Ex-Hawks, Cyclones played for pride during Iowa Games

GILBERT - The only thing at stake Sunday was pride, which still was enough for women's basketball teams comprised of former Iowa and Iowa State players to want to beat their in-state rivals in the Iowa Games.

“My competitive edge will never go away,” said Randi Peterson, the former Iowa forward now coaching at Coe College.

Peterson headed up a group of some ex-Hawkeyes, which included recent players like Stacy Schlapkohl and Wendy Ausdemore, who now works in the athletics department at Coe and is one of Peterson's assistants.

Coe entered a pair of teams made up of current and incoming players.

Peterson's team was part of a three-way tie for the gold medal in their division. It beat the group led by former Cyclone guard Heather Ezell by a score of 58-45. Ezell and Nicky Wieben, seniors two seasons ago when ISU reached the Elite Eight, tried to carry the load for the ‘Has Beens.'

Ezell rallied her team to within five points with

6 1/2 minutes to play, but Ausdemore got hot and the ‘Gonzos' closed with a flurry.

“We are still competitive and wanted to win, but at the same time we're out there joking around and when you foul them you say sorry,” Ausdemore said.

Peterson's Coe teams have gotten together players for this event in each of her four seasons.

They came into the weekend as defending champions.

“They just ask me when it is and I tell them,” said Peterson, the 2010 Iowa Conference coach of the year, whose Kohawks went 19-8 and won their first regular-season title. “And they tell me I also have to get a team. It's harder for me to find players. The older people get the less they want to do it.”

Peterson's last season at Iowa was in 2001. She was a three-year starter and an all-Big Ten performer.

These days she's traded in basketball shoes for running shoes and competes in triathlons.

She's also is having a blast coaching.

Four of Peterson's players were named to the all-conference team and the Kohawks led the league in several categories. Their 19 wins last year were the second-most in school history.

“Coe's been really good to me and our team has progressively more fun to watch and coach,” Peterson said. “I've been fortunate to have really great kids.”

She's been an organizing force behind the 5-on-5 basketball at the Iowa Games.

Drake, Kirkwood Community College and Central College all entered teams at one time or another over the last few years. She'd love to see more of the state schools represented and expand the field.

“I don't know why other teams don't get together. It's a cool experience,” Peterson said.