50 Seasons of Women's Basketball

Posted October 9, 2025

Feature: Lauren Brown '76
Forward

To finish up this week, we are continuing to highlight the first team as we hear from Lauren Brown! Lauren grew up in Chicago, and studied Psychology and Economics as well as getting a minor in French during her time as a student-athlete at Lawrence.

Like many others on the first team, Lauren played basketball in high school, and wanted the opportunity to continue to play in college. She said she wanted to continue to sharpen her skills and be an athlete outside of studying and school. Graduating with a double major and a minor, she spent plenty of time learning, so basketball practice and team events were welcome study breaks. Lauren also had close friends that played on the basketball team, giving her all the more reason to go out and play.

Lauren mentioned that her favorite memory of being a Lawrence women's basketball player was the camaraderie shared by the team! She specifically mentioned a sense of togetherness shared by herself and the team, and a unity she felt due to playing basketball with a group of women who all had very different interests outside of the court. She said "We were all achievers in our major fields and came together as one when playing on the team." This truly describes one of the coolest things about sports as a whole, which is how it has the ability to bring together people who may otherwise have little else in common. Lauren specifically recalled the feeling she and the team had after they won their first away game, and the excitement they all shared. She said that the game really established the tone for the rest of the season and started to really pull together this special group of women.

All in all, Lauren said that the biggest thing she learned from being a student-athlete at Lawrence was resiliency. She mentioned that she learned to be resilient as Appleton was not very welcoming for her as an African American female at that particular time. On and off the court, resiliency is something she had to master and was able to turn some difficult experiences into something greater, and into a skill that many people never truly develop. Through these struggles, Lauren pressed on and graduated with a law degree and pursued a legal career.

Lauren graduated in 1976 and now works as a lawyer and business consultant in Memphis, TN. She not only helped grow the game of basketball here at Lawrence, but she also paved the way for other women of color on and off the court. Lauren's resiliency, perseverance and achievement is inspiring to us all. Thank you Lauren! - Article written by by Josie Chose '28

Posted October 6, 2025

Feature: Anne Wolfe King '76
Point Guard

This week, we are starting off with another member of the first team, Anne Wolfe King! Anne grew up in Milwaukee, and was a psychology major as well as a basketball player during her time at Lawrence.

Anne has been an athlete her whole life. She began athletics at age 5 and played basketball throughout high school. In her experience, she played another version of high school women's basketball that still had the majority of players playing on either the offensive or defensive side of the floor without the ability to cross half court, but did feature two rover players that were permitted to play full court. The ability to have everyone play full court was a big reason Anne wanted to play collegiate basketball, since she describes full court as "the only way to play."

Anne's favorite LU women's basketball memory was the road trips to play the other schools, which is a pretty unique answer when compared to other responses. The bus rides are long, and it's challenging to be the visiting team, especially after a couple hours on the bus. But Anne said the reason she enjoyed these bus rides were because they were a great way to spend time with her teammates. While these rides are boring and draining, they are also a few hours of uninterrupted time with your teammates, something that in many cases makes the hot bus, small locker rooms and the whole experience completely worth it.

Finally, when asked about what she learned from Lawrence, Anne spoke on the value of a liberal arts education as a whole. She mentioned how the liberal arts structure of learning more than one field of study prepares you to think outside the box as a grown up. Anne attributes this education to her being a more well rounded person in general, and having an overall more open mind. She also brought up the Freshmen Studies class, which every first year student at LU has taken, as something that she remembers even 50 years later that prepared her for the future after college.

Anne now lives in Tempe, AZ with her husband, near her grown up children. She graduated with a degree in Psychology and now works as a meeting planner. We are so excited to have heard a piece of her story, and been able to continue to highlight this monumental first team. Thank you, Anne! - Article written by by Josie Chose '28

Posted October 2, 2025

Feature: Irene Ang Strohbeen '78
Point Guard

Once again, we are excited to share a feature story from a player of the first team at Lawrence University, Irene Ang Strohbeen. Irene grew up in Urbana, IL, and majored in chemistry and math. Like so many of her teammates, Irene's journey at Lawrence truly exemplifies what it means to be a student- athlete.

