Playing one sport at the intercollegiate level, along with
maintaining the academic and social aspects of school can be too
much to handle for some student-athletes. However, Barb Davis spent
part of her career at The College of Wooster competing in three
sports — volleyball, basketball, and track.
As impressive as that was, one of the better decisions Davis may
have ever made was to drop volleyball at the conclusion of her
sophomore season. It wasn’t that she wasn’t
contributing (she tallied 93 kills, 43 assists, and 43 blocks,
while playing in 34 of 38 matches that year), but it allowed her to
concentrate on just two sports.
The extra time Davis was able to put in contributed to two of
Wooster’s earliest NCAC championship teams — one in
track (1985) and the other a regular season co-championship in
basketball (1984-85) — and it led to numerous accolades for
her in each of those sports.
Davis’ true passion came out on the hardwood. The 5-8
forward finished with 928 career points, 671 of which came during
her junior and senior campaigns, when she was named to the All-NCAC
Team. In 1985-86, she picked up first-team honors after averaging
16.8 points and a team-leading 11.1 rebounds.
Upon graduation in 1986, Davis ranked No. 2 at Wooster in both
career scoring and rebounding (653), and held single-season records
for field-goal percentage (.504) and free throws made (76) as well
as the single-game points mark with 32 coming against Oberlin
College. She still ranks fourth all-time in rebounding.
What can’t be seen in those numbers is the leadership she
displayed in helping the Scots to one of their two NCAA Division
III Tournament appearances in program history.
"(Barb) liked to go after the ball on the floor," remarked
legendary Wooster coach Nan Nichols recently. "She was a very good
hustler … an excellent offensive player … and brought
speed to the basketball court."
That speed translated well on the track, of course.
Davis was a three-year sprinter with the Scots, competing in the
100 and 200 meters and making her biggest contribution as a member
of the 4x100 relay. In 1983, she earned All-American honors in that
event, teaming with Charlene Kemp, Darlene Kemp, and Pam Willis.
They still hold the Wooster record (48.04). Two years later, Davis
joined fellow Hall-of-Famer Univer Bukhala, as well as Leslie Davis
(no relation), and Stephanie Kazmierski in winning that race at the
NCAC Championships in 49.66.
Also noteworthy among Davis’ track accomplishments, she left
the Scots with one of the school’s top-10 individual outdoor
times in the 200 meters (26.62).
Davis continued her love of education and sports beyond Wooster.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education, she
went on to Ithaca College and the State University of New York at
Albany, where she completed work towards master’s degrees in
physical education and special education, respectively.
Today, Davis is applying that educational background and has
returned close to her roots, as the Wooster native is currently a
special education teacher for Medina City Schools. Additionally,
she is still involved in sports as the assistant varsity girls
basketball coach at Medina High School.
