Anoka-Ramsey Community College women’s basketball team carries on winning tradition

Even if you’re a die hard basketball fan, you may have missed it. You may have followed the University of Minnesota’s success in the NCAA Division I women’s tournament. You probably knew Connecticut beat Tennessee to win its second straight Division I title. But there was another basketball success story – right here in the Twin Cities. You’ll find it in Coon Rapids, home of the Anoka-Ramsey Community College women’s team – one of the top two-year college programs in the nation. And to the nine Golden Rams players and three assistant coordinators, the 2002-03 season offered up just as much drama and excitement as the high-profile Division I seasons.

Anoka Ramsey Community College’s record speaks for itself: six National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) tournament appearances and four titles (1994, 1997, 1998, 1999) over the past nine seasons. The 2002-03 Golden Rams carried on the tradition, racking up an overall record of 26 wins and only five losses.

All-American Team Dynamics
The three players that took the lead on the court for the Rams were guards Lindsey Williams and Alexis Bradseth, and center Angel Leon. All three were named to the All-State first team. Bradseth was named to the NJCAA All-American second team and Leon was named to the NJCAA All-American first team.

Williams came to Anoka-Ramsey as a transfer student from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire — a Division III program. She became known for outstanding play during key moments and was named team MVP.

Bradseth, a 2001 graduate from Delano High School, was Head Coach Keith Lindahl’s first recruit.

“The most impressive thing about Alexis is her quick hands,” explains Lindahl. “She averaged more than six steals each game in two seasons (at Anoka-Ramsey). She’s a great player and wonderful to coach.”

Bradseth credits her love of basketball to her primary supporter, her Mom, who signed her up as a sixth-grader. When asked about choosing Anoka-Ramsey Community College for her post-high school basketball career, Bradseth emphasized the opportunity to play.

“I was offered half scholarships to attend (NCAA) Division II schools but there was no guarantee to play,” she says. “Keith talked to me and my high school coach at the state (high school 2001) tournament. I knew I’d get playing time here, and I thought it would be a better experience than sitting on the bench somewhere else.”

Bradseth describes her freshman season as a rebuilding opportunity with hopes for a winning season as a sophomore. But what she didn’t anticipate was the addition of a new teammate who came on the scene fall semester, 2002. That new teammate was Angel Leon — a 6 foot, 3 inch former Division I performer as a Minnesota Gopher and Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroo.

“I couldn’t figure out why a Division I player would want to come here,” says Bradseth. “We were a little afraid that she was going to come in and take over.”

Positive tip off
Leon had played three years of varsity basketball for St. Francis High School, was recruited by the University of Minnesota coach, and became a Gopher after graduation in 2000. Leon made the switch to the University of Missouri, Kansas City just before the start of her sophomore season due to a change in the team’s direction.

After a disappointing experience in Missouri, she chose to return home to Minnesota and contemplated quitting basketball altogether.

“I decided to call Keith (Lindahl) and asked to walk on with the team,” Leon says. “He happened to be home when I called and said it would be great!

“There were so many unknowns going into this year. Would this be the positive year I was hoping for, or would it be another disappointment? The other girls were a little tentative with me at first, but once we were all on the floor, they realized that I just wanted to play. Our relationship on and off the floor flowed and came together really fast.”

According to Lindahl, Leon was “easily the most dominating player in the state.”

On the move
Lindahl runs what his players describe as an open-communication environment. After games, players as well as coaches are encouraged to speak up and discuss what went right and wrong. The result of that environment came after a loss in the Minnesota Community College Conference championship game.

“After our loss to Bethany (Lutheran College), we didn’t just sit back and think it was over,” Leon explains. “A lot of the players spoke up, and we all decided that it was just one game that we didn’t take care of. Now let’s get back out there and take care of the next.”

The next happened to be a three-game sweep of the State Tournament and then on to regions for a match up against Minneapolis Community and Technical College — whom they lost to twice in the regular season.

The Golden Rams stepped back on the floor against Minneapolis with a vengeance. According to Lindahl, this game was a shining example Williams’ talent. And it was this talent that earned a trip to Corning Community College in Corning, New York for the NJCAA National Championship in March.

