Sutherland, Jason
1993 Watertown/1997 Missouri graduate. One of the most gifted, versatile athletes in state history. All-state football and basketball player at Watertown, where the 6-foot-1 Sutherland high jumped 7 feet, 1 inch to win a State AA track title. He cleared 7 feet at two other meets that season. Went on to play Division I basketball […]
Sorensen, Jim
1962 Sioux Falls Washington/1966 Augustana graduate. While he may be known as the long-time Beresford basketball coach, Sorensen was also one of the most successful prep golf coaches in state history. A four-time SD golf coach of the year, he was the 2012 national prep golf coach of the year. His girls’ teams won eight […]
Smalley, Thelma (Austin)
1926 Wagner graduate. One of South Dakota’s first and brightest high school girls’ basketball stars. Thelma Austin was the star player in three consecutive girls’ basketball state tournaments. In 1924 as a sophomore, she scored 83 points in five state tournament games (there were 24 teams at Mitchell) with a high game of 28 points. […]
Papendick, John
1978 Bridgewater/1984 SDSU graduate. Life-long SD sports journalist/historian who wrote his first newspaper story in 1975. Aberdeen and Mitchell sports departments he led always took a statewide approach to its coverage. Three-time SD Sportswriter of the Year, Heisman Trophy voter, Distinguished SDSU Alumni, SD Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, SDHSAA Distinguished Service, and more than […]
Mueller, Kent
1976 Freeman/Dakota Wesleyan/1985 USD graduate. Wherever he went in life, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Mueller made an impression, a difference and history as an athlete, teacher and coach. He recently made a state record 17th high school football state championship appearance in 2025 as an assistant coach for champion Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy. Mueller’s teams have won 14 […]
Miller, Mike
1998 Mitchell High School graduate/University of Florida. One of the most highly recruited prep basketball players in South Dakota history. He led Florida in scoring (12.3 points a game) as a freshman and to a Division I championship runner-up finish as a sophomore All-American. A 6-foot-8 wing player with great shooting range as well as […]
Miles, Tim
A proud native of Doland and South Dakota, Tim Miles has built one of the most respected coaching careers in college basketball, defined by program building, player development, and sustained success across every level of the sport. Now the head coach at San José State University, Miles continues to elevate programs using the same blueprint […]
Haines, Randi (Morgan)
2000 Mitchell/2004 Dakota Wesleyan graduate. One of SD’s greatest all-time basketball players from a basketball family that holds a Guinness Book of World Record as a single family to score over 10,000 points for a single college, for which she was featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd”. Six of Carol & Bill Morgan’s […]
Fylling, Jeff
1974 Lennox/1978 Augustana graduate. For almost 50 years, Jeff Fylling painted pictures of Augustana football and basketball teams for radio audiences. Through his voice, he created some of the best sports images in state history. On Sept. 3, 1984, Fylling called his first game as the Voice of the Vikings’ football team as Augustana defeated […]
Freidel, Dan
1980 Armour/1984 Augustana graduate. Freidel was a four-year varsity performer in multiple sports and one of the centerpieces of Armour’ High School’s statewide dominance athletically in the 1970s and 1980s. At a time with no prep football playoffs, the running back/linebacker helped the Packers go 30-4 in his four years. He earned All-State and All-Conference […]