STATE TOURNAMENT BOUND — This is the only basketball team from McCallsburg High School ever to make it to a state tournament. Pictured are — top row, 1. to r., Lester Shafland, coach; Raymond Menzel, Allis Wicks, Leslie Johnson, Wendell Strum, Supt. Larson; middle row, 1. to r., Walter Hill, Herman Thompson, Royce Conley, Robert Lounsberry, Orville Vallem; bottom row, L to r., Bud Thompson, Ray Skartvedt, and Wendell Christianson. The team lost in the first round to Grinnell and Grinnell lost to Mason City in the finals. Four members of this basketball team are now deceased.
went on to win second place in the state tournament losing to Davenport in the final game. The players were Sam Mathis, Eugene Lewis, Kenneth Tjelmeland, Roland Weigel, Dale Sampson, Don Kilstofte, Vern Tjelmeland. Darrell Foster was the coach.
The girls basketball team of 1955-1956 had a good record. They were coached by Clifford Christensen. They won 19 and lost 2. They won the County tournament but were eliminated from the sectional tournament by Roland. Players were JoAnn Severtson, Linda Hartman, Joan Lura, Connie Christenson, Marlys Bergland, Ona Hartman, Loretta Thompson, Karol Weigel, Karen Lee, Wanita Olson, Nadine Chentland and Sherry Grunsted.
The girls also had good records for 1956-1957 and 1957-1958. The 1956-1957 girls had a record of 19 wins and 5 losses. The 1957-1958 team won 21 and lost 3. Members of the 1957-1958 team were Wanita Olson, Mary Sampson, Sharlene Overmire, Anita Ellingson, Linda Hartman, Deanne Twedt, JoAnn Severtson, Sherry Grunsted, Barbara Lura, Marilyn Mannes, Carolyn Menzel and Marilyn Fincham.
McCallsburg High School had baseball teams for many years after having no football team. McCallsburg has had some teams with good records. The team of 1935-1936 had a good record. Leslie Pearson was an out-standing player. The classes of 1938-1939-1940-1941 all had good baseball records. The team of 1946 had a good record with Wally Fuller doing the pitching. The team of 1957 had a good record winning 7 and losing 1. From this team Pat Phelan went on to play college ball at Ellsworth Junior College. Franklin Lee pitched for Luther College. The only baseball team that I can remember that went to the state tournament was the last baseball team at McCallsburg before we joined with Zearing. The 1959-1960 team went to the fall state tournament. McCallsburg lost to Bancroft in the first round. Players on this team were Johnny Nizzi, Leo Arnold, Stanley Doser, Pat Phelan, Jerry Vallem, Jack Otta, Phillip Rutter, Wayne Weuve, Bruce Bergland, Sterling Thompson, Hubert Tett, Larry Henderson, Stanley Vigness, Don Overmire and Bill Lounsberry.
Most of this history of the sports at McCallsburg is just a few highlights and please bear with me if some of the dates and players are in error or any person is