Not a chance
The Rams arrived in the modest rural community with confidence. They were looking forward to enjoying every part of the national tournament, including the town of Corning. However, there was no way they could prepare for what lay ahead.

“We were surprised that the airport only had one baggage claim, and the town had one main street,” Leon says. “We went shopping for souvenirs, but we could only find antique shops. It was hilarious!”

The team gathered for lunch at a local restaurant and then set out for some sightseeing. The first event of the tournament was a banquet, during which that the events of the day came to haunt the team.

“I was the first to get sick,” says Bradseth. “It hit me during the banquet, and I actually needed one of the assistant coaches to help get me back to my room.”

Bradseth’s mother arrived in Corning later that night, and as soon as she saw her daughter, took her straight to the hospital. Bradseth was treated for dehydration and hoped that it was a mere flu that would soon pass.

As it turned out, the flu would have been a blessing. It was food poisoning that struck six of the eleven players, four of whom had to be treated at the local hospital for dehydration.

The following day was the first day of tournament play and the Golden Rams were scheduled to face Mohawk Valley Community College that evening — a game they were highly favored to win.

“It was horrible,” says Bradseth. “We had trash cans surrounding our bench, just in case, ice chips to wet our mouths and cold rags to cool our fevers.”

The Rams endured a loss that evening and the Mohawk Valley coach was rumored to have said that his team was lucky the Rams weren’t healthy or the game would have gone the other way.

“We were so focused on winning the national championship, that only food poisoning would have kept us from getting it,” says Lindahl. “With all due respect to Mohawk Valley, they would be an average team at best in our conference. There is no doubt in my mind that Anoka-Ramsey would be the national champions if not for food-poisoning.”

Tournament play continued the following evening for the Rams — in the consolation bracket —against Passaic County Community College from Paterson, N.J. The players continued to suffer from food poisoning but showed incredible poise and strength in a 90-48 win.

Bradseth earned a triple-double that night, and according to the NJCAA Web site, she led the nation in steals for the season. Leon broke the single-game tournament record with 29 rebounds. Leon also broke the national record for rebounds in a season with 502 and was later named outstanding athlete of the year for Anoka-Ramsey Community College.

“When you go into a season, you just want to play,” explains Leon. “Then the records and being named All-American add so much more.

“I don’t think I could have asked for a better coach or group of girls to help build my confidence. It’s good to know that there are experiences out there that aren’t so negative. The surroundings here (at Anoka-Ramsey Community College) really made everything work out. This year has set me up for more achievements.”

Leon is completing her associate degree this spring and will continue her basketball career at Winona State University in Winona, Minn. this fall. She plans to major in physical education with an adapted physical education licensure and a coaching minor. Her dream is to coach basketball and pass along some of the positive experiences she enjoyed as a player.

Bradseth is also completing her associate degree this spring and plans to continue her education in dental hygiene at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn. This season was the end of her competitive basketball career, but she says that she will continue to play on leagues.

“I would recommend Anoka-Ramsey Community College to anyone who wants to get out and play right away,” says Bradseth. “It’s a great way to fine-tune your skills if you’re thinking about going to a larger school. It’s also a great place to start if you’re not sure what you want to do (in college) right away.”

Williams is stepping up her game to the Division II program of Concordia University, St. Paul to play with for the former Anoka-Ramsey Community College coach, Paul Fessler. Fessler who coached the Golden Rams to three national titles and a second place finish in posting a 101-18 record in four seasons.

No, it’s not UConn, Syracuse or the University of Minnesota. But when it comes to two-year college women’s basketball programs, it doesn’t get any better than this.

“The program's future is very bright, mostly due to location and past success,” Lindahl explains. “When a player knows AR (Anoka-Ramsey Community College) has a chance to go to the national tournament, and we are so close, many of them really like that. But the coaches at AR have always gone out and recruited very hard because the player has to feel wanted by a school, and to fit into the coach's style of play. Anoka-Ramsey should continue to have a very successful women's program.”