Marion Gunderson Art (and the Farmer's Daughter)

1971-72 Rolfe girls' varsity basketball team. Front row L to R: Michele Pomerenke (Piprude), Jr.; Joyce Baade (Coburn), Sr.; Louise Gunderson (Shimon), Jr.; Carol Wiegert (Franken), Sr.; Karen Brinkman (Vinson), Sr.; Julie Brinkman (Mintz), So. Back row: Head Coach Al Van Houten; Jean Brinkman (Longnecker), Jr.; Lynn Robinson, Jr.; Linda Pedersen (Tutt), Jr.; Lynn Neugent (Debel), So.; Connie Henderson (Boyd), So.; Becky Smith (Mcmullin), So.; Jeanell Winkleblack (Piconi), So.; Assistant Coach Dennis Duerling. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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Below are video segments from two Rolfe girls’ basketball games during the 1971-72 season (the year after we went to Iowa’s state tournament). 1971-72 was my junior year. That year our team was minus Laurie Brinkman (Jensen) who graduated the previous spring. During her senior year Laurie led the Twin Lakes conference by averaging 39.6 points per game. She left big shoes that, beginning with the 1971-72 season, were filled by Julie Brinkman (Mintz) who was a freshman when Laurie was a senior.

I remember my dad (Deane Gunderson) would wear his long-sleeved dark red shirt to every one of our basketball games. He also filmed many of our games. The next business day, following each filmed game, he drove to Fort Dodge to deliver the film to the Don Peterson (sp) studio where the film was developed. He then ran the movie reel back to Rolfe so Mr. Van Houten could critique it for us during practice. For the critiquing he and the varsity were in the darkened art (I think?) room on the first floor of the older part of the building while the JV practiced in the gym. (The gym still stands; the art room does not.)

Toward the end of this post is the key* to players in the clip immediately below. The key** for the second clip is also included.

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*First clip — Forward court: Julie Brinkman (Mintz) #21 [short blond hair]; Karen Brinkman (Vinson) [short medium-brown hair]; Carol Wiegert (Franken) [short dark hair]. Guard court: Joyce Baade (Coburn) [medium-length blond hair]; Louise Gunderson (Shimon) [long dark hair in pigtails]; Jeanell Winkleblack (Piconi) short medium-brown hair. Toward the end of the clip: Lynn Neugent (Debel) [below-shoulder-length dark hair in pigtails].

**Second clip — Forward court: Julie #20; Karen #44; Carol #34. Guard court: Joyce #32; Michele Pomerenke (Piprude) #12 [medium-length medium-brown hair partially pulled back], Lynn #24.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Below is footage of our game when the Rolfe girls’* played against Mediapolis at the state tournament at Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa. Rolfe was a Cinderella team; Mediapolis was a veteran state tournament team.

I believe the game was filmed by the Iowa girls’ athletic union. I’m not sure why, but on the 16mm reel that I have, there are not 32 minutes of play. (I.e., part of the game is missing.)

I guarded Barb Wischmeier. She was so tall that to set a screen she had to bend over for her teammates to see over her. You can see her doing that several times in the film. Barb scored 37 points against us and just a skosh more against Allison-Bristow and eventual-champion Farragut. In Mediapolis’ next game (after us), which was against Montezuma, Wischmeier scored 71 points.

Rolfe either scored more than any other team against Mediapolis that year, or else maybe only one or two other teams scored more than we did against Mediapolis. Whatever the case, Rolfe’s forwards scored a lot of points. Mediapolis’ forward court with the high scoring pair of Wischmeier and Mary Schulte was too much for us.

I have probably a couple more weeks of video and articles to post regarding the 1970-71 and 1971-72 Rolfe girls’ teams. Then I’ll get back to my usual variety of topics.

Rolfe (75) vs Mediapolis (103)

Veterans Auditorium, Des Moines, Iowa

March 10, 1971

I have to say that I’m still on cloud 9 after the April 16th celebration. I’ve heard only positive comments about the event. A true litmus test as far as the event’s success is that two people from Rolfe…both people associating with many people…told me as recently as today that they had not heard a single solitary negative comment. Both told me that is very unusual, no matter what type of event. No kidding! Hearing their pulse-on-the-community reports should give warm fuzzies to everyone involved.

It really was a sweet weekend, all the way from hearing two good bands at Wes’s Place in Rolfe to listening to John Young at the RAM Event Center (the former Rolfe school) tell about how he got his start in officiating. (I didn’t know it was Mr. Gilbertson who got John started.) We players got to work with each other once again on the floor during an afternoon scrimmage. (I was so proud of myself that I could still, barely, bring the ball up the court!) Of course, sharing memories with teammates, managers, cheerleaders and faculty in the afternoon and into the evening was the double-thick layer of icing on the cake.

