Anoka-Ramsey women chasing another junior college title

Women's basketball coach Dave DeWitt likes to call Anoka-Ramsey Community College one of the best-kept secrets in the metro area.

But to Division III junior colleges across the country, there is nothing hidden about what Anoka-Ramsey's program has accomplished over the years. With six national titles to its credit, it is a powerhouse at its level. The school is aiming for another title as it enters Thursday's eight-team national tournament in Rochester with a 30-1 record and the No. 1 overall seed.

"Last year we had a very good team, but we weren't quite good enough defensively to win the whole thing," DeWitt said of last year's third-place finish. "This year we're significantly better."

A deep roster filled primarily with women who played high school basketball in the metro area has fueled this year's team. DeWitt has worked hard to restore that depth; Anoka-Ramsey won the national title in 2005, but all its players were in their final season of eligibility. DeWitt took over as head coach in August of 2005 and had to resort to sending a letter to every female on campus in search of players.

"I got one back that said, 'Thanks for the invite, but I'm a 45-year-old mother of three, I'm 4-foot-11, and I haven't played basketball in 25 or 30 years,'" DeWitt recalled with a laugh.

So the program canceled its season, reloaded and won another national championship during the 2006-07 season with first-year players. That was the program's most recent national title. From the sound of things, No. 7 could come in a few days.

"We come at teams in waves," assistant coach and school athletic director Dave Alto said. "Some teams can hang for a while, but throughout the course of a game we just feel like we wear people down."

MICHAEL RAND