WIAA Girls Basketball Tournament 50th Anniversary

WIAA is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Girls Basketball Tournament, which will end in the Resch Center in Green Bay on March 12-14.
The history of high school girls’ sports in Wisconsin helps show how far girls’ sports have come.
1963-64 WIAA Girls Sports Advisory Committee is formed to study and create rules for girls’ sports, and the WIAA Girls Sports Advisory Committee creates the first set of Girls’ Sports Rules.
The rules include: girls’ sport programs must be conducted by female faculty, spectator appeal and publicity are discouraged, no admission may be charged, events must be conducted independently of any boys’ events, no organized cheering, preferred officials are women with ratings from the Wisconsin Division of Girls’ and Women’s Sports, no awards, unless they are items of small intrinsic value and presented by a school to its own students.

Sports included in these rules were aquatics, archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, curling, fencing, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, speedway, fieldball, speedball, golf, gymnastics, skating, skiing, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
In January 1968, the WIAA Board of Control approved the Girls Sports Advisory Committee’s proposed Recommendation to allow girls’ sports to encourage attendance, permit cheering, and gain publicity, and charge admission
1970-71: The WIAA began sponsoring State Tournaments for some girls’ sports, and Karen Kuhn was hired in June 1971 as the WIAA Girls Sports Coordinator, making her the first woman on the executive staff. Kuhn was promoted to Assistant to the Director in 1973 and to Associate Director in 1992 until she retired in 2002.
In 1972, the WIAA began registering women as game and meet officials, as Title IX was signed into law by President Nixon
1975-76 Regulations requiring girls’ teams to be “directed and supervised” by a female member of faculty are removed. These regulations initially intended to provide opportunities for women to be involved in coaching, but it became increasingly difficult for schools to find female coaches with the growth of girls’ sports
WIAA Girls Tournament History
November 3, 1975, First day of the 1975-76 girls basketball season, the first school year of the WIAA Girls Basketball State Tournament, with an 18-week season (boys were 20 weeks), with 359 of 423 schools sponsoring girls basketball
February 14, 1976, First-ever girls basketball postseason games were held, Subregionals–Class C
February 17, 1976, Subregionals–Class A & B
February 20-21, 1976 First-ever Regionals
February 27-28, 1976 First-ever Sectionals
March 4-6, 1976 First-ever WIAA Girls Basketball State Tournament, University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse, Madison
ATTENDANCE: 19,447. TICKET PRICE: 75¢. SOUVENIR PROGRAM PRICE: 50¢
CHAMPIONS: A = Madison West defeated Neenah (59-46), B = Lancaster defeated Clinton (49-41), C = Marshall defeated Bloomington (40-36)
NOTES: 8 teams qualified in Class A, 4 teams qualified in Classes B & C
The tournament followed a three-class format until 1990-91, when a four-division format was adopted. After a two-year experimental period, the division format became permanent in 1992-93. In 2011, a fifth division was added, and the restructuring of the divisions qualified four teams in each division.
Another change was to the game format. Beginning in 2016, games consisted of two 18-minute halves, replacing the traditional four 8-minute quarters.
The tournament was held at the University of Wisconsin Field House in Madison exclusively until the tournament was played in the Kohl Center in 1998.
It returned to the UW Field House for the 1999, 2000, and 2002 State Tournaments. The Kohl Center again played host to the event in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2010-12.
The Alliant Energy Center in Madison became the home for the girls tournament for the first time in 2004 and was the site of the tournament again from 2006 to 2009.
The tournament moved to its current location, the Resch Center in Green Bay, in 2013. In 2021, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Tournament was conducted at two sites. Divisions one and three were held at the Menominee Nation Arena in Oshkosh, and Divisions two, four, and five were conducted at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse.
Local Area State Champions
1977 Class A: Watertown Goslings (16-6), Coached by Ron Kampstra
1978 Class B: Lomira Lions (23-2), Coached by Ric Bloohm
1979 Class C: Oakfield Oaks (23-2), Coached by Sandy Schreiner
1984 Class A: West Bend East Suns (22-3), Coached by Rick Riehl
1992 Division 1: Hartford Orioles (25-2), Coached by Bob Halsey
1997 Division 3: NFDL Orioles (25-2), Coached by Gary Kuehl
2000 Division 3: NFDL Orioles (26-1), Coached by Gary Kuehl
2017 Division 2: Beaver Dam Beavers (28-0), Coached by Tim Chase
2018 Division 2; Beaver Dam Beavers (25-2), Coached by Tim Chase
2019 Division 2: Beaver Dam Beavers (27-1), Coached by Tim Chase
2022 Division 3: Waupun Warriors (27-3), Coached by Tim Aalsma
2023 Division 3: Kewawskum Indians (24-5), Coached by Mark Maley
2023 Division 4: Laconia Spartans (27-3), Coached by Chris Morgan
2024 Division 4: Laconia Spartans (28-2), Coached by Chris Morgan
Local Area State Runner-Ups
1977 Class B: Omro Foxes (20-3), Coached by Sue Hildebrand
1978 Class B: Omro Foxes (23-2), Coached by Sue Hildebrand
1978 Class C: Oakfield Oaks (23-2), Coached by Sandy Schreiner
1980 Class C: Oakfield Oaks (20-6), Coached by Sandy Schreiner
1981 Class A: Watertown Goslings (24-1), Coached by Ron Kampstra
1982 Class B: Kewaskum Indians (20-4), Coached by Kenneth Soerens
1988 Class B: Horicon Marshmen (23-5), Coached by Greg Buhr
1991 Division 2: Beaver Dam Beavers (20-7), Coached by Jim Fischer
1996 Division 3: NFDL Orioles (23-4), Coached by Gary Kuehl
1999 Division 2: Campbellsport Cougars (24-3), Coached by Tim Flood
2004 Division 1: Watertown Goslings (24-3), Coached by Todd Hoffman
2019 Division 3: Laconia Spartans (27-1), Coached by Chris Morgan
2022 Division 4: Laconia Spartans (25-5), Coached by Chris Morgan
Local Area School State All-Time Appearance and Records with Last Appearance
Watertown 8 appearances (9-7), last time in 2004
Hartford 7 appearances (4-6), last time in 2024
Beaver Dam 6 appearances (8-2), last time in 2020
Laconia 5 appearances (6-3), last time in 2025
NFDL 4 appearances (5-2), last time in 2000
Oakfield 4 appearances (5-3), last time in 1987
Kewaskum 3 appearances (3-2), last time in 2023
Waupun 3 appearances (2-2), last time in 2023
Omro 3 appearances (2-3), last time in 1978
Lomira 3 appearances (2-1), last time in 2026
Horicon 2 appearances (1-2), last time in 2002
Springs 2 appearances (0-2), last time in 2015
Campbellsport 1 appearance (1-1) last time in 1999
Mayville 1 appearance (0-1), last time in1984
West Bend East 1 appearance (3-0), last time in 1984
Top Individual Area Performances at State
Tournament Points
Kiarra Otto, Laconia (2019) 55 points
Sue Vielbig, Oakfield (1979) 53 points
Patti Brauer, Oakfield (1980) 47 points
Sue Vielbig, Oakfield (1978) 45 points
Sandy Baerwald, Horicon (1988) 42 points
Single Game Points
Sue Vilebig, Oakfield (1979) 34 points
Patti Brauer, Oakfield (1980) 28 points
Kiarra Otto, Laconia (2019) 28 points
Kiarra Otto, Laconia (2019) 27 points
Tournament Rebounds
Nancy Matulle, Omro (1977) 37 rebounds
Patti Brauer, Oakfield (1978) 29 rebounds
Jenny Wiesner, Campbellsport (1999) 27 rebounds
Ann Hall, Lomira (1978) 25 rebounds
Single Game Rebounds
Nancy Matulle, Omro (1977) 22 rebounds
Jenny Wiesner, Campbellsport (1999) 20 rebounds
Kayl Petersen, Waupun (2023) 19 rebounds
Ann Hall, Lomira (1978) 17 rebounds
Single Game Assists
Aubrey Leonard, Laconia (2025) 8 assists
Grace Gopalan, Waupun (2023) 8 assists
Single Game Steals
Elizabeth Dudley, NFDL (1996) 8 steals
Abby Aalsma, Waupun (2022) 7 steals
Elizabeth Dudley, NFDL (1997) 7 steals
Single Game Blocks
Christie Schulze, NFDL (1996) 7 blocks
Kayl Petersen, Waupun (2023) 4 blocks
Madi Dogs, Kewaskum (2023) 4 blocks (2 times)
Sara Witkowski, NFDL (2000) 4 blocks
“I would say the Flyway Conference has been well represented at the state tournament with ten different teams, seven of them have made multiple appearances, and won seven state titles,” said 1978 Lomira Championship Head Coach Ric Bloohm.” In all, Flyway girls have appeared in 26 state tournaments. Way to go, Flyway girls.”
Why is the WIAA tournament important to girls’ basketball, and what does it mean to participate in the tournament?
“Playing in the WIAA State Tournament was a dream of mine from about 10 years old to the moment the buzzer sounded in my last high school game,” said WIAA Assistant Director Melissa Gehring. “It was the pinnacle experience playing the sport that I loved, but having never gotten the chance to play at state, I was lucky enough as an AD to experience it vicariously through our girls team when they not only made it to the Resch, but won the state championship.”
