Marion Gunderson Art (and the Farmer's Daughter)

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.)

Today is the last post to include photos of Rolfe, Iowa, junior high basketball teams. I’ve posted five sets of junior high team photos (i.e., from five different years) so you can visualize from their junior high years the freshmen, sophomores, juniors and lone senior on our 1971 Rolfe state tournament team.

The teams pictured below were coached by Dick Barrett*. This is a change from the three previous years when both teams were coached by Lyle Foster.

Another change between the 1968-69 and 1969-70 years is that the students below attended classes in Rolfe. In the previously posted junior high photos, the students attended junior high classes at the Des Moines Township building in the country. The last junior high class to graduate from D.M.T. was the eighth-grade class of ’69 (my class). Beginning in the fall of ’69 until the spring of ’71, D.M.T. was an attendance center for 4th through 6th grades. After that, D.M.T. was no longer a school attendance center.

The photos below appear to have been taken in the Rolfe school (now known as the RAM Event Center and where the community celebration will take place on April 16th). The photos of the junior high teams in previous posts were taken in the D.M.T. gym.

Pictured is the 1969-70 Rolfe boys' junior high basketball team. Front row L to R: Billy Spencer, Larry Nelson, Albert Sroufe, Jeff Ives, Dennis Perkins, Larry Pedersen, Matthew Eccles. Second row: Ricky Johnson, John Witt, Greg Sinek, Ray Schoon, August Brinkman, Randel Martin, Chris Pedersen, Pat Shimon. Back row: Doug Hilton, Jim Hilton, Daniel Seward, Coach Dick Barrett, John Beckord, Daniel Deling, Randy Thoren.** (Click on image to enlarge.)

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Pictured is the 1969-70 Rolfe girls' junior high basketball team. Front row L to R: Karen Zeman, Rhonda Johnson, Jeanell Winkleblack+, Julie Behrendsen^, Lynn Stewart, Paulelda Harrold^, Julie Brinkman+, Ruth Fangman, Hope Howard, Marilyn Whitmore. Back row: Coach Dick Barrett, Virginia Ripperger, Nancy Rude, Becky Smith^, Lynn Neugent+, Joanne Turley^, Connie Henderson^, Geri Smith, Debbie Guerttman, Terri Hartmann.** (Click on image to enlarge.)

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Later today or tomorrow I’ll post a little bit about the 1969-70 Rolfe girls’ high school team. In my opinion, the inertia on the road to State began toward the end of that 1969-70 season.

Also, within the next three or four days, I’ll post a little bit of Rolfe girls’ basketball video from 1970-71.

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+Designates member of the 1970-71 Rolfe girls’ state tournament basketball team.

^Designates member of the 1970-71 Rolfe high school girls’ JV basketball team.

*Dick is now at Estherville-Lincoln Central and is in his 41st year of coaching. He and his wife, Shirley, will be attending the April 16th celebration in Rolfe.

**The spelling of students’ names is according to the spelling in the 1969-70 Rolfe RAM yearbook.

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