Elaine Proffitt Keagle was a world champion, a national record-holder and became a pioneer in American sports when, in 1980, she was the first woman to win an NCAA award.

A four-year member of Tech’s rifle team from 1977 through 1981, she helped the Golden Eagleeyes win four national intercollegiate rifle championships, including the two NCAA crowns in 1980 and 1981. The NCAA didn’t sponsor women’s athletics until 1982 except rifle, which is the only sport where men and women compete side-by-side. Thus, her honor from the NCAA in 1980 broke new ground.

Proffitt was a four-time NRA All-American with the Golden Eagleeyes, and gained additional national and world experience. As a freshman, she participated in the 1978 USOC’s National Sports Festival, and as a sophomore in 1979 competed in the World Air Gun Championships as a member of the U.S. Shooting Team. She won an individual silver medal and a team gold medal at that event, held in Seoul, Korea. Also that year, she was crowned world champion in Mexico City as a member of the U.S. Shooting Team. As a Golden Eagleeye, she was national collegiate smallbore champion in both 1978 and 1979, and finished fourth in air rifle in 1979.

As a junior, Elaine was Tech’s female athlete of the year in 1980 when she helped the school claim its first of three NCAA national championships. In her senior season she posted a national record with a 1,181 smallbore score, and went on to finish second individually in the NCAA championships.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1981 in business administration, and later added a master’s degree in management of technology in 1992 from the University of Miami. After leaving Tech, she continued to gather awards for her shooting skills, beginning with championships at the Florida Sunshine Games in 1984 and 1985. She served as a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center from 1986 through 1988, and in 1986 in Mexico City and 1988 in Rio De Janiero won gold medals in the ISU World Competition. She was the national champion in women’s air rifle in 1986, and participated in the U.S. Olympic Festivals in 1986 and 1987.