Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Thornton, Rademaker, Harycki, Noll
----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., WI) 9/05/2012
Former Thorp Graduate to be Honored at WBCA Hall of Fame (Thornton – 13 October 2012)
On Saturday, October 13, Darlene “Dolly” (Rademaker) Thornton, formerly of Thorp will be honored at the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Hall of Fame Induction Banquet at the Madison Marriott Hotel in Middleton, Wisconsin. Dolly is being inducted in the Hall of Fame as one of the five “Player Girls” of 2012. The WBCA will also be inducting two Friends, one Referee, six Players Boys, four High School Coaches, and three college coaches from around the state.
Dolly is the youngest of eight children, with five brothers and two sisters. For her, growing up involved being a “tomboy.” She was always trying to compete and be better than the boys she played against. She wanted to be outside playing hoops whenever she could. Early on, with the guidance of her coach, Bill Harycki, she set a goal to earn a basketball scholarship.
At Thorp High School, she earned All-Conference four years in three sports, including volleyball, basketball, and softball. In volleyball, she helped her team to state twice, and received First Team All-State honors; however, basketball was her first love. Some of the awards she received were Channel 7 All Star; Chippewa Herald All-Star; Marshfield News Herald All-Star; All Northwest; and Frist Team All-State Honors. She was the leading scorer and MVP, while playing with Wisconsin AAU under Coach Keith Noll. During her high school senior year, she averaged 28.7 points per game and scored 634 points. Her total career points were 1,574. She was honored with the WBCA Miss Wisconsin Basketball, WBCA Academic All-State, AP Wisconsin Player of the Year, and Atlanta Tip-Off Club Naismith Award. She also received the Herb Kohl Scholarship, and a basketball scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
At UW-Wisconsin, she was known for her shooting ability. She still holds the single season three-point percentage record and is second in three-point goals for a season. She is fifth in three-point goals in WU women’s history and received Rookie of the Year. Her sophomore year, she helped the team earn third place in the Big Ten. This led to the first-ever Badger Women’s Basketball appearance in the NCAA tournament. She was Academic All-Big Ten three years and an Athletic Board Scholar while she accomplished a degree in Physical Therapy.
Dolly is now married to her husband, Brad, of 13 years, and has three fun-loving children: Brock, Shelby, and Brody. She has worked as a physical therapist in Menomonie, Wisconsin for the last 16 years and enjoys helping people get through adversity. She has been a volunteer coach in basketball and volleyball and hopes to coach more in the future.
She thanks God for her many blessings of which, the most important is family and friends. She would like to thank the Wisconsin Coaches Association, her parents, and coaches for their support throughout her basketball career.
Congratulations Dolly, as you enter the 2012 WBCA Hall of Fame!
