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 football honors (1978, 1979, and 1980) and was also the Argus Elite 45 Team. On the basketball court, Freidel was again an all-stater who helped Armour go 97-3, win two undefeated state titles (1978, 1979) and finish as state runner-up in 1977. The team set a state record 64-game winning streak and Freidel was the only player to play in every game. The 1979 Armour/Beresford State Championship Game was voted “South Dakota Greatest Game of All Time”. In 1980 with fellow senior Dennis Tiefenthaler sidelined with a knee injury from football, Freidel averaged 21 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals per game. Shooting 58 percent from the field and fighting injuries, the 5-foot-11 Freidel had to jump center (winning 70 percent of the tips) in leading the young Armour team to the region championship (loss to Stickney). He earned numerous basketball honors: All-State (1978, 1979 and 1980) Argus Elite 5 (1980), All-American (1980) and was a SD Mr. Basketball finalist (1980). He is also a member of the SD Basketball Hall of Fame. In track, the speedy Freidel helped Armour win two state titles (1978, 1979) and finish as state runners-up in 1977 and 1980. Freidel also shined on the baseball field as a third baseman where his team won both American Legion and VFW Teener state titles. Major colleges such as Brigham Young, Minnesota and others recruited Freidel, envisioning him as a successful major college cornerback. Also hot on his recruiting trail were the North Central Conference schools. Went to Augustana, where he was a four-year starter in basketball and football. He set a career assists and steals leader on the basketball court, and a team record for career interceptions (19) in football. He left the Vikings as third on the career assists’ chart with 482 and second on the career steals’ chart with 172. His Augie teams had many memorable seasons and wins, such as the Vikings’ 1982-83 basketball season (19-8). Plus, Augie beat SDSU in football three times in Dan’s four years on the Vikings’ team. In 1983, Freidel was named Male College Athlete of the Year by the South Dakota Sportswriters Association. An all-North Central Conference performer who earned tryouts in the CFL. Freidel is also a member of the Augustana College Hall of Fame for basketball and football.