Idaho State University to Honor Yost Sisters at National Girls and Women in Sports Day

The 2024 Trailblazer Award will be presented and dedicated to the Yost sisters Faye, Naida, and Ruth—who have all since passed away—during halftime. This award, given annually, recognizes a woman or women with affiliation to ISU who have made a significant impact in women’s sports.

Raised in Pocatello, Faye, Naida, and Ruth Yost were passionate athletes who believed that all women should have the same opportunities as men when it comes to playing sports. Since women’s teams were non-existent during their youth and following World War II, oftentimes, the Yost sisters played on neighborhood men’s softball teams in Pocatello. Coach Verl Thornock formed Pocatello’s girls’ fastpitch softball during this period, and both Faye and Ruth played any position they could. Their excitement and dedication for the game impacted other girls, who soon joined in on playing softball, thus launching fastpitch softball’s popularity in the Pocatello area.

The Yost sisters enjoyed playing and participating in a wide variety of sports, including softball, golf, skiing, swimming, and bowling. Their bold actions were crucial in promoting and advancing opportunities for women in sports which then enabled local girls and women to be participants and leaders in sports. Their legacy continues to be felt in the Pocatello area with a mural that was painted in 2023 titled “Let’s Play Pocatello.” This mural can be seen on the side of Lookout Credit Union’s Lookout Point’s Downtown Center, housed in Pocatello’s Historic Downtown District.

Naida Yost Olsen was born in 1931 in Bancroft, ID, and married Lyle Olson in July 1950. She graduated from ISU in 1973 with a degree in general consumer economics and taught home economics at Pocatello High School, her alma mater. Nadia was a mother to four daughters. She enjoyed softball, tennis, golfing, cross-country skiing, and swimming in addition to having a love for art and gardening. Naida passed away in 2015.

Ruth Yost Ashcroft was born in 1934 in Pocatello, ID, and married Don Ashcroft in December 1953. She graduated from ISU’s College of Education in 1956, majoring in physical education, English, and journalism. Ruth was a teacher at Alameda, Irving, and Franklin Junior High Schools in Pocatello where she also coached track, gymnastics, drill, and cheerleading. Ruth enjoyed golfing, bowling, camping, and skiing. Don, Ruth, their two daughters, and their numerous grandchildren were avid ISU fans. They enjoyed attending various games and tournaments until Ruth’s passing in 2021.

Faye Yost White Forrey was born in 1930 in Bancroft, ID, and married Hayes White in 1947. Although she did not attend ISU, Faye was a lifelong fan, according to her brother, Denis Yost. Faye moved over 37 times throughout her lifetime. She held a successful career working for Sears as an interior designer, and she also worked on the ski patrol for Alta and Snowbird in Utah. She enjoyed golfing and skiing as well as playing at golf tournaments in California. Faye passed away in 2022.

All three sisters had a strong passion for sports throughout their lifetime and believed in the benefits that sport and physical activity can bring to your life. Before their passing, Faye and Ruth established the Ashcroft Family Scholarship for women’s athletes at Idaho State University.

Denis Yost continues to pay tribute to the memory of his sisters by giving back to the Pocatello community every chance he gets. “Bury my faults with me, remember me by the good deeds done,” was Denis’s favorite quote from his big sister Faye. Denis will be presented with the 2024 Trailblazer Award on behalf of the Yost sisters at half-time during the National Girls and Women in Sports Day event. Denis takes great pride in being able to honor and celebrate his sisters’ achievements of being the earliest pioneers of women’s sports in Pocatello. 

National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is presented by ISU’s Department of Human Performance and Sport Studies housed in the College of Education. NGWSD was established by Congress in 1987 as a national day to recognize and appreciate women’s sports. NGWSD honors the achievements of girls and women in sports and the benefits sports and fitness have on the lives of all girls and women.

$5 ticket vouchers (no limit), free shirts, and pom-poms will be provided at the NGWSD celebration during the Idaho State University Women’s Basketball game against Northern Arizona on Saturday, February 3, 2024. For more information about National Girls and Women in Sports Day, please call the ISU Human Performance and Sport Studies Department at (208) 282-5613 or email elainefoster@isu.edu