Sunset Middle School teacher Jean Gurule works with gifted and talented students every day, which seems especially appropriate considering her background.  Gurule, a resident of south Longmont, will be inducted into her second hall of fame Sept. 7 when she is admitted into the University of New Mexico Athletic Hall of Honor in Albuquerque.  Gurule was one of four selected by the UNM Letterman’s Alumni Association to receive the honor.  

According to the University, the UNM Athletic Hall of Honor serves to perpetuate the mission of intercollegiate athletics; to promote a sense of pride among alumni lettermen, the university and the community; to preserve UNM's athletic history and tradition; and to recognize annually, by public ceremony, qualified individuals, groups and athletic teams from UNM and to enshrine their collective accomplishments in the UNM Athletic Hall of Honor. 

Gurule graduated from UNM in 1980 after lettering four years in women's basketball from 1976-80.  She was named UNM Woman Athlete of the Year in 1976-77 and 1977-78 and was a college basketball All-American in 1980.  Gurule was also named Intermountain All-Conference from 1978-80.  When she finished her career at UNM, she  ranked first in almost all career statistics for women, including points (1,444), rebounds and assists.  She still holds the school record for free throw percentage and is second in assists. 

While she ended her career first in points for women’s basketball, she was also the fourth leading scorer of all time at UNM, men or women, beating the likes of Mel Daniels and Michael Cooper who went on to play for the LA Lakers.
As Gurule’s husband, Anthony, a fine youth basketball coach in his own right puts it, “She had game.”

She also played a bit of pro ball.  Back 20 years ago there was a womens basketball league called, “Womens Basketball League” (WBL).  Gurule was the No. 1 draft pick for the New Mexico Energee, a women’s basketball team that played in the now defunct WBL.  

“We were supposed to get paid.  I had a contract for $9,000.  Unfortunately, the league folded before we got any money,” Jean Gurule recalls.  “It’s nice to see that has changed.  Girls have a chance to do something now.”

Gurule was versatile at UNM, running track and cross country She also gradated with honors (GPA 3.9) and later went on to receive her Masters, again with honors.

Her basketball career began on the playgrounds in Manilla, Iowa, a small town in the middle of the eastern part of the state, about an hour from Omaha, Nebraska where she was part of a family of 12.
Twenty years ago in Iowa the rules for girls basketball were different than boys basketball.  Girls had to play 6 versus 6 basketball.  But they didn’t just put an extra player on the court.  

Iowa Girls  Basketball required that 3 players known as Forwards play only offense and 3 players known as Guards play only defense.  Players were allowed only 2 dribbles – which meant making good use of every opportunity. The idea was that girls couldn’t run up and down a full court, or that it wasn’t “good” for them.  The good news was that Iowa at least had girls basketball, which didn’t exist in neighboring states until much later.  

Gurule was exceptional in 6 v 6 basketball.  She helped lead her high school team to an Iowa state title.  State titles in girls basketball were determined the same way as Indiana boys basketball in the movie, “Hoosiers.” All schools played against each other regardless of the size of the school.  So winning the state title was big time – just like winning the boys basketball title in Indiana or the football title in Texas.  Gurule  did so well in high school basketball that she was inducted into the Iowa State Girls Hall of Fame in 1983.  

So Gurule grew up playing essentially half-court basketball.  But don’t tell her she can’t play 5-man ball.  She adapted to 5-man very nicely, thank you, although Iowa girls had a hard time getting colleges to show much interest. Iowa finally changed to 5-man basketball for girls several years ago as a result of a lawsuit based on that fact.  

Gurule’s skills are much different than those of today’s players.  While Michael Jordan can leap from the free throw line and dunk the ball, Gurule could make a layup from the free throw line, because 6 v 6 rules and the style of playing made that shot a good shot versus wasting two dribbles. 

Anthony Gurule continues to make use of the unique 6 v. 6 rules when coaching their sons, Antonio, an 8th grader at Sunset, and Michael, a 10th grader at  Niwot.  “I make my youth boys competitive basketball team play 6 v 6 basketball games in practice.  Here you can tell who wastes their 2 dribbles, and who doesn’t move without the ball.  It’s a great drill,” he remarked.

And he’s extremely proud of his wife. “She had an exceptional high school and college career, as indicated by her induction into two hall of fames.  I don’t know too many people who have had this honor.  Her career started by playing basketball under rules that are vastly different than the rules today.”  

And she adapted extremely well to the “boys” rules.  As her husband put it, “She had game.”