Irene grew up playing basketball with her dad in their driveway. Since Title IX hadn't yet hit her high school, she didn't have any opportunities to play on a team, but she said she had practiced how to dribble, pass and shoot with her family, and watched her younger brother play on their high school basketball team. So, when Irene arrived at LU and was required to take a Physical Education class her first term, club basketball seemed like the most fun option. Irene's first year of women's basketball was as a club sport and by her sophomore year it became a varsity sport. She ended up playing through her remaining time at Lawrence and said "the team gave me a place and a group where I could belong as well as take a break from my studies."

Besides the opportunity to play basketball on a real varsity team, Irene said some of her favorite memories on the team were the away trips and getting to travel around Wisconsin as a team. One time they traveled to the MECCA Arena, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, to play Marquette. They were able to watch the end of a Bucks practice and take the floor right after. Irene said she still laughs at the image of a 7ft Bucks player standing next to her teammate, 5ft tall Marion Magee, and still cannot get over how tall he was!

To Irene, the biggest thing she learned at Lawrence and through the women's basketball program was how to be a team player. Being able to work with and lead others was and is something she uses every day, and gave her a huge advantage not only in the workforce as a whole but also in her smaller corporate teams and in the office. Irene said she used a lot of communication and writing skills in her job, as well as problem solving, which were all things she gained from LU, but the majority of her work in product development and leadership at Kimberly-Clark was in teams. She said "I vividly remember realizing how fortunate I was to have been a part of the WBB team to gain those team and leadership experiences as point guard: so many of my co-workers did not have that same advantage." While Lawrence is an amazing university, it's clear there is something special about being a part of the women's basketball program, and something about athletics that prepares student-athletes for the real world in so many ways. Irene said her experiences as a point guard gave her an "advantage", and I think that sums it up pretty nicely.

Irene now lives just outside of Appleton in Harrison, WI, with her husband and cat, Mini. She has two grown up sons, and works as an independent consultant to inventors. Irene helped to lay the foundation of what now is a standard of academic excellence for the student-athletes in the women's basketball program and a huge component of what our culture both on and off the court is today. Thank you Irene! - Article written by by Josie Chose '28

Posted September 29, 2025

Feature: Sally March '77
Forward

As we continue our celebration of the 50 seasons of women's basketball at Lawrence, we are so excited to have Sally March, a member of the first team, as our next alumni feature! Sally grew up in Wisconsin, graduating in 1977. Her passion for basketball was one of the engines that drove the beginnings of women's basketball at Lawrence.

Connecting with Sally and the other members of the First Team has provided the opportunity to picture what women's basketball looked like in the 70s, and especially realize how much the sport has grown and changed. Sally remembered that there were so few colleges with women's basketball teams, and so little money for travel that they played a lot of high school teams and religious colleges in the area during those first years. The lack of competition for the first team was definitely unfortunate, but this was a group of women who loved to play basketball against whomever they could, something that has continued in the program even now.

Beyond this lack of competition, Sally mentioned that a big reason why she wanted to continue playing basketball was because the college rules were largely the same for the men's and women's teams. A brief history lesson: for many years women's basketball was played in a 6 on 6 format, with three defenders on one half of the court and three forwards on the other. In this setup, the defenders and forwards weren't allowed to cross half court, and only the forwards were allowed to shoot. Essentially, women's basketball was played only in the half court, and while Sally played this way in high school, collegiate basketball provided the opportunity to play full court just like the men. She had played basketball her whole life, starting against boys on the playground and continuing through high school. Simply put, Sally said "I loved sports and I loved being part of a team."

Finally, when asked what she learned at LU that prepared her for her adult life, Sally said "I learned how to learn." This wise answer extends beyond the classroom and the basketball court, and speaks to the larger college experience that is about learning how to be a grown up in the world, and how to have an open mind. The smartest people continue to learn their whole lives, and Sally (like so many Lawrence graduates) clearly falls into this category.

