Alma, MI – Alma College Athletics mourns the loss of 1976 graduate Debra (Deb) Mapes. A four-year letter winner with the Scots, the Kalamazoo native and Alma High School graduate was a pioneer and a trailblazer for women's sports in the early days of Title IX. She was a 1985 inductee to the Alma College Athletic Hall of Fame, the first woman to receive the honor in Scots history.

While at Alma, Mapes played tennis, field hockey, volleyball, and basketball, earning 10 varsity letters. She is known as the first female student-athlete to compete in multiple sports during all four years of her time as a Scot. After graduating from Alma, Mapes' passion for education never faltered. She earned a master's degree from Central Michigan University in Education. She later earned a bachelor's degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, as well as a master's degree in Clinical Social Work from Loyola University-Chicago.

Mapes began her coaching career in the fall of 1979 at the University of Cincinnati. In two seasons with the Bearcats, Mapes collected a coaching record of 26 wins, 23 losses, and one tie. In the Fall of 1982, she returned to her alma mater as the 4^th head women's tennis coach in Alma College history, serving until 1995. Her 14 seasons at the helm of the program makes her the longest tenured women's tennis coach in program history. In the sport of women's tennis, Mapes collected 36 coaching victories, while coaching 10 All-MIAA selections, and two Sue Little Sportsmanship Award winners.

Mapes took on a number of additional coaching roles in her time at Alma. She was named the 22^nd head men's tennis coach in the Fall of 1986, serving until 1989. She collected eight dual victories, coaching a pair of All-MIAA selections. She coached field hockey from 1985-88, leading Alma to a shared MIAA championship with Calvin University in the 1986 season. It was the only title that Calvin shared with any opponent during a six-year run for the Knights atop the MIAA. In four seasons, Mapes picked up a record of 36 wins to eight losses, with two ties. She coached nine All-MIAA selections, two MIAA scoring champions, and one MIAA MVP.

As she continued to be a large advocate for women's sports, she was named the 1^st head women's soccer coach in the history of Alma College in 1989, a post she held until 1995. Guiding the new program, Mapes found 34 wins in six seasons. She also served as the Director of Athletics from 1986 until 1994, marking her as one of the longest serving athletic directors in Scots history.

She is remembered as a pioneer and a trailblazer, as a fierce advocate for the continued growth of women's sports, a coach, a teacher, a mentor, and one who has made a lasting impact on the lives of thousands who were touched through her work and passion.