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A total of 23 inductees heading into S.D. Sports Hall of Fame

Former Aberdeen Central girls' basketball coach Dawn Seiler, center, talks to her team during a game against Sioux Falls O’Gorman two years ago at the Golden Eagles Arena. Seiler is going to be inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame this fall. Photo by John Davis taken 2/6/2021

PRESS RELEASE

The South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame has made it selections for 2023.
Fifteen people plus eight deceased sports legends from across the state will be inducted into the hall on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center complex. Ticket information will be announced later.
The 2023 inductions will bring the total number of inductees to 356. There currently are almost 400 nominees for the Hall of Fame.
The South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame was started in 1968 by the South Dakota Sportswriters Association. The hall now is run by a committee of more than 30 volunteers from across South Dakota. Former long-time Sioux Falls Lincoln athletic director Jim Dorman of Sioux Falls is the group’s executive director.
Here are the 15 living inductees:
SCOTT “BOZ” BOSANKO
1977 Aberdeen Central/1981 Northern State graduate. A 10th-round NBA draft pick of Dallas in 1981, Bosanko signed with the Mavericks but didn’t make the team. Ended his NSU basketball career as Northern’s all-time scoring leader (2,424 points). He was an accurate long-range shooter who accomplished his career point total without the aid of a three-point line. Tremendous passer and ball handler as well who made 90 percent of his free throws as an NSU senior. He was the conference MVP and an NAIA All-American as a senior in 1981. Two-year conference scoring champion. Was the 1981 SD Male College Athlete of the Year for all sports as selected by the SD Sportswriters Association. Considered one of best-ever at basketball rich Aberdeen Central, he was all-state as a junior and senior when he led the Eastern South Dakota Conference in scoring both of those seasons. As a senior in 1977, he was chosen a McDonald’s All-American and he led the Golden Eagles to their first state championship since 1961 with a 23-1 record. He led Aberdeen Central to a third-place finish in the 1976 state tournament. After college, he starred in amateur basketball tournaments with 10 state championships and three MVP awards. A member of several athletic halls of fame: Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, Aberdeen Central, NSU, SD High School Basketball and SD Amateur Basketball.
LINDA COLLIGNON
1974 Oldham-Ramona High School/1978 Dakota State graduate. Her coaching stay was short, but her impact was long-lasting. In 1991-92, Linda (Schultz) Collignon took over the Madison gymnastics program with no head coaching experience. She quickly instilled a team-first mentality and five seniors quit the team in her first year leaving Collignon a program with only freshmen or younger athletes. Her teams finished fourth (1993) and third (1994) her first two years on the job, and then won its first team state championship in 1995 despite having no individual champions. However, that would set in motion one of the nation’s most dynamic high school sports programs. In 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, Madison would continue winning state titles (seven in a row) under Collignon as well as winning 20 individual titles. Collignon retired in 2001, but one of her former athletes, Maridee Wiese (a member of Madison’s first state championship team in 1995), took over the program and Madison kept winning. Madison would go on to win a national record 16-straight (1995-2010) state gymnastics titles. After that, the Bulldogs would win five more state titles with six state runner-up finishes through the 2023 season. Collignon got the community of Madison to buy into her program as well. In 1997, Madison gymnasts got their own on-campus building, a structure that should have cost $200,000, but was built for only $85,000 because there were more than 200 Madison volunteers who helped build the structure. A three time South Dakota gymnastics coach of the year who is also in the SD High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
MARLYN GOLDHAMMER
1950 Wagner High School/1958 Southern State in Springfield graduate. Was executive director of the SD High School Activities Association for 23 years (1979-2001). Before that, was a teacher, coach and administrator for 21 years in three South Dakota schools (Onida-Sully Buttes, Todd County and Irene). AS SDHSAA executive director, oversaw many changes including post-season changes such as football playoffs, expansion of classes such as from two to three in basketball and the addition of sports such as volleyball. A former SD High School Coaches Association president, Goldhammer as the SDHSAA leader forged and fostered partnerships between the two groups as well as the SD Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. He promoted continuing education for coaches and enrollment for the SDHSAA-sponsored all-sports summer clinics tripled while he was in office. Served on National Federation of State High School Associations’ committees for more than 20 years, on the NFSHSA board of directors for two terms and as its president for one term. Delmont native who played football, basketball and ran track in high school and college. Played in high school state basketball tournament he would later oversee. In 1949, Goldhammer scored 36 points for eighth-place Wagner who lost its state tourney games 56-55 to Strandburg, 53-52 to Irene and 50-48 to McLaughlin. One of only nine South Dakotans as of 2022 be inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame (others are Randy Lewis, Billy Mills, Rich Greeno, Larry Luitjens, Ruth Rehn, Colin Kapitan, Lincoln McIlravy and Donus Roberts). Goldhammer is also a member of the SDIAAA and Southern State halls of fame.
