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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, May 2, 1961
Clad in football helmets and football padding, these women rush the field with grim expression and evil intent equal only to the roughest football players. Every woman in the contest knows that one person will not have a bucket when the scrimmage is over. They watch the band leader with deadly precision to see when the music will stop and then dash to the center of the circle for the buckets.
Scrimmage
Lineup
The lineup for the Derby Day Queen contest stands at the middle of the tennis courts awaiting the judges' decision. The women, whose heads were covered with paper sacks, were judged on the basis of "figure and poise." Mary Fritztemeier, Oak Park, Ill., a Lewis Hall resident, won the title of Miss Derby Day. Last year's winner was Carolyn Dunlap.
GSP Wins Derby Day
Gertrude Sellards Pearson Hall won the eighth annual Sigma Chi Derby Day with a 22-21 score over Kappa Kappa Gamma. The freshman dormitory won the "low jump" and placed second in "musical buckets" and the "fishpole" race. They also placed third in the "milking" relay. Pi Beta Phi sorority won third place.
The fishpole race was a contest in which 8 girls straddled a fish pole and tried to run twice the length of the tennis courts.
The low jump was a contest to see who could do a limbo dance under the lowest bar placed between two poles. Each time a contestant successfully completed her dance, the pole was lowered. Pam Katlin, Liberal freshman, a Gertrude Sellards Pearson resident, won the competition when she danced under a one foot, nine inch pole.
Carolyn Braun, Pittsburg senior, Alpha Delta Pi, won the "outstanding individual" award by winning the musical bucket contest.
Mary Fritzemeier, Oak Park, Ill., senior and a Lewis Hall resident, won the Miss Derby Day contest.
Tackle
No, it is not a tackle. The "rider" is attempting to change "horses" in the middle of the tennis court as part of the pony express competition. The rider was not allowed to touch the ground during the exchange and was required to switch carriers three times and ride twice the length of the tennis courts. Pi Beta Phi sorority won the contest.
Girl Gridiron Goliaths Reign
The women wore sweatshirts, jeans and football padding for the musical bucket competition. All wore football helmets. Some wore goggles and gloves for the grueling scramble for the last buckets. Each time the music stopped, the women dived for the buckets as if there was a fumble in a tied football game. Alpha Delta Pi sorority won the contest.
Although it looks like these women are trying to recover a fumble, they are really trying to find the rubber ball with their sorority or dormitory's name on it. Their "enthusiasm" for the sport could not be equaled by football players. Besides that, they were equipped with long fingernails and female temperament. Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority won the contest.
The Sigma Chi tennis courts looked more like a football field than tennis courts Saturday when representatives of all women's organized living groups vied for Derby Day honors.
Between the grueling and strenuous contests, "the sweetest music this side of Guy Lombardo" jerked haltingly over the tennis courts. Although the band resembled the KU band in enthusiasm, all resemblance ended there. With plunger in hand, the conductor led his derby clad band in such favorites as "Tom Dooley" and "Three Blind Mice." Some spectators described the music as progressive disorganization, some called it "cool." Whatever it was, it gave the contestants time to take a breath before returning to the "field."
Fumble
Pass
S
The forward pass is shown here in its most graceful(?) form. The woman on the right is trying to pour water from the cup she holds in her mouth to the cup that is held in her partner's mouth. The women were also required to run twice the length of the tennis courts with the cup in their mouths. The winners were judged on speed and the amount of water in their cups. Pi Beta Phi sorority won the competition.