Sally graduated from LU with a degree in Sociology and now works in law and ethics in London, England, where she lives with her wife. We are so grateful to connect with her, and to have the opportunity to continue to hear from the first team. Thank you Sally! - Article written by by Josie Chose '28

Posted: September 25, 2025

Feature: Beth Pollnow Fietzer '02
Lawrence Athletics Hall of Fame '18, Point Guard

For our second feature, we are highlighting an Alexander Gym household name, Beth Pollnow! As an Appleton resident, Beth has been a familiar face for all of us on the team, and it has become routine to see her and her family in the stands at Alex gym.

Beth's profound impact on Lawrence women's basketball began during her time as a player from 1998-2002, during which she became our all time leader in both career assists (395) and career steals (294), records that still stand today! She mentioned that one of her favorite memories from her time as a player was when she broke the assist record and Jackie Huss, the former record holder, came to watch and passed her "the torch".

As a point guard, Beth clearly left an impact on the offensive end, but in her player bio from her senior year she is described as a "true all around player [with the] ability to score, play defense, rebound and handle the ball." While her place in the record book speaks for itself, this description of her role on the floor as a whole is something every player strives for, and is one of the highest compliments that can be given to any athlete. Winning a conference championship in 1999 as a freshman, cutting down the nets and all the celebration that comes with that will also always be an irreplaceable part of her career.

Of course, so much happens outside of the stat sheets. When asked about her favorite memories from her time at Lawrence, almost everything Beth mentioned was a memory from off the court, and a bonding experience with her teammates. She brought up team trips to San Antonio and Portland, weeks of working basketball camps in the summer, and playing video games in hotel rooms before being reminded by Coach Proctor that they weren't the only ones staying in the hotel (something Coach Woldt definitely knows nothing about).

Beyond the fun, little moments with the team, Beth also brought up a lot of memories that speak volumes about the Lawrence women's basketball community as a whole. Her sophomore year the team suffered a lot of injuries, but Beth noted this with pride, saying "we overcame a lot and stuck together as a team," which is not only something that the 1999-00 team can be proud of, but also something that has established a culture of resilience in all the teams since then. Of course, dinners with Chuck and Cinny were a highlight for Beth, as I'm sure can be said about almost every player that has been lucky enough to call the Reff's teammates.

Beth graduated with a degree in Economics, but she said that being a student at Lawrence prepared her best for her adult life by teaching her how to write. She said professors at LU taught them how to write efficiently and communicate effectively. She also said that Lawrence taught her how to work with others and get along with different personalities, and while I have no doubt that being a student at Lawrence does prepare you to work with others, I also know that being an athlete and being on a team is one of the best ways to prepare you for other collaboration done as an adult.

As far as why she chose to play college basketball Beth just said "I wasn't ready for basketball to no longer be a major part of my life. I wanted to go to a school where I would be able to have fun playing the game I love." Although we have many more alumni to hear from, I think this sentiment truly sums up what it means to be a D3 athlete and a member of the women's basketball culture at LU. This school and community have provided the opportunity for 50 teams of young women to continue playing this game — something we are so excited to celebrate.

Beth Pollnow lives in Appleton with her husband, two daughters and two dogs. She works as a sales manager in the area and has continued to be an active member of Lawrence basketball since her graduation. We are so grateful to have her in our corner, and especially grateful to have her as our very first feature. Thank you Beth! - Article written by by Josie Chose '28

Posted: September 22, 2025

Interview with Coach Mike Gallus, First Coach of the First Team
Conducted by Josie Chose '28 (September 2025)

To kick off this celebration of the first team, I had the amazing opportunity to sit down with the coach of that first team, Mike Gallus. Coach Gallus led the team from 1975-1979, and was instrumental in starting up other programs at Lawrence, as well as laying the foundation for the new conference. He ended his career with an overall winning record 46-21, ending that first season 9-5. He also led the team to a WIC-WAC Division Championship in the 1975-1976 season, and finished second in the division in 1978-1979. We are so thankful for all the stories shared by Coach Mike and are so excited for this upcoming journey through the last 50 seasons!

