Rosalia Gioia attended Hunter College from 1949 through 1953 during the time where basketball, swimming, fencing, field hockey and tennis were the only varsity sports that were supported. The three year member of the field hockey team, and four year member of the basketball team had a reputation for her aggressiveness on the field and court. “Junior” as she was known by, made a name for herself through her hard work ethic and hustle and earned the respect of her fellow athletes and coaches.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Gioia played guard for the lady “Hoopsters” as they were dubbed. Self described as a “scrappy” and “quick” player, her most memorable experience comes from a game against East Stroudsburg as a first year varsity player. With her team down, she made pivotal steals which changed the momentum of the game that ultimately led to a Hawk victory. For her efforts, she was rewarded with a spot on the starting five, a position she held for the remainder of her time at Hunter. Gioia recalls her team being “unofficially the best team in the metropolitan/tri-state area, and a fierce competitor to other city schools as well as New Jersey and Connecticut institutions.”

Upon graduating, Gioia received a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education in 1953 and then went on to earn a Master’s Degree in 1954. She remained involved with Hunter Athletics as a referee, officiating basketball and field hockey and even serving as the softball coach during the early years when the sport was introduced.

Although there was limited opportunity for women to continue sports post-collegiately, she continued to stay active as an athlete and in 1966, participated in several amateur club basketball and association field hockey and lacrosse teams. She was even selected to the United States Field Hockey Honorable Mention Squad and was named to the reserve squad in 1967. Additionally, she was a multiple time medalist in track and field, softball and basketball in the Olympic Development competitions. In 2006, two years after she was selected into the U.S. National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, she was inducted into the Hunter College Alumni Association Hall of Fame. Gioia also served on committees for the Hunter Athletics Hall of Fame and Grace Boyce Scholarship.

Gioia attributes much of her success as a collegiate and post collegiate athlete to the experiences she attained through Hunter and heavily credits the late Professor Grace Boyce, her basketball coach, for her leadership and encouragement throughout the years. It was these elements that motivated her to continue participating in sports and remain involved in the lives of others through athletics.

Now retired, Gioia spent 40 years as a teacher and administrator in New York City as well as Long Island schools. Currently residing in Alberton, in Long Island, she continues to officiate high school field hockey and lacrosse while once holding national officiating ratings in basketball, volleyball, softball and lacrosse. “Despite the societal prevailing restrictions on women and girls in athletics,” Gioia says, “Hunter College did its best to offer a program under the circumstances of the time and for that I am deeply grateful.”