Vidal, Gene

Born April 13, 1895, in Madison. 1912 Madison HS grad. 1916 USD grad. 1918 West Point grad. He participated in the 1920 and ’24 Olympic Games. At Antwerp in 1920, he finished seventh in the decathlon. He had sprained his right wrist in a car accident just before the Olympics, and any event that required […]

Vinatieri, Adam

1991 Rapid City Central/1995 SDSU graduate. Most agree, Vinatieri is the greatest kicker in NFL history. Played for New England Patriots (1996-2005) and Indianapolis Colts (2006-19). Became the all-time leading scorer in NFL history in his 24 seasons. Was a four-time Super Bowl champion and three-time pro bowler. Named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, […]

Whipple, Sr, Vince

Considered one of the state’s finest shooters in history, Vince Whipple’s numbers may have been unreachable had he played in the era of the three-point line. He was one of the best assist men and ball-handlers of his time as well. Whipple graduated from Rapid City High School in 1956 and after his military service […]

White, Tommie Lee

White came from a large urban area (Atlanta) to a small rural town (Yankton) in 1962, and he became one of the greatest hurdlers in the world. The 1966 Yankton College grad held virtually every high hurdle record in the immediate three-state area (South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa). He also held the world record at 60 […]

Schutte, Clarence

The Hecla native gained fame as “the man who stopped Red Grange’’ for his football exploits at the University of Minnesota. Before Minnesota, he starred at Northern State and South Dakota State. After Minnesota, he became known as “Mr. Santa Barbara of Sports” after spending 40 years in the California city as a high school […]

Schwartz, Gary

An all-state football player at Wessington Springs, Schwartz was thinking about playing the sport in college. All that changed in a flash at the 1962 Howard Wood Dakota Relays. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder’s discus throw of 190 feet, 7 1/2 inches was the best prep throw in the nation at the time that year and broke […]

Schwartz, Bryan

Bryan Schwartz was the first NCAA Division II player ever nominated for the Dick Butkus Award, given to college football’s best linebacker. He was a second-round pick, 64th overall, of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1995 NFL Draft. The 6-4, 251-pound Schwartz was the Jaguars’ leading tackler as a rookie. He was named to the […]

Simko, John

Sioux Falls (1957 Washingon HS grad). 1961 Augustana grad. Simko’s great athletic achievements have been unusually varied. He is the only South Dakotan to win state high school tennis titles four years in both singles and doubles (1954-57), and he was ranked No. 1 in 18-and-under singles in the Northwest Region. In his senior season […]

Soderquist, Rudy

Rudolph “Rudy” Soderquist, a 1937 graduate of Rapid City Central and a 1942 graduate of the University of Iowa, was a standout in both high school and college athletics. In his senior year, he led Iowa to its best season since 1926, finishing the 1942 season tied for second in the Big Ten with an […]

Stanford, Doug

A 1962 Rapid City Central and 1967 Black Hills State grad, Stanford was one of the state’s greatest amateur baseball players. The pitcher-outfielder was a two-time state tournament MVP (1972 and ’73) and he hit 26 home runs in 1976 to tie the single-season state record. In 1973, the 6-foot-1½, 205-pound right-hander pitched two complete […]