The "Special K" File

Crown Point High School Career Highlights & Awards: 1984 & 1985 AP Final Four MVP 1984 & 1985 High School State Champs 1985 NHSCA & Converse All-American 1985 Indiana Player of the Year 1985 Indiana All-Star AP All State 1982 State Finals Runner-Up 1981 Semi-State Qualifier High school career scoring: 1,910 Senior year scoring average: 21.8 Played varsity freshman thru senior years

When Indiana high school girls basketball fans debate the quality of the traditional stronghold programs in the state, rarely are the Lady Bulldogs of Crown Point left out of the discussion. The first girls high school program to win back-to-back championships earned its respect during an unbelievable run in the mid-80's, when the Lady Bulldogs and Coach Tom May made three consecutive state championship game appearances in 1983, 1984 and 1985. A central player in that incredible run was Anne Kvachkoff, known to Crown Point fans back then as "Special K."

It was Hoopsmania like very few communities have seen since the start of the girls state tournament in 1976. During the mid-80s, nearly every fan in Crown Point could reel off the stats of their favorite Lady Bulldog, and patrons at the diners on the courthouse square debated the strategy for the next opponent. Large crowds followed the girls from game to game, and the familiar "WE ARE CP!" followed after every win.

During the Lady Bulldogs' two championship runs in 1984 and 1985, Anne played a pivotal role in her team's bid for the state championship. In the 1984 championship game, Anne hit the tying shot in regulation and the winning shot in overtime to pull out a 55-54 squeaker over the Warren Central Lady Warriors, which kept intact the Lady Bulldogs unbeaten record for the season. In the 48-31 championship win over Wawasee in 1985, Anne scored 17 points before a then national record-setting high school crowd of 13,520. These two championship game performances, and impressive play in the finals qualifying games, resulted in Final Four MVP honors for Anne both years.

Anne was awarded a basketball scholarship to Purdue University, where she graduated with an elementary teaching degree. In 1992-93, she held her first coaching position as girls JV coach at Crown Point while teaching elementary school in Highland. The following year, she accepted the head varsity position at Highland High School, where she brought a new standard to the program there. Coming out of a community with a strong youth basketball feeder program, Anne understood the importance of such a system to a successful varsity girls program. With the help of a persistent parent in the Highland community, the first Highland girls youth basketball program was begun and has continued to grow every year since. The Highland girls varisty program is now a legitimate contender in the tough Merrillville sectional under head coach Chris Huppenthal, who served as Anne's assistant during her tenure there.

Anne left Highland to spend more time with her children in 1995, and she is now a sixth grade teacher at Crown Point's Lake Street Elementary. Happily for Crown Point players and fans, this year she is stepping back into the coaching waters as the 7th grade girls coach at Taft Middle School in Crown Point. Her basketball career has taken her full circle to Crown Point, where she lives with her husband Art Equihua and daughter Taylor (3 1/2) and son Artie, Jr. (1 1/2).

Anne answers some questions for the Region Roundball Review with regard to her high school basketball years and about the present-day girls game:

RRR: Who were Crown Point's biggest rivals when you played, and who were some of the top players from across the state at that time?

Anne: Our main rivals were Merrillville, Lake Central, and Andrean. Some of the top players were Jodie Whitaker from Austin High School, Cheryl Dowell from the Evansville area, Maria Stockburger, and my teammate Sandy Grabowski from Crown Point.

RRR: You had such a great high school career, what do you feel separated you from other players at that point in time?

Anne: I was just very fortunate to have a great coach in Tom May and to be on a team with so many hard working and unselfish players. Our team did well, so it brought a lot of recognition for me.

RRR: Do you still keep in touch with your old teammates?

Anne: I don't keep in touch very well, but when and if any of us run into each other, it's like old times.

RRR: Crown Point has had so much success in girls basketball. What makes that program so successful year after year?

Anne: I believe that because the program has been so successful, little girls all want to be "Lady Bulldogs." So in turn, you have kids who start working towards this at a young age.

RRR: How have the girl's game and players changed since you were in high school?

Anne: The players now are much stronger. When I was in high school we never lifted weights. Now, it's part of all the programs and you can tell. Lifting weights has definitely helped players become better. More girls can shoot 3-pointers now because they're stronger.

RRR: Many girls are specializing in just one sport, especially if they have college potential. Do you agree with this concept?

Anne: I can understand why they are thinking that way, but I feel bad for them because they'll be missing out on so much. I wouldn't do it, if it were me. I played volleyball, too, and it was a great escape from basketball.

RRR: What do you think of exposure camps, such as Nike and Blue Star, and national ranking systems for players?

Anne: I think exposure camps are great if a player wants to get a scholarship, but they better be prepared for a "fight" every single day. National ranking systems are so biased -- I don't like them.

RRR: How would you describe the difference between playing at the high school level and the college level?

Anne: College is such a fast paced game. You are always pushing the ball up the floor. It's also much more physical. Every player must be able to post up and shoot from outside.

RRR: Will we see you in the coaching ranks again anytime soon?

Anne: Funny you should ask. I stopped coaching at Highland because I had a baby and wanted to spend more time with my family than coaching would allow. I'm now at the point where my husband is encouraging me to get back into it. For now, I've agreed to coach at a lower level. I'll coach 5th & 6th grade girls this fall, and then the 7th grade girls team this winter. As far as coaching at the varsity level, you won't see me there for awhile, if ever.

If you would like to write to Anne or ask her questions about the girls game as it was played in the '80s, you can e-mail her at aequihua@cps.k12.in.us.