Iowa History Daily: On March 20, 1993, Central College won the NCAA Division III national championship. Led by Emilie Hanson and Tracy Wilson, Gary Boeyink’s Flying Dutch reeled off five straight postseason wins to take the title on their home court.
Central took a 19-5 record into the postseason. The Dutch knocked off Augustana (Illinois), Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Wartburg to qualify for the NCAA Division III Final Four. Selected as the host site, Central welcomed no. 1-ranked College of St. Benedict to a standing room only crowd in the Kuyper Gym. Hanson connected on a last-second put-back to help the Dutch capture a 60-59 upset Wilson led the Dutch with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks..
In the championship match-up against Ohio’s Capital University, the Dutch fell behind 25-15 during the first half. Roaring back, Central claimed a 37-33 lead at the half. Back behind 56-55 with under four minutes to play, the Dutch reclaimed a lead they wouldn’t give back on a Wilson layup with 3:34 to play. Hanson finished with 26 points, while Wilson contributed 17 points, and Chris Rogers provided a critical block down the stretch to help Central claim the championship.
“I thought that if everything goes right and if we’re lucky, it could happen,” Coach Gary Boeyink said. “It’s not the kind of thing were you thought we’re definitely going to do it.” Central did it, claiming the sixth NCAA Division III national championship in the school’s athletics history. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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