Eight members of the 1971 state tournament girls’ varsity team attended, as well as three JV teammates, three managers and I think two cheerleaders. Also, the class of ’71 (of which Bill is a member) piggy-backed on the basketball celebration and had a class reunion. Faculty members who returned were Dave Spaulding, Dennis Duerling (our assistant coach), Al (and Donna) Gilbertson, Roger and Ilene Pohlman, Bob (and Suzie) Liston and Dick Barrett. And…our Rolfe community!

As my Great-aunt Ruth would say, “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!”

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*Starters in the forward court were Laurie Brinkman (Jensen) [pigtails], Karen Brinkman (Vinson) [short medium-brown hair] and Carol Wiegert (Franken) [short dark brown hair]. Starters in the guard court were Joyce Baade (Coburn) [blond hair not pulled back], Michele Pomerenke (Pipurde) and Louise Gunderson (Shimon) [long dark hair not in pigtails]. Lynn Neugent (Debel) [dark long hair in a ponytail] played most of the game, especially after Michele Pomerenke was injured. Toward the end of the game the bench was substituted in including guards Jeanell Winkleblack (Piconi) [short medium brown hair] and Linda Pedersen (Tutt) [long blond hair] and forwards Julie Brinkman (Mintz) [short light blond hair, more at the bottom of the screen], Jean Brinkman (Longnecker) [short medium blond hair] and Lynn Robinson [shoulder length blond hair].

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Words cannot express how phenomenal this celebration weekend was in Rolfe. While I’ve received many very, very gratifying thank-yous, those same thank-yous go to the team and those in the Rolfe-and-beyond community who helped make the day/evening a success by volunteering their elbow grease, time and expertise, by contributing funds, by attending AND by offering their enthusiasm. Absolutely priceless.

I’m unwinding, sort of. There’s so much I want to say, although, I don’t know if I will say much because words seem so inadequate. Whatever I post about the weekend might take a little while. Perhaps check back in a week or two. Hopefully I’ll have something posted by then.

For certain, by Friday of this week I’ll post video of more Rolfe girls’ games from the early ’70s, and maybe even a Rolfe boys’ game or two.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Here is the radio broadcast to the second quarter of the 1971 Rolfe vs Manson girls’ basketball district final game at Fort Dodge: 1971 Rolfe vs Manson District Final Girls’ BB game at Fort Dodge: 2nd quarter

I posted the first quarter audio yesterday and will post the final two quarters this week. The game ended in overtime. Unfortunately I do not have the audio from the overtime.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

From the November 12, 1970, Rolfe Arrow. Notice all of the sponsoring Rolfe businesses listed at the bottom of this ad. The bound volume containing this ad will be on display at the Rolfe Public Library this Saturday, April 16, 2011, from 9:30 AM until 12:30 PM. It will also be available at the library this Friday from 3:00 until 5:00. (Click twice on the image to enlarge.)

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Each day of today through Friday I’ll post the audio* to one quarter of play from the Rolfe vs Manson girls’ basketball district game…the game to go to State! That game ended in overtime. I’m reluctant to say that I do not have the minutes of overtime audio (i.e., after the regulation period buzzer sounded). We’ll just have to imagine the play-by-play of the overtime. For now…here’s the first quarter (about 16 minutes), ending with the mention of local businesses sponsoring the broadcast. Enjoy! I’ll post the second quarter tomorrow.

My favorite quote from the first quarter is, after Laurie Brinkman makes a layup, “You’d almost say it’s a power layup, if you could use that term for girls’ basketball!”

To listen click on the following link:

Rolfe vs Manson Girls’ BB Regional Final 1st quarter

In case you aren’t already aware, the team and community (which we feel extends beyond Rolfe) are celebrating in Rolfe this Saturday, April 16th. The agenda for the day is here.

Also, links to other Rolfe girls’ basketball-related postings, including video are here: www.mariongundersonart.com/6on6/

I’ll post more video after the celebration…including some video of Rolfe boys’ basketball.

For kicks and giggles I’m also posting a portion of the D.A.R.T. (the student portion of the Rolfe Arrow) from November 26, 1971.

From the November 26, 1970, issue of the Rolfe Arrow. All of the authors of columns in this image were involved with the Rolfe girls' basketball team that went to State in 1971. Jean Brinkman, Lynn Robinson and Louise Gunderson (me) were all on the varsity team. Jill Brinkman was a manager for our team. (Click on image to enlarge.)

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*I believe Bob Brown is one of the announcers on this Fort Dodge radio station broadcast.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

At the bottom of this post is video from the December 4, 1970, Rolfe vs (most likely) Rockwell City girls’ game.

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In the photo below are the most probable starters for the 1970-71 Rolfe girls’ basketball team. That team eventually played in the state tournament at the end of that same season. One of those probable starters pictured is Cynthia Lanning. She was a starter until she was injured early that 1970-71 season, after which she did not return to competition. I think I played just a little before she was injured; after she was injured I took her place as a starter.

The previous year I played forward. At the beginning of the 1970-71 year, assistant coach Dennis Duerling had a chat with me asking if I’d be willing to switch from forward (which I had played in my 1969-70 freshman year) and instead play guard. That was probably a good idea since I didn’t make very many baskets when I was a freshman playing on the junior varsity team. And, I don’t think I shot the ball very much during that freshman year. In fact, I think I shot the ball so little that for the JV game at Manson during my freshman year, my dad said he’d pay me for each field goal I made.

