Sports : Vikette and Cyclone hoops star Monica Huelman Zaruba to join IHSGAU Hall of Fame

Monica Huelman Zaruba with her favorite team blanket.

Former Vikette and Cyclone Monica Huelman Zaruba has joined the IHSGAU Hall of Fame.

When Monica Huelman Zaruba first joined the Vinton-Shellsburg High School girls basketball team as a freshman in the fall of 1992, coach Harold Shepherd knew right away that she would make history at her school and beyond.

"I could tell from the start that she would have a lasting impact on basketball, not only at Vinton-Shellsburg, but throughout Iowa," said Shep on Thursday, the day before Monica joined the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union Hall of Fame.

Monica indeed had a lasting impact on Iowa and beyond. After helping the Vikettes get to the State Tournament three years in a row, she was a member of the Iowa State University team that went to the NCAA tournament all four years, from 1997-2000. She hit a 3-point shot in the 1999 Women's NCAA tournament that sent the Cyclones to the Elite 8 for the first time, with a victory over perennial powerhouse Connecticut.

On Friday evening, Monica will join the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union Hall of Fame. Some of her stats from the mid-1990s are still in the Iowa Class 3A record books. She had eight blocked shots in one game, and 22 in the three games of the 1996 tournament. The Vikettes' only loss that season was in the championship game. They had won the state title in 1995. She also scored 72 points during those three games in 1996.

In her seven state tournament games, she averaged 21.4 points a game while shooting 63 percent from the field with 38 blocked shots. Her eight blocks versus Crestwood in the 1995 state tournament remains a Class 3A state tournament record. She earned first team all-state honors twice and finished her high school career with 1,809 points with 663 career rebounds.

Shep nominated Monica for the Hall of Fame. He said that as a hard-working and very smart player, Monica knew how to use her size (6'3") to her advantage.

"It's a huge honor for me," said Monica. "I'm thrilled that Shep nominated me and happy to represent the Vinton-Shellsburg school district."

Monica, along with Kristi Kincaid (Waterloo West) and Linda Sayavongchanh (Des Moines Lincoln) will be introduced during halftime of the Class 1A championship game of the State Tournament Friday evening.

Monica has spent some time over the past few days sharing her memories of her days at Vinton-Shellsburg and IowaState.

"Shep was very intimidating as a coach because he was so passionate and knowledgeable about the sport," she recalls. "He had built a dynasty with girls hoops at Vinton, coached a lot of great players and had an intensely dedicated coaching staff alongside him for many years. They knew and loved 'the system.'"

Playing for that V-S program and Shep was a lot of fun, Monica says.

"I absolutely LOVED our fan base and community support. The "Thunderdome" (now the middle school gym) was dreaded by other schools. One of my best friends, former ISU teammate and roommate Stacy Frese Huber, said she always hated when her team, C.R. Washington, had to come play in our gym. She said 'That stage was always PACKED and it was so LOUD!'"

After graduating from V-S in 1996, Monica was the first recruit of Bill Fennelly as he tried to rebuild the ISU program.

"Obviously, attending ISU was a very wise decision on my part. I was fortunate enough to play with some amazingly talented athletes and participated in four NCAA tournaments," says Monica.

Another factor in her decision was the agriculture program at ISU.

"I could focus on my Horticulture degree, as ISU has one of the top Horticulture programs in nation," she says.

Currently, Monica runs the nursery sales department of Country Landscapes, and lives in Boone with her husband, Terry.
She says she is currently only a basketball fan.

"I no longer play nor do I coach," she says. "It's nice to be the 'fan' for a change! I will always follow IowaState- our motto is 'Once a Cyclone, Always a Cyclone.' It's fun to watch the ISU women play, and believe it or not, they still run some of the same plays that we ran while I was on the team!"

We Just Had to ask…

There is such a thing as a stupid question, and the list of questions we asked Monica included two of them. She graciously answered them anyway, telling that as the daughter of VSHS driver's ed teacher Ken Huelman, she says her only driving offense is driving too perfectly. And she made it clear that she is an ISU fan, rendering our standard "Iowaor ISU" question both silly and moot.

Q. Is there anything that your family asks you not to cook, ever again?

A. No. I'm a "grillpotwaver" (griller, crockpotter and microwaver). It's pretty hard to screw things up using any of those 3 appliances!

Q. Does it matter in your house which way the toilet paper roll goes?

A. I don't care how it's on, just as long as it makes it to the holder.

Q. Tell us about your favorite chair:

A. Our computer chair is a family heirloom. Apparently my grandmother got it from my great-grandmother and reupholstered it, then my great aunt Bonnie had it (grandma's sister)....there was some argument between the two about the chair; Grandma won. It then went to my mom who gave it to me. We made it into our computer chair and couldn't love it more!!!

