| Mary
Barnes
by
Marilyn O'Brien
The next time the Maryland Women’s Basketball team makes it to the Final Four, Mary Barnes swears she will be there. A commitment to a job with Montgomery County Public Schools kept her from attending the victory in Boston in 2006. She vows nothing will prevent her from being at the next National Championship. “If the women go, I’ll be there,” she pronounced.
It’s not unusual to hear Mary Barnes speak with such passion. For twenty-one years she has been a Maryland season ticket holder, a Rebounder, and an avid fan of women’s basketball. She attended her first game at Cole Field House in 1987 when her daughter, also named Mary Barnes, was a freshman on Coach Chris Weller’s team. Young Mary suffered some injuries during her first year and played very little, but her mother was hooked on the Terrapins and she attended every game. Mary encouraged her sister, Harriet Maier, to join her throughout the season.
Christy Winters (Winters-Scott now) was a sophomore that year, and while sitting in the stands, Mary became friends with her parents, Janis and Ron Winters. Through them she heard about the Rebounders and soon Mary and Harriet joined the booster club. As a dedicated member, she volunteered to make calls encouraging people to buy season tickets.
Mary befriended other Terp fans: Judy Urban, Mary Lucas, Jeannie Welch, John Nevros, Diana Lahm, Sue Worth, Stan Watson, Carol Blimline, and Emory Harmon. These Rebounders traveled to away games and Mary was often with them. Coach Weller encouraged the boosters to go out to dinner with the team and spend time with the players at the hotel. Mary remembers a trip to Providence, Rhode Island with Stan Watson and Ron and Janis Winters. Weary from struggling through New York City traffic, they arrived at the team’s hotel at 11:15 pm---just in time to say goodnight to their daughters. They had missed having dinner and spending time with the team.
She also went to the ACC Tournament when it was held in Cumberland Memorial Auditorium in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was here that Mary met and became friends with Debbie Cooley, Helen and Ed Pickens, and Ron and Doris Williams.
Typical of many Rebounders, Mary’s support for the Maryland Women’s Basketball program never falters. She loves the camaraderie within the Rebounder organization and savors the opportunity to get to know “the wonderful young women” who play for Maryland. She admires the players’ work ethic and determination.
Look for Mary in Section
101 in Comcast Center at every game. And definitely look
for her next April in St. Louis at the Final Four. She’ll
be cheering her heart out for her favorite team.
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