Charlotte Lewis

Charlotte Lewis (September 10, 1955 – September 17, 2007) was an American basketball player who competed on the 1976 United States Olympic team. High school Lewis attended Woodruff High School in 1974 but did not play basketball because the Peoria public schools did not yet offer a varsity basketball for females. Despite this lack of opportunity within the school, she played basketball on the playgrounds of Peoria, usually playing with boys. However, her ability came to the attention of Jill Hutchinson, who was working on building a program at Illinois State University. Lewis was invited to enroll at ISU to further her basketball career. College While at ISU, Lewis help the Redbirds win four state championships. She set the record for most rebounds in a game (27) and in a season (345); records which are still school records as of 2017. Lewis earned a letter in each of her four years at Illinois state. In the 1976–77 season the team recorded a record of 20–6 which led to a national ranking, 11th in the AIAW. She was named a Kodak All-American in 1977 and listed as a finalist for the Wade Trophy (an award for the nation's top female athlete). Lewis's accomplishments led to her induction into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2016. USA Basketball