CHUCK IVERSON
1969 Vermillion/1973 USD graduate. Iverson ranks as one of the best basketball players in Coyote history. Iverson holds every major rebounding record at USD 50 years after graduating, including game (36 vs. Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 27, 1972), season (448), career (1,241), average season (17.2), and average career (11.9), Iverson was also a tremendous offensive threat with 1,536 points (still top 10 in USD history as of 2022). Iverson set the North Central Conference rebounding record and held it for almost 20 years. Iverson was a three-time all-NCC performer who led USD to an NCC championship during the 1971-72 season when he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Coyotes went 18-10 and 11-3 in the league. The 6-foot-9, 230-pound center paced USD to successive NCC Holiday Tournament titles in 1971 and 1972. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1972 classic after setting records for rebounds in a game (26) and tournament (70 in three games). As a USD senior, he averaged 17 points and 17 rebounds per game and had 20 or more rebounds in nine games. He started out his senior season with 87 points and 83 rebounds in leading the Coyotes to a 3-0 record. He was drafted by both the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics (fifth round, 73rd overall) and the ABA’s Memphis Tams. He signed with Seattle and was coached by Bill Russell until he was among the last to be cut before the SuperSonics opened the regular season. Iverson was then selected for an all-star team that played in tournaments all over Europe and in places such as Moscow and Leningrad in the Soviet Union. That led to an offer for Iverson to play professionally in Europe, but he decided to return to South Dakota to help on his family’s farm and coach. At Vermillion High School (he would have gone to Meckling High School had it not closed in 1965), Iverson was a three-year varsity football and basketball player (averaged 19 points and 20 rebounds as a senior all-stater). He had 39 rebounds in one game. Iverson was part of Mount Marty athletics for four decades as a coach (252-241 in 17 seasons as women’s basketball coach) and administrator (26 years as athletic director). He oversaw the addition of numerous athletic teams and facility improvements at MM. He retired in 2021, when MMU AD Andy Bernatow said of Iverson: “His impact on Mount Marty athletes, the athletic department and coaches has been immeasurable.” Iverson has won numerous coaching and administrator awards as well as is member of the Vermillion, Mount Marty and USD Halls of Fame.
CLARENCE KOOISTRA
1959 Salem/1967 Sioux Falls College graduate. One of the state’s most successful high school football coaches, Kooistra had a 221-77-2 record in 31 years, all but one at Garretson. He lost his last game, his 300th career game, to Freeman 44-24 in the 1997 State 9A championship. He guided the Blue Dragons to four (two mythical, two playoff era) state titles, four runner-up finishes, 10 unbeaten seasons and 17 conference titles (SD did not have football playoffs until 1981). He started his coaching career in 1967 at Coleridge, Neb., going 9-1 in his one season before coming to Garretson. His football teams at Garretson had winning streaks of 24 games (nine-man in the 1990s) and 23 games (11-man in the 1970s). From one point from 1973-77, the Blue Dragons went 42-1 with 27 shutouts and outscoring opponents 1,581-118. Their only loss was 7-6 at the end of the 1974 season to much a bigger school (Brandon Valley) that was a class above Garretson. Kooistra also was a basketball referee for 25 years. At SFC, the 5-foot-10, 210-pound Kooistra was a four-year, two-way starter as an offensive lineman and middle linebacker. He was a two-time all-Tri-State Conference selection. At Salem, he excelled in all sports. While he was in the Marines, he played one season for the Hawaiian Marine Football Team. He is a member of the SD Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
DON “LARS” LARSON
1971 Madison/ 1976 SDSU graduate. A championship runner and unmatched track coach in the North Central Conference. As an All-American track and field athlete at SDSU, Larson won seven NCC championships in track & field. He set three conference records and still holds a share of the retired 600-yard indoor mark of 1:11.90 set in 1975. Larson captured his NCAA DII All-American honors in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles in the 1972 (sixth place) and 1975 (fourth) nationals. Larson was also a standout athlete at Madison High School as he was an all-state linebacker, a basketball captain and a state place-winner in track. Larson coached the North Dakota State men’s indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country programs for 41 years before retiring in March 2020. His teams won 59 conference championships. In 1982-83, his men’s teams won the North Central Conference Triple Crown as the Bison won the NCC cross country, indoor track and outdoor track titles. His teams have produced more than 200 All-Americans, numerous national champions and several top 10 finishes at national meets. He helped the Bison successfully transition from DII to DI with his Bison winning 18 Summit League titles. Larson has earned 60 coach of the year awards at various levels, including being a 18-time Summit League coach of the year. In 2004, he was the national indoor track and field coach of the year as well as the national outdoor track coach of the year. He is in several halls of fame. A major contributor to Larson’s success is wife Desire’e, who served as one of his assistant coaches for 20 years.
