Montclair State University Athletics

In a period of time when women’s athletics at Montclair State were still in the formative stages, Joan Whitehead was a national star, representing the college in large number of major track and field meets. She won the shot put, discus and javelin thrown in the New Jersey Amateur Athletic Union Championship in 1959 and repeated in the shot put in 1960 and 1961. In 1961 she placed fourth in the National AAU championships in the shot put. She captained the track and field team in her junior and senior years and was co-captain of the basketball team in 1960-61. In addition to track and field and basketball, Whitehead was an outstanding performer in a number of varsity sports that, at the time, were run on a club basis.