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 […]
Antonen, Mel
The 1974 Hamlin High and 1979 Augustana grad was a national baseball reporter for USA Today for 24 years (1986-2010). The Lake Norden native covered numerous history-making accomplishments – including Cal Ripken’s Ironman streak, the Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa Home Run Derby, eight players reaching their 3,000th hit, labor negotiations, the players’ strike of 1994, the […]
Naasz, Harvey
The Mobridge High and University of South Dakota grad was one of the state’s finest prep football coaches, going 169-58-3 in 24 seasons, mostly at Winner. He coached 17 years at Winner, where he guided the Warriors to three state titles (1981, ’87 and ’89) and one runner-up finish (1986). Naasz’s Warriors were unbeaten in […]
Flaagan, Forry
Flaagan is a 1968 Mayville (N.D.) High School grad and 1977 University of North Dakota alum who guided the Rapid City Stevens cross country program to unparalleled success. Flaagan got his coaching start in Spearfish as assistant junior high boys track coach for two years before becoming the head cross country and assistant track coach […]
Glanzer, Burnell
The 1971 Freeman High and 1975 University of South Dakota grad was one of the most successful boys basketball coaches in state history, guiding Armour (and Tripp-Delmont/Armour) to a 617-209 record in 37 seasons. He was just the third South Dakota boys basketball coach to reach the 600-win mark. He led Armour’s Packers to a […]
Rykhus, Duane
The 1953 Brookings High and 1957 South Dakota State grad was a fine all-around athlete but it was in the pole vault where he really stood out. He was a three-time state pole vault champion in high school. He used a bamboo pole for the first state title, then went to a metal pole for […]
James, Jerry
The 1980 South Dakota State grad was the No. 1 rated amateur boxer in the United States at 165 pounds in 1988. That year the Brooklyn native competed internationally against Cuba and Europe and in the U.S. Olympic Trials, where a controversial ruling kept him out of the Olympics. Amazingly, his boxing career spanned less […]
Nielsen Honner, Dana (Nielsen)
The 1988 Armour High and 1993 Augustana grad was the first four-time all-conference women’s basketball player in North Central Conference history. Twice the 5-foot-11 forward was the NCC Most Valuable Player and a first-team NCAA Division II Kodak All-American. She ended her career as the all-time NCC scoring leader. She remains among Augustana’s career leaders […]
Garrnett, Marvin
A four-time world bareback champion, the Belle Fourche native was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1998. The 5-foot-7, 150-pounder won bareback titles in 1988, ’89, ’94 and ’95 and narrowly missed a fifth title, being edged out on the last ride at the 1996 National Finals Rodeo by brother Mark. Marvin […]
Burnett, Amy
The 1991 Huron High and 1996 University of Wyoming grad was the women’s basketball Player of the Year in the NCAA Division I Western Athletic Conference in 1994 and ’95. At Wyoming, the 5-foot-11 forward was honorable mention all-conference as a freshman and first-team all-WAC the next three years. As a junior she led the […]