JERRY MILLER
1959 White Lake and 1963 Dakota Wesleyan graduate. Miller was not only a triple threat in the classroom as a teacher, coach and administrator, he is a life-long South Dakota historian. He was affiliated with 16 South Dakota high schools and colleges during his more than five-decade career. He was a successful high school football coach at big (Sioux Falls Lincoln) and small (Montrose) schools alike. He helped establish girls’ athletics in South Dakota and helped the state start high school football playoffs. He has earned numerous state and national honors and has been inducted into several halls of fames. He has even earned a prestigious National Drug Enforcement Award for his effort to combat drugs and alcohol in high schools. As a side hustle, he also became the official historian keeper of South Dakota mascots of schools of the past and present. He not only hunted down these lists, he also visited the locations of these places throughout South Dakota. Miller also was a long-time leader for high school coaches in the nation, including a stint as national president of that association. Miller was a high school all-state football player who scored 147 points in eight games for White Lake his senior year. He also was the punter and one of six-man football’s finest dropkickers in the state.
DAVE “MYDIE” MYDLAND
1970 Sioux Falls Lincoln/1974 SDSU graduate. One of the iron men of South Dakota baseball. Outstanding baseball player at SDSU and in the amateur ranks. All-conference speedy shortstop who hit .345 with six homers and four triples for the Jackrabbits in 1974. Mydland helped SDSU win a share of the North Central Conference title in 1973 with NDSU. The Minnesota Twins drafted/signed him out of SDSU in 1974, and he was assigned to the Elizabethton (TN) Twins of the Appalachian Rookie League. Mydland’s signing bonus consisted of a plane ticket to Tennessee and a new Rawlings 2000 glove. In his one and only season of pro ball, Mydland hit .229 in 99 plate appearances in 31 games. Credited for being the Founding Father of men’s senior baseball in South Dakota. Since the 1980s and for the next 40-some years, Mydland recruited players from across the state to play on South Dakota teams to compete in senior baseball tournaments against teams from across the nation. While some states filled their rosters with former pro players, Mydland and his SD teams won and consistently competed with mostly amateur players. South Dakota won senior world titles in 1988 and 2008 and a handful of player/manager Mydland’s teams finished as national semifinalists or runners-up. Mydland played amateur baseball for almost 50 SD summers for teams such as Canton, Sioux Falls Riverside Supply, Brookings, Renner Monarchs, Renner Old Milwaukee and Renner-Newcastle. He played on four amateur state championship teams and was MVP of the 1983 state tourney when his Renner Monarchs won the title. Mydland has a lifetime amateur batting average of .385 with about 250 homers in almost 1,500 games. At age 58, he coached and played for Renner-Newcastle, hitting .342 on an 11-4 team that qualified for the state amateur tourney and featured 10 players who were 50 and older. Mydland has twice (1973 and 1990) hit two homers in one inning and three homers (1973 and 1985) in one game. Several times he has been his team’s or league’s MVP and he appeared in about 35 state tournaments. In the SD Amateur Baseball and Roy Hobbs National Baseball halls of fame.
TERRY NIELSEN
1964 Sioux Falls Washington High/1968 SDSU graduate. A person with a lifelong passion for sports and sports history. Has volunteered thousands of hours over the years to keep three important South Dakota sports organizations thriving. Has been an important part of the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame since 1989. He was the linchpin who helped transition and keep the organization alive as it went from the SD Sportswriters Association, which formed the group in 1968, to a statewide committee of people who love sports. Has held almost every office and has done every job well that his time on the SDSHOF board has called for, including always being a key worker to pull off the annual banquets. An accomplished tennis player at SDSU. In 1968, he was a team captain who played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Jacks. After college, he won numerous city tennis titles with a few state titles mixed in. As a board of director of the Northwestern Tennis Association (USTA) in the 1980s, Nielsen led a number of efforts to renew courts, reignite passion of youth players and raise money for tennis in the state. He helped coordinate a school program that not only introduced tennis to hundreds of school children in Sioux Falls, but gave away tennis equipment to countless kids. He helped organize the South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991, and remains an active member today (now also an inductee). For half of its life, Nielsen has and continues to serve in various capacities — from president to board of directors to volunteer — for the almost 100-year-old Howard Wood Relays in Sioux Falls. Nielsen worked as a sportswriter at the Argus Leader on a part-time basis during college, then spent one year with the Associated Press before starting his insurance career in 1970.

