Kennesaw State University will host the Bobbie Bailey Awards ceremony during the 22nd annual recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Feb. 6. The guest speaker will be Lindsey Harding, star guard for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

The event highlights the accomplishments of local high school female athletes from Cobb, Cherokee, Paulding, Bartow and Douglas counties, as chosen by their respective schools. The awards are named for Dr. M. Bobbie Bailey, a longtime friend and benefactor of Kennesaw State academics and athletics. During the ceremony, the successes of KSU women’s athletic teams are also recognized.

Three local high school athletes from the Acworth area will be honored on this day:

• Dessaa Legros, Allatoona High School
• Tori Forrest, North Cobb High School
• Hannah Deltac, Harrison High School

The celebration begins at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in the M. Bobbie Bailey and Family Performance Hall on the KSU campus. It is free and open to all, though the ceremony may be best suited to people over the age of 10. The theme this year is "Title IX at 40: In It for the Long Run.”

"National Girls and Women in Sport Day began in 1987 as a day to honor the memory of Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and her work to assure equality for women's sports,” said Susan Whitlock, assistant professor of health, physical education and sport science.

“Hyman died of Marfan's Syndrome in 1986 while competing in a volleyball tournament in Japan. Since that time, NGWSD has evolved into a day to acknowledge the past and recognize current sport achievements, the positive influence of sports participation, and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports."

The official day this year is Feb. 1.