ALLENDALE, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Jan. 27, 2022) – A trailblazer in Allendale is gone.
Grand Valley State University announced on Thursday the death of retired faculty member and long-time coach of women’s basketball, volleyball and track and field Joan Boand. She was 88, and the school only mentioned that she had passed away at her home.
Ms. Boand came to GVSU in 1966 as a tenured track Assistant Professor in Physical Education, and by the time she retired 33 years later, she helped establish the Lakers in overall women’s sports to a degree that 20 of the 27 national championships that have come to the school were from from women’s teams and individuals.
A year ago, GVSU dedicated a wall at the Fieldhouse Arena chronicling her achievements, which includes 745 total victories and 10 GLIAC championships. The Joan Boand Athletic Scholarship she created after her retirement lives on as a legacy to the school. She was inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award from Women Leaders in College Sports.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately disclosed.
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