Allee Gymnasium anchors 75 years of Morningside athletics

By Chad Benson '90, Morningside University President 

The George M. Allee Gymnasium, now the centerpiece of the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center, has been the beating heart of Morningside University athletics since its grand opening in December 1949.

For over 75 years, this hallowed venue has witnessed the evolution of school spirit, from the Maroons to the Maroon Chiefs to the Mustangs. It has hosted legendary teams, fierce rivalries in the North Central Conference (NCC) and later the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), unforgettable championship runs, and countless community events that bind generations of alumni, students, and Sioux City families.

When George M. Allee Gymnasium welcomed its first crowds, it replaced an outdated facility and quickly became a versatile hub for basketball, commencements, concerts, and local gatherings. Named for George M. Allee, the intimate arena (with its original capacity around 2,500-5,000 depending on configuration) established itself as a true home-court advantage, its echoes amplifying every cheer, every buzzer-beater, and every moment of grit.

The Maroons Era (1949-1959): Building FoundationsThe Maroons era featured gritty NCC battles. Albert "Buck" Buckingham led the men's basketball team to an NCC championship in the early 1950s, with the 1950-51 squad later enshrined in the M-Club Hall of Fame for its tough, determined style that packed the stands with maroon-clad fans. Standouts like Bill Lyle (Class of 1952, inducted 1971) brought skill and leadership in the gym's inaugural years.

Women's sports also took root here. Women's basketball had deep origins at Morningside dating to the early 1900s. The new Allee Gym provided a proper stage for emerging intercollegiate play in basketball and volleyball, laying traditions of resilience even as programs operated on a smaller scale pre-Title IX.

Christening the Chiefs (1959-1998): Intensified Competition and Legends

In 1959, the nickname evolved to the Maroon Chiefs, ushering in nearly four decades of heightened intensity. The dynamic Maroon Chiefs logo rallied crowds for epic NCC showdowns in the packed gym.

Chuck Obye (head coach 1957-1973) defined the early Chiefs era with steady leadership across the 1960s and early 1970s. Players like Dave Mulder (arrived 1957, graduated-1961, inducted 1974) brought energy during the transition.

Dan Callahan (1973-1986) built on that foundation, highlighted by the standout 1975 team that defied expectations and the 1982-83 men's basketball squad (inducted into the M-Club Hall of Fame). That championship team posted a 26-6 overall record and a 15-3 conference mark, claiming the NCC title and advancing to the NCAA Division II Final Four, first in program history.

The journey featured thrilling regional wins over Nebraska-Omaha (80-79) and North Dakota State (79-77), a quarterfinal victory against Jacksonville State (91-90) in Sioux City, and a semifinal loss to the University of the District of Columbia. Standouts included Steve Brandsma, Mark Faber, Daryl Schnoes, and M-Club Hall of Famer Bob Beneke (14.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, first-team All-NCC).

Phil McCracken (1986-1990) and Jerry Schmutte (1990-2001) guided the program through the later Chiefs years and into the Mustang transition. Schmutte stands as one of only three men's basketball coaches in Morningside history with a winning record over multiple seasons.

Earlier contributors like 1981 inductee Dave Waleryszak '60 excelled in basketball and baseball, fueling overtime thrillers and rivalries against foes like South Dakota State and North Dakota.

In 1991, Chief and M-Club Hall of Famer Chris Kuhlmann set the program's career scoring record at 1,950 points—a mark that defined an era of packed gyms and rising noise.

The venue also showcased versatility. Wrestling thrived under Arnie Brandt (head coach 1963-1977), whose 1967-68 squad went undefeated at 11-0 in duals, won the Upper Iowa Invitational and Morningside Quadrangular, placed third in the NCC, and produced All-Americans including Dennis Christenson (team MVP, NAIA national runner-up at 177 lbs.), Pete Middleton (NCC champion at 191 lbs.), Bill Simpson, and Al Baxter.

In a historic 1973 highlight, Allee Gym hosted the NAIA national wrestling tournament finals, welcoming over 400 wrestlers. Vic Wallace followed briefly (1977-1978). The program was later discontinued in 1979 before a modern revival.

Bud Brockman (longtime coach and athletic director, active in multiple sports including women's basketball and track in the 1960s-80s) contributed grit to Lady Chiefs teams, building on early foundations amid the post-Title IX expansion.

The Lady Chiefs volleyball program captured conference titles, including the 1981-82 lo-Iota Conference championship with a perfect 12-0 record.

In 1995, the gym received modernization with a new playing floor and upgraded bleachers to meet growing demands.

