Coach Gordon Reimer, 2008-09 women's basketball team named to Kansas Wesleyan Hall of Fame

There was nothing to suggest, five games into the season, that anything special was happening with the 2008-09 Kansas Wesleyan women's basketball team.

The Coyotes were 2-3 and seemingly headed nowhere, when coach Gordon Reimer called out team captains Emily Luckeroth and Kaylaen Dittmer during a meeting in his office.

"It was some pretty tough and direct feedback about how we were doing as leaders and how we needed to step up," Dittmer said. "Honestly, I really think that was the biggest changing point for the team because Emily and I really took it upon ourselves that we're going to be leaders."

Reimer's words clearly struck a nerve, because the Coyotes suddenly went on a tear, winning 25 of their next 28 games on the way to a 27-6 record — their best in 21 years — while tying for the Kansas Conference regular-season title at 16-2 and claiming the conference postseason tournament championship.

For their accomplishments, the 2008-09 Coyotes were named Wednesday to the KWU Athletic Hall of Fame. Wesleyan is announcing one member of the 2022 class each Wednesday through Aug. 24. Last week the 2006-07 men's basketball team led off the announcements.

The five new members will be inducted during an Oct. 22 ceremony on Saturday of Wesleyan's homecoming and family weekend. Reimer, who coached the Coyotes for eight years, also will be enshrined as an individual.

For the 2008-09 Coyote women, what made it’s the season all the more special was a pair of victories over perennial league power Sterling. They beat the No. 5-ranked Warriors in a regular-season matchup at brand-new Mabee Arena and then went on the road to knock them off for the conference tournament championship, the first time they had won at Sterling since 1980.

They then advanced to the NAIA Division II national tournament, where they knocked off Aquinas (Mich.) in the first round for their 15th straight victory before falling to Black Hills State (S.D.) in the second.

"They wanted to win the championship as much as I did, and they bought into everything that I wanted to do in the program, offensively and defensively," said Reimer, who was named KCAC coach of the year. "They deserved it because they really put their hearts into it."

In addition to Reimer's honor, Dittmer was named conference player of the year and was joined by the all-KCAC first team by fellow guards Luckeroth and LaCole Wilkinson. Jennie Vopat received honorable mention.

As Wesleyan's head coach from 2004-12, Reimer posted a 140-105 record, including an 84-60 conference mark, winning two conference championships and taking the Coyotes to the national tournament three times. He also coached the KWU volleyball team from 2004-06.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Kansas Wesleyan's 2008-09 women's basketball named to KWU Hall of Fame