Decory, Laticia “DONI”
1989 Pine Ridge/1994 Utah State graduate. One of best all-around athletes to come out of talent-rich Pine Ridge Reservation. A three-time all-state basketball player who won three State A shot put titles. Set the girls’ shot put all-time state record. A four-year starter, DeCory established herself as an all-around player on the basketball court from […]
Dearring, Julie (KRAUTH)
Born in Tacoma, WA (lived there until moving to SD at age 6). 1989 Des Moines Roosevelt High School/1994 Augustana graduate. A South Dakota native from Lyons, Julie Krauth Dearring was a multi-sport high school star at Tri-Valley, Des Moines (Iowa) Roosevelt and Augustana. Two-time All-American who pitched Augustana to NCAA DII softball title in […]
Cutler, Frank
1978 Langford/1983 SDSU graduate. Claremont native. Was a four-year letter winner at SDSU in baseball. Was all-North Central Conference as a senior with one of the best all-time season batting averages (.443) in school and conference history. A multi-sport standout at Langford, Cutler was a two-time all-state football player, leading the Lions to the mythical […]
Blumhardt, Howard
1946 Bowdle/1950 USD graduate. Blumhardt — “The Bowdle Blaster” — earned eight letters in three sports at USD in Football, Track, and Basketball, but it was on the football field where he made his biggest impact. He was a four-year starter as a bruising, pile-driving fullback. Some newspapers claimed many opponents would bounce off him […]
Begeman, Mike
1975 Parker/1979 Augustana graduate. One of the best shooting guards in SD high school history. A three-time all-stater who led Parker to a 70-10 record during those three years and to two State B runner-up finishes in 1973 and 1974. Scored 1,477 career points at Parker and played for legendary Coach Gayle Hoover. As a […]
Baker, Taylor
1998 Rapid City Stevens/2004 Kansas State graduate. Taylor Baker was perhaps South Dakota’s greatest high school gymnast with 13 state titles and leading Stevens to four team state championships. She captured a state record 13 individual titles in the balance beam (1994, 1996, 1997), floor exercise (1994 1995, 1998), uneven bars (1995), vault (1995, 1998), […]
Richards, Hobe
Born Aug. 9, 1923 in Aberdeen. 1941 Aberdeen Central HS grad. 1949 Northern State grad. An outstanding golf teacher, many of his students went on to become state champions. Richards won the 1943 state match-play title. Seven times he won the South Dakota Open, which was the biggest medal-play tourney in the state at that […]
Ricketts, Jim
The Sioux Falls man was an official in South Dakota for 39 years for football, basketball and baseball. The Ames (Iowa) High and University of Wyoming grad also officiated six years in Colorado and Wyoming before coming to South Dakota. He worked 49 prep football playoff games and four state football finals. He also refereed […]
Sheeks, Paul
A 1908 Mitchell High and 1913 University of South Dakota grad, Sheeks played two years in the NFL before gaining national fame in the 1920s and ’30s because of the success of the Firestone basketball teams he coached in Akron, Ohio. He helped found the National Basketball League and was named coach of the year […]
Stolze, Craig
Born Oct. 21, 1919 in Sioux City. 1938 (Sioux City) Central HS grad. 1949 USD grad. Stolze is the only person to be named South Dakota Sportswriter of the Year four consecutive years. He was sports editor at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader for 10 years (1953-63). While there, Stolze started the Associated Press basketball […]