MARK OVENDEN
A Boston native, 1973 Dover-Sherborn (MA) High School and a 1977 University of Richmond (VA) graduate. Dakota News Now sports director has been a sportscaster in the Sioux Falls and South Dakota market since Sept. 11, 1978 (first broadcast at KDLT). Worked for all three Sioux Falls TV markets KSFY, KELO and KDLT before becoming sports director of the newly-created Dakota News Now (KSFY and KDLT merged) in 2020. He also served as the radio play-by-play voice for USD and Augustana early in his career and has won the Tom Brokaw Award for Broadcaster of the Year in South Dakota, as well as numerous other awards. In addition to his TV work, he continues co-hosting the statewide, daily radio interview show, “Calling All Sports” that he helped create with partner Mike Henriksen on May 3, 2010. Has done it all in sports journalism as he also was sports editor of his college newspaper (The Collegian) at Richmond for two years. With almost 45 years in the state, Ovenden has become the most recognizable face of sports in South Dakota. Has hosted more TV sportscasts in the state than anyone in history, including the Godfather of South Dakota TV sports, Jim Burt. Also, Ovenden’s love of golf has made him well-known in that sport across the nation. Also has done a great job during his career of keeping track of South Dakotans who have made it big on the national stage, such as his series of stories on Milbank native and first-year University of Washington football coach Kalen DeBoer that Ovenden did in November 2022 from Seattle, WA.
JIM SCHLEKEWAY
1964 Britton/1968 Northern State. One of the most successful sports resumes in South Dakota. Won 501 boys’ basketball games as a high school coach (fifth best when he retired), and scored 3,764 points as a SD high school and college player. Was a multi-sport star at NSU, where he earned 10 collegiate letters in basketball, football and track, and Britton (12 letters). In 2010, Schlekeway was named as one of the 10 best basketball players in the hoops-rich history of Northern State. As a Lake City Grade School basketball star, he went from scoring 49 of his team’s 51 points in a fifth-grade game against Veblen, to a four-year starter, three-time first-team all-stater and high school All- American basketball player at Britton. Averaged 20 or more points per game throughout high school (1,900 career points) and helped Britton win a State B consolation championship. He also was an all-state football player and he threw the shot put 55 feet to place fifth in the State A track meet. At NSU, Schlekeway scored 1,864 points with a game-high of 49 prior to three-point shot. He led the conference in scoring twice. After college, he coached prep boys’ basketball for 43 years and finished with 501 wins. Coached 30 years at Mobridge, seven at Todd County, four at Sioux Falls O’Gorman; and two at Bloomington, MN. Also became one of state’s all-time greatest amateur basketball players after college. Member of SD Independent Basketball, NSU, SD High School Basketball and SD Intercollegiate Conference halls of fame and earned many coaching honors. Jim has been blessed to have been supported through the years by his wife Marilyn, his son Todd (wife Jill Theeler), his daughter Tami (husband Andy Boehnke). He is honored to be able to attend the activities of and to extend encouragement to, with a little coaching mixed in, his six grandchildren, Gavin, Grant and Jett Schlekeway and Taylor, Brynn and Kendall Boehnke.
BRYAN SCHWARTZ
1990 Miller/1994 Augustana graduate. Was the first NCAA Division II player ever nominated for the Dick Butkus Award, given to college football’s best linebacker. Was a second-round pick (64th overall) of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1995 NFL Draft. The 6-4, 251-pounder was the Jaguars’ leading tackler as a rookie. He was named to the NFL all-rookie team and set the Jaguars’ single-season record for tackles. His NFL career was cut short due to injury after five years, all at Jacksonville. He played in 55 NFL games, with 40 starts and 261 career tackles. At Augustana, he set school record for tackles in a season (128) and career (407). As a senior, he was first-team All-American and North Central Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Was three-time all-NCC player. At Miller, he was a standout in football, basketball, baseball and track. All-state football player with 90 tackles and eight quarterback sacks as a senior linebacker who also averaged 4.8 yards a carry as a fullback, 19.4 yards as a receiver and 10 yards as a punt returner. He was state champ in shot put and discus as well as a state runner-up in both. A Mr. Basketball finalist and two-time all-state basketball player who averaged 22 points (60 percent FG shooter) and nine rebounds as a senior. A standout pitcher and hitter who helped Coach Jim Wilbur’s Miller team win the 1988 State B American Legion baseball championship. Now a pastor in South Carolina.
