Hall of Fame
In times when women struggled to have a presence in competitive athletics, it was a tremendous honor to gain national recognition which makes Gay Ivey Benson’s athletic accomplishments even more impressive. Ivey a 5”11 forward from Pettit, Texas led Coach Jack Rucker’s “Golden Girls” to two consecutive appearances in the Amateur Athletic Tournament in St. Joseph, MO. The NEO Golden Girls finished that year with a 13-1 record. Ivey led the team to the consolation finals where they finished fifth in the AAU Nationals with a 29-5 overall mark. Ivey was selected to the Amateur Athletic Union All American Team in 1960, making her NEO’s first Women’s Basketball All- American.
Ivey continued her basketball career at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, TX, where she led the “Flying Queens” to a National Championship in 1961. Ivey was also selected to play on the USA Team at the Soviet Union Exchange. Ivey began her coaching career at Slaton High School in Texas where her team won the Class 2A State Championship in 1974. In 1981 she led the Monterey High School Lady Plainsmen to the Class 5A State Championship. In addition to coaching at Slaton and Monterey, Ivey also coached for Texas Tech (1977-80) and Dunbar High School.