Mustangs Bring Fresh Energy (1998-Present)

The switch to the Mustangs moniker in 1998, with its fierce galloping logo at center court, injected new pride while honoring maroon-and-white traditions.

Men's basketball bridged eras with standouts like center Jason Siemon and Ken Stripling (all-time leading scorer at graduation with 912 points, later M-Club inductee). Jim Sykes (2003-2021) provided stability before becoming VP for Athletics and became the winningest men's basketball coach in Morningside history. Trent Miller '14 (associate head coach before taking over in 2021-present) now leads the program, continuing home-court intensity with recent GPAC battles and upsets like the 2023 victory over Dordt.

The career scoring record continued its climb in Allee. After Kuhlmann's 1,950, Brad Schmit (Mustang, M-Club Hall of Famer) reached 1,987 by 2006. Danny Rudeen posted 1,974. In 2025, Joey Skoff reset the modern peak at 2,328 points—another legend forged in this gym.

Women's basketball soared to national prominence under Jamie Sale (seventh head coach in program history, named in 2001-present). Previously successful at Briar Cliff, Sale has compiled a remarkable record at Morningside and now boasts over 700 career wins (part of a 703-225 career mark), earning multiple NAIA Division II National Coach of the Year honors.

His teams captured back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005, another in 2009 (undefeated 38-0), and 2015 (37-1), packing Allee with electric crowds and producing Hall of Fame talents. The 2004-05 championship team itself earned M-Club induction.

Earlier benchmarks include Amy Wilhelm's 2,332 career points (1987) and Megan (Cloud) Ganz's 2,209 (2001-05). In January 2022, Sierra Mitchell set the current standard at 2,348 points.

Women's volleyball delivered consistent GPAC excellence from the 2000s onward, with strong tournament showings, All-Conference honors, dynamic attacks, and tenacious defense. Beth Donnelly was named head coach in 2014. Jessica Squier took the reins ahead of the 2020 season, bringing 15+ years of experience and continuing the program's vibrant atmosphere in Allee. Earlier teams in the Chiefs era built the foundation for these competitive seasons.

Wrestling returned to prominence in the Mustang era. Tim Jager (2003-2012) helped reestablish the program, followed by Jake Stevenson (2012-2023). Rulin Pederson leads as head coach (2023-present), with recent highlights including a 2025-26 Senior Night win over Briar Cliff (26-9) and alumni recognition events honoring past greats.

Men's volleyball, a newer addition, launched as a varsity program around 2014 under founding head coach Scott Tschetter (named 2013). Noah Marasco-Ayau now serves as head coach, bringing fresh energy and recent successes like GPAC Championship appearances and coaching honors. The program adds to Allee's versatility, filling the gym with new rhythms of spikes and blocks.

A Timeless Treasure: Renovation and Legacy

The 2007 renovation and rededication as the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center, made possible by generous donors Tom Rosen '70 and Donald Verdoorn '55, added a new lobby, M-Club Room overlooking the court, and expanded amenities. Yet the original Allee Gymnasium core remains the intimate battleground where history lives.

Championship banners from the 1982-83 Final Four run, women's national titles (2004, 2005, 2009, 2015), and countless conference crowns hang alongside memories of earlier triumphs, creating a visual timeline of perseverance.

What sets Allee apart is its role as a bridge across eras. Alumni who cheered Maroons or Chiefs return to watch Mustangs, swapping stories of classic games and legendary coaches with current students. Generations of Sioux City families have forged memories here, first games as kids, nail-biting conference clashes, overtime thrillers, and championship celebrations.

The roar of the crowd, the bounce of the ball, and the pride in maroon and white unite them all.

From its 1949 debut as the Maroons' fortress through the Chiefs' glory years and into the Mustangs' modern dynasty, George M. Allee Gymnasium (Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center) stands as a testament to perseverance, excellence, and community.

It has evolved with the university, through nickname changes, conference shifts (NCC to GPAC), renovations, and the addition of programs like men's volleyball, yet its soul endures.

Here's to every coach who poured heart into these floors—Buckingham, Obye, Callahan, McCracken, Schmutte, Sykes, Miller, Sale, Brandt, Jager, Stevenson, Pederson, Brockman, Donnelly, Squier, Tschetter, Marasco-Ayau, and all who came before or assisted along the way.

To the 1982-83 heroes, the national championship dynasties, the record-breakers like Kuhlmann, Schmit, Skoff, Wilhelm, Ganz, and Mitchell, and to many more years of victories under this roof.