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Tvedt relishing leadership role for Castlewood Warriors

Castlewood’s Lane Tvedt (2) passes the ball away from the defensive pressure of Faith’s Brigg Price (11), Jackson Schauer (10) and Rylan Palmer (0) during a consolation round game at last year's South Dakota Class B Boys Basketball Tournament at Wachs Arena. Photo by John Davis taken 3/17/2023

Lane Tvedt has Castlewood pride running through his veins.

The senior multi-sport standout has grown up around Warriors athletics his entire life. His parents, Austin and Leslie, both past graduates of Castlewood High School, were also multi-sport athletes for the Warriors and he has enjoyed learning from them as he has grown up through the years.

“It’s just been fun learning from both of them,” Tvedt said. “They’re both very knowledgeable in sports. They both know what they’re doing, so it’s been fun. It’s been enjoyable.”

Tvedt’s parents have even seen success as coaches for the Warriors girls’ basketball program. Together, with Leslie as the head coach and Austin as the assistant, the couple led the Warriors to several state tournaments, winning a pair of Class B girls’ state championships in 2010 and 2018.

Tvedt remembers attending those tournaments as a young boy and eventually had dreams of playing on the state’s biggest stage himself.

“I was always there to watch,” Tvedt said, “but I wanted to play in one.”

Fast forward to March of 2022 and the Castlewood boys’ basketball team was finally back in the state tournament for the first time in a decade. Despite losing to Lower Brule in the opening round and finishing in sixth place, Tvedt, then a sophomore, said he could not hold back his emotions during the experience.

“I was jumping around, I was nervous,” Tvedt said. “It was an exciting deal. I was very overwhelmed with the experience. It was definitely something I won’t forget.”

The Warriors again made it back to the Class B state tournament last season during Tvedt’s junior year, and once again met up with Lower Brule in the opening round. Despite looking to make a statement in the rematch against the top-seeded Sioux, Tvedt and the Warriors came up short once more, eventually finishing in fifth place.

“Last year we came out flat,” Tvedt said. “And that’s just what happens when you get there. It’s a big stage.”

This season, the Warriors have been working hard to get back to the state tournament for a third consecutive season. Through the first 13 games, Castlewood has compiled a 12-1 record, with Tvedt leading the way as the point guard for the team.

Warriors head coach Paul Raasch noted the intangibles that Tvedt has displayed on and off the court this season.

“He has really shouldered the load as our on the floor and off the floor leader,” Raasch said. “He has a passion to compete and win, and it’s carried over to our other guys. He’s a basketball junkie with a true love for the game, and it’s a pleasure to be able to be his coach.”

Tvedt has displayed his productivity on the court. In a 68-46 Castlewood win over Dell Rapids St. Mary on Jan. 16, Tvedt scorched the Cardinals with a game-high 38 points on 15 made shots, including five 3-pointers.

“Honestly, I was just hooping,” Tvedt said of his performance, “taking what they give me, taking what they give us as a team. We’re a pretty unselfish group of guys, so I was hot that night and I was just hitting open shots. I wasn’t doing (anything) special.”

Castlewood’s Lane Tvedt throws a pitch during a game against Clark-Willow Lake at last year’s American Legion Class B State Tournament in Redfield. Tvedt competed in state basketball, golf and baseball tournaments last season. Photo by John Davis taken 7/28/2023

The following Saturday, Tvedt and the then top-ranked Warriors headed to the Corn Palace in Mitchell to take on fourth-ranked Viborg-Hurley. Despite a team-high 18 points from Tvedt, Castlewood fell to the Cougars 55-54 on a layup with seconds remaining after the Warriors held a 36-18 lead late in the first half.

Tvedt said while the Warriors came out the way they wanted to, they learned the need to finish strong during big games.

“We came out fast, we came out aggressive, got that lead,” Tvedt said. “We just got to know that nobody’s ever going to lay down. We came out so flat the second half and almost expected them to just lay down and accept that they lost, and we just can’t do that. When you’re playing good teams like Viborg-Hurley, they won’t back down. We’ve just got to learn to keep playing our game and stay focused for four quarters.”

On Monday, Castlewood bounced back, defeating archrival De Smet on the Bulldogs’ home court. Tvedt led the Warriors with 13 points and said the win over De Smet meant a lot to him and his teammates.

“They’ve been very good for a long time and to go to their house and get them in a close one, it means a lot,” Tvedt said.

Now the Warriors are focused on finishing the season strong, and Tvedt said the team is not looking too far ahead in order to get to where it wants to be by season’s end.

“We’ve just got to take it one game at a time like we’ve been doing,” Tvedt said. “It’s a long season; it’s a marathon, not a sprint. We’ve just got to keep winning games and we want to be even keel. We’ve just got to keep moving forward, take it a day at a time, game at a time, practice at a time.”

Lane Tvedt, of Castlewood, watches his tee shot on the fifth hole at Moccasin Creek Country Club during a SDGA Junior Tour event last summer. Photo by John Davis taken 6/26/2023

In addition to playing basketball for the Warriors, Tvedt has also participated in football, baseball, track and field, and golf. Last year Tvedt finished in a four-way tie for fifth place at the Class B state golf meet and has expectations of playing in another state meet this spring, although he knows it will take a similar approach to basketball to return there in June.

“I just try to take it a meet at a time,” Tvedt said. “One meet at a time, keep my swing intact, and play smart golf.”

After he graduates this spring, Tvedt is planning on entering the education field and getting into the coaching profession like his parents. But for now, he is relishing his last high school opportunities to be a Castlewood Warrior, something that has meant a lot to him.

“It’s been wild,” Tvedt said. “From freshman year when we weren’t very good, to now where we’re at, it’s definitely been a crazy journey.”

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