Saint Peter High School’s girls basketball team has had a lot of success on the court, including seven state tournament trips, but what many may not know is that this season (2024-25) marks the 50th anniversary of the program.
The Saints will honor that milestone during their home non-conference game against Goodhue on Saturday, Feb. 15 with an open house celebration throughout the event in classroom A111 (next to the Saints’ weight room). Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. that day. All past Saints girls basketball players, managers, and coaches are invited and encouraged to attend FREE of charge!
The first-ever Saints varsity girls basketball team took to the court during the 1974-75 season and was coached by Vicki Baldry. She led the team to a 10-win season including placing second in the District 13 tournament with a loss to Le Sueur in the District 13 championship game up in Farmington. Le Sueur went on that winter to place second at the first-ever winter girls basketball state tournament.
Baldry coached and taught (PE/Health) one more year after the inaugural season before she and her husband moved to the Twin Cities metro area where she did some junior high coaching and teaching at Prior Lake. The Baldrys still reside in the northeast metro area.
“I remember there was a group of very talented athletes on that team,” Baldry said. “Also, for the first time the boys basketball team had to share the gym with us. We were on a rotating schedule with some of our morning practices starting at 6 a.m., which was a tough time for teens and even coaches!
“It's hard to believe it's been 50 years already. I wish much success to the (Saints) girls basketball players!”
Rae (Frey) Stowell, was a point guard on that first-ever Saints’ girls team and has fond memories of her time playing hoops for SPHS. Stowell, who had a 40-year career with the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center, most recently as a vocational counselor, is retired and still resides in St. Peter.
“I remember all the excitement of finally having a girls’ varsity team, as we only had GAA and intramurals for basketball before that, and my junior year we did play some games against other towns in the fall and then played volleyball in the winter,” Stowell said. “My senior year, I remember having to share the gym with the boys’ team for practices and having to get up pretty early for some of those, but we actually loved the early Wednesday morning practices because they’d serve us breakfast afterward.
“We had a lot of fun playing together and we had a really good team, but Le Sueur had an outstanding team that year that placed second at state. We were fortunate to have athletic directors like Don Nesheim and Pat Wilharber who really supported girls sports back then.
“I still enjoy following the Saints, and while I haven’t been able to get to a game this year, I went to several last year and enjoyed watching that amazing team. I’m hoping to attend on Saturday with some friends!”
Laurie (Anderson) Martinson, who is a veterinarian in northwest Washington and a senior forward on the team, was a multi-sport athlete for the Saints (basketball, volleyball, and track & field) and went on to play basketball and volleyball collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a little basketball at Gustavus Adolphus College. While she doesn’t remember any games specifically, she has several fond memories of being a part of that team.
“I kind of forgot that we were the first-ever girls basketball team at St. Peter, but it’s exciting to know that we were a part of history,” Martinson said. “I do remember I was a fairly good rebounder and could score a little, but I was quick to get the ball to our guards Deb Nesheim and Rae Frey as they were much better ball handlers than I ever was.
“I also remember it was a good group of girls and we had a lot of fun together, and it was great being at a school the size of Saint Peter High School where you could do a lot of different activities.”
Saints Girls Basketball first-ever varsity team (1974-75)
PLAYERS -- (Listed alphabetically by last name) -- Laurie Anderson, Joan Bindner, Carla Eckert, Rae Frey, Jacqueline Lewis, Lois Mueller, Debra Nesheim, Lori Nielsen, Lynette Nielsen, Dixie Olsen, Karen Pflaum, Mary Schmid, Jacqueline Schoeb, and Geraldine Theis.
HEAD COACH – Vicki Baldry.
1974-75 SAINTS GIRLS BB SCHEDULE
Belle Plaine (W) 53-9
New Prague (L) 34-31
Wells (L) 32-26
Le Center (W) 33-30
Cleveland (W) 46-24
Le Sueur (L) 46-25
Belle Plaine (W) 33-17
Montgomery (W) 34-22
Le Center (W) 40-30
St. James (W) 41-33
Cleveland (W) 25-15
DISTRICT 13 TOURNAMENT
Prior Lake (W) 30-23
New Prague (W) N/A
Le Sueur (L) 48-13
Final overall record 10-4 (8-3 in regular season)
Second place in District 13