It’s not unusual for non-professional athletes to hang up their jerseys after college. Pat Duer, Nancy (Walter) Garwick, and Jody (Andersen) Walter, however, are not those types of athletes.
The three Faith alumni are members of the Ankeny Honey Bees, and this year they brought home a National Granny Basketball Championship.
A Team Built Over Time
Pat Duer (’74) has been with the Honey Bees since the beginning, joining when the team was founded in 2008. Jody (Andersen) Walter (’84) came on board in 2013, and Nancy (Walter) Garwick (’80) joined in 2015. Between the three of them, they’ve logged a lot of court time together — and this year’s national title is the payoff.
It’s not the first time this group has tasted championship glory, either. Pat was part of the Golden Oldies when they won the National Tournament in Branson, Missouri in 2010, and she also helped persuade the Honey Bees to enter the national tournament in Branson in 2013 — a decision that paid off when they won that one too.
More Than Just Basketball
What sets the Ankeny Honey Bees apart isn’t just what they do on the court. Each year when they host games, they select a local charity to receive the proceeds. Over the years, they’ve given back to the community including Alpha Women’s Center in Ankeny and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. One year, they helped support a missions trip for Faith’s own women’s basketball team, who had helped the Honey Bees with scorekeeping and running the clock on various occasions.
It’s a team that competes hard and gives back.
Congratulations, Honey Bees
Pat, Nancy, and Jody, congratulations on the national championship! Faith is proud to count you among its alumni, and we love seeing the ways you continue to invest in your community long after graduation.