“By that time, I realized the tournament was more than playing on the biggest stage broadcast on statewide television; the tournament demonstrated the epitome of education-based athletics,” said Gehring. “Students strive for the gold ball, while learning valuable life lessons of perseverance, hard work, grit, teamwork, etc., all while inspiring younger student-athletes watching from the stands or on TV to keep playing so they can have the same chance in the future too.”
“The tournament is important because it is nostalgic, because people can connect to it, and it is a big deal to a young female athlete who is watching and striving to become one of those players she sees on the court,” said 1993 Lomira State Player and Second All-Time Leading Scorer Julie Boelter (Benter). “It was one of those defining moments that has helped shape who I am today and how I teach and coach.”
“Playing at the state tournament was a vision that began at a sleepover in the seventh grade, with it being a magical season that all of the players, coaches, and fans will never forget,” said 1999 Campbellsport State Runner-Up starting point guard Kris Wells (Loehr). “When you have a goal, and you teach it therein lies a reason to believe that dreams can come true if you are willing ot put in the time and work. There was a deep confidence and satisfaction that came from our journey that I have carried with me in every part of my life.”
“Participating in the WIAA tournament meant everything to me, both as a player and a coach, because it felt like crossing the finish line of a marathon, being the culmination of months of work and dedication,” said 1999 Campbellsport Runner-Up Starter and two-time Oostburg Runner-up Head Coach Lisa Immel. “The journey each season carried the joy of success and the sting of defeat, but the tournament was where dreams were truly, where tears could come from winning or losing.”
“I was extremely excited and happy for the girls because they put so much time into the game and worked so hard throughout the season. It was always about them and their experience,” said two-time state champion coach at New London and current Lomira Elementary Principal Troy Krause.
“I think the WIAA tournament gives everybody an end goal and a reason to put in the work and get better,” said 2023 Kewaskum State Champ and Leading Scorer Madilyn Dogs. “Having the chance to reach the state tournament at the end of a very long season really motivated us and kept us pushing.”
“It is important to girls in the state because it allows them to showcase their skills and promote girls basketball throughout Wisconsin,” said 1984 West Bend East State Champion Jody Schriever (Dogs).
“The WiAA tournament represents the highest level of competition and commitment in Wisconsin girls basketball because it shines a spotlight on the sport, validates years of hard work, and gives athletes a stage to compete at their best,” said 2023 Kewaskum State Champion Assistant Coach Kory Dogs. “It also brings communities together in a powerful way. When a team makes a deep run, the entire town feels like it’s part of something bigger.”
“I feel that is a great way for our young Lady athletes to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to a sport,” said Two-time NFDL State Champion Head Coach Gary Kuehl. “The girls game has come so far over the years and is important for all of our young lady athletes to have goals such as reaching a state tournament someday.”
Favorite Tournament Memories
“It wasn’t just playing at the tournament but the entire journey to get there,” said Wells. “The packed gyms, overtime thrillers, getting revenge on Port Washington, who ended our season one year earlier, and getting the chance to play on the biggest stage, plus we played on TV.”
“Winning back-to-back state championships, being around the team during the tournament runs, excitement, and support from the community,” said Krause
“Riding on the fire trucks through town after advancing to State was incredible, and with our coach reading us letters of support after winning at Sectionals that congratulated us and wished us well at state,” said Boelter. “It seemed like the entire town went ot Madison to watch us play, and looking back now, it was really special.”
“Growing up, my teammates and I went to watch the state games every year, and just being able to play at the Resch Center with my best friends and seven of us seniors who had been playing together since the fourth grade, in front of our fans who had supported us all season and traveled to watch us, was so special,” said Madilyn Dogs. “Obviously, winning the tournament is something that I will never forget, and again, being able to do it with my best friends and in front of our fans was an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
“Winning the championship in 1978, because I was so happy for the girls and our school, with support from our entire school district, was really great,” said Bloohm. “The best players for our team were Bev Kuen and Ann Hall; they were both great team players and always had a positive attitude.”
“The State Tournament is great, but my favorite tournament memories are winning the Regional Final with the electric atmosphere on Saturday, and advancing to Sectionals,” said Springs Head Coach Mitch Redig. “Sectional matchups at neutral sites offer a different atmosphere but also result in outstanding community support. The intensity in those settings is unlike the state tournament due to the proximity of the fans to the court, with cutting down the nets with the team isa great memory I have as well.”
“All of our families and parents hanging together and holding up the championship trophy with all my teammates after winning,” said Schriever. “Being recognized when we came back into West Bend by a fire truck and police cars, plus a parade.”
“All of our state appearances are special and were all at the old fieldhouse in Madison with the first year we made it was 96’ and the state had a big snow storm so our school was
canceled and my girls were worried that the students would not be able to attend the game but the school decided they would leave early with the student bus so fans could
make it down,” said Kuehl. “I believe the visiting team fans didn’t make the game and had to watch at a mall halfway to Madison (like Eau Claire) was Marathon I believe. Back then, division three played in the morning, and we were the first game at 9:05.”
