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 […]
Meile, Mark
Mark Meile, a 1972 West Central graduate with degrees from NDSU-Bottineau (1974), USD-Springfield (1976), and SDSU (1992), was a pivotal figure in Sioux Falls athletics. As the Sioux Falls School District athletic coordinator from 1993 to 2018, Meile transformed the city into a national sports hub by spearheading the development of new facilities, programs, and […]
Kiner, George
The beginning of South Dakota Coaches Against Cancer started in 1984 when Dr. Charles Woodard, an English professor at SDSU, and John Papendick, one of his students, shared an interest in South Dakota sports stories. Dave Prohl, a friend of Woodard’s, also became involved, and they decided it would be a good idea to publish […]
Grivna (Smith), Tim
TIM “SMITH” GRIVNA. Tim “Smith” Grivna, a 1968 Minneapolis Edison High School graduate and alumnus of the University of Minnesota and Brown Institute of Broadcasting, is one of South Dakota’s most iconic radio voices. His five-decade career began in 1973 at KORN Radio in Mitchell, and in 1979, he moved to KMIT, where he also […]
Burns, William (Bill)
Bill Burns collaborated with South Dakota amateur boxing clubs from 1970 to 1980, establishing a state program that provided training and advancement opportunities for athletes, coaches, and officials. As state chair, he expanded the program from 11 to 26 clubs and increased athlete participation from 150 to nearly 500. The program began regularly advancing participants […]
Lavin, Chad
Chad Lavin is one of the earliest South Dakotans to coach women’s basketball at the NCAA Division I level. He revitalized the University of Wyoming program, leading the Cowgirls to a 175-162 record from 1986-98, significantly improving from their 23-60 record in the three years prior. Lavin guided the Cowgirls to their only regular-season conference […]
Heinitz, Jim
Jim Heinitz graduated from Mountain Lake (MN) High School in 1968 and from SDSU in 1973, where he was an all-conference linebacker. In 1977, he became the head football coach at Rapid City Stevens, leading the Raiders to a 7-2 record and a #2 state ranking with seven shutouts. He retired in 1978 to go […]
Haensel, Wayne “Hawkeye”
A 1954 graduate of Walnut Grove High School (MN) and a 1959 graduate of SDSU, Haensel was an All-American, all-conference, three-year starter, and senior co-captain for the Jackrabbits, helping SDSU secure three North Central Conference Championships with a 23-11-2 record during his tenure. Drafted in the 25th round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the […]
Barnes, Don
A 1962 graduate of Notre Dame High School in Mitchell and a 1970 graduate of USD, Barnes is arguably South Dakota’s greatest tennis coach and one of its longest-tenured high school coaches, regardless of sport. His tenure with the Sioux Falls O’Gorman boys’ and girls’ tennis teams is marked by extraordinary achievements, including over 1,000 […]
Torve, Kelvin
Kelvin Torve attended Rapid City Stevens and graduated in 1978. He lettered in basketball and football during his last two high school years. As a senior, he was first-team All-State in basketball and was also named the Rapid City High School Athlete of the Year for his outstanding football, basketball, and Post 22 baseball careers. […]