Editor’s note: Sometimes Krista recruits her former teammates to talk about what playing basketball for the Lady Griz means to them. This week, Linda Weyler Jacobson weighs in on the Lady Griz tradition.
By LINDA WEYLER
Every year, the Lady Griz team has new faces. Underclassmen are now upperclassmen, and seniors have chosen their career paths. Change happens — change is good and necessary.
But, in my eyes, the honor of being a Lady Griz is forever.
The tradition of the Lady Griz started for me when I was in 7th grade. I would sit with my yellow Sony Walkman and listen to the announcer call out the play-by-play for the Lady Griz games. Through the years, I would imagine myself at Dahlberg Arena watching Carla Beattie nail a game-winning free throw or Shannon Cate make another clutch play to win the game.
Fast-forward to my senior year of high school. I got a call from Robin Selvig asking me if I would like to play for the University of Montana Lady Griz. I nearly fell over. My face turned red as a tomato. I think most basketball-loving girls would answer “Yes!” without hesitation. I told him, “I have to call you back. I have to ask my parents.”
Of course, the answer would eventually be yes. Imagine being able to be part of the team you admire and have followed for most of your life. Amazement, respect, and the Lady Griz tradition soon became my reality in 1995, when I pulled my socks up high and laced up my shoes to take the court with the team I loved for the first time.
Right now, there is a young woman making a plan to become a Lady Griz. She is putting hours upon hours in at the gym, foregoing playing with friends over the summer to go to all the camps, watching game film, and playing against the boys’ team. She wants that rare feeling of putting on the Lady Griz jersey and hearing her number announced in front of the proud and loyal fans of Dahlberg Arena.
There are very few girls who grow up that get to wear the Maroon and Silver. I was lucky enough to be the last team to wear Copper and Gold!
For me, the Lady Griz legacy lives on.
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Want more Lady Griz hoops? Check out the All Things Lady Griz archive page.
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Linda Weyler Jacobson played for the Lady Griz from 1995-2000. Linda now lives in Las Vegas with her husband, Brian. Linda stays at home with her two boys, Sam and Rawley. She also works part-time as the social media director for an apartment management company. In her spare time she posts about all things baby, family, health, and parenting on her own Facebook page, The Helpful Sister, and Twitter @Helpfulsister. Just like she did as a kid, Linda follows the Lady Griz via radio.