“Getting ready to take the floor and the players noticed that the band was not in the stands yet and refused to take the floor to warm up until they played their entrance song (Championship),” said Kuehl. “The usher said to us the clock had started (back then was 20-minute warm-ups), and one of my players spotted the band coming into the fieldhouse, and we waited for them to get set up, which only gave us 15 minutes to warm up, but they were happy as they played there usually entrance song.”
Best Teams in the Tournament
“Cuba City was an absolute powerhouse in those years and won it all in 1993 after beating us in the semifinals,” said Boelter.
“The best team we played that year was Clinton; they were better than us in every category on paper, but our girls were not to be denied,” said Bloohm. ‘The girls knew they were going to win, and we played a flawless game and won by twenty points.”
“In high school, Port Washington was a hurdle every year, and as a coach, Lomira became a great matchup with great community from both sides, with being a tournament rivalry that added to the excitement,” said Immel. “Those games were some of the best, an atmosphere any athlete would love to play in.”
“Cuba City, Algoma, Lourdes, The Prairie School, Markesan, and Dominican were all well-coached and talented teams that we played in the tournament,” said Redig.
“We have had some great teams from our area, but the three best teams were the NFDL teams from 1996-2000, 1999 Campbellsport, and the current run Laconia is on since 2019,” said KFIZ Sports Director Chuck Freimund. “They were great and special teams who brought communities together, plus helped to grow the sport in the area.”
“We played a lot of good teams, but the one that comes to mind is Columbus in 2000 because they were undefeated, and we had one loss and played in the semifinals of Division Three on
Thursday morning,” said Kuehl. “Back then, they did not seed at the tournament, so probably the number one and number two ranked team played in the first game of state, and we beat them 41-37.”
Best Players in the Tournament
“The best players in the tournament were my teammates because our coaches were brilliant (even though we didn’t know it at the time) at identifying what we could as athletes, and pulling out of each of us (See, Believe, and Achieve) was our slogan,” said Boelter. “We believed in each other, worked really hard, and learned how to win. Those are the life lessons getting out playing at the WIAA State Tournament teaches athletes.”
“Best players we played against were Nicki Bowman from New Berlin Eisenhower (Wisconsin Badgers), Allie LeClaire fromGreen Bay Notre Dame (UWGB), and Sarah Ehilers from Grafton (UWGB),” said Krause.
“Leah Hefte from McFarland (Wisconsin) scored 34 points against us in the championship game in one of the most impressive games in tournament history, with Hefte being too quick for our taller players and could shoot over our shorter players,” said Wells.
“Leah Hefte from McFarland is the best player I played against, and that was close up and personal as I was tasked to guard in the championship,” said Immel. “Arike Qgunbowale was clearly the best, and we were lucky to watch throughout her high school career in Wisconsin.”
“I have been to every girls state tournament since its inception except 1991 when I was too ill to attend, and I have coached at Lomira at some level since 1976, currently helping as an assistant coach at 7th grade and JV,” said Bloohm. “The best player ever in the tournament was Arike Ogunbowale from DSHA in 2015.”
“The best players I have coached in the tournament are Gabblie Oritz from The Prairie School (Oklahoma Sonners) and Allazia Blockton from Dominican (Marquette Golden Eagles), but the best players were Allie Ziebell from Neenah (UConn Huskies) and Arkie Ogunbowale (Notre Dame Fighting Irish) from DHSA because they played the game with such ease and control,” said Redig.
“There are so many talented players from Wisconsin, and many never made it to the State Tournament but the best ones come to mind are Emily LaChappell from Appleton West (Belmont Bruins), Abby Aalsma from Waupun (Drake Bulldogs), Grace Grocholski from Kettle Moraine (Minnesota Gophers), KK Arnold from Germantown (UConn Huskies), Allie Ziebell from Neenah (UConn Huskies), and Lexi Dornaski from Aquinas (North Carolina Tar Heels),” said Kory Dogs.
“Ann Klapperich from Fond du Lac (Wisconsin Badgers) and Misty Bass from Janesville (Duke Blue Devils) deserve to be on the Mount Rushmore of Wisconsin girls basketball with how good all-around players they were in their time playing in the state,” said Freimund.
“I have had some real good ones, but the player with a ton of records at North Fond du Lac was Elizabeth Dudley, who went on to play at US Green Bay,” said Kuehl. “The best player we played against was Molly O’Brien from Columbus (UW-Milwaukee).”
High School Girls Basketball and Sports have come a long way since allowing no cheering, awards, and spectators when they started 50 years ago, with 36,000 plus fans expected at the Resch Center to celebrate the great game of girls basketball during those three days in March.