A box of unused Dunkin Donuts shirts randomly appeared in Louis Haar’s mom’s office after Hurricane Katrina.
Around the same time, Haar, kinesiology senior, and Madeline Casey, mass communication senior, wanted to form a co-rec team at the University Student Recreational Complex.
They gathered their friends, took the shirts and drew numbers on them, transforming the shirts into jerseys for an eventual three-time championship intramural team — the Dunkin Donuts.
“We used the shirts and named ourselves the Dunkin Donuts,” Casey said. “It kind of stuck.”
The group traded the Dunkin Donuts shirts for intramural championship shirts after winning two flag football championships and a basketball title.
The team began to play together in fall 2006. They advanced to the semifinals in their first flag football season.
The Dunkin Donuts improved in its second season and claimed its first flag football championship in 2007.
The team didn’t lose a game in 2008 and repeated as flag football champions, going undefeated in two seasons.
The team competed in two tournaments after the success in intramurals. The Dunkin Donuts placed second in a state flag football tournament and fifth in a national flag football tournament at Lafreniere Park in Metairie.
Andrew LeGuluche, mass communication senior, said having girls on the team are key to winning in the co-rec league.
“The girls are the main reason we were so successful,” LeGuluche said. “The girls were a major part of it.”
Casey said the teamwork between the guys and girls led them to victory.
The Dunkin Donuts also had success in basketball. They advanced to the quarterfinals in 2008 but won the 2009 basketball title.
“We felt like it was our time to win,” LeGuluche said. “We really just came together and made it happen.”
They could never claim a softball championship after coming short in a semifinal game last week.
“It was awesome to play with the same people for four years,” Casey said. “We are going to be able to look back at this and remember the fun memories.”
Matt Boyer, UREC assistant director of leagues and tournaments, said it takes “a lot of dedication and a lot of practice” to repeat at the UREC.
Boyer said the members of the Dunkin Donuts were able to learn from playing with each other for a while.
“It sets a target for what to strive for,” Boyer said. “They demonstrated continued excellence.”
Ryan LeGuluche, mass communication freshman and Andrew’s brother, plans to continue the Dunkin Donuts’ legacy. He said the team wants to win its third straight flag football championship in the fall.
He said if he can find more girls, the Dunkin Donuts will play in the years to come.
 
—-Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]