We continue Fox 40's Top 40 Most Impactful Local Sports Figures of All Time!

(PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH PATTERSON'S ACCOUNT ON X/TWITTER)

At number 18, we honor Union-Endicott's Sarah Patterson. As a U-E Tiger, gymnastics was Sarah Singer's specialty, helping her program to a Section IV Championship in 1973 and then set a section record in dual-meet scoring one year later.

Although, at the time, there weren't scholarship offers for college gymnastics, Patterson remained in the sports at Slippery Rock State College in Pennsylvania.  After graduating college, Sarah once again opted to stay in the sport and applied to an assistant coach role at the University of Alabama. Legendary football coach and the school's Athletic Director at the time, Bear Bryant called Sarah offering her a job, but instead of an assistant, Patterson was offered the full-time heading coaching position.

Sarah was the fifth head coach at 'Bama in as many years and the school was allegedly considering shutting down the program as a whole. But Patterson and the Crimson Tide quickly turned everything around. Coach Patterson earned a winning record in her first season and by her tenth season, in 1988, led the Tide to an NCAA Championship. Patterson grew the program so much so that their home meets were outdrawing every other program at the school other than football and men's basketball.

Patterson's run of 36 seasons went on to boast six National Championships, eight SEC Championships, 29 NCAA Regional Titles, 25 individual NCAA titles and four National Coach of the Year honors. Sarah won over 1,000 dual meets in her time at 'Bama and qualified for every NCAA Championship meet from 1983 to 2014.

For being a trailblazer at Union-Endicott, furthering women's athletics at the University of Alabama and pushing Bear Bryant to invest in her program then leading her squad to unprecedented success, mainly six National Championships over 36 winning seasons, Sarah Patterson comes in at number 18 on Fox 40's Top 40.