PANORA — Members of a special group gathered Friday as Panorama saluted their 1993 girls basketball team, one of eight schools to play in the final Six-Player State Tournament held anywhere in the United States.
Members of the 1993 team, many of whom were in attendance, included seniors Misty Allen, Carrie Millhollin, Nikki Klinkefus, Angie Schafer and Heidi Wirt. Juniors Jennifer Bennett, Kelly Dahl, Lynnea Maylan, Sara Stolz, Tricia Turner and Susan Weddingfeld, sophomores Abby Meinecke, Jessie Israel, Nomra Leo and Ashley Reynolds and freshman Many Brnson, Megan Carstens, Jenny Haver, Alicia Heiland, Laura Higgins, Amy Jorgensen, Jan Maxwell and Crystal Olson were also part of the magical run.
The Panthers were coached by Louis “Bud” McCrea, who was assisted by current Panther head coach Dan Druivenga. Renee Ellis and Melanie Johnson played valuable roles as team managers.
The team and coaches were honored during halftime of the girls game between Panorama and Ogden. Several players then took to the court for a brief 6-on-6 scrimmage at halftime of the boys game.
The ’93 Panthers were bounced by Osage, 60-59, in the quarterfinals. Hubbard-Radcliffe would go on to claim the final Six-Player championship by defeating Atlantic, 85-66.
The final tourney featured numerous area teams. West Central was a 70-52 winner over Oelwein in one quarterfinal, with AHST topping Woodward-Granger, 75-68, in another while Perry fell to Atlantic, 64-53, in the fourth quarterfinal.
Panora-Linden had reached the 1967 tourney, defeating Eddyville, 47-37, before falling to Carlisle, 56-45. P-L returned in 1986, stopping Waverly-Shell Rock, 63-54, before being eliminated by Sibley-Ocheydan, 45-38.
Panorama has played in three five-player state tournaments. The Panthers fell to Northeast Hamilton, 47-46, in the Class 1A quarterfinals in 1995, and were 46-41 victims of Eldora-New Providence the following year in the 2A quarterfinals.
The most recent trip to Des Moines came in 2013, with Aplington-Parkersburg claiming a 48-38 win in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