BRAD SEELY
1974 Baltic/1978 SDSU graduate. Special teams NFL coach for three New England Super Bowl-winning teams in the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons. All-State high school football player, all-conference basketball player and state track meet qualifier at Baltic who became a captain and a two-time all-conference offensive lineman at SDSU. Had a tremendous college coaching career, mostly as an offensive line coach at SDSU (1978); Colorado State (1979-80); Southern Methodist (1981); Lamar University and North Carolina State (1982); Pacific (1983); and Oklahoma State (1984-88). Seely coached offensive lines that opened holes for future NFL Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson at SMU and Barry Sanders at OSU. Then started a long career in the NFL where he became one of the greatest special teams’ coaches in NFL history. Coached with eight NFL teams: Indianapolis (1989-93); New York Jets (1994); Carolina (1995-98); New England (1999-2008); Cleveland (2009-10); San Francisco (2011-14); Oakland (2015-17); and Houston (2018-19). Also served as the assistant head coach at Cleveland and San Francisco. Was named NFL special teams coach of the year several times and coached future NFL Hall of Fame kicker and fellow SDSU graduate Adam Vinatieri while with the Patriots. Seely moved a lot as he was always highly sought out by head coaches. NFL teams went 296-230-1, including 21-10 in the playoffs (68 percent winning percentage). In 2022-23, he has been working as a consultant with the Philadelphia Eagles, participating in his sixth Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023.
DAWN SEILER
1979 McLaughlin High School/1983 University of Mary graduate. Winningest girls’ basketball coach in South Dakota history as of 2022. Retired from coaching with 629-244 record in 37 seasons at Aberdeen Central (22 years) and McIntosh (15 years). Four state championship game appearances with two state titles (2016 and 2018 with Aberdeen Central) and 26 state tournament appearances (19 with AC, seven with McIntosh). Known for teams that were extremely patient, unselfish and unrelenting on defense. She also was one of the state first women boys’ basketball coaches as she coached both the McIntosh boys’ and girls’ teams to numerous successful seasons. In 2018, Seiler was selected as a head coach for the McDonald’s National High School All-American Game in Atlanta. She retired from coaching in March 2021 to take the athletic director job at Aberdeen Central starting in 2021-22. High school and college basketball star, member of Mary athletic hall of fame. In 1977, Dawn (Schaeffer) Seiler scored a then-high school state record 47 points in one game. In 1978 as the team’s only senior, she led McLaughlin to third place in the State B tourney and a 24-2 record by averaging 18.6 points, 14.3 rebounds and 6.4 blocked shots per game. She had 1,748 points (fifth all-time as of 2022) and 738 career rebounds (sixth all-time) at Mary. As a college senior, she scored almost 30 percent (626 of 2,220) of her team’s total points. She led Mary to three conference titles and a District 12 title.
JEFF TURNING HEART
1980 Cheyenne-Eagle Butte/1984 Adams State (Alamosa, CO) graduate. Turning Heart was one of South Dakota’s greatest distance runners in a state history full of them. Turning Heart was a two-time State A cross country champion (1978-79, he had better times than AA winners) with one runner-up finish and who helped CEB win a couple of team championships and runner-up finishes. In 1978, he won the Native American cross country national championship. In 1980, he was a high school All-American as his 1,600-meter time was the sixth fastest in the nation. In track, he was a state champion at 1,600 and 3,200 meters. He was a five-time team MVP at CEB in cc/track. Many of his state records are still among the best of all-time. Turning Heart won 120 races in high school. In college, he ran for Adams State (one of the best track/cc colleges in the nation), being named team MVP in 1983 when he won six cross country races that season. In 1984, his bid to qualify for the USA Olympic Team Trials in the 10,000 meters failed by 10 seconds. Turning Heart has proven himself to be a dominant and joyful runner without limits as he has competed in 500-mile Native American spiritual runs in California and in his Black Hills (the Sacred Hoop 500-Mile Run). He has served as a motivational speaker — he runs for Jesus — and has worked as a school resource officer at different SD tribal schools for about 20 years. Still a runner, Turning Heart has worked with and helped hundreds of students develop their potential as a coach, volunteer and long-time referee.
