Young, Don

1933 Edgemont High grad. 1940 Black Hills State grad. Young’s name is synonymous with Black Hills State, where he spent almost 50 years as a coach, teacher and administrator. A coach who loved football, spent endless hours diagramming plays and creating new formations while demonstrating unbridled enthusiasm for the game, Young was first and foremost […]

Villa, Neysa

Known to most people simply as Neysa, Villa raised 10 children in Freeman, and in her efforts to provide sports activities for her children, she created an amazing legacy of volunteerism in amateur sports in South Dakota, especially in the AAU, from the 1960s to the early 1980s. Villa, a registered nurse, was instrumental in […]

Toland, Roger

In a 43-year sportswriting career, all at the Rapid City Journal, Toland was No. 1 when it came to numbers. A graduate of Rapid City High and National College of Business in Rapid City, Toland began working at the Journal in 1964. He retired in 2007. The 43 years is thought to be a state […]

Stolze, Craig

Born Oct. 21, 1919 in Sioux City. 1938 (Sioux City) Central HS grad. 1949 USD grad. Stolze is the only person to be named South Dakota Sportswriter of the Year four consecutive years. He was sports editor at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader for 10 years (1953-63). While there, Stolze started the Associated Press basketball […]

Sheeks, Paul

A 1908 Mitchell High and 1913 University of South Dakota grad, Sheeks played two years in the NFL before gaining national fame in the 1920s and ’30s because of the success of the Firestone basketball teams he coached in Akron, Ohio. He helped found the National Basketball League and was named coach of the year […]

Ricketts, Jim

The Sioux Falls man was an official in South Dakota for 39 years for football, basketball and baseball. The Ames (Iowa) High and University of Wyoming grad also officiated six years in Colorado and Wyoming before coming to South Dakota. He worked 49 prep football playoff games and four state football finals. He also refereed […]

Richards, Hobe

Born Aug. 9, 1923 in Aberdeen. 1941 Aberdeen Central HS grad. 1949 Northern State grad. An outstanding golf teacher, many of his students went on to become state champions. Richards won the 1943 state match-play title. Seven times he won the South Dakota Open, which was the biggest medal-play tourney in the state at that […]

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 […]

Mann, Dean

The 1950 Washington High and 1957 Augustana grad has been involved in track and field in South Dakota for more than 60 years. This year (2007) marks his 50th year as a track official – as a starter and referee at the college and high school level. As an athlete, he was a four-year letterwinner […]

Marshall, Stan

Born Jan. 8, 1927 in Yankton. 1945 Centerville grad. 1950 SDSU grad. SDSU athletic director from 1965-80. Served as president and secretary-treasurer of the NCAA and was an influential member on many NCAA committees. Marshall was instrumental in initiating national championships for NCAA Division II and III schools. As a high school coach (1950-55), Marshall […]