MARY ELLEN BOYLAN JUTCA
“The Spires” the journal of information about Villanova University for alumni stated in 1976 – Cut right out of the mold of the late Babe Didrikson, is Mary Ellen Boylan. Easily the most outstanding female athlete ever to attend Villanova, she has mixed rare athletic talents with a fierce competitive sprit. Aesthetically, Athletically and Academically she has few equals.
Captain of Immaculate Conception High School Girl’s Basketball Team. Washington Area Girls Basketball Scoring Champion in 1970-1971 and 1971-1972 seasons averaging 28 points per game. She set a Washington Area single game scoring record for any scholastic player, male or female, by scoring 53 points in 1970-1971, a record still on the books.
A four year basketball letter winner and starter at Villanova University, captain in her junior and senior years and led the team in scoring all four years. Leading scorer for all the women in the Philadelphia Area with 974 points. Four time Starter on Philadelphia’s “Big Five” All-Star team The “Big Five’s” “Most Valuable Player”.
Mary Ellen established school records in foul shooting, four year percentage (85%) which lasted over 25 years and in 1974 set the record for average points per game (19.6) and has yet to be broken. Named the “Outstanding Senior Athlete at Villanova University”.
The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper called her “Possibly the Best College Athlete in Philadelphia, regardless of sex”.
Won the Washington Area Women’s Tennis Single Championship three consecutive years without losing a single set. Won the USLTA Women’s Singles Championship of South Jersey, held at Wildwood, New Jersey without losing a single set. Played number one singles and was captain of Villanova’s Tennis Team as a junior and senior and winner of 48 of 51 Individual NCAA matches. She reached the quarter finals of the Eastern Nationals.
Mary Ellen coached Washington & Jefferson College Women’s Tennis team to their first Penn Woods Conference championship, first ever at W&J. Presently coaches the boy’s tennis team at Trinity High School.
Named one of the “Outstanding College Athletes in America” in 1974 and listed in “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities”. In 1985 Mary Ellen was elected to the Villanova Sports Hall of Fame, the first woman athlete in the 200 year history of Villanova to be so honored.