Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference

McDowell helped to begin the field hockey program at BSU in 1966 and took the helm of the program when it became an intercollegiate sport in 1969. During her 16 years as head coach, she recorded an outstanding overall record of 338-80-18 (1969-1985). In just her third season she assembled a team that captured the school’s first Minn-Kota Athletic Conference Championship in field hockey; a feat her teams would repeat an unprecedented eight consecutive times from 1971-79. BSU also captured Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Region IV Championship in 1977 and again in 1979 under her watch qualifying for the AIAW National Championship in each season. The 1982 season brought change when the team jumped from the AIAW to the NCAA Division II and Division III ranks. McDowell kept her teams in contention winning the Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota (WIM) Conference Championship in their first four seasons while also qualifying for and participated in the NCAA Division II and III National Tournament from 1982-85. As a result of her coaching achievements McDowell was a three-time selection to coach the Midwest All-Star team. McDowell has served as woman’s Intramurals Director and was a national volleyball and basketball official. She was on a number of regional and national committees. McDowell joined the staff at Bemidji State in 1966 after competing her bachelor’s degree at Luther College and master’s at the University of Maine.