Photo Courtesy of Mark Liptak
Seiji Wood
Sports Editor
The ISU women’s basketball team is gearing up to host its biggest alumni game in program history at the end of the month.
Around 41 former players and five coaches are planning to return for this event held on Sept. 28. This will be the fourth alumni game held since Seton Sobolewski has been the head coach.
Some of the players coming back are fan-favorites like Natalie Doma, Kaela Oakes, Lindsey Reed, Ashley Toner, Jennifer Cannon, Nancy Imhoff and Oana Iacovita. Former coaches like Sandra Nokes and Kevin Gilbride also plan on returning.
“This has turned out better than I hoped,” said Mark Liptak, play-by-play broadcaster for K-ISU. “If you look at the list of names, you’ve got players from different era’s, some of the greatest names in program history, 1,000-point scorers and first and second team all-Big Sky performers.
It’s impressive.” Liptak says there are 17 members who were on championship teams during their time at ISU, 11 first or second team all-Big Sky Conference selections and nine 1,000-point scorers planning to attend the event.
The process of reaching out to the alumni started in June when Coach Sobolewski gave Liptak a four-page list of names to contact.
“I’ve made about 150 phone calls,” Liptak said. “I sent out about 50 emails and made about 20 Facebook post.”
One of the more notable names Liptak was able to get is Kevin Gilbride, former offensive coordinator for the New York Giants who coached 21 years in the NFL and won two Super Bowls.
“I called the New York Giants, explained what was going on and they gave me his contact info,” Liptak said.
Not only is Gilbride coming back, but other alumni are traveling great distances to attend this event. Liptak mentioned that Oana is coming back from Romania, Virginia Floyd from Alaska and Stefanie Pemper from
Maryland where she is currently the head women’s basketball coach at the U.S. Naval Academy.
“I think more than playing the game, I’m really looking forward to catching up with our former players and seeing how they’ve been,” Sobolewski said. “I think it’s going to be a really fun weekend catching up.”
Last time there was an alumni game was Sept. 2014, which drew around 400 people to the event.
This year, ISU’s women’s basketball expects the event to be bigger and better than they’ve ever seen.
“A few of us, Seton, myself, Oana Iacovita, Chelsey Chambers and Andrea Videbeck, just wanted to see how big we could get this one,” Liptak said. “An all-out effort if you will.”
For Liptak, the result of 41 players returning has made it well worth it.
Sobolewski and Liptak also mentioned that Adidas is supplying some gear for all alumni. There will be a social event for them after the game, then on Saturday, tailgating at the ISU women’s basketball area in the Holt Arena parking lot where all alumni will get tickets to the NAU-ISU
football game.
“I think when you’ve got a chance to coach in one place for such a long time and you’ve developed a history with that school, the program, and the community, these are the things that are an added bonus,” Sobolewski said. “You get to stay in touch and have these great life-long relationships with them and their families.”
This event is free, open to the public, and primed to be a historic night. Game tips off at 6:30 p.m. at Reed Gym, player introductions will start at 6:15 p.m.
