Success in the 70’s
Rochester high school girls flocked to the playing fields and courts after the passage of Title IX in 1972. Here were some of the earliest successes:
1974— Mayo qualifies for the inaugural MSHSL state volleyball tournament held at Anoka H.S. The Spartans under coach Katherine "Kak" Johnson went 1-2 and finish sixth. Only one other city team has ever went to state in volleyball, Mayo again in 2008.
1974— Lourdes reaches the first girls tennis state tournament under coach Dick Sherman and finishes second to Minnetonka. Tennis expanded to two classes in 1978.
1975— Lourdes reaches the girls basketball winter state tournament under coach Dick Sherman. This was the last year of two seasons (fall and winter) in Minnesota girls basketball. It was also the first of 17 state tournaments for Lourdes girls basketball; the Eagles have won a record eight state titles.
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1975— Lourdes reaches the first girls cross country state tournament and finishes third. Coach Myron Glass would lead the Eagles to 20 more cross country state tourneys.
1976— Mayo gymnastics team qualifies for the first of three straight trips to the state tournament. No city gymnastics team has gone to state since.
1976— Lourdes qualifies for the inaugural single-season (winter) girls basketball state tournament under coach Dick Sherman and wins the consolation (fifth-place) trophy.
1977— John Marshall's Val Horan wins individual state track title in the 1,600-meter run in a then-record time of 4:56.7.
1977— Christy Vitse of Mayo wins individual state track title in 400-meter dash in then-record time of :55.4. Vitse also runs anchor leg on state champion mile relay team, along with Nancy Belau, Sue Higgins and Sharon Isaacson.
1978— Lourdes wins Class A tennis championship in first year of two-class state tournament with Dick Sherman as coach.
1978— Mayo's Sharon Isaacson and Sue Higgins are the Class AA doubles state champions.
1978— John Marshall finishes fourth at the Class AA state cross country meet.