Here are the eight deceased inductees:
DON BAKER (July 4, 1933-July 1, 1974)
1950 Scotland/1954 University of South Dakota at Springfield graduate. Was assistant basketball and track coach at USD along with the freshman football coach when he died at age 40 (apparent heart attack). Baker came to USD in fall of 1973 and was preparing to take over the USD track program for retiring Dan Lennon. From 1965-73, Baker was the head track and cross country coach at USD-Springfield (aka Southern State) along with head basketball coach for three seasons. He started the cross country program at Springfield. One of Baker’s proudest and biggest moments as a college coach came on May 13-14, 1971, in Springfield when his Pointers upset traditional track powerhouses in the conference to win the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference meet. Northern State, which had won eight of the last nine titles, was favored by 20 points but the Pointers topped their SDIC rivals with 74 points (NSU second with 63). Many of Baker’s athletes turned in season-best performances and won seven of 18 events. It was the first conference track title in the Springfield school’s history and it led the South Dakota Sportswriters to vote Baker as the 1971 college coach (for all sports) of the year. From 1956-65, Baker was a teacher and coach at Yankton, including head boys’ basketball coach for five seasons and coaching baseball in the summers. In the summer of 1960, Baker coached the Yankton VFW Teeners baseball team to a state and regional championship to earn a trip to the national tourney at Hershey, PA, where his team advanced to the semifinals. In the next three seasons, Baker took his 1962 and 1963 Teeners to the nationals as well, and in 1962, Yankton made the first triple play in the history of the national tourney — Lloyd Brunick caught a line drive, threw to teammate Roger Heirigs for force out at second and Heirigs threw to first baseman Bob Brimmer for a force out for the third out. Baker also was a well-respected basketball official and baseball umpire who donated a lot of time and effort to Special Olympics. After Baker died, Special Olympics started an annual award in his honor; track meets and road races were named after him; and the USD cross country team dedicated their successful 1974 season (Coyotes qualified for nationals) to him. Baker earned 12 letters in college at USD-S in football, basketball and track. He was all-conference in football and basketball and was one of the SDIC’s top distance runners. Was also a multi-sport standout at Scotland High School as well.
GENE BREEMES (May 19, 1926–Aug. 7, 1982)
1944 Phillip/1950 Black Hills State graduate. Coached and taught at Hurley (1950-52), Beresford (1952-57), Rapid City Central (1957-69, assistant track and basketball) and Rapid City Stevens (1969-82). When RCS opened in 1969, Breemes was the school’s first cross country and track coach. In the 12 years before his untimely death in 1982, Breemes was a three-time South Dakota coach of the year in three different sports, Breemes led the Raiders to 12 state championships, three runners-up finishes and 34 regional championships. His state-winning teams were in boys’ track (1971, 1977-82), boys’ cross country (1980, 1981) and girls’ cross country (1976, 1977, 1979). Breemes wanted his athletes to have fun, enthusiasm and dedication. Known for his low-key style and humbleness, he always reflected the spotlight back on his athletes and assistant coaches when reporters asked him about his coaching successes. He is a member of five sports halls of fame (Rapid City Sports, SD coaches, Black Hills State, Rapid City Stevens and state cross country and track coaches). A multiple sport standout in high school, Breemes starred in football as a quarterback and track as a pole vaulter and javelin thrower at Black Hills State. Breemes coached for 33 years. He and wife Ruth had two children: Greg Breemes of Gilbert, AZ, and Kristin Allen of Sioux Falls along with seven grandchildren.
HARVEY HAMMRICH (Oct. 10, 1934-June 14, 2021)
1954 Ipswich/1959 South Dakota State graduate. South Dakota athletic director for 38 of his 41 years in education (26 at Watertown, 1977-2003; 12 at Webster,1965-77; and three at Eureka, 1962-65). Also coached football, basketball and track at Eureka and football, wrestling and track at Webster. He gave Steve Kueter (at one time all-time winningest SD football coach) and Larry Luitjens (all-time winningest SD boys’ basketball coach) their first jobs at Webster. Was tourney director for more than 40 state tournaments at Watertown. Won numerous state and national athletic director awards. Also, a college and high school official for many years. Was a tremendous high school and college athlete in multiple sports. As sophomore, led Ipswich to 1952 State B basketball championship, earning first team all-state and all tourney awards. Went to SDSU where he first played football, basketball and baseball. Earned six letters, three each in football and baseball. In 1957 as a SDSU sophomore, Hammrich led the team in hitting (.417) and was voted team MVP. In 1959, he led Jacks to the North Central Conference baseball championship. In football, Hammrich was a halfback and a punter who helped the Jacks win the 1957 NCC title. In 1958 as a senior, Hammrich was second in the NCC in punting with a 36.0-yard average. That year along with playing defensive back, he also switched positions from halfback to become the Jacks’ starting quarterback at 5-foot-7 and 165 pounds. After college, was drafted by baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals, but instead went into the Army.
