Bemidji Celebrates 50 Years of Lumberjack Girls’ Basketball at Thursday’s Game

Prior to Thursday’s game against Sartell and during halftime, Bemidji celebrated something incredibly special – 50 years of Lumberjack girls’ basketball.

Members of the inaugural 1973 team, along with players spanning the past five decades, were in attendance for the momentous occasion. During the event, former Lumberjacks swapped stories of their time spent as athletes at BHS and what the opportunity to play basketball meant for them.

“It was crazy. We just, we couldn’t believe it,” said Betty Fulton Novotney, who played on the original 1973 team. “And, you know, I think that’s why we had a hard time in the beginning, after that first season where we had to pull 11 people, or 15, I think together, we had 60 girls try out that next fall. But yeah, when people tell us that, you know, they’re standing on our shoulders, it’s overwhelming. But I guess we have to kind of believe that, you know, we we stepped forward and took that challenge on.”

“It’s awesome. I mean, it brings back a lot of – 40 years ago, brings back a lot of memories, a lot of great friends that were made,” said Tracy Zachman Wettschreck, Bemidji girls’ basketball ’83. “It’s a great sport and it’s exciting to see that it’s continuing on. And you’re seeing teams now make it in to state and actually, you know, advancing. So it’s great.”

“It’s really fun to look at the history,” said Andrea Vagle Brodina, Bemidji girls’ basketball ’94. “I had no idea that basketball was such a baby when I was in high school, for girls, anyway. So it’s really awesome to see the growth in the years over here on the boards, it’s kind of fun, and to see their successes, too.”

Since girls’ basketball began at Bemidji High School, the girls have made it to the state tournament five times: three under Coach Jim Wahl in 1986, 1994, and 2000, once under Coach Bob Luoma in 2010, and again under Coach Rick Kehoe in 2010.