Oates, Bob

The 1933 Aberdeen Central and 1937 Yankton College grad was a sportswriter for 70 years, almost all of it in Los Angeles. Oates was an original member of the panel of sportswriters that since 1962 has annually chosen the inductees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.He covered the first 39 Super Bowls. In 2006, […]

Ovenden, Mark

Mark Ovenden is a Boston native and graduated from Dover Sherborn High School. He attended the University of Richmond (VA), where he was the sports editor of the Collegian. But his gift of gab led to a career in broadcasting. He started his TV career as WTVR’s first-weekend sports anchor during his senior year in […]

Quinn, Jim

From his first high school coaching job in 1940 to his death in 1993, Quinn was one of the best-known figures in South Dakota sports. The Sturgis High grad was a coach, a founder of several sports programs and an administrator of others, an executive and a chronicler of sports history. At his death, a […]

Quintal, A.A.

Born in Jefferson on Dec. 18, 1899. Elk Point High School. 1923 USD grad. Was coach and/or athletic director at Mitchell High for 40 years. In 1926 he was named coach and AD at Mitchell. He coached all sports until relinquishing basketball duties in 1949. Took the Kernels to 16 state basketball tourneys, winning state […]

Foss, Joe

Born April 17, 1915 in Sioux Falls. 1940 USD grad. As well as being a World War II flying ace and the governor of South Dakota, Foss was an avid outdoorsman and the first commissioner of the American Football League. Foss was AFL commissioner from 1959-65. The AFL grew in stature and prestige, eventually forcing […]

Goldhammer, Marlyn

Marlyn Goldhammer graduated from Wagner High School in 1950. After graduating high school, he served his country during the Korean War from 1952 to 1954. He graduated from Southern State College in 1958. In 1970 he earned a master’s degree from Northern State University. Goldhammer served as executive director of the SD High School Activities […]

Grebin, Don

The “godfather of tennis in South Dakota,” Grebin has spent more hours coaching, promoting, supporting, volunteering and contributing to the growth of the sport in the state than any other individual. At 76 (as of 2008), he still is coaching, running leagues and organizing tennis tourneys at Sioux Empire Fitness. And he was a pretty […]

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 […]

Hammrich, Harvey

Harvey Hammrich was a South Dakota athletic director for 38 of his 43 years in education, 26 at Watertown, 1977-2003; 12 at Webster,1965-77; and five at Eureka, 1960-65. He graduated from Ipswich High School in 1954 and South Dakota State College in 1959. Hammrich was a tremendous high school and college athlete in multiple sports. […]

Hanson, Rich

The 1954 Aberdeen Central and 1958 Northern State grad has been officiating high school and college sports since 1959. He also has been a contributor to many local organizations. Hanson was a high school and college basketball referee from 1959-79 and a football ref from 1963-84. He reffed the first football game at the DakotaDome […]