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South Dakota State University Athletics
Thanksgiving in Alaska with the Jacks
11/26/2015 8:58:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Alaska. For many it's on their bucket list, and why not. It sparkles with a wondrous wilderness with glaciers, bears and whales, and those mysterious, but enchanting Northern Lights. But for former South Dakota State women's basketball coach Nancy Neiber and the 1986-87 Jackrabbits, the draw to the 49th state was about basketball.
For Neiber, when it came to building the Jacks' schedule it was about staying within budget, taking the team to interesting places and winning. So, when she heard from a friend about the Alaska schools—University of Alaska-Anchorage and University of Alaska-Fairbanks—offering to pay for 10 airline tickets if teams would make the trip, Neiber jumped at it.
“I don't think it was a trip that most student-athletes would pick if they had a choice to go to a tournament, but it was what we could afford. It was what I could get in my budget and give them a different experience,” Neiber said.
“I called them and they were interested in playing South Dakota State. I remember going into Dr. (Harry) Forsyth's office and convincing him that whether we go to Northern or Fargo, we still had to feed the team and house them if we went to a local tournament. He gave me the OK and we were able to take 10 players, myself and my graduate assistant.”
For the Jackrabbits, this was a trip of a lifetime as no other team had been to Alaska and only the 1988 volleyball team has been there since. So, who was going to be the lucky 10 players to make the trip?
“I thought how exciting! I remember calling my parents and telling them our team would be playing in Alaska,” Lori Fish, 1987-90, said. “The hard part was only 10 players would be traveling, so it wasn't guaranteed I would be going. I was fortunate when coach Neiber made her decision and I was one of the 10.”
In addition to Fish, the Jackrabbits making the trip included Deb Veldkamp (1986-89), Karla Stevenson (1984-87), Tara Tessier (1985-88), Gina Lorence (1985-88), Lisa Kurtenbach (1986-89), Lisa Rollag (1986-87), Judy MacDonald (1985-88), Jackie Mills (1987-90) and Ellen Chamberlain (1985-87).
Travel Time
Just like most trips, particularly flights, delays happen. For South Dakota State it was delays, first flights and a few antics mixed in on their way to Alaska.
“Many of them hadn't flown before and I think they were more excited than nervous,” Neiber said. “I can remember two of the freshmen, Jackie Mills and Lori Fish. When the stewardess out of Sioux Falls was giving us the flight instructions, she couldn't keep a straight face. She kept laughing, could hardly speak. I look around me and these gals had a rubber elephant nose and a pig nose, and I just thought, 'Oh.' But the stewardess got through it.”
For Fish, it was all about having fun on her first flight.
“I had never flown before so I was excited and a little nervous at the same time. The flight attendants gave us our “wings” for flying and we were able to check out the cockpit,” she said.
The Jackrabbits flew from Sioux Falls to Minneapolis and encountered delays and more delays.
“I remember having a long delay at one of our connecting flights because they needed to fix a mechanical problem. We played a lot of cards in the airport. Pinochle was a popular game with some of my teammates,” Fish added.
SDSU left Minneapolis late and arrived in Seattle at 1 a.m., but it was just a touch down for gas before flying to Anchorage for a 4 a.m. arrival and a game that afternoon.
“Once we landed, got our transportation and to the hotel it was probably six in the morning and we were going to play at one,” Neiber said. “They got a nap in, but the first thing I did was feed them. They were young women. It didn't take them long to recover from lack of sleep.”
For Deb Veldkamp (1986-89), a sophomore on the team, it was the weather that she remembered.
“Well, I remember it was cold and snowing. The driver who picked us up in a van pulled a couple of doughnuts in the parking lot of the hotel … it was awesome,” she said. “It was cold, snowed most of the time, and it was daylight 24 hours a day, so it made it a bit difficult to sleep.”
For Fish, the lure of Alaska started to creep in.
“When we arrived in Alaska, it was dark and snowing,” she said. “When it finally stopped snowing, it was an amazing view. It was neat seeing all the mountains around us.”
Nov. 25, 1986: Alaska-Anchorage 90, South Dakota State 66
In front of 266 fans, including former Jackrabbit basketball coach Ruth Marske, Kathy Funk, Neiber's parents and the Kurtenbach family, SDSU took the floor at the UAA Sports Center.
The Seawolves came out shooting and took a 45-37 led at halftime. UAA shot 52 percent from the field and found its way to the free-throw line 10 more times than the Jackrabbits.
SDSU had three players in double figures with Veldkamp, Stevenson and Tessier scoring 17, 16 and 13 points, respectively.
Nov. 26, 1986: South Dakota State 89,Alaska-Anchorage 84
It took all five Jackrabbits to score in double figures and overtime for the victory over the offensive-minded Seawolves in the rematch.
Veldkamp registered a double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds while Tessier tallied a team-high 28 points.
“Once they got their legs under them, they won some ball games,” Neiber said. “The Alaska teams were run-and-gun teams. They scored 84 points and we had to score 89 points in overtime to beat them.”
On to Fairbanks, Alaska
After celebrating Thanksgiving, visiting the North Pole to see Santa's house, the Alaskan pipeline and a glacier, South Dakota State was back at the airport to fly to Fairbanks for a pair of games vs. the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
Having Thanksgiving away from family and friends could have been difficult for the team, but it went along with the plan with ease.
“It was different not being with family, but Nancy did a great job of coordinating a great meal and experience for us,” Veldkamp remembered.
The Jackrabbits lost their first game against Nanooks, 68-67. Stevenson netted 21 points and Veldkamp had her second double-double in as many games. What stands out about this game is the Nanooks, just like the Seawolves, made more trips to the foul line than SDSU.
“You have to remember that when you go to Alaska that the officials are the hometown officials. It was two officials in those days, too,” Neiber explained. “So, we really had to play well to win those two games because those guys wanted to be hired back. I don't ever really complain about officials, but they called a lot of fouls on us.”
Stevenson took over the second game with Fairbanks, scoring a game-high 33 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 shooting from the free-throw line. She also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds in the 95-84 win.
Thanks for Coming
After going 2-2 on the trip, the Jackrabbits packed their bags and returned to Brookings with special memories in tow. The win over the Nanooks sparked a six-game winning streak for SDSU and the team finished the year 16-13.
“All in all, it was quite an experience for those young women. I remember when we got off the plane in Anchorage there was ice on the inside of the walkway,” Neiber said. “It wasn't like going to the Bahamas like today. But that is what we could afford and I'm sure it was an experience they will never forget.”
Fish agreed.
“I am thankful for the opportunity coach Neiber and South Dakota State gave me for being a part of such a great program and university. The educational and life experiences I gained have helped me throughout my career.”
Looking back, Veldkamp realizes what an opportunity the Alaska trip was.
“It's an experience that I will always cherish and would love to go back again some day. What an amazing opportunity for the women's basketball team, back in a time when the game of women's basketball was still growing. Nancy did a great job of advocating for her program and players.”
South Dakota State is celebrating 50 Years of Women's Athletics during the 2015-16 season. For more information on the celebration, visit GoJacks.com.
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