Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 1974, Dubuque Wahlert captured the first of the school’s 18 state championships in volleyball. One of the most dominant runs by one school in a single sport, the Golden Eagles continue to soar above the net as the gold standard for the “Volleyball Capital of Iowa.”
Iowa officially certified volleyball as a high school sport in 1974, and Dubuque sent both Wahlert and Dubuque Senior to the state tournament held in Des Moines. Both teams advanced to the state final, allowing Dubuque to lay claim to the title of “Volleyball Capital of Iowa.” The program went on to establish a standard of excellence largely unparalleled in Iowa team sports by capturing state championships in 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996,2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2016.
Notable alumni of the program include 2007 graduate and libero for the USA at the Rio Olympics Kayla Banwart, 1993 graduate Jen Boleyn who went on to play at Ohio State, 1988 graduate Janine Gremmel, who went on to play at Texas, 1997 graduate Jill Gremmel who also starred for the Longhorns, 2017 graduate Mackenzie May who went on to play beach volleyball at UCLA, 2003 graduate Stephanie May who played at UNI, 1993 graduate Jennifer McFadden, and many others.
Coach Tom Keating, the head man for the Golden Eagles for eleven of the school's 18 state volleyball championships, helped maintain a standard of excellence for Dubuque Wahlert after arriving at the school in 1980. After leaving the program in 2004 to become a principal at Cedar Rapids Xavier, Keating went on to become the sixth executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association. In 2003, the NFHS named Keating the National Coach of the Year for volleyball. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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