40 in 40 - Linda Moran Mora
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Title IX, wmubroncos.com takes a look at 40 key moments/females in the history of women's athletics at Western Michigan University. Though the selection process, an effort was made to highlight a moment and player/coach from each of our current women's sports programs, as well pay respect to our women's legacy sports. A different feature will be released each of the 40 days, July 24 through Sept. 1.
Linda Moran Mora
Gymnastics: 1986-89
WMU Athletic Hall of Fame: 1999
The first gymnast inducted into the Western Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame, Linda Moran Mora is one of two female athletes from her sport to have her legacy forever preserved.
From the moment Moran arrived in Kalamazoo in 1985-86, the Chicago native turned heads.
As a freshman on head coach Kathy Beauregard's squad, Moran exploded onto the college scene, winning WMU's second ever individual title, taking floor at the 1986 MAC Championships. She would also tie for second on the uneven bars and place second in the all-around, helping Western Michigan earn its first MAC team championship. Totaling a 36.45, she set a then-school record for all-around score. For her performance, she earned All-MAC status.
Moran picked up were she left off as a sophomore, winning the Broncos' first ever all-around title at the 1987 MAC Championships, as Western Michigan won its second-straight crown. She once again made the All-MAC list.
Moran remains the only Bronco gymnast to win MAC individual titles in different years. Two others have won multiple titles in the same year. Moran won WMU's Most Valuable Gymnast Award in 1986 & 1987. She was inducted into the WMU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
