Baker, Taylor

1998 Rapid City Stevens/2004 Kansas State graduate. Taylor Baker was perhaps South Dakota’s greatest high school gymnast with 13 state titles and leading Stevens to four team state championships. She captured a state record 13 individual titles in the balance beam (1994, 1996, 1997), floor exercise (1994 1995, 1998), uneven bars (1995), vault (1995, 1998), […]

Rehn, Ruth

The Lyons High and 1966 South Dakota State grad was an assistant executive director for the S.D. High School Activities Association for 34 years, starting in 1974. During her tenure, South Dakota added basketball, volleyball, cross country, and competitive cheer and dance for high school girls, and she was the overseeing administrator for all the […]

Casey, Tom

1966 Wasson (Colorado Springs) High School/1970 University of Colorado. Was a high school gymnast (excellent tumbler and on the trampoline) who earned a scholarship to the University of Colorado where he competed in gymnastics. Came to Pine Ridge Reservation in June 1970 while working as a Vista volunteer and on his master’s degree in sociology. […]

Keck, Sheri

One of the most successful high school gymnastics coaches in state history, the 1979 South Dakota State grad guided Rapid City. Stevens to six state titles and two runner-up finishes in 13 seasons. A Stevens grad, she coached the Raiders from 1991-2001 and 2005-06. The Raiders won state titles in 1994, ’95, ’97, ’98, ’99 […]

Forseth, Lolly

Born Sept. 9, 1947, in Mitchell. 1965 Canton grad. 1969 SDSU grad. Was a head gymnastics coach for 19 years in Sioux Falls, leading Lincoln High to seven state titles and Washington High to four. Three other teams were state runners-up. Her teams had an incredible 154-9 record in dual meets. She coached Lincoln from […]

Godfrey, Vic

The 1958 Aberdeen Central and 1963 Northern State grad has been a track and/or cross country coach for more than 50 years – much of it at Watertown. Godfrey began his coaching career in Indonesia while in the Peace Corps from 1963-65. During that time he worked with Olympic gold medalists Emil Zatopek and Charlie […]

Collignon, Linda

Her coaching stay was short, but her impact was long-lasting. That describes the 1968 Rutland High School and 1972 Dakota State College graduate Linda Collignon. In 1991-92, Collignon took over the Madison gymnastics program with no head coaching experience and served as an assistant coach for two years. Her teams did not place her first […]

Schlekeway, Jill (Theeler)

The 1997 Mitchell High grad blazed to three state records in an incredible final two years of high school track. In 1997, she set state records in the 100 meters (11.66), 200 (24.27) and 400 (55.25). She won the 100, 200 and 400 and ran on the winning 1,600 relay at the state Class AA […]