanding Woman Athlete” in 1952, Kalfahs was indeed one of the finest women athletes to participate for Pasadena College .
Her first season on the basketball team was also the first year that the women played full court basketball. A learning experience and challenge for many, Kalfahs played like a veteran with an impressive mixture of dribbling, passing and shooting skills.
Unfortunately, Kalfahs played in an era before women’s athletics achieved equal recognition with men’s sports and few records and statistics were kept. But the knowledge of her athletic accomplishments are still in the minds of those who were fortunate enough to see her play.
“I had the privilege of coaching Joan during the 1950-51 basketball season,” said former coach, Sam Mallicoat. She was a very talented, all-around player and a leader on the team. Joan was a fine, coachable player, always eager and willing to learn and listen to instructions. She was like an assistant coach, helping others with the skills she possessed.”
Polly Parker, a former teammate of Kalfahs said: “Joan had an amazing athletic ability and was often the high scorer for our team. She was fast and had a shot from the outside that was usually accurate. In addition to her competitive spirit, Joan was always fair and a good sport.”
The award for Outstanding Achievement by an Athlete was presented to Kalfahs by Bob Brower.
