Were you on this team?

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2004 was the year,

Former Ankeny coach Dick Rasmussen and wife Sue, decided to have a big event at AHS. Let's have a 6 on 6 game to honor our past basketball players. MVP of the 1928 class was contacted about the event, please attend. Her reply to Coach Rassmussen:

"Miss Van Fossen was coach of our Basketball team. I played Running Center. On the team (if my memory is right) was Lydia Gentosi, Erma and Anita Ugulini, Georgia Donahue. I can't remember the name of the Center, she was a tall and great player. Believe her name was Ruth Davidson. We gave other schools a run for their money. Those were the good old days."

Emma Bulgarelli Trucano wrote from her home in Santa Clara, California, and also added: "I don't believe I would be an asset to the team at this point. I will be 95 on December 13, so my speed has diminished. How I would like to go back to those years. Wish I were in Ankeny visiting, I would take you up on this, just to sit in the bleachers for I do feel well."

Around 100 former players attended the event held over Thanksgiving week end. Before the AHS varsity team played their regularly scheduled game, the alumni game was played and at half time all alumni present were introduced. Players from the 1940's attended as well as many youngsters, early 90's grads that were still "in shape."

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The 1928 Girls Basketball

team at Ankeny High School has the first news that I could find. For a few years there were yearbooks published, before the war and the depression.

from that 1928 Book: "A few years ago not many girls were taking part in athletic contests. Now almost every girl is competing for honors in this department. Girls' basket ball has progressed at Ankeny with the same rapidity that it has in other schools. The earnest effort of Miss Van Fossen, the Director of Physical Education, has resulted in making athletics very popular.

The main sport for girls this year was basket ball. A large number of candidates reported for the tryouts. Those who were selected were Georgia Donaghy, Lydia Gentosi, Anita Ugulini, Velma Parmenter, Alma Wheeler, Yolanda Gentosi, Hannah Dann, Margorie Boozel, Dora Logli, Dorothy Way, Evelyn Farlow Emma Bulgarelli.

The annual basket ball series ended the year with seven victories and five losses. The ability which was uncovered was exceptional and a credit to any school.

The girls attended the tournament at Springhill where they defeated Springhill, but lost in the game with Johnston. Here they displayed an exceptional brand of basket ball but were found weak in their crucial game.

Such outstanding girls as Donaghy, Bulgarelli, Ugulini and Gentosi, were enough to show the crowd plenty of basket ball at all times. Perhaps less interest was acknowledged in the series this year than former years, but if so, it was due to the fact that so may other events were scheduled on the same night. Wonderful spirit was displayed on the floors. The sisterly attitude that existed among the majority of teams was indeed commendable.

At the beginning of the season, a sportsmanship code was formulated and posted in the dressing room for all to see. In order to further this interest in good comrade, Miss Van Fossen offered a trophy cup to the girl who displayed the best spirit and lived up to our code best, throughout the season. At the end of the season a vote was taken by all the basket ball girls and Emma Bulgarelli, captain of 1926-27, was declared the winner of the cup. Such a contest in the series has proven itself a valuable component in interscholastic sports.

Anita Ugulini was elected Captain for the year of 1928-29."

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The 1925 Bloomer Girls

The team included: Lecia Logli, Esther Crum, Anita Logli, Clara Logli, Erma Ugulini, Mabel Donaghy, Ruth Hildreth, Donnabelle Merkel, Thelma Keil, Clara Bulgarelli, Lena Ugulini, Emma Bulgarelli Dorea Randolph, Velma Parmenter, Alma Wheeler,, Gemma Fontanini

I don't have the name of the female coach. What comes around, goes around. Female coaches were very popular back in the 1920's and they are also popular again today. The college level has an abundance of female coaches. The Big Ten has only two male coaches.

Note the long sleeve blouses, the tie, and some have long sleeves. Legs are covered with stockings. My how times have changed in girls sports on the high school level.

1914 was our first graduating class in Ankeny, 5 graduates. If there were any teams prior to this first photo, we have not found them. It took a while to have enough girls in the high school to have a full squad.

If anyone reading this blog in honor of the Ankeny High School Hawkettes, Ankeny, Iowa, has any history about our teams, please contact me.

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