LIEN MARSO (July 5, 1932-Aug. 3, 2016)
1951 Harrold High School graduate. Led Harrold to 33-2 record and 1951 State B basketball title (50-46 over Mobridge) as the Cardinals’ tallest player at 5-foot-11. At 170 pounds, Lien was all-state center known for his ferocious defense and shutting down centers much taller than he was as well as for his scoring and rebounding abilities. Harrold became the smallest high school (51 students, 25 boys with 23 of them out for basketball) to win the state tournament in state history. Lien led the Cardinals to a 55-5 record in his last two seasons with the team. Only three residents in the town of 263 didn’t attend the 1951 state tourney. While at Harrold, he also ran track (state place-winner in 100-yard dash) and played amateur baseball for Harrold as a teen-ager. Marso was Harrold’s top pitcher and his father (Charles) was the team’s catcher. He played baseball and basketball at SDSU as a freshman and sophomore before being drafted into the Army. Even though Harrold didn’t offer football, SDSU football coach Ralph Ginn was disappointed that he couldn’t talk Marso into coming out for football for the Jacks. As an SDSU freshman, Marso worked his way up to one of the Jacks’ top basketball reserves by the end of the season. One of his top highlights as a freshman was when Marso rallied the Jacks’ to a 59-54 second-half comeback over Morningside in Febuary 1952. As a sophomore, Marso became a starter for the Jacks. In baseball, Marso became the Jacks’ starting shortstop as a freshman (hit .455 and led the team in homers) and was elected team captain his sophomore season in 1953. In his first 11 at-bats in the 1953 season, Marso earned 10 walks and a fielders’ choice. Also was an excellent amateur baseball player for several years when he returned home from the Army to South Dakota where he worked for John Deere for almost 50 years.
DEAN MINDER (April 6, 1927-March 8, 2018)

Dean Minder was a graduate of Wilmot High School in 1951 and Northern State University in 1955. He contributed to the sports scene in the Mitchell area in many ways. Minder coached American Legion baseball and was a Legion and amateur baseball umpire for 25 years. He worked 15 state amateur baseball tournaments. He was the official scorer and announcer for basketball games at the Corn Palace for 20 years and served as a basketball official and track starter for the Corn Palace Relays for many years. Minder was also an accomplished sports writer and photographer who worked for the Mitchell Daily Republic for 37 years while teaching in the Mitchell School system. He was named the South Dakota Sportswriter of the Year twice, and was well known for his weekly column featuring the best performances from the surrounding area. Also, Mitchell area towns and athletes would get super excited when they saw Minder on their sidelines with his camera or in their press boxes or at their scorers’ tables because they knew they were being featured in the Mitchell Daily Republic’s Game of the Week. He also served as the sports information director for the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference. Minder received the Ralph Macy Baseball Man of the Year award in 2009 and is a member of both the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame and the South Dakota Umpires Hall of Fame. The press box at Cadwell Park in Mitchell is named in his honor.
MATTIE GOFF NEWCOMBE (Dec. 21, 1906-July 26, 2005)
A life-long South Dakota rancher from Meade County who was educated at the Tepee Creek School and born in White Owl, Newcombe used her love of horses to become a pioneer for women in rodeo in the 1920s. She was a world champion trick rider on her horses Bob, Pal and Buster. Goff Newcombe could ride standing on her horse, underneath it, hanging upside down on the side of it. She also perfected the most dangerous of stunts — which killed other trick riders — called the back drag or suicide drag. Goff Newcombe stretched out on her back over the rear end of the horse, which was running as fast as it could, with her foot in a loop tied to the saddle and her hands touching the ground before pulling herself back into an upright position on top of her horse. She won so many first- place awards in rodeos across the country that she was named America’s All-Around Cowgirl from 1927-32. When and wherever she performed, she drew large crowds and impressed President Calvin Coolidge with one of her performances at the Black Hills Roundup in 1927. She was a champion bronc rider, horse relay racer and equestrian rider as well. She was still breaking colts in her 70s and still riding horses in her 80s. She is a member of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and the SD Cowboy Hall of Fame. She also played a major role on a state and national level in preserving cowboy and cowgirl history. She not only established the Mattie Goff Newcombe section of the Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center in Fort Pierre but Goff Newcombe also helped start the National Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
MIKE ROACH (1942-Dec. 16, 2020)
1961 Rapid City Cathedral/1966 SDSU graduate. Roach coached football for 42 years at the high school, college and professional levels. Assistant at Rapid City Central from 1966-69, and then was the Cobblers head coach until 1975. Assistant at USD (1975-81) — helped Coyotes win 1978 conference title, and was assistant at Texas-El Paso (2003) as well. An Assistant in the Canadian Football League for 28 years (1982-09) for six teams until he retired. Coached all three defensive positions (line, linebackers and secondary) and held job of defensive coordinator for five teams. His teams won four Grey Cup Championships in 1987 (Edmonton), 1998 and 2001 (both Calgary) and 2006 (B.C. Lions). Considered one of the CFL’s top defensive minds and was beloved by his players for his tough love and respectful treatment of them. Won a starting job as a senior, who had not lettered, as an offensive guard with SDSU in 1965. Was a multi-sport athlete at Rapid City Cathedral where he played eight-man, nine-man and 11-man football for the Gaels. In his senior season, the Gaels played four nine-man games and four 11-man games. Was an all-state defensive and offensive lineman in 1960 when he averaged eight tackles a game and was team captain. In Rapid City Sports Hall of Fame.

