Iowa Wesleyan College - Croaker Yearbook (Mount Pleasant, IA)

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The 1943-44 Iowa Wesleyan college girls' basketball team had the distinction of being the first college girls team in the state of Iowa and perhaps the United States. With only three practice sessions the team started the season on November 13 against the championship Seymour girls and were defeated 55 to 22, but with more practice and game experience the team developed into a smooth efficient organisation. The high spots of the season were two defeats administered to Parsons, 36-16, 24-12; victories over three independent teams from Burlington, and victories in two final games against the strong Morning Sun Independent team. Kay Carlson, midget forward, from Mt. Union was the offensive spark plug of the team, scoring 269 of her team's 434 total points and registering 59 free throws in 93 attempts. The team's defense was sparked by the brilliant playing of Dorothy Elliott of Bonaparte, Iowa. (LETTER WINNERS) Those that received letters arc: Kay Carlson. Mt. Union, Forward. Dorainc Oldt, Wyman, Forward. Elda Gabclinc (Capt.), Mt. Union, Forward. Bcrniccc Linn, Lockridgc, Forward. Reba Coltranc (Co-Capt.), Stockport, Guard. June Pickard, Stockport. Guard. Dorothy Elliott, Bonaparte, Guard. Kathleen Turner, Rcdficld, Guard. (RECORD) The season's record is as follows: I w c Opp. 22 Seymour 55 29 Stockport 31 36 Parsons 16 22 Donncllson 22 24 Parsons 12 25 Stockport 29 26 Denmark 42 35 Donncllson 15 37 Spitfires 29 17 Burl. Instrument Co 20 43 Women Ord. Workers 11 34 Women Ord. Workers 16 49 Morning Sun 39 35 Morning Sun 31 Total 434 Won 8 Lost 5 ...368 Tied 1 1943-44, Girls Basketball [37]

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Boys Basketball, 1943-44 Iowa may boast of its “Iron Men but Wesleyan produced six “Men of Steel” for the basketball season of 1943-44. Three of these men were 17 years of age and one was 16 but they played against the strongest teams in the Mid-West and ended the season with 9 wins and 8 losses, scoring 297 field goals and 103 free throws to their opponents 293 field goals and 130 free throws, for the best local record in several years. Nine of the teams on the schedule were manned by service men much older and with much more college ex-pcricncc. Two of the civilian games were against Burlington “Y” which was composed exclusively of former college players. The Wesleyan Tigers were victorious in three of these games and lost to but one college civilian team during the season. The one defeat was to Simpson in the first game before Holly Wagner of Danville joined the team. Wagner joined the team late after considering not playing because of a bad knee, but in the 16 remaining games continued his previous years scoring ability to run up 262 points and second place scoring honors in the Iowa conference. Wagner ended the season only slightly behind first place in scoring and without any doubt would have been first had he been left in the game on several occasions when his team was far in the lead. The splendid ball handling and cooperation between every man on the team and the fixed determination to win made this one of the most successful seasons in Wcsleyans history. The climax of local interest was perhaps in the two victories over Parsons, 56-31 here and 65-17 there, and in the victory at the end of the season, over the Air Corps team of former major college players. The Dunkel rating system, based on the cumulative correlation of scoring differentials with rating of opposition and considered as the most authoritative rating in the U. S. ranks only three civilian teams in Iowa above them and places Wesleyan well above many other well-known teams. (RECORD) The Seasons record: I W C Opp. 26 Simpson .............. 49 56 Parsons .............. 31 34 Penn ................. 30 67 Alumni ............... 12 27 Burlington “Y ....... 47 26 Monmouth Navy ...... 75 65 Parsons.............. 17 36 Mayo Army Hospital... 35 I W C Opp. 39 Central Navy ......... 50 50 Penn .................. 32 34 Burlington “Y” ........ 54 3 5 Loras Navy ............ 66 30 Dubuque Navy .......... 51 38 Mayo Army Hospital .... 36 43 Central Navy .......... 62 46 82nd C. T. D........... 32 49 Crawfordsville ....... 37 (LETTER WINNERS) The following men were awarded letters: Holly Wagner, Danville, Forward. Dale Burket, Mt. Pleasant. Guard. Verne Smutz, Stockport, Center. Don Finney, Eldon, Forward. John McDowell, Kinross, Guard. “Chuck Fellers, Fremont, Forward. “Bud Rcdlingcr of Richland was awarded a letter for service as manager to both the boys and girls teams. [36]

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Six Man Football, 1944-45 As far as is known Six'inan football made its initial appearance on the Iowa Wesleyan campus this fall. Trans' portation difficulties made it impossible to schedule any 11 men games, and therefore at the invitation of Parsons college two games were arranged with them. Eighteen men reported for practice and although only a few had any previous experience. Coach Ruble developed them into a smooth combination. The willingness to learn and their fighting spirit carried them on to victory. The boys reporting for practice were: Dale Burket, Mt. Pleasant; Lloyd Campbell. Benton; Ed Dettmer. Argyle; Charles Fellers, Fremont; Don Finney, Eldon; Walt Franz, Newburgh, N. Y.; Ted Harbour. Rathbun; T. L. Henderson, Burlington; Merle Houser, Seymour: Ronald Huston, Olds; Bob Ludford, Wilmette, 111.; Howard McElhinncy, Morning Sun; Sharon Moran, Letts; Laird Simpson, Ainsworth; Verne Smutz. Stockport; Don Stockton, Argyle; Richard Van Vranken. Winfield: Robert Smith. Ottumwa; and Loren Parks. Salem. Parsons bowed twice to the Tigers in the two game schcd' ule. The Parsonites out' weighed the Tigers but Coach Ruble's fighting six was too much for them. The hard hitting line in combination with the fast, plunging back' field outclassed the Kelly Greens in every move. The ball game started to roll when Fellers intercepted an enemy pass on the forty and raced the remaining length of the field for a touchdown. A combined attack of Rusty Smutz and Don Finney pushed the wildcats back to score again at the end of the first quarter. Van Vranken scored on a long pass from Smutz to end the half with a score of 19'6. The second half opened with Fellers tak' ing the kickoff on his own twenty and behind a wedge of interference ran eighty yards to score. A hard tackle by Franz gave Houser a chance to recover the fumble and score. In the course of the game Van Vranken, Fellers, and Simpson counted two touchdowns each and every other man in the starting lineup tallied one each. The score ending 53 to 6. The second game with Parsons on their home field was almost a duplicate of the first. The Tigers were slow in starting but were strong in finishing and the score ended 46'6 in their favor. [ 8}