ELFRINK RIDES HOOP DREAM ALL THE WAY TO STATE TITLE GAME

Iris Elfrink always dreamed of playing basketball.

Going to the Final Four, well that's just icing on the cake -- a whole lot of icing on a very tasty cake.

This season has been a dream come true for the Notre Dame senior.

For her first three years of high school, Elfrink attended Leopold High, a tiny Class 1A school in a mostly Catholic community near Marble Hill.

There she played volleyball and softball to pass time, but Leopold didn't give Elfrink the opportunity to do what she wanted to do most -- play basketball. The school does not have a girls basketball program.

"My dad's always enjoyed basketball," Elfrink said. "And I was always a tomboy and did stuff with dad and that's where I developed my love for basketball."

Elfrink was allowed to play basketball in grade school and she even played on the boys' teams in junior high. But once she began high school, her playing days were thought to be over because "my parents thought I'd get hurt," she said.

So after Elfrink's older sister graduated from Leopold, Iris' parents allowed her to try to fulfill a dream. And what a ride it's been.

Notre Dame, the top-ranked team in Class 2A, will get the chance to play in the state championship game tonight.

And even though Elfrink rarely gets to play, she has no complaints.

"Oh yeah, it's been worth it," she said. "It's been everything I could've hoped. Just being a part of it and getting to know everybody has been worth it.

"I knew coming in that I wasn't going to get a lot of playing time. I watched them play a few times last year and I knew how good everyone was. I always wondered what it would be like to play here and now I know and I don't regret it."

It certainly wasn't easy to start so late.

"That first day of practice I was so nervous," she said. "I was so rusty on everything. But everybody helped me out and helped me learn the plays."

"It would've been nice to have had her two years ago," Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim said. "She's worked real hard and she's a great kid, but there's an awful lot to absorb in one year. If she would've been here since her sophomore year, she'd be in this starting group.

"But she's gained a lot of respect. She's a strong kid and she works her butt off."

Elfrink has gained a reputation of being the team's caretaker.

"I get called Mom because I take care of everybody," she said. "I always bring extra things in case somebody forgets."

Elfrink said she also plans to participate on the swimming team.

"I've always liked swimming, but I've never done it competitively," she said. "But I thought since I'm here, I might as well try new things that I couldn't do at Leopold."