Beaver Basketball Players Celebrate Alumni Day

Graduates from six states return to campus for games, lunch, laughter, and recognition.

BVU women’s alumni basketball players returned to campus on Feb. 3 to celebrate Beaver Basketball Alumni Day, which included a special recognition of the 50th and 20th anniversaries of league championship teams. Alumni present for the halftime photo include, front row, from left: Emily Newton ’23, Jasmine (Demers) Van Houten ’18, Lindsay (Stoolman) Brown ’04, Tia (Moore) Showalter ’08, Coach Janet Berry, Tracy (Hartwig) Furrow ’07, and Katie (Maguire) Campbell ’06. Back row, from left: Christina Schauer ’21
BVU women’s alumni basketball players returned to campus on Feb. 3 to celebrate Beaver Basketball Alumni Day, which included a special recognition of the 50th and 20th anniversaries of league championship teams. Alumni present for the halftime photo include, front row, from left: Emily Newton ’23, Jasmine (Demers) Van Houten ’18, Lindsay (Stoolman) Brown ’04, Tia (Moore) Showalter ’08, Coach Janet Berry, Tracy (Hartwig) Furrow ’07, and Katie (Maguire) Campbell ’06. Back row, from left: Christina Schauer ’21, Jill (Gunderson) Gallagher ’94, Steph Gronau ’98, Patti (Kuhl) Demers ’90, Penni (Heitmann) Hunn ’07, Kelli (Staley) Cameron ’06, Kelli Taylor-Noble ’04, Amy (Meggers) Divis ’04, Joy (Johnson) Gross ’86, Megan (Holtorf) Hauswirth ’05, and Assistant Coach Steve Berry ’79. Missing were current BVU Assistant Coaches Emerson Else ’23 and Vanessa Hamlett ’23.

More than 40 Buena Vista University basketball alumni returned to campus on Feb. 3 as the men’s and women’s teams celebrated Alumni Day with a scrimmage, lunch, games for children, and three special recognition events.

Players from as far away as Utah (Brendan Gary ’21) and Georgia (Kelli Taylor-Noble ’04) joined teammates and peers from Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, and all throughout Iowa. Coaches Janet and Steve Berry ’79 worked with current Head Basketball Coaches Trevor Johnson and David Wells in hosting the event held on the mezzanine of Siebens Fieldhouse as the Beavers faced the Dubuque Spartans in American Rivers Conference action.

“To be able to socialize and reconnect in Siebens Fieldhouse, a place where we made so many memories together, was fitting.”

-Coach Janet Berry

Alumni men edged the Beavers’ varsity reserve team, 97-91, in overtime as 18 former Beaver players suited up, the senior statesman of the bunch being BVU Hall-of-Famer Jim Demers ’91, who took the court with son Michael Demers ’22, now an Assistant Coach with the men’s team.

BVU Athletics recognized alumni present during a halftime ceremony while paying tribute to anniversary teams including the 1973-74 women’s Io-Kota Conference Champions (50 years), and both the 2003-04 women’s and men’s teams who earned Iowa Conference Championships and NCAA berths.

“It was such a wonderful day for our basketball programs,” said Coach Janet Berry, who guided her team to the Sweet 16 some 20 years ago. “To be able to socialize and reconnect in Siebens Fieldhouse, a place where we made so many memories together, was fitting. We talked about our lives, careers, and families, while sharing the stories and laughter as we turned back the clock a little bit.”

Plans are already underway for a celebration next season as Alumni Day for the basketball program will fete eight men’s and women’s teams celebrating special championship anniversaries. For photos from the day’s special events, check this link.
 

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