Kennesaw State University will host the Bobbie Bailey Awards ceremony during today’s 22^nd-annual recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The guest speaker will be Lindsey Harding, star guard for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

The event highlights the accomplishments of local high school female athletes from Bartow, Cobb, Cherokee, Douglas and Paulding counties, as chosen by their respective schools. The awards are named for Dr. M. Bobbie Bailey, a longtime friend and benefactor of Kennesaw State academics and athletics. During the ceremony, the successes of KSU women’s athletic teams are also recognized.

Five local athletes from Paulding County high schools will be honored today. They are:

• Lilly Kidane, East Paulding High School
• Sydnie Harris, Hiram High School
• Taylor Dupes, North Paulding High School
• Ashley Kraemer, Paulding County High School
• Kalin Oglesby, South Paulding High School

The celebration begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Bobbie Bailey and Family Performance Hall on the KSU campus. It is free and open to all, though the ceremony may be best suited to people over the age of 10. The theme this year is "Title IX at 40: In It for the Long Run.”

"National Girls and Women in Sport Day began in 1987 as a day to honor the memory of Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and her work to assure equality for women's sports,” said Susan Whitlock, assistant professor of health, physical education and sport science.

“Hyman died of Marfan's Syndrome in 1986 while competing in a volleyball tournament in Japan. Since that time, NGWSD has evolved into a day to acknowledge the past and recognize current sport achievements, the positive influence of sports participation, and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports."

The official day this year is Feb. 1.