Quad Cities Native Scores Every Time Caitlin Clark Does

To be mentioned in the same sentence as the country’s women’s basketball reigning Player of the Year is hot stuff.  But for Ellie Herman from Rock Island, it comes with the territory.

A Front Row Seat To Iowa History

Ellie is a retired administrator with the University of Iowa’s Athletic Department and has been the official scorekeeper for women’s basketball and volleyball for more than 30 years. She previously taught in the Davenport School District for 16 years before returning to Iowa City for her advanced degree.

When she graduated from Rocky there were three sports for girls…golf, tennis, and cheerleading. Ellie was quite a good tennis player and continues to play.  Now at Iowa, there are 13 women’s sports.

Ellie has to arrive an hour and 45 minutes before game time to beat the traffic and get the official book ready to go. She is responsible for:

• Correct names and numbers in the book
• Starters
• Officials
• Baskets and free throws made…and at what time in the game that happened
• Fouls/times
• Substitutions
• And a ton more!

She has one spotter and is mostly writing in the book, head down, and not able to watch the game.

Quad Cities residents may be more aware of her Blues music playing brother, Michael Hawkeye Herman, a regular fixture at Bluesfest for many years in the 80’s-90’s.

So remember, if it’s a home game, it doesn’t count for Caitlin or the rest of both teams if Ellie doesn’t log it in the book.