Iowa State Recognizes Trailblazer
Flarup Finally Gets Her Letter

Excerpted from July-August 2000 "Visions"
a publication of the Iowa State Alumni Association
by Mike Krapft of "The Tribune"

It was halftime of another women's basketball victory at Hilton Coliseum. And from the balcony down to the arena circle, Iowa State fans directed the warmest cheers of the night to the 115 middle-aged women marching across the court.

They were, the announcer told the crowd, trailblazers for the Cyclones.

These woman had all competed as Iowa State University student-athletes from 1968 to 1978. Those were the days the university gave golfers such as Tam Flarup one ball per meet. Those were the days outstanding women athletes weren't given a varsity letter.

But that weekend in February, Iowa State tried to do something about those days.

Women athletes were invited back to campus to get their letters and some long-overdue recognition.

There was a reception, a tour of athletic facilities, an awards luncheon, and a trip to a Cyclone women's basketball game.

More than 13,200 fans showed up to watch Iowa State beat Colorado that night.

And when the athletes from two and three decades ago filed onto the floor at halftime, everybody stood and cheered.

The announcer asked the crowd to look around at all the little girls in the stands. "They will have an opportunity," he said, "forged by the women standing before you tonight." The crowd cheered some more.

The women, their varsity letters hooked to the name tags on their sweaters and blazers and blouses, waved to the crowd, hugged each other, and looked proud to be Cyclones.

"That standing-O by the crowd cemented in my mind what we always projected when women's sports were starting -- just give us a chance to compete and then see what we can do," said Flarup, who golfed for the Cyclones in the early 1970s. "I was never more proud of Iowa State and all those original athletes than at that moment."

GOLF COURSE TO FRONT OFFICE

Flarup grew up golfing in Eagle Grove, Iowa. Her first tee times were "before I was old enough to work in the bean fields." And her first set of clubs was purchased at 14 with money she made detasselling corn.

She grew up to be the No. 1 player for the Eagles. She made it to the state meet.

When she arrived at Iowa State after one year at Iowa Central Community College, somebody told her about the women's golf team. She decided to join. "We had such camaraderie," she said. "It was a great way to make college feel small."

Small-time, unfortunately, pretty much describes the Iowa State women's golf team of that era.

The university really did provide just one new ball per meet, and not much else.

Did she ever lose that ball?

Flarup's quick, sharp laugh fills the lobby of ISU's Jacobson Athletic Building. No, she says.

Flarup has worked as a women's sports information director since 1976. She started at the University of Kansas and is now at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

She's seen how women's sports programs have improved their facilities, how federal legislation mandating equality has made a difference, how expectations have risen, how college crowds have been cheering for women athletes.

Even so, she was excited about finally receiving a varsity "I" of her own. "It is a big deal," she said. "It's a tremendous honor to be recognized for something that was important in your life. And I wanted to be here so (ISU officials) understand that it was an important step they took to do this."