JOSEF “JOE”” THORNE (Nov. 17, 1940-April 19, 1965)
1958 Beresford/1963 SDSU graduate. Born at International Falls, MN. Grew up in Gettysburg through his sophomore year of high school. In 1961 as an SDSU senior and football team co-captain, Thorne led 8-2 Jacks to a share of the North Central Conference title as an all-conference, conference MVP and All-American fullback. He led the NCC in rushing as a junior and again was an all-NCC selection. Ralph Ginn called Thorne one of the best players he coached during his 22-year career at SDSU and the best fullback he ever coached. Ginn said not only was Thorne a powerful runner, but he also was a tremendous blocker and defensive player. Thorne rushed for 2,156 yards in his career, scored 140 points and set several school records. Two of his best games were the final two of Thorne’s career. On Nov. 4, 1961, Thorne rushed for 200 yards on 21 carries and two TDs in the Jacks 56-0 win over Morningside. A week later on Nov. 11, Thorne rushed for 166 yards and a TD in SDSU’s 36-13 upset win over Northern Iowa (then State College of Iowa) as both teams finished 5-1 in the NCC. It was the last game to be played on State Field in Brookings as Coughlin-Alumni Stadium opened on the SDSU campus the following fall in 1962. Thorne first played basketball at SDSU, making the Jacks’ freshman basketball team (15 players chosen out of 62) and was one of the team’s best players. He then switched to football as a sophomore. A 12th round draft pick of Green Bay in the 1962 NFL, Thorne failed to show up for the Packers’ rookie camp in mid-July 1963. It prompted Vince Lombardi to call Thorne SD home where he talked to Thorne’s dad Melvin who told the famous coach that his son hadn’t gone to college to learn to play football and that Joe had already committed to the military. Lombardi understood and invited Joe Thorne to contact him after his military service was completed. In 1956 as a high school junior, Thorne led Beresford to 7-0-1 record, a share of Big Eight Conference football title (7-7 tie with co-champ Canton on Sept. 14) and a state runner-up finish to Miller in the final newspaper poll of the season. Led Beresford to 1958 State A Basketball Tournament. To get to the state tourney, Beresford played for the first time in the famed Section 6 Tournament featuring the Yankton Bucks. In the first round on March 6, 1958, the Watchdogs led Yankton 42-29 in the fourth quarter before the Bucks made a furious rally. Yankton missed a free throw with three seconds left, losing 49-48. Yankton made six more field goals, but lost four starters
— including later famous NBC newsman Tom Brokaw — to fouls. Thorne scored all his points (10 of 18) on free throws as his team made 25 of 38 FTs. In one of his books, Brokaw wrote that he remembered Thorne as “that tenacious guard who kept me from the state tournament my senior year.” Thorn was all-state in basketball and football as well as a standout track hurdler and jumper for Watchdogs. One of the first inductees (14 th overall) into SDSU Hall of Fame. Also in Beresford Hall of Fame. Died at age 24 as an U.S. Army First Lieutenant while piloting a helicopter that was shot down on during a combat assault mission that he volunteered for in Vietnam. Entire state mourned his death as it made headlines across South Dakota. Thorn was the first South Dakotan to die in the Vietnam War (41 days after the first combat forces arrived in Vietnam) and his name holds the 21st place on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC.

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