Josie: How did you become the first coach of the first team?

Coach: When Coach Roberts decided to start women's basketball at Lawrence—that was the year before the 50th anniversary team, and it was a club team. When it came time to switch to a varsity sport. I just happened to be here, doing a two-year internship as an assistant to the athletic director while getting my master's at UW-Superior.

I always wanted to coach basketball. I loved basketball. So I talked with Ron, and he said, "Want to start this team?" I said, "I'm your man. I'll be happy to start this. I want to coach it." And that's what happened for four years.

Josie: When you got the job, what were some of the first things you did?

Coach: The first thing I needed to do was find players. Some had already played on the club team, and then I went to admissions. They had this filing cabinet of all incoming students—men and women—who had paid their deposits. I sat on the floor, pulled out the women's applications, and looked for anything showing athletic ability. If someone wrote, "I like to play tennis" or "I like water-skiing," I thought, okay, you're an athlete, I can teach you basketball.

Once we had the team, I had to figure out what to do. I read manuals from clinics that big-time coaches had given. I wanted something good but simple. We had a 30-second clock even then, so it couldn't be too complicated. I came up with an offense that worked against man or zone. Then we brought the girls over and started practicing.

Josie: What were some of the biggest challenges that first season?

Coach: Honestly, everything. Teaching fundamentals. Teaching them how to make a layup. I even had a chart—during layup lines, after each attempt they had to mark whether they made it or not.

Nobody could really do anything wrong, because nobody knew how to do anything right yet. But it was such a labor of love. Nobody was saying, "If you don't win this many games, that's a problem," or "If you don't recruit enough people, that's a problem." It was just fun every day.

Irene and Mary always say they remember our team concept. I don't think I ever consciously thought, "I'm going to build team culture." It was more like, this feels right—let's do it. Let's have a free throw contest. Afterwards, let's all go to Dairy Queen. It was just about doing what seemed right in the moment.

Josie: What were your favorite memories or biggest successes of that year?

Coach: Every day was memorable, but a couple of games do stand out.

We played Ripon here—maybe the second or third year. They had a good team with some strong athletes. Their coach had been there forever. Two things really irritated me that night: one, she didn't know how to tape, so I ended up taping their girls' ankles before the game. And then, two, they beat us. On top of that, their van broke down in the snow, so after losing I had to drive their coach to the airport for a rental van.

Another story: one of the only two speeding tickets I've gotten in my life was with the women's basketball team. We were coming back from playing Edgewood in a blizzard. The roads were terrible. On the short stretches of divided highway, I tried to make up time—and got pulled over. The girls even gave me some money to help pay the ticket.

Josie: Looking back on your career as women's basketball coach, what are you most proud of?

Coach: That I got to start the program. How often do you get to do that? I was right there at the beginning.

I was proud to work with Coach Roberts to start programs. I was really happy to work with Coach Roberts when he was responsible for putting a conference together. I was in summer school at the time writing my thesis on the history of women in sports. My fourth chapter was a chapter about the code of conduct that our conference was going to use with things like rules, amount of games played, recruiting rules, all-conference rules. I wrote it, and the conference adopted it. I didn't invent the wheel. I took things from the men's conference, Coach Roberts and I conversations and talking with other coaches. That became our Bible. I'm really proud of that.

Josie: What's something you'd want me and the current team to know?

Coach: That I'm happy I was there at the start. And that Coach Roberts really started everything—not because of Title IX, we never even talked about that, but because it was time.

Josie: That's so special. Thank you so much. I can speak for myself and say I'm so proud to be a women's basketball player, and to continue this legacy.

Posted: September 18, 2025

Celebrating 50 Seasons of Lawrence Women's Basketball

Video: Tip-Off to 50 Seasons Celebration!
(click the link above to watch the intro video and turn on sound)

This year we celebrate the 50th season of Women's Basketball at Lawrence — honoring the teams who built our foundation, the players who carried the torch, and the future we continue to create together.

Stay tuned for a season like no other as we honor 50 years of Viking Women's Basketball!