Bulldog Athletic Hall of Fame
The success of the 1990-2000 women’s basketball team elevated the Bulldog women’s program from competing and winning on a conference scale to competing and winning on a national level. Kevin Engellant was in his fourth season as head coach.
Western won the Frontier Conference tournament title in a thrilling, cliff-hanger finish when they edged previously unbeaten and at the time, the NAIA’s No. 1 team, the Lewis-Clark State Warriors (Idaho) 82-80. Hollywood couldn’t have scripted the finish any better.
With possession of the ball, a one-point lead and six-seconds remaining in the game, the Warriors called a time-out. Out of the time-out, Lewis-Clark took a quick shot and missed. Dillon sophomore Alison Burlingame grabbed the rebound, dribbled to half court, stopped and launched the shot that was soon nicknamed “the shot heard round the Frontier!”
As if guided by radar, the ball’s flight followed a steady bead to the basket and went in with a swish! The Bulldogs were conference tournament champs and the Frontier’s automatic berth to the NAIA national tournament. The conference tournament title was the first in program history.
The trip to Jackson, Tenn. and the national tournament was also a first, but the Bulldogs weren’t done making history. Western opened the tournament with a 79-60 win over Vanguard (Calif.). The win was their first at the national tournament, but not their last. Sadly, the Bulldogs first trip to nationals ended in the second round against Southern Nazarene (Okla.).
Burlingame earned first team all-conference honors, and teammates Bobbi Suhr and Trish Jones received honorable mention honors. Burlingame and Suhr are individual members of the Hall of Fame.