Man alive, I shot and shot and shot, not making any of those two-pointers. However, I did make five free-throws during that game…for which I did not get paid! (Free-throws were not a part of the bargain.) That was the only game there was ever even a hint from my dad that I should shoot more. That type of thing was not indicative of him, but I think it makes for a good story.

Further below is video from a game played in the Rolfe gym (now known as the RAM Event Center where we will have our community celebration on April 16th). Rolfe is in the white uniforms. A couple of us think the opposing team forward with the medium brown long pony tail is Teresa Bond. Teresa played for Rockwell City…so we think this video is of Rolfe vs Rockwell City on December 4th, 1970*.

That Rockwell City game was our fourth game of the season. In this footage (below) Cynthia Lanning is playing toward the beginning, and I’m playing later in the footage. The stats for Cynthia indicate she played 19 quarters that season, which makes me wonder if it was during this game that Cynthia was injured.

This photo is from the November 12, 1970, Rolfe Arrow. (Click on image to enlarge.)

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In the forward court for Rolfe (white uniforms) the players are as follows according to hair style: Laurie Brinkman (two shoulder length pigtails), Carol Wiegert (short dark hair) and Karen Brinkman (short medium brown hair). In Rolfe’s guard court it is a little more difficult to differentiate because we have three guards with about chin-length medium brown-to-blond hair. They are Michele Pomerenke, Joyce Baade and Cynthia Lanning. Later in the game I come into the picture (long dark hair) as Cynthia’s replacement.

At the mid-point of this video there is blank footage, which may appear to be the end of the video. It is not the end. There is about a 30-second segment of blank footage between the ~first 3 minutes of video (Rolfe’s forwards) and the ~last three minutes (Rolfe’s guards).

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*December 4th, 1970, also happened to be the night of Bill’s and my first date. I was a sophomore; Bill was a senior. What did we do on that first date? After the boys’ game, we took Bill’s “little” brother, Rich, home. Then Bill and I went to the high school dance in the Rolfe school’s basement-lunchroom where I’m pretty sure In-A-Gadda-DaVida was played.

A YouTube video of Iron Butterfly performing In-A-Gadda-DaVida is here.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

The photos below are from the Rolfe High School 1970 RAM yearbook. 1970 was one year before the Rolfe girls’ basketball team played in the state tournament. As shown below, in 1969-70 Rolfe had a less-than-500 record. I’m not sure, but I think that might have been the case for every Rolfe girls’ basketball team since Rolfe girls’ basketball was reinstated in 1959-60.

I’ve always thought that a pivotal point for Rolfe girls’ basketball was when Rolfe beat Rockwell City in the 1970 Sectionals. That was when I was a freshman and on the JV team. It was Al Van Houten’s and Dennis Duerling’s first year coaching girls’ basketball at Rolfe.

There was a lone freshman on that 1969-70 varsity team: Michele Pomerenke. I remember sitting in the front row of the bleachers on the northwest side of the Rolfe gym during that Rolfe vs Rockwell City game. We fellow freshmen were so excited when Michele was substituted into the game, played in such a feisty manner and was part of that memorable victory.

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Pictured is the Rolfe High School 1969-70 Rolfe girls' basketball team. Front row L to R: Linda Lopour (Jr), Deb Lanning (Sr), Coach Al Van Houten+, Assistant Coach Dennis Duerling+, Cheryl Rickard^ (Jr). Back row: Jill Brinkman^ (Jr), Connie Seward (So), Janis Ferguson (Sr), Joyce Baade+ (So), Carol Wiegert+ (So), Zodine Graverson (Sr), Diane Bierstedt (Sr), Karen Brinkman+ (So), Cynthia Lanning (So), Jann Brinkman (So), Michele Pomerenke+ (Fr). Not pictured: Laurie Brinkman+ (Jr). (Click on image to enlarge.)

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Pictured in the foreground in the dark uniform is Joyce Baade. In the background is Janis Ferguson. (Click on image to enlarge.)

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Pictured is the 1969-70 Rolfe girls' junior varsity basketball team. Front row L to R: Nancy Miller (Fr), Jill Brinkman= (Jr), Barb Spencer (So), Jann Brinkman (So), Lynn Robinson+ (Fr), Michele Pomerenke+ (Fr), Jean Brinkman+ (Fr). Back row: Mrs. Duerling (chaperone), Cynthia Lanning (So), Connie Seward (So), Louise Gunderson+ (Fr), Coach Duerling+, Ardis Allen (Fr), Linda Pedersen+ (Fr), Carol Wiegert (So)+, Mary Martin= (Fr). (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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+Designates player or coach from the 1970-71 Rolfe girls’ state tournament basketball team.

=Designates manager of the 1970-71 Rolfe girls’ state tournament basketball team.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)