Thompson, Jim
A three-time South Dakota Sportscaster of the Year, the 1965 Sturgis High grad was well-known nationally for his pro rodeo announcing. Thompson has been selected to announce every major rodeo finals in the country: PRCA National Finals, Circuit Finals, Indian National Finals, College Nationals, High School National Finals and Senior Pro. He started announcing rodeos […]
Toland, Roger
In a 43-year sportswriting career, all at the Rapid City Journal, Toland was No. 1 when it came to numbers. A graduate of Rapid City High and National College of Business in Rapid City, Toland began working at the Journal in 1964. He retired in 2007. The 43 years is thought to be a state […]
Tredway, Bill
Born April 16, 1918. 1936 Huron HS grad. Attended Huron College. Tredway made history by doing the first radio broadcasts of the state boys basketball tournament from Huron College’s gym in 1936. “I announced the game from a telephone booth in the arena,” he once recalled. “I was the play-by-play announcer, analyst and engineer. And […]
Villa, Neysa
Known to most people simply as Neysa, Villa raised 10 children in Freeman, and in her efforts to provide sports activities for her children, she created an amazing legacy of volunteerism in amateur sports in South Dakota, especially in the AAU, from the 1960s to the early 1980s. Villa, a registered nurse, was instrumental in […]
Wahl, Kermit
Born in Columbia, S.D. Played youth baseball in Columbia and Aberdeen. 1946 Indiana University grad. Played pro baseball for 11 seasons, including four-plus years (1944-45, `47, `50-51) in the major leagues with Cincinnati, the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns. His best season was 1950, when he hit .257 in 89 games for Philadelphia. His […]
Walseth, R.M. “Bus”
Clear Lake HS. SDSU. In 1937 he was named the first executive secretary of the South Dakota High School Activities Association, a position he held for 35 years. Before that, he coached at Barnard, Leola and Ipswich. When he retired in 1971, he had devoted 50 years to high school athletics as a coach and […]
James, Milo
Milo James Wepking graduated from Avon High School in 1940 and earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern State Teacher’s College in 1951. He later obtained a master’s degree in education from the University of South Dakota and pursued doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota. A multi-sport standout in high school, Wepking led Avon to […]
Whalen, Duane
Duane Whalen graduated from Rapid City High School in 1954. From 1954 to 1958 he attended Black Hills State University. In the fall of 1958, he began his 40-year teaching, coaching, and athletic administration career in Rapid City. Whalen began his career in athletic/activities administration in 1977 when he was appointed Junior High Activities Director […]
Young, Don
1933 Edgemont High grad. 1940 Black Hills State grad. Young’s name is synonymous with Black Hills State, where he spent almost 50 years as a coach, teacher and administrator. A coach who loved football, spent endless hours diagramming plays and creating new formations while demonstrating unbridled enthusiasm for the game, Young was first and foremost […]
Zulk, Gene
South Dakota State men’s basketball had many of its greatest days while Zulk was a player and coach at the school. The 1965 Spencer High grad helped the Jackrabbits to North Central Conference titles in 1968 and ’69. In 1969 he was all-NCC. That season the 6-foot-5, 215-pound forward averaged 18.5 points and 7.4 rebounds […]