Early Medina girls basketball star passes

Contributed Photos – Flora Posson looks over one of her old yearbooks during a 2010 interview.

The Medina High athletic program lost a very special alum on Sunday evening with the passing of Flora Posson at the age of 106.

Flora was a key member of the Medina’s first Golden Era of girls basketball, which saw Coach Thelma Baldwin’s teams compile an incredible 60-0-1 record over five seasons from 1930-34.

She was a four starter and scoring leader for the first four years of that memorable run during the era of six on six girls basketball (three on offense and three on defense). Her four teams went 47-0 and the following year her successors continued the run by going 13-0-1 to extend the streak to 60-0-1.

Flora Posson was a member of the undefeated 1932-33 Medina High girls basketball team. In front are Harriet Tillman, Alice Bates, Helen Montgomery, Flora Posson and Gladys Tinney. In the middle row are Esther Shurgour, Margaret Posson, Margaret Stocking, Barbara Gill, Inez Perry and Alberta Bateman. In back are Abigail Cromwell, Coach Thelma Baldwin and Eleanor Welch.

Flora along with her sister Margaret Posson, Margaret Stocking, Lorraine Garrett, Verna Verbridge, Pauline Hise, Alice Bates, Alberta Batema, Dorothy Sechowski, Gertrude Arnett, Helen Montgomery, Abigail Cromwell and Harriet Thomas were among the regulars on those squads which went 9-0 during the 1929-30 season, 11-0 in 1930-31, 13-0 in 1931-32, 14-0 in 1932-33 and 13-0-1 in 1933-34.

The team’s offensive leader for four years her efforts included scoring 42 points in a 58-7 win over Holley during the 1929-30 season, 38 in a 55-14 win over Holley (1930-31) and 35 in a 54-13 win over Bergen (1931-32).

Flora’s love of basketball continued after her graduation from MHS as she went on to play basketball at Skidmore College for four years.

Unfortunately within five years of Flora’s graduation from MHS girls basketball was reduced to just intramural competition. It wasn’t until the mid 1970’s when Title IX legislation was enacted mandating equal scholastic and collegiate sports opportunities for boys and girls that girls interscholastic basketball competition returned.