Dawson CC Athletics

Van Dusen was Dawson’s first All-Region women’s basketball player in 1980. After winning a state championship at Dawson County High School, Van Dusen, Sue Goroski, Lani Unruh, Geri Lohman and Bonnie Schepens were recruited to DCC by administrator Paul Fasting before Dawson even had a women’s basketball team. Because of these ladies' success in high school, DCC was motivated to revive their women’s basketball program so they could continue their success in college. After assembling most of the team, the college hired Dave Oswald from Wibaux to coach them for the 1978-1979 season. The newly formed Lady Bucs tied for 2nd place in their sub-region and finished 5th place in the Region IX Tournament with a 70-51 win over McCook Community College. Van Dusen led them to a 13-9 record. She averaged 12.5 points, and 12.7 rebounds while shooting 46% from the field. 

In her sophomore season, Van Dusen and the Lady Bucs went 16-12. In the Region IX Tournament, they won 70-68 in an exciting quarterfinal against Eastern Wyoming. They lost to McCook in the semifinals, but bounced back to beat Southeast Nebraska for 3rd place. Van Dusen led the way with 27 points and 14 rebounds in the 70-56 win. She averaged 15.7 points and 11.9 rebounds that season and was named All-Region as well as All-Tournament. Schepens also joined Van Dusen on the All-Tournament team. The three local heroes from Glendive combined to average 40 points and 25 rebounds for the Lady Bucs. In that special season, Coach Oswald’s Lady Bucs beat Rocky Mountain College twice and came back from 17 points down to beat Eastern Montana College, which was a big highlight for the new two-year program to beat established four-year schools.  

When asked about Cheryl, Coach Oswalt shared, “Cheryl was so consistent, I counted on her all of the time and didn’t have to say anything because she knew what she needed to do. She had a quiet personality and was very humble. She didn’t need the glory, but I knew she would always come through. She put everything she had into it. It was very noticeable when she wasn't in the game. She was the hub of the team.”   

Cheryl’s mother, Rita, still resides in Glendive. Cheryl and her husband Rod live in Sidney, Montana. They have three grown children and six grandchildren.