Mary Hines, the first woman elected to the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame, died Saturday in Tucson. She was 93.
Hines, who won the 1947 state tennis doubles championship at Tucson High School, went on to be a UA letterwinner in softball and swimming. In 1979, she was elected to the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame and in 1987 was inducted into the UA Sports Hall of Fame.
But Hinesβ identity became that of a coach and mentor during a three-decades teaching career at Catalina High School. She coached the Trojansβ girls volleyball team to the 1972 and 1983 state championships and on four other occasions reached the state title game.
In 1985 she was named the national high school volleyball coach of the year. She coached Catalina to a 215-27 career record.
After retiring from coaching, Hines became a prolific golfer, shooting her age, 86, at the Silverbell Golf Course. She won a gold medal in the U.S. Senior Olympics in 2016, winning both the shot put and softball throw in the 70-over class when she was 86.
A memorial service is pending.
