UMD’s Jen Walter Talks First Female Referee at Super Bowl, Sarah Thomas

Walter says she was excited to see Thomas break another glass ceiling for women in sports.

DULUTH, Minn. – Sunday’s Super Bowl was historic for many reasons. One of the biggest was Sarah Thomas, who became the first female to officiate a Super Bowl game. UMD head softball coach Jen Walter has officiated in softball, volleyball and basketball games for several years and says she was excited to see Thomas break another glass ceiling for women in sports.

“I think a lot of women are past the point where we have to celebrate things like this. There’s no value in placing restrictions on people based on gender, race or anything like that. If you know your craft, you know your craft. Gender shouldn’t play a role in it. We’ve allowed men to coach women for years and nobody’s thought twice about it,” said Walter.

Also, Tampa Bay’s Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar became the first female coaches on a team to win the Super Bowl.