Q. Funniest memory as a parent:

A. No children yet, we just got married last July in Las Vegas! Viva Las Vegas!!!

Q. Best fast food sandwich ever?

A. Jimmy John's sub shop sandwich #1 - The Pepe. YUM.

Q. What was your first job?

A. Babysitting

Q. If you were to get a traffic citation it would most likely be for….

A. Driving too perfectly...um yeah, that's it. I'm a Driver's Ed teachers daughter!!!

Q. One place in the world you really, really wish you could visit?

A. Alaska. My sister worked there for a while; she always had amazing photos and stories!

Q. First pet you remember?

A. Sunshine - a bright yellow parakeet.....it was mean and had red eyes!

Q. Who was your favorite teacher, and why?

A. Is this a trick question? All V/S teachers were and currently are AMAZING!!!!

Q. Tell us about a favorite Christmas present you have received:

A. I got a boy cabbage patch kid when I was younger. Hugh Derek was his name....my mom probably wrestled people to the floor in the store for it during "the great 80's Cabbage Patch Kid craze" :) Way to go mom!

Q. Strangest thing you did at work that was not part of your official job description?

A. Took a donkey to the Collegeof Veterinary Medicineat ISU to get its heels trimmed.

Q. What is your favorite big word?

A. I've lived a big life (we've got big genetics).... so I'm boycotting big words. I like small words, like LOVE, HOPE, and JOY :)

Q. Tell us about one of your pet peeves?

A. Just one? Making double the work, do it right the first time!!!

Q. What book or author you have not read, but should?

A. I've read too many books, I wouldn't even know who I've missed off-hand....I LOVE to read! I'm open to suggestions!!!

Q. What happens to the missing socks in the laundry?

A. They go to the "dusting" rag bag and never get used.

Q. Iowa or Iowa State (or other)?

A. Seriously, never compare the 2 with me again. I bleed cardinal and gold.

Q. Was there something your parents said to you, over and over, that you, would growing up, said to yourself, "I will never say that to my kids?"

A. Are you kidding...my parents rocked! They were perfect and never, ever annoyed me. P.S. - they're reading this right now and FYI I love sarcasm.

Q. Worst TV show ever?

A. The Kardashians - they have all the money in the world and can't act. Sadly, I'm addicted to them. WHY???

Q. Best TV show ever?

A. Modern Family

Q. What is your dream car?

A. A nice big pickup that can haul a LOT of stuff..... and if you're buying, I'll take one of those hemi things with it too!!!

Q. Tell us your favorite joke

A. My dad used to handwrite me letters in college and after his signoff he would sometimes add "P.S. I would have included money, but I already sealed the envelope."

Q. Fill in the blank: In a perfect winter, it would snow…..

A. A LOT!! I bought new snowshoes this winter and never got to use them :(

Q. Name your favorite:

Comic strip: Garfield

Candy bar: Cadbury Egg

Ice cream: Cake Batter

Color: Pink

Sports team: Cyclones!

Song: John Cougar Mellencamp "SmallTown"

Poem: Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

Planet: Earth!

What do you miss most about Vinton, or VSHS?

The community feeling. I love the stores in downtown Vinton, the awesome movie theater, historical sites (like the old BrailleSchool, old EastElementary School), the MEMORIES (when I drive by the old high school, the Skating rink, etc.). We bought a house in Boone, Iowabecause it's similar in size to Vinton, the perfect size!

Viking/Vikette Hall of Fame Information

An athlete in several sports, Monica has also been a member of the Vinton-Shellsburg Viking/Vikette Hall of Fame. The information from her VS Hall of Fame induction is listed below:

MONICA HUELMAN

GRADUATED IN 1996

EARNED 12 VARSITY LETTERS IN BASKETBALL, TRACK, VOLLEYBALL, SOFTBALL

TRACK

HOLDS SCHOOL RECORD IN DISCUS

3 TIME DRAKE RELAYS QUALIFIER IN DISCUS

PLACED 4TH AT STATE MEET IN DISCUS THROW

VOLLEYBALL

1ST TEAM ALL CONFERENCE- 1994, 1995

WAMAC CHAMPIONS- 1995

BASKETBALL

1ST TEAM ALL CONFERENCE- 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996

1ST TEAM ALL STATE- 1994, 1995, 1996

ALL-TIME LEADER FOR SCORING, REBOUNDS, BLOCKED SHOTS & FIELD GOAL %

1996 JACK NORTH AWARD FOR BASKETBALL

1996 GAZETTE FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

1996 VIKETTE OF THE YEAR

1996 BERNIE SAGGAU AWARD WINNER

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK- KCRG, WMT

PLAYED BASKETBALL AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY