SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
VOLUME 19 NO. 1 / SUMMER 2014
John Stiegelmeier– Leader of the
football family
SDSU Exceptionalism As we near the end of July, it’s hard to believe that I am set to close the books on my sixth summer in South Dakota. Over the past couple of months, my staff and I have had the privilege of meeting Jackrabbit fans and alumni from all across this great state; from Spearfish to Pierre to Main Avenue in Brookings. In the many conversations I had about what sets SDSU apart, a recurring theme seemed to develop—our edge is the exceptional people we have surrounding Jackrabbit Athletics! Without exceptional people, we would not have been able to enjoy the kind of groundbreaking philanthropic support that has us set to open (Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Center) and break ground on (Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium) two landmark capital projects this fall while also experiencing sustained growth in our annual fund. With that said, I sincerely believe we are at a moment in our history where we can redefine what success means at SDSU. In this issue of Rabbit Tracks, we’ll introduce you to some new members of our development team who have a passion for building relationships and are committed to ensuring student-athletes and donors alike enjoy a firstclass, Division I experience. As we move forward into unprecedented territory, we need to cultivate support in some unprecedented ways. While we know we can count on loyal Jackrabbit Club members to continue to make investments in our student-athletes, it’s imperative that we expand our circle of support. I am certain that as our donor base and Jackrabbit Club membership grows, you will begin to enjoy a college athletics experience the likes of which has never been seen in the state of South Dakota. Then again, for the people surrounding Jackrabbit Athletics, exceptional is the norm.
Go Big. Go Blue. Go Jacks.
JUSTIN SELL DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
CONTENTS
VOLUME 18 NO.3 / SUMMER 2014
2 NEW PLACES, NEW FACES This past year has not only been about facility changes as the department has also added several new people. 5 MAKING THE SHOW Blake Treinen made his major league debut April 12, becoming the secondever Jackrabbit in Major League Baseball.
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6 FROM STATE TO WHITE HOUSE James Higgins was State’s first Academic All-America®. He has a role as the U.S. president in “Persecuted.” 10 UNIQUE ROUTE TO SUCCESS Head coach John Stiegelmeier enters his 18th season as the Jacks’ head coach. Despite not playing in college, he recaps his path to leading the program. 13 DONOR SPOTLIGHT The Jacks’ #1 fan, Keith Jensen, explains how he got the title. 14 SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT Case IH sponsorship is a win-win for both entities.
6 PRESIDENT David L. Chicoine DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Justin Sell ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, SPORTS INFORMATION Jason Hove SDSU SPORTS INFORMATION ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Ryan Sweeter SDSU SPORTS INFORMATION ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Michele Schmidt DEPUTY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Leon Costello EDITOR Andrea Kieckhefer, University Marketing and Communications CONTRIBUTING WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Graves, Justin Harned, Eric Landwehr, Matt Schmidt University Marketing and Communications; Intertia Sports Media DESIGNER Kristi Schelhaas
ABOUT THE COVER Head football coach John Stiegelmeier is on the verge of becoming the program’s all-time win leader. Read about his path to success on page 10. Athletic Department South Dakota State University, Box 2820, Brookings, SD 57007 1-866-GOJACKS Fax: 605-688-5999 www.gojacks.com Rabbit Tracks is produced by University Marketing and Communications in cooperation with the SDSU Athletic Department at no cost to the State of South Dakota. Please notify the Athletic Department office when you change your address. 1,600 copies printed by the SDSU Athletic Department at no cost to the State of South Dakota. PE069 07/14
WINTER/SPRING RECAP With numerous top-three finishes, South Dakota State earned its third overall and second-straight Summit League Commissioner’s Cup title. The Jackrabbits also captured both the Dr. William Steinbrecher Men’s All-Sports Award and the Dr. Helen Smiley Women’s All-Sports Award. 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
MEN’S BASKETBALL WOMEN’S BASKETBALL EQUESTRIAN GOLF BASEBALL SOFTBALL SWIMMING TENNIS WRESTLING TRACK & FIELD
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BROWN BRUNNER TO LEAD FUNDRAISING EFFORTS W
hen thinking about making a career move to South Dakota State, it took only one look for Scott Brown and Brian Brunner to make their decision. They cited the leadership of the university and the athletics department as well as the stability of the coaching staff as key factors. “What drew me most to South Dakota State was that there is a team in place here with not only a vision to be the best, but also a plan to get there,” said Brunner, who started in June as assistant athletic director for annual giving after spending the last four years in various development roles at Central Michigan University, most recently as director of development for the Chippewa Athletic Fund.
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RABBIT TRACKS
“We have tremendous people leading our programs, and as impressive as they are on paper, they are even better in person,” said Brown, who started in March as the senior associate athletic director for development. “After being hired for this role, I spoke with my colleagues at different institutions at a variety of levels within college athletics. It was exciting for me to learn how keenly aware everyone is as to what Jackrabbit Athletics represents, and the direction we are headed. I hope that is exciting for Jackrabbit fans as well. “It is also important to my family to be in a community that embraces the university and the athletics program,” he continued. “We have certainly been pleasantly surprised so far, both in Brookings and throughout the state,
and we are looking forward to being part of it all.” Brown spent nearly eight years with the University of Iowa athletics department in a variety of fundraising roles, and most recently served as the director of athletics development at UCLA. Born and raised in Storm Lake, Iowa, he is familiar with State’s traditions. In his short time on campus, his views about State have changed. “As a development professional, and as an ultracompetitive person, I wanted to put myself in a position to make an impact on a daily basis, and to do that you have to work with an engaged fan base. It was clear, from the outside looking in, that SDSU had an engaged fan base. That has been confirmed in these first few months to a greater
degree than I thought possible,” he said. “As a fundraiser, my job is quite simply to connect donors with their passions and to facilitate impactful transactions. In that way, I am a means to an end, and the rewarding thing about my position is that the success of our office translates directly into the success of others. Our contributors allow our student-athletes to live out their dreams of being Division I student-athletes while simultaneously receiving an education that will have lifelong benefits. Similarly, the opportunities that we provide to our donors to get involved, and to invest in their passions, allow them to be a fundamental part of that enduring success.” Brunner, a former quarterback at Central Michigan, is looking forward to making the transition to South Dakota State. “It is going to be critical for me to get out and meet anyone and everyone who bleeds blue and yellow. I want to know what drives their passion for Jackrabbit Athletics and consequently, I want to begin developing the kind of trust and rapport necessary to ensure that I am a worthy steward of their support,” Brunner said. “As a former
student-athlete, I experienced firsthand the value of Division I athletics and the many doors it can open. I have always felt that a goal of mine as an administrator should be to do whatever I can to ensure that the student-athletes I work with have all the tools necessary to have an even better experience than the one I enjoyed. “I am excited to work with Scott, Sara (Schneider), Alex (Parker) and the rest of our partners in the Foundation to come up with a comprehensive strategy to continue moving SDSU forward,” he continued. “What has been accomplished in just the past couple of years through the generosity of our Jackrabbit Club members and best friends of the university is nothing short of amazing. Still, there is a vision to make SDSU not only a major player in our conference, but also on a regional and national level. We have a unique opportunity to redefine expectations not only for our student-athletes but also what our donors should come to expect from our development staff.” Brown and Brunner are excited about the opportunity in front of them as they aim to create and build upon quality relationships, secure the
necessary resources, and provide a first class Division I experience for studentathletes and contributors alike. “We will come to the office every day and embrace a mentality of being donor centered, relationship focused and bottom-line driven. SDSU studentathletes should have an academic and athletic experience that matches or exceeds the best in the nation, and we will make sure that our contributors feel valued and know exactly how their generosity benefits our studentathletes,” Brown said. “One of the things that I most enjoy about development, especially as a former athlete, is what I call the ‘scoreboard nature’ of the business,” said Brunner. “Our director of athletics will set a mark for us and if we’re a penny over, we win; if we’re a penny under, we lose. While I had plenty of shortcomings as a student-athlete, I was confident that few people I came up against were more competitive than me. We are going to compete every day to hit that mark for our studentathletes and when we do, we will be successful.” MATT SCHMIDT
Below: The Letterwinners Club tailgate reunion at the 2013 Dakota Marker game drew a crowd. The enthusiastic support of the Jackrabbits faithful caught the attention of Brown and Brunner when deciding to join the athletics department.
SUMMER 2014
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NEW FACES JOIN DEPARTMENT
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CARLY CASE Academics Started June 2014
HAYLIE LINN Women’s Basketball Started June 2014
HAILEY COWLES Volleyball Started April 2014
LUKE SCHLEUSNER Football Started February 2014
BRITTANY OLIGSCHAELGER Jackrabbit Sports Properties Started December 2013
MICHELE SCHMIDT Sports Information Started November 2013
ADAM PARSONS Strength and Conditioning Started November 2013
CLINT SARGENT Men’s Basketball Started August 2013
BRODY BUSHO Facilities Started August 2013
DAN HAVERKAMP Tickets Started July 2013
ADAM HEEMEYER Tickets Started June 2013
JOE KRABBENHOFT Men’s Basketball Started June 2013
MIKE BROTZMAN Jackrabbit Sports Properties Started June 2013
JIMMY ROGERS Football Started June 2013
RABBIT TRACKS
IN THE SHOW
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Photo courtesy of the Washington Nationals
Former Jack records first win June 28 over the Cubs
pril was a busy month for the Washington Nationals’ Blake Treinen. Right before the month began, he was sent to the minor league camp, despite recording a strong finish to the spring training season. However, just several days into April, the right-handed pitcher got the call to return to the major league club. Treinen, who pitched for the 2010 and 2011 Jackrabbits, made his major league debut April 12 against the Atlanta Braves, the first of three appearances in a six-day window. He struck out one batter in his debut, a two-inning stint against the Braves. He became just the second-ever Jackrabbit to appear in the major leagues, and the second in as many seasons. Treinen’s debut comes just 11 months after Caleb Thielbar became the first Jackrabbit to play in a major league game May 20, 2013. Entering the season as one of the Nationals’ top prospects, Treinen felt good about what he accomplished in spring training. That confidence was a result of him finishing spring training by striking out seven batters in 8 2/3 innings and allowing only one run. Soon after his third major league appearance, Treinen was sent to the Nationals’ AAA affiliate in Syracuse, New York. However, he was called back to Washington in May, this time to start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He remained with the Nationals for the rest of May. He recorded his first win in the second game of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs June 28. “As long as I get an opportunity, I’ll take whatever opportunity I can. If they want me to start, I’ll start. If they want me in relief, I’ll throw there, too,” Treinen said. “Like today, I’m here, I’ll put my work in and get ready to throw. If I throw tonight, I throw. The main part is if they need me today, I’ll be ready. And I’ll do the same tomorrow. “Whatever they throw my way, I’m looking at it as I have gotten my feet wet,” he continued. “I’m in the sponge stage, just trying to absorb all of this knowledge and apply it to my game. I also need to trust the ability I’ve been blessed with to here.” That ability allowed Treinen to become the ace of the 2010 staff. As a result, the Miami Marlins organization drafted Treinen but he returned to State for his senior season. After recording seven wins for the second-straight season, he was then drafted in the seventh round by Oakland in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. Washington acquired him as a part of a three-team trade in January 2013. The trade came after a self-proclaimed mediocre season in the Oakland farm system. However, Treinen has made the most of the trade. “One great thing has been that this whole organization, from top to bottom, has all been so welcoming,” Treinen said. “Everybody is in it for each other. Everyone tries to get you going in the right direction.” MATT SCHMIDT SUMMER 2014
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
JAMES HIGGINS From heart of S.D. to heart surgeon … and more
O
n the basketball court, James R. Higgins ’73 played in the shadows of Denny Womeldorf, John Eidsness, Clyde Hagen, Lee Colburn and Dave Thomas. In the classroom, Higgins was the shining light. He was a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America® in 1971 and 1972, an honor that wouldn’t go to a Jackrabbit again until the 2013-14 season when Brayden Carlson was selected. Carlson, an economics major, compiled a 3.94 GPA. Higgins, an electrical engineering major from Wessington Springs who started two years as a 6-foot-3 ½ guard, had one B in four years. Since removing his blue and yellow uniform, life has been a whirlwind of hard work and success. Some of the more notable asterisks on Higgins’ resume: •
Graduated first in his class at medical school at the University of Rochester (New York);
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Chosen for one of four fellowships to the premier heart hospital at the University of California, San Francisco. There were 450 applicants;
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Practiced 28 years as a cardiologist at the world-class St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma;
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Performed the world’s third defibrillator implant surgery;
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Holds patents for more than 40 medical devices related to the cardiovascular system, including parts of the pacemakers and defibrillators;
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Flown a personal plane capable of flying 500 miles per hour; RABBIT TRACKS
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Climbed Mount McKinley (at age 29) and Mount Kilimanjaro (summer 2014); and
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Played the part of the U.S. president in the movie “Persecuted,” an independent film that was released nationwide July 18.
From humble beginnings It’s a career of which his parents couldn’t have dreamed. Higgins was the first from his family to go to college. He grew up in a small farming town on the central South Dakota plains where his dad, Raymond, owned and operated a grocery store and his mother, Audrey, cared for the home while battling coronary artery and vascular disease. Higgins was only 17 when he came to Brookings in 1969 as a freshman at a university with 5,500 students. But he arrived as a successful high school student. Coach Jim Marking had awarded him an athletic scholarship and the school bestowed Higgins, the class valedictorian at Wessington Springs, a Briggs Scholarship, State’s top academic scholarship, which, four decades ago, paid $500 per year. He was able to send money back home every month and still keep gas in his 1963 Ford Fairlane.
Grand Pooba — ‘One of best experiences’ Higgins quickly attached to campus life — he was elected freshman class president; was named the most valuable player of the freshman basketball team and served on the
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
At left: James R. Higgins, who plays the president of the United State in the new political thriller “Persecuted,” talks with evangelist John Luther (James Remar) in a White House scene. The independently produced and marketed film opened in 600 theaters July 18. Above: Higgins, center, is flanked by veteran film actor Bruce Davison, left, and Daniel Lesko, right. Davison plays a U.S. senator in the movie, which was written and directed by Lesko.
Hobo Day committee all four years. He was the grand pooba in 1972. “That experience equaled basketball as my best experience” at State. “I was in charge of 30 people (on the Hobo Day committee), playing basketball, studying in a tough major. That’s where I learned for sure I could get by on four hours sleep,” who says that even at 62 he needs only four hours per night. Hobo Week in the early ’70s meant green beanies, tug-ofwar at a mud hole, kangaroo court and plenty of pranks. “I’d have to go and talk to (SDSU President) Hilton Briggs once a week about something my committee had done. They (school administrators) were always nice to me, very respectful. You had to work both sides of the fence,” knowing the guys on his committee just wanted to have fun, but understanding that things couldn’t get out of hand, Higgins said. “It was one of the best learning experiences I’ve had, plus we left about $100,000 in the kitty. Most of the time they had to go back to the Students’ Association and ask for more money,” he added. Part of those proceeds came from the concession stand at the Barn, which was under the authority of athletic director Stan Marshall and was the only location on campus for
concerts. Higgins recalls that he forgot to make arrangements with Marshall on concession stand workers and the divvying of proceeds. Marshall had the concession stand covered. Higgins went to him later to negotiate a share of proceeds from the homecoming concert. “I said, ‘I need to get half of those concessions.’ We worked out a deal. He was just really fair to me. He was always fair, and he treated me with much more respect than I probably deserved for that age. He could have been dominant, but he wasn’t. He taught me a lot, just a great person. I had so much respect for Stan,” Higgins said.
An important card game Higgins can look back to an experience with the basketball team for directing his career path. In 1970, the Jackrabbits bussed to the NCAA finals at Evansville, Ind., to play Tennessee State. Higgins bid his time playing cards with doctors from the Brookings Clinic. “One of them (Francis McCabe) said, ‘You don’t want to be an engineer,’ and Higgins soon found himself watching surgeries at the Brookings Hospital. “I thought ‘Hey, I’m going to do this. It’s a lot of fun,’” he said. However, Higgins continued with his electrical engineering degree. SUMMER 2014
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Left: Jim Higgins, right, shakes hands with James Remar in the “press room of the White House” in this August 2013 photo. Higgins plays the president of the United States while Remar plays a persecuted evangelist in the movie “Persecuted,” which opened July 18. Right: Higgins poses for a Jackrabbit publicity shot in his senior season in Frost Arena. He was a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America® in 1971 and 1972.
He said that background has paid off in spades. Following med school, an internship and a residency, Higgins enrolled in a specialized fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, he studied in the cardiac electro-physiology program. “Because of the my electrical engineering degree, I could speak the language of the engineers. Because of my medical training, I could speak the language of the doctors,” Higgins said.
Pioneering work with defibrillator In the early 1980s, he was working with the inventor of the implantable heart defibrillator and was redesigning heart pacemakers. Dual training in electronics and cardiology made it possible to be a contributor. “I could talk his language,” Higgins said of Michel Mirowski, whose lifelong passion was to invent an implantable defibrillator. Higgins helped develop the antitachycardia pacing circuitry for a new pacemaker, which eventually was put into the defibrillator, allowing defibrillator batteries to last longer and slowing down the heart before a powerful defibrillation shock is needed. At that time, the defibrillator was bigger than a hockey puck and had to be implanted in the abdomen so there was room for it, he said.
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Now the defibrillator is 2 ¾ by 3 inches and 3/8 of an inch thick, as opposed to 2 inches so it does not disturb the skin, the doctor said. “Today’s technology (within the defibrillator) is incredible, but the anti-tachycardia function hasn’t changed one iota except for the circuitry since our work in 1983-84. I’m very proud of that,” Higgins said.
Inventions ‘saved a lot of lives’ He is careful not to overstep his spot in medical advances. Higgins said, “I have patents on real small parts of medical devices. I was in the background. I just worked with engineering and made the device, and helped them develop the device in dog labs. Michel Mirowski was the inventor. I just happened to be doing a little part that went into it. “You never do stuff like that without following someone’s steps. You always build on someone else.” As he looks back on his career, Higgins said he takes the greatest satisfaction in “contributing a small part of inventions that saved a lot of lives,” Higgins said. He noted that he sees about 40 patients on his Friday defibrillator clinics. “Half of them would be dead in the last three months if it wasn’t for the defibrillator.” Higgins said while he is a cardiologist, his interests are broad.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
“I think I would have gotten bored doing heart surgery every day. Now I do internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, cardiology, clinical cardiac electrophysiology, interventional cardiology and coronary angioplasty. It’s hard to get bored. I was trained when everything was being developed, so I did it all and I love it that way.” Higgins now practices with his oldest son, Chris, whose academic resume lists Princeton, Columbia University, Duke and Texas Heart Center in Houston. After his son joined him last year, Higgins has cut back on his work hours and taken longer vacations and more speaking engagements.
Now in the movies, too In March, he was in Washington, D.C., for the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Committee) Conference, where he was on a panel that spoke on a “burdensome federal government.” Afterward, he was asked for autographs, had photo requests and had multiple TV interviews, including one with Al-Jazeera TV. In 2013, he spent six days in Albuquerque for the filming of “Persecuted,” a political action thriller released July 18. “I play the president of the United States. I play a guy that is devious behind the scenes, trying to get some legislation passed that turns out to be pretty unpopular. I utilize a senator, who actually is the frontman, always staying back far enough so I can have some plausible deniability,” he said in one of the movie’s promos. Higgins has 40 lines in this independently produced film that allowed him to check off another item on his bucket list. That list started with 300 items, climbed to 2,000 and still has 1,000 on it. Those still on the list include a ride on Air Force One, a visit to Camp David and climbing Mt. Everest. In April, he attended a gathering at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum at Texas A&M, where Higgins greeted George and Barbara Bush, listened to conversations by then-CIA director Robert Gates and others on how the decision was made to enter the Gulf War, and was entertained at night by country music stars Clay Walker and Garth Brooks, who is one of Higgins’ patients. Though his basketball days are behind him, he also continues to work out seven days a week. “You’re working your butt off, so you better be in good shape. Athletics give you discipline,” Higgins said. He took discipline to the nth degree, melded that with God-given abilities and created a heart-pounding life. “It’s just been a whirlwind,” he said. “I tell my patients that my goal for you is the same as my goal—no heart attacks, no strokes, and a healthy, productive and active life until age 95 and then sudden death.”
JAMES R. HIGGINS AGE: 62 RESIDENCE: Tulsa, Oklahoma HOMETOWN: Wessington Springs OCCUPATION: Cardiologist FAMILY: • Wife – Julie, also a Wessington Springs native; • Children – three sons, Chris, Ryan and David. EDUCATION: • SDSU, electrical engineering, 1973; • University of Rochester (N.Y.) School of Medicine, 1977; • Massachusetts General Hospital, 1977-78; • Barnes Hospital, Washington University, St. Louis, residency, 1977-80; • Moffitt Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, fellowship in cardiology, 1980-82. MILITARY SERVICE: • U.S. Air Force Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, director of invasive cardiology, 1982-1986. A research-heavy assignment that allowed him to invent medical devices. • Throughout his military service, he also was a flight surgeon on the F-111 fighter-bomber. WORK HISTORY: Since leaving the military, Higgins has had only one position—electro-physiologist/ cardiologist at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. INVENTOR: Holds patents on 40 medical devices, most related to defibrillators and pacemakers. AWARDS: • SDSU Distinguished Alumnus, 1985; • SDSU Engineer of the Year, 1972; • Distinguished Air Force ROTC graduate, 1973; • Medical school class president, 1973-74; • Chief resident in internal medicine, 1979-80. MISCELLANEOUS: Though a couple years younger, Higgins was a basketball teammate of Denny Womeldorf, also of Wessington Springs.
DAVE GRAVES
SUMMER 2014
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JOHNSTIEGELMEIER Stig takes unique route, approach to elite status
J
ohn Stiegelmeier had a role in the 1979 SDSU football team, the school’s first football team to qualify for postseason competition. But you won’t find him on the roster. You won’t find him on the roster in the prior years either. In fact, Stiegelmeier was never on the roster at SDSU, or any other college for that matter. The man who is on the verge of becoming the winningest football coach at SDSU never played a down of college football. It’s a rare trait among Division I coaches, but he is not without good company: Mike Leach (Washington State), Charlie Weis (Kansas), David Cutcliffe (Duke) and Hugh Freeze (Old Miss). Stiegelmeier knows his path to 111 wins as a head coach at SDSU is unique, but “I totally believe God made me to be a coach. That’s the way I’m wired.” Don’t interpret that to mean type A, intense, focused, driven. Of course, he has a measure of those qualities. You can’t lead 100 young men in a punishing physical sport without being part drill sergeant. But embodying “the Jackrabbit way” also encompasses family, individuality, respect and dedication.
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What makes Stiegelmeier unique among his peers is his servant heart. Luke Meadows, who served under Stiegelmeier for 10 years and has since coached at Florida Atlantic and Southern Mississippi, said, “In a profession filled with egos as large as the facilities being built, he is the exception and not the rule. He treats all of his players like they were his own son, and he reminds his coaches daily to do the same. “Stig is a servant leader. He doesn’t have to motivate the student-athlete through the volume of his voice or the use of colorful words. The kids are motivated to do what he asks because they know he truly cares for them. He was made to be a coach but more importantly he was made to be a coach at SDSU.”
Raised on wheat, football fields Stiegelmeier will cite a number of fellow coaches who made him who he is now, but he points to his father Milton, a farmer, as the most influential one in his life. “I didn’t grow up in a sports family. I grew up in a farm family. I lived a very sheltered and conservative life. I spent a lot time in the field farming with my dad.”
ALUMNI COACH SPOTLIGHT
It was in those fields northwest of Selby in north-central South Dakota that Stiegelmeier developed his work ethic, dedication and stewardship. He respected his father and enjoyed farming, but he loved sports. “I spent every waking moment trying to play sports—football and basketball. My dad didn’t let me run track. He said I was too slow and put me on the tractor. That was verbatim, too,” said Stiegelmeier, who was the middle of three boys. He played fullback and linebacker for the Selby Lions, which had an eight-man team his sophomore year and a nine-man team as a junior. But being passionate about football doesn’t make one a college prospect. “I thought about walking on, but not at this level,” he said of SDSU. His brother, who is three years older, went to State for ag, so Stiegelmeier followed him. The youngest Stiegelmeier also attended SDSU.
Envisioned coaching high school John Stiegelmeier enrolled with the aim of becoming a math teacher and a coach. “My vision was to go back to a town near Selby, coach one sport and help Dad in the summer.” That changed in Stiegelmeier’s junior year (1977) when he took a class on teaching football that was instructed by John Gregory, the head football coach at State. That was in the Division II days when the athletic and physical education departments were one and it was common for coaches to also teach. Gregory “invited any of us to be student coaches.” Stiegelmeier and one other accepted. While called a coach, the position was more like a manager. He was a go-fer and helped set up equipment for practice. However, he did get to help run the scout team, and “I fell in love with the strategy and depth at which a person could be a football coach. My personality is that I thrive on strategy, so I tried to observe as much as I could.”
A life-shaping question Stiegelmeier was back the next year and asked Gregory a life-shaping question: What does it take to become a college football coach? Gregory’s answer: Get a master’s degree in physical education and don’t get married. Not exactly the answer Stiegelmeier was looking for, given he had just become engaged to Laurie Huke, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor and his high school sweetheart. She was two years younger than her future husband and a student at Augustana College. The couple married May 25, 1979, and Stiegelmeier stayed an extra semester at State so he could double major in math and physical education. Even though Stiegelmeier rejected Gregory’s marital advice, he clung to the dream of being a college football coach. In fact, he had jokingly promised his college buddies tickets to the Rose Bowl. “My vision was to coach in the Rose Bowl.”
To fulfill that vision, he approached Gregory again, who got him a job as a graduate assistant at Northern Iowa, where Stiegelmeier earned his master’s degree in physical education and Laurie finished her bachelor’s degree.
An influential acquaintance After two years in Cedar Falls, Stiegelmeier headed to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he was an assistant coach for three years at Eau Claire North, which had a “pretty average football program.” Despite that, he was able to land a job as defensive coordinator at Northern State in Aberdeen. Stiegelmeier sees that as evidence of God’s hand on him. At Northern, he worked with Jim Kretchman, who was both linebacker coach and athletic director. “He was the most influential coach in my life. He was twice my age, very wise, patient and a godly man,” Stiegelmeier said of Kretchman, who was a star player for NSU, its athletic director for 18 years and was elected to the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. Stiegelmeier spent three seasons at Northern. Then he headed back to Wisconsin with visions of Pasadena still in his mind. At age 31, Stiegelmeier became a graduate assistant at the University of Wisconsin, which then was a cellar-dweller program but competed in a league that sent its champion to the Rose Bowl.
A life-changing season The 1987 season was a life changer for Stiegelmeier and not just because the Badgers went 3-8. He explained, “If you want family to be important, that’s a tough environment for that to happen. The intensity, travel and size of the program work against family. We reset our goals based on family, faith and football. We came back to SDSU” after one year in Wisconsin. Stiegelmeier returned to his alma mater in July 1988 to become Wayne Haensel’s secondary coach and recruiting coordinator. After Haensel stepped down following the 1990 season, Stiegelmeier was elevated to defensive coordinator under new coach Mike Daly, who had been the defensive coordinator under Gregory as well as at Wisconsin when Stiegelmeier was there.
Finally, head coach When Daly resigned after the 1996 season, Stiegelmeier became his successor; a head coach for the first time in nearly 20 years of coaching. “Many coaches feel they’re prepared to be a head football coach. I don’t think anybody understands the changes that are involved in being a head coach. I’d been here nine years. I still had to interview for the job. My wife and I turned down another job waiting and praying that we would get this job,” he said. Because of his experience at Wisconsin, Stiegelmeier didn’t see the position as a stepping stone. SUMMER 2014
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COACH SPOTLIGHT
“HE WAS MADE TO BE A COACH BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY HE WAS MADE TO BE A COACH AT SDSU.” FORMER ASSISTANT COACH LUKE MEADOWS ON JOHN STIEGELMEIER Family outranks mantelpiece trophy
“We didn’t want to move to move. We didn’t want to climb the ladder. When I say we, I am referring to my wife. She’s the head coach. The vision was not the next job but to win a national championship at South Dakota State,” Stiegelmeier said. So with Laurie’s support and work ethic infused by his father, coach rolled up his sleeves and sought that title.
On the heels of a record There has been no national title. In fact, there has only been one conference title in Stiegelmeier’s 17 years as head coach. But he takes a record of 111-81 into his 18th season. That leaves him just two wins behind Ralph Ginn, who had a 113-89-9 mark in 22 seasons (1947-68). Ginn coached during what is considered the golden era of football at State. His 1950 squad is still the only undefeated team in school history. Ginn’s team won nine North Central Conference titles, all between 1949 and 1963. Stiegelmeier never met Ginn. But “I’ve talked to a lot of people who played for him. Respect, utmost respect for him. You’re talking about some guys who are fairly old and they still talk with a ton of respect about him,” Stiegelmeier said. Meadows sees that same kind of respect for Stiegelmeier. “Stig is a difference maker. He has impacted the lives of countless players, coaches and families. “Everyone needs a standard to hold themselves up to and Stig has been my standard to emulate as a coach, a family man and in my faith. The only thing I don’t try to copy is his fashion sense of wearing socks and sandals. “ 12
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An increasing emphasis on creating a football family is the greatest shift Stiegelmeier has made in his 26 years on staff. “I work a lot harder getting to know the players. Once a week the assistant coaches have half-hour meetings with their position players and they can’t talk about football.” Meadows recalled, “We used to have Sunday meetings with our position groups where we could talk about anything but football. He told us that we needed to know more about our players than their 40 time.” As a result, coaches learn family histories, dreams and goals, and hidden talents. “What is family?” asked Stiegelmeier, whose own family numbers two sons and two daughters. “It’s unconditional love, acceptance, discipline. It’s knowing the person inside and out.” And it’s also knowing their birthdays. “Each player gets a 10-cent Snickers bar on his birthday. It’s symbolic of a celebration. We just invest in our players in a real way.” Zach Zenner, an All-American senior running back from Eagan, Minnesota, said, “The sense of family on our team is instilled from day one as a Jackrabbit football player and it begins with Coach Stig’s attitude toward football and life in general. Even the word ‘family’ is used a lot with Coach Stig. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve heard a phrase like ‘our football family’ or ‘this family.’ “His attitude and talk about family is also backed up with action. Many a player has missed practice due to a funeral or family emergency because, to coach, that’s more important.” As a result, when Stiegelmeier’s career is evaluated, it is not the coaching honors, playoff appearances or career wins that define the coach. Meadows said, “Of all his accomplishments at SDSU, the most important to him are the letters and notes he receives from former players thanking him for how he affected their lives. SDSU and the coaching profession are very fortunate to have an ambassador like Coach Stig.” “My greatest highlight is when a past player comes back and he talks about how special his experience was here. That is beyond a national championship for me.” Unlike the national title, this is not a vision waiting to be fulfilled. Between visits in the office hallways, phone calls and emails, it happens “humblingly often.” DAVE GRAVES
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
KEITHJENSEN
Jensen proudly wears title: Jacks #1 Fan But he felt Phoenix wasn’t the place to raise a family, plus he missed seeing his Jackrabbits.
Getting back to campus
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ow do you become the Jackrabbits number one fan? Who better to answer that question than the man who calls himself the Jacks’ #1 Fan? Keith Jensen ’56 adopted that name in 2001 after having the title written by an SDSU athlete on a cup at a social gathering. “I don’t claim there is any scientific evidence on what the No. 1 Jacks’ fan is, but I try to live up to the idea of what a No. 1 Jacks fan would be,” said Jensen, who spent more than 50 years preparing for the honor. “Back in the ’50s, almost all the students were fans. We’d pack the Barn. It was easy to be a fan,” he said. After graduation and two years in the military, Jensen had brief stays at newspapers in Madison and Watertown (as sports editor) before moving to Phoenix, where he and a partner owned six suburban weekly newspapers. While there, he started to contribute to the SDSU annual fund and has continued to open his checkbook.
In 1969, the former SDSU Collegian editor returned to South Dakota as managing editor of the Watertown Public Opinion. In 1971, Jensen became director of the SDSU Alumni Association and served in that capacity until 1980. “One of the aspects that was great was I got to be involved in sports,” he said. In 1971, he became a season-ticket holder for every SDSU sport that then sold them—football and men’s basketball. The Lake Preston native continues to be a season-ticket holder for every sport for which SDSU sells, but now the list also includes women’s basketball, volleyball and wrestling. He also attends soccer matches in the fall and baseball games in the spring. He said he is really excited about the chance to see some indoor track and field meets at the nearly completed Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex, having lettered on two SDSU conference championship teams.
From bus trip to live streaming For Jensen and his wife, Cherie, “if there is a home game or if it’s close enough to drive to, we’re there. We pretty much attend the championships wherever they are,” said Jensen, who noted he has been intrigued by competitive sports since a child. When he can’t be at the game, he is still watching. With technology bringing the live streaming of games, he and his wife plus a few friends will watch the Jacks on a smart screen at Cherie’s office.
“Before you had to be there. Now you can hardly ever miss a game, either with Midco (Communications) or online,” he said. Of course, in the old days being at a road game wasn’t a huge challenge. Most travels were to Minnesota and North Dakota. In the late 1970s, Jensen helped create the Back of the Bus Club, which would follow the football and basketball teams in those states. “Division II in the North Central Conference was a great thing for fans,” Jensen said. It was a great thing for Jackrabbit players too. Not only did it guarantee a busload of Jackrabbit fans wearing “Back o’ the Bus” T-shirts at every road conference game, the club also awarded scholarships, conducted raffles and hosted a steak fry for the basketball teams in the spring and a watermelon feed for the soccer, cross country and football teams in the fall.
A consistent financial giver The relationship Back o’ the Bus members had with players was part of what made the group special. Jensen said the greatest satisfaction he gets from being a Jackrabbit donor is “to see the students succeed as well as they do. I think donor support is a big part of that. There is great satisfaction in how the money contributed helps build a great athletic program.” Jensen may not be the athletic department’s biggest contributor, but he is certainly one of its most frequent and consistent contributors. The SDSU Foundation classifies Keith and Cherie Jensen as Distinguished University Benefactors, which is awarded to lifetime gifts of $50,000 to $99,000. SUMMER 2014
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KEITHJENSEN, CONT. In addition to season tickets and membership in the Jackrabbit Club, he and his wife created an endowed scholarship for the track and field program in the 1980s, and they give annually to various projects and funds, such as the Difference Makers in football and other coaches’ funds. “Modest” donations have been made to the wrestling room, the basketball team rooms and the baseball field entrance.
Jensen’s enthusiasm felt by athletes
Athletic Director Justin Sell said, “Keith’s gifts don’t just contribute to our university and our programs. They contribute to our student-athletes themselves. Many of them know who he is. He’s right there at courtside
encouraging them. Regardless of the sport, we can count on Keith being there.” The fact that there is no fatigue in this Jackrabbit fan doesn’t go unnoticed by the players. In fact, it was a former wrestler, Paul Konechne that gave Jensen the title Jacks #1 Fan. The 2000 and 2001 national champion was at a social in Omaha, Nebraska, following the DII national championships in 1999, when he wrote the title on Jensen’s cup and announced it to the fan gathering. Konechne said, “I was a sophomore that year and Keith’s support and passion for our program made an everlasting impression on me already after being in the program for only two years.
“We were blessed to have a fan who truly cared for us, got to know us, supported us continually and desired success for us on and off the mat.” Jensen decided the moniker fit and has used it on his Twitter account as well as on the Jackrabbit fan board. While appreciating his SDSU education and the opportunity to raise his children in Brookings, Jensen, 80, doesn’t look back with the perspective of a grandpa whose generation has passed. “It’s been equally exciting the last 10 years,” he said. The only thing that would make the next 10 years better is chance to again ring the cowbell for which he was so well known. “I can always dream,” he said. DAVE GRAVES
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
Case IH/Jackrabbits sponsorship helps both entities “The Jacks have reached the Case IH red zone. If you want equipment that is both powerful and efficient, it is only available in red.” That call by Tyler Merriam, the playby-play voice of Jackrabbits athletics, started in 2011. While Case IH actually started the “red zone” approximately six years ago at select universities, it will now be available at 25 universities this fall. “Most of these universities are landgrant institutions so SDSU was a natural fit,” said Dan Hegg, a territory sales manager for Case IH.
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In addition to the football-game sponsoring, Case IH also advertises during Jackrabbit basketball games. Case IH and its dealers have also held had a customer tailgate at one Jacks football game the past two seasons. “The customer tailgate has been a great event,” said Hegg. “Both dealers and customers are looking forward to the event this fall.” Hegg added that Case IH and Hefty Brothers have given away a Case IH Scout utility vehicle at the last home football game of the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Case IH provides the use of a Scout utility vehicle for use on football game days in addition to a Farmall 105U tractor for the equestrian program. SDSU athletics also gets to use a Scout for the Pork Classic game during the basketball season. “It is a win–win for both parties,” said Hegg. “SDSU athletics benefits from the use of these machines while Case IH products get good visibility.”
SEASON RECAP
MEN’S BASKETBALL Seniors lead Jacks to strong finish, postseason berth
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ead coach Scott Nagy is the first to admit the Jackrabbits’ men’s basketball season started slow. An injury and a new offensive strategy challenged the Jacks to make quick adjustments, but by the end of the season they’d finished tied for second in The Summit League. “We had to change from being a perimeter-oriented team last year with Nate (Wolters) to a more postcentered power team this season. It was a transition for the guys,” said Nagy. “Then, as the season went on, we started winning nine out of 10 games, 10 out of 12 games—it really came together.” That win streak was also helped by the return of Jake Bittle from injury. “The early-season ankle injury was tough but I came back,” Bittle said. “Overall, the season was kind of a rollercoaster—a lot of ups and downs. We struggled a couple of times throughout the year but we played well at times, too.” As a result of the win streak, Nagy considers the team’s second-place finish in the conference regular season to be a highlight. However, he is also proud of his players’ accomplishments off the floor. Seniors Brayden Carlson and Jordan Dykstra were named to the Capital One Academic All-America® teams—Carlson as a first-team selection and Dykstra as a second-team honoree. “To have two of the top 10 Academic All-Americans out of 5,000 studentathletes in the country, it says a lot about the kind of program we have here and about these players,” said Nagy. Carlson and Dykstra are the first SDSU men’s basketball players to be selected for this honor since 2000. The last Jackrabbit named to the first team was Jim Higgins (featured on p. 6) in 1972. Dykstra also became the first-ever Jackrabbit and Summit League men’s
basketball player to be named to the Senior CLASS Award Second Team All-American. Recipients are chosen as a result of having notable achievements in four areas of excellence—classroom, community, character and competition. Along with Carlson and Dykstra, Marcus Heemstra and Chad White also concluded their Jackrabbit basketball careers. The quartet appeared in 519 games, starting 286 while recording totals of 4,441 points, 1,951 rebounds and 773 assists. Carlson, Dykstra and Heemstra were also honored by The Summit League as Academic All-League selections. “Losing four seniors who played a lot of minutes for us, we’re going to be an entirely different team next season,” said Nagy. “We’ll be back to a more perimeter-oriented team, playing four guards quite a bit and focusing on shooting. It’s going to be a big change for us.” One of those guards will be Bittle, who appeared in 23 games and averaged 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest. “I think what I’ll remember most about the season was playing with the seniors,” he said. “Coming here as a freshman, they really helped me out and helped me get situated. It was good playing with them for a couple of years and I learned a lot from them. I look forward to us taking the next step.” A summer trip will provide a jumpstart for the team to get used to playing together. The Jackrabbit men’s team takes an international excursion every four years to experience playing teams from around the world. This year, the team will visit Brazil. In addition to providing a unique, global sport experience, the trip will allow an additional 10 days of practice during the summer that the team wouldn’t typically be able to have. “This is a big benefit for a brand-new team,” said Nagy. “They can adjust to
Above: Brayden Carlson, part of a standout senior class, and the Jackrabbits had success on and off the court this past season.
each other, and we can get a feel for where we’re at as a team. This extra time will put us way ahead of where we would normally be going into a new season because we will have a good idea of how our guys react to pressure. It’s far better than going in blind and trying to figure those things out as we go.” Nagy expects a couple of the games the team plays in Brazil to be a high caliber of competition for the Jacks, but emphasizes that the trip is less about who the team will face and more about the experience. One of Nagy’s main goals for the team each year is to make it to the NCAA tournament. He doesn’t expect the Jacks to be picked to win the conference next season due to the loss of the seniors, but he doesn’t doubt their ability to cause some upsets. “They just don’t know enough about us yet. It’s going to take a while for people to understand how good our basketball team is going to be,” said Nagy. MADELIN MACK
SUMMER 2014
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SEASON RECAP
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Home win streak one of several highlights
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ighteen home wins. A Summit League regular-season title and 13-1 league record. Four wins in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. A win over 12th-ranked Penn State. Those are some of the accomplishments for the women’s basketball team this past season. “From start to finish, there are always a couple of really high highs and a couple of really low lows mixed in there,” said head coach Aaron Johnston, who has won 341 games in 14 seasons. “Everything we did in November and December really prepared us for the conference season. It was a challenging schedule that created some highs and lows but they were both good for us.” One of those high highs was the 8379 win over the Lady Lions. The victory was part of a five-game win streak in the nonconference schedule that saw the Jackrabbits play two teams ranked in the nation’s top five. The highs continued when the Jacks opened The Summit League with a win over IUPUI to start an eight-game streak of victories. However, a low came in The Summit League Championships where a semifinal loss prevented the Jackrabbits from making a sixth-straight NCAA Tournament. “We just didn’t play very well,” said Johnston. “It was a tough time for the team and a tough time for all of us. We practiced a couple of times after that, knowing we were going to be in the WNIT. We didn’t have a lot of focus or production in our practices. “After our second poor practice, we met as a team and talked about what we wanted to do in the postseason and how important it was for us to try to make a run,” he continued.
WNIT success And make a run they did, advancing to the WNIT semifinals. Their four postseason wins are the most in the storied program’s Division I history. 16
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SEASON RECAP
“I don’t think it was because of a great meeting. I think it was a way for them to hit the reset button,” said Johnston. The Jacks opened the WNIT with a win over Butler and then avenged a regular-season loss to Creighton in the second round. “In the first WNIT game against Butler, I thought we played OK,” said Johnston. “We struggled a little through it, eventually pulled away and got a good win. That’s when I thought the team really started to play well. It was almost like they got in that first game and realized how much fun this could be … playing at Frost in front all of the people and making plays in pressure situations. Things started to steamroll.” The steamroller continued during a showdown with Minnesota. The game marked the first time in 36 years that the Gophers played in Brookings. While Minnesota won that contest, seniors Steph Paluch and Tara Heiser led the Jacks to the 2014 victory.
Frost magic A season-high 3,972 fans showed up at Frost to help lift the Jacks over Indiana and into the WNIT semifinals. That atmosphere was noticed by the Jacks but also by Indiana as Curt Miller, the Hoosiers’ head coach, said he hopes to get his program to SDSU’s level. “Playing in Frost is always thrilling and exciting but the WNIT allowed us to do something in Frost that no one else had ever done before,” said Mariah Clarin. “I know everyone thinks their fans are the best fans but I know our fans are. It doesn’t matter what the fan count is, whether it is 5 or 5,000, our fans create an atmosphere you rarely experience. More than the noise and the feisty environment they create, I know our fans truly believe in us. That extra boost is how you beat very respectable teams like Indiana, Creighton, Minnesota and Butler.” The win over Indiana capped the Jacks’ second undefeated home season and extended their home win streak to 21 games.
Above: Junior Megan Waytashek was one of the Jacks’ leaders as they extended their home-court win streak to 21 games. At left: Junior Mariah Clarin makes a move against Minnesota at Frost Arena in the WNIT helping the Jacks to a 70-62 victory.
“I think it’s two things. One, our team is really comfortable playing on the court, the environment, the backgrounds, so we play well. And two, our crowd is so good about being involved in the game,” said Johnston. “Sometimes in women’s basketball, you can have people in the stands but they’re not passionate, they’re just there watching it like you would watch a Sunday matinee movie. “Our fans are different. They come with the idea they’re going to be energized and going to be involved,” he continued. “They’re going to get on the other team, they’re going to get on the officials and do the things that make it a tough place to play in for our opponents. I think people misunderstand that, while there are other crowds out there, there are few crowds like ours. That’s what makes it special.”
Postseason success means … While the season came to an end with a loss in El Paso, there were many benefits of playing until April—a first for the successful program.
However, Johnston knows it does not mean the Jacks will be successful next season. “It’s an opportunity (to get better) but it doesn’t guarantee anything,” he said. “Having been through it before, we know that. We’ve come off a national championship year and struggled the next year because we didn’t quite meet expectations. “We’ve come off a year when we won a game in the NCAA Tournament and struggled because of expectations. It really can go either way,” he continued. “People are really excited right now about women’s hoops, and I think there will be a good buzz throughout the offseason going into next year but what we do with it will really will make difference.” Johnston has seen how teams have benefited from postseason play. “It can set you up for success. Our first WNIT run and the one our second year, even though we lost, had a huge role in us going 32-3,” said Johnston, noting the 2008-09 season. “The team understood what it takes to get into the postseason, what it’s like to play a in pressure situation, what it’s like to win and what it’s like to lose because both of those help make you better. “This year’s team figured out what it was like to win in those events and how hard it is to lose in those events,” he continued. “I think we’ve got everything set up to have a special year next year but it’ll be on the shoulders of our program to make that happen.” Helping make that happen will be the return of three starters, six others who saw valuable playing time and the incoming freshman class. “We now know what it’s like to win postseason games,” said Clarin, one of the returning starters. “We have to play with passion and the will to win. I knew our team was ready to take it to the next level but now I know our team is determined to get to there.” MATT SCHMIDT
SUMMER 2014
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EQUESTRIAN
Jacks overcome slow start to win independent championship
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fter a slow start, the SDSU equestrian team finished on a strong note. Despite being seeded fourth, the Jackrabbits won the 2014 NCEA Independent Championship Tournament in the Nathelle and Lawrence DeHaan Equestrian Center. That finish was part of a recovery from a 1-10 start to the season. That slow start was due in part to a tough schedule, not only in terms of opposition but also timing. SDSU only had four weeks to prepare for three of their countable 12 meets. “We did not have a great schedule this year which does play into it,” head coach Megan Rossiter said. “We didn’t have enough meets to make up for some of those losses in the fall where they (selection committee) really took a look at us.” Despite winning the 2014 independent title, SDSU fell short in getting selected
for the NCEA National Championships for what would have been its third consecutive year. Last season, SDSU reached the national quarterfinals, outlasting Tennessee-Martin in western and Texas Christian University in the hunt seat before falling to Kansas State in western and Auburn in the hunt seat. “Obviously, I am disappointed in our record this year,” Rossiter said. “We had an outstanding year last year and we recruited a really great freshman class.”
Turnaround time The young team found its way in the second semester. The Jackrabbits began to hit their stride despite losing a close contest against Kansas State in their first spring meet. “We had Kansas State, a Big 12 school, (on the ropes). We almost beat them and lost by one,” Rossiter said. “Going into the spring, the (team) had really come together, but it’s still a loss. When you look at a very close meet against a Big 12 school, it says a lot.” Despite the loss, the team’s mindset shifted. The result was three dual wins to close the season, culminating with the 2014 NCEA Independent Championship. “We really focused on what was in our control,” said Rossiter about the turnaround. “We didn’t have expectations going into the meet other than riding every step of that ride and getting done what we knew we could get done.” Coming off their first head-to-head win, the Jackrabbits prepared to host the independent championship. Facing top-seeded Fresno State to open the championship, the teams split the four events. The Jacks prevailed by Left: Senior Cynthia Bartha, who was one of 10 Jacks named to the NCEA Academic Honor Roll, helped lead State to the NCEA Independent Championship.
the raw scores. SDSU then topped UTMartin 10-6 to record the tournament victory. “As a team, I thought it was an awesome achievement,” senior hunt seat rider Cynthia Bartha said. “Considering how our season started, we just banded together and got it done.” The Jacks return 37 individuals, including NCEA All-America Raivenne Scott, who have had the opportunity to significantly improve the program and continue the momentum they gained at the end of their freshman season. Scott became the sixth Jackrabbit in four years to earn NCEA All-America status. She was chosen to participate in the 2014 NHRA Derby Catch Ride in June in Oklahoma City. Scott is the third Jackrabbit to participate in the event. “The freshman class comes in stronger every year,” Bartha said. “I think with their talent, they can bring good leadership and bring the team together, which hopefully results in more wins.” In addition to those second-year riders returning, the Jacks welcome others back. “I hate to call it a building year but really that is probably what it has been for us,” Rossiter said. “We have a number of very talented riders returning and I feel we will be strong next year.” “The change of format from high school to the college level in equestrian is a huge jump. It’s a lot to throw freshmen into,” Rossiter said. “Fall semester was tough but they really improved and got quite a bit better. We were strong at the end of the season.” Three Jackrabbits were named to the NCEA Academic First Team while another was an honorable mention selection and 10 were chosen as honor roll picks. Laura Dunlavy, Jordan Goodall and Shelby Webb were the firstteam selections while Mandy Gradert was the honorable mention choice. JUSTIN HARNED
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SEASON RECAP
Left: Hudson Carpenter, left, and Sydney McDonald led the Jackrabbits in 2013-14. Carpenter was named The Summit League’s Men’s Golfer of the Year while McDonald was a second-team all-conference selection.
GOLF Steady progress key to both teams
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he 2013-14 season for the South Dakota State University men’s and women’s golf teams was one of steady improvement. On the women’s side, the Jackrabbits finished fourth at The Summit League Championship, a climb of three spots, while the men’s team finished third for the second-straight year.
Women win tournament Along the way, the women’s program won the Jackrabbit Fall Invitational and finished second at the Kansas City Shootout. Including those performances, the Jacks finished in the top 5 five times in regular-season meets. Head coach Jared Baszler thought winning the Jackrabbit Fall Invitational gave the young team insight on how good it could be. For most of the season, State had at least two freshmen and two sophomores in the lineup. “It was an eye-opening experience as they won the event wire-to-wire,” he said. “To have a team, as a young as we were, go out there and lead by 10 or 12 strokes going into the final round, end up winning by 8 or 10 says something about them.” While Baszler was happy with the program’s first three-round tournament win, he was more impressed with the runner-up finish in Missouri.
“That meet was maybe the program’s best-ever accomplishment due to the strength of the field. We had won two other tournaments in our history but considering how strong that field was, that was arguably the best accomplishment in the program’s history. We walked away feeling pretty good after that one,” he said. Sydney McDonald, a second-team All-Summit League selection, was the team’s top performer. In addition to posting the team’s low-scoring average, she recorded five top 10 finishes. McDonald and Islamiah Fuad each had a round under par, another program first. While Baszler expected Denver to win the conference tournament, he had hoped the Jacks would finish second. “We ended up a little bit short,” he said. “With such a young team, it was a good experience. There is nothing but bright things ahead for them going forward. Our lineup consisted of mostly freshmen and sophomores this year so we’re pretty excited about the future.”
Carpenter leads men The three-time All-Summit League selection Hudson Carpenter capped his career by finishing seventh at The Summit League Championships, his 15th career top 10 placing. He was also named The Summit League Men’s
Golfer of the Year, becoming the second State player to win the award. Trent Peterson won the 2009 honor. “At the senior banquet, I said Hudson was arguably the best player to ever carry a Jackrabbit golf bag. The numbers alone prove it but there’s also the work ethic,” said Baszler, noting Carpenter recorded 23 top 25 finishes to go with a career scoring average of 74.14. “The bar for our program has been raised another notch because of him and the work he put in.” Carpenter said he will remember the team camaraderie. “The best part of my senior season was being able to play some of the best teams in the country and trying to prove ourselves against them,” said Carpenter. “It was a blast being able to play against teams like New Mexico, Baylor, UNLV, Cal State Fullerton, Arizona State, etc.” While Carpenter led the way with a pair of wins, other Jacks turned in outstanding performances. Baszler highlighted freshman Grant Smith’s final-round 66 at the Jackrabbit Fall Invitational and Trevor Tobin’s finalround 73 at The Summit League Championships. In addition to Carpenter, the Jacks graduate Lukas Davidson. “We never had to worry about him shooting a high number as he was what you expected from a senior—low maintenance and really steady,” said Baszler, who has chosen to resign from his duties to pursue opportunities in private business. In his 11 seasons, he guided the Jackrabbits to 11 overall team titles. “I’ve told them all—the future is in their hands and they should make the most of it.” MATT SCHMIDT SUMMER 2014
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SEASON RECAP
Jacks fall short of back-to-back NCAA berths Left: Junior pitcher Adam Bray held opponents to one earned run or less in eight starts on his way to be a first-team All-Summit League pick, one of four Jacks chosen to the first team.
when you’re at a level in your program where going every year to the NCAAs is a goal, you’ve built a program to a pretty good level. “Like I said, we achieved some of our goals, but at the end of the season, you feel like you could have done a bit more.”
Numerous honors
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outh Dakota State University baseball coach Dave Schrage called the 2014 season an interesting year. The season could be viewed as a series of highs and lows. The highs could start with the Jackrabbits leading The Summit League in pitching and fielding. However, one low could be that they recorded a league-low .270 batting average—the squad’s lowest average since 1983. That mark help account for the fact the Jackrabbits left 463 runners on base. Another high would be the fact the Jacks repeated as the top seed for The Summit League Tournament. However, SDSU saw its season end in the tournament. Overall, the Jackrabbits finished 28-29, primarily as a result of an 8-14 record in one-run games. “We accomplished some of our goals and yet we left some out on the table,” said Schrage, who completed his third season at State. “We wanted to be the one seed heading into the tournament and we accomplished that. Obviously, we wanted to get back to the NCAAs and we didn’t accomplish that. I think, 20
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Also showing the Jacks’ success was having four first-team All-Summit League selections: pitchers Adam Bray and J.D. Moore, first baseman Aaron Machbitz and outfielder Scott Splett. Pitcher Chad Hodges was a second-team pick while freshman third baseman/designated hitter Matt Johnson was chosen as the league’s top newcomer. Moore and Splett were also named to The Summit League’s AllAcademic Team. “We did a lot of nice things this year, especially on the mound,” said Schrage. “We were competitive and were playing with people. That’s the positive. “On the flip side of that, we split most of our home series,” he continued. “We have to win our home series. When you play as many road games as we do, you have to take care of business at home. We did that to a degree but not enough.” One reason could have been the Jacks’ inability to drive in runs. “We hit .236 with runners in scoring position. That was our Achilles’ heel all year,” said Schrage. “Sometimes, that gets to be a mental thing with your team. We really started pressing through the year and that didn’t help us. Collectively, we have to do better driving in runs.” The Jackrabbits will lean on 13 seniors in 2015.
“That’s a lot of seniors to have on a baseball team,” said Schrage. “I do have a good feeling about the group—they’re good students, they’re competitive, they work hard, they’re fun to coach. “Guys need to step up and make the right pitch or get the key hit at the right time,” he continued. I have a good feeling about the group coming back.”
Changes to come That group will see a number of changes, not only on campus but also with The Summit League. Oral Roberts returns to the conference while Omaha, which has posted a 35-15 league record the past two seasons, will be eligible for postseason play. Also, the league will switch to a three-game series format instead of the current four-game series. The three-game series format means the Jackrabbits will send to the mound all-conference performers Bray and Hodges to go with Chris Anderson, who posted a 2.48 ERA in 2014. In addition to Moore, the Jacks’ bullpen could see performers such as Andrew Clemen, Ryan Froom, Marcus Heemstra and Joe Erickson—each posted an ERA of less than 3.25. The Jacks, and other teams, will get to hone their skills in the SanfordJackrabbit Athletic Complex. “It’ll be a game-changer for us. We should be more prepared for those early games,” said Schrage. “We traditionally have started slow. I tell coach Nagy it’s like his team playing three-on-three in his driveway and then going to play a full-court game. That’s what it’s like for our guys. There’s a wall behind the first baseman. You’re barely at 90 feet. You can’t practice throws from the outfield. “Now, you throw all of that out. Our outfielders can throw. Our pitchers can throw long. We can take a full infield on field turf. We can take popups in there. We’re going to be way ahead.” MATT SCHMIDT
SEASON RECAP
Weather snapped early-season momentum
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fter winning four games at the Central Arkansas Invitational, things were looking up for the South Dakota State softball team. The four-game win streak was the longest for the Jacks since the 2010 season. However, Mother Nature would force State to have its next game 13 days later. Unfortunately, the momentum gained from that win streak was gone and the Jacks would only record six wins in their final 34 contests. “I think that weekend off … you always want to say ‘what if?’ There’s always the would’ves, could’ves, but you want to say no excuses, too. But that weekend off was a turnaround point in the sense of having to work our way back up,” said coach Alex Hupp. “I don’t know if it was just not playing or not being out there as a team or what it was. Whatever it was, when we came back, it was a struggle.” Regardless of the reason, the Jacks struggled when the other team took an early lead. “When we came out and scored first or scored early, we were usually all right,” Hupp said. “We needed to continue to keep that go mindset, to keep scoring or keep getting outs, and keep having that strong mental focus the entire game. “You can’t take mental breaks in this fast-paced game. And that was something with a young team that we needed to work on,” she continued. “We needed to show up to the field, be prepared to go from the first pitch and not wait around for the other team to make a move. Like I said, when we showed up ready to go, we were all right. Most teams are like that but that was especially the case for us this year.”
Series win One of the times when the Jackrabbits were ready was a weekend series against Western Illinois. State won the first two games of the series but suffered a one-
Devan Larsen, shown here hitting a home run against Creighton, led the squad with seven home runs and 28 runs batted in. Photo courtesy of Dennis Hubbard.
run loss in the finale, despite holding a three-run lead in the fifth inning. “There were a couple of games, like the Western Illinois weekend, where we won the series and almost had a sweep,” Hupp said. “We put in a lot of work and held several team meetings prior to those games. And it showed. We tried to build off that success.” However, success was seldom following that series. “We tried to continue to play well even though we were not seeing the ultimate results (wins),” Hupp said.
Key players Senior Sammy Bingham was one player who tried to push the Jacks forward. She led the Jacks with a .346 batting average while junior Elyse Eitel hit .291. Sophomore Devan Larsen led the squad with seven home runs and 28 runs batted in. “Sammy was a workhorse. She brought energy every single day to practice, was ready to work and always willing to do anything for the team,” Hupp said. “She was one of those kids who I could go to and say ‘Sammy,
I need this done.’ She’d be like ‘OK, coach” and get it done. Losing her is going to be a big spot to fill. I’m definitely sad to see her go but really appreciate everything she’s done for the team.” One of the players returning is Eitel, who homered on her first swing of the season. She was the lone player to appear in all 47 games. “We had to have her in the lineup,” Hupp said. “She felt she struggled at times but other teams didn’t want to throw to her. She just wants to succeed and that’s all she wants to do. She wants to get a hit every single time up and has a great drive.” But Hupp wonders what could have happened had the Jacks been able to keep the momentum from the Central Arkansas trip. “We never seemed to catch that break we needed, but the team kept going,” she said. “I’m definitely proud of what they continued to do, even though it didn’t show up that way in the box score or results.” MATT SCHMIDT SUMMER 2014
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SEASON RECAP
SWIMMING & DIVING Numerous records fall
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erhaps a surge of inspiration jolted the program after the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams briefly met 18-time gold medalist Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps. Phelps happened to be training in the same pool where SDSU was to compete in the St. Pete’s Classic in St. Petersburg, Fla., to kick off the second half of their season. “We didn’t get to do anything more than get a quick picture,” senior Andee Budahl said. “It was still pretty cool to know you’re swimming in the same environment and atmosphere as an Olympian.” The programs recorded another strong season, both finishing in the top three at the Summit League Swimming and Diving Championship at IUPUI’s Natatorium. The SDSU women achieved second place with 595 points and the men finished in third with 533.5 points. The programs’ top-three finish landed Jackrabbits in the vicinity of their preseason goal. The women’s team has finished second four times in five years and the men’s team has placed second or third in four of the last five league championships. “It’s something that we put as a goal from the beginning of the year that we wanted to be in the second spot in both [the men’s and women’s teams],” head coach Brad Erickson said. “We had opportunities to do that on the men’s
side but we just didn’t have enough depth to finish that out.” It was a rebound year for the women after placing a “disappointing” fourth place in last year’s championships. “We had been second place the previous three years,” Erickson said. “It was really important that the women had a good meet, which they did. They were solidly in second place and we had several good swims.” Those good swims were evident as 17 individuals were honored for recording top three finishes at the meet. Along the way, SDSU broke 12 school records.
Several firsts While the men’s team fell short of its goal, it accomplished others, such as winning the 200 freestyle relay. “We did have several firsts,” Erickson said. “We had three firsts for our men’s team; setting two conference records in diving; having our first conference diving champion; and a champion relay team.” Ben Bolinske, Daniel Jacobson, Phil Albu and Wil Hogue set a school record in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:22.31. Connor Florand set the league record with 342.90 points in the preliminary round of men’s 3-meter dive. He would finish second in the finals. Florand won the men’s 1-meter dive with a league-record score of 326.75, becoming the first Jackrabbit in program history to win a league diving title since the move to Division I.
Florand and Clark Kocourek each posted top 25 finishes on the 3-meter board at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships in late March. The duo combined to win five Summit League diver of the week honors. Kocourek recorded a score of 311.85 in six dives to place 23rd in the men’s division. Florand finished a spot behind his teammate in 24th with 299.70. Sophomore Olivia Olesiak came into her own this year, performing at a high level and consistently, according to Erickson. She earned her first career conference diver of the week award after a pair of top 4 finishes at the Jean Freeman Invite. Freshman diver Alecia Winston had a solid season and will be counted on for continued improvement next season.
Excellent season Erickson praised Budahl, who set records in the 400 Individual Medley, 500 free, 1,000 free and mile in her career, and her classmates on an excellent senior season. “I appreciate what our seniors did for our freshmen by being good role models, both as athletes and as students,” Erickson said. Along those lines, Albu, Bolinske, Budahl and Nicole Grimit were named to the Summit League’s academic team while Albu added Capital One Academic All-America® Men’s At-Large Second Team honors. JUSTIN HARNED
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SEASON RECAP
TENNIS
Winning attitude helps power Jacks on court Iasmin Rosa, top, and Parker Lawley, below, were named to the All-Summit League teams. Rosa had a team-best 25 singles wins while Lawley was also an all-academic league pick.
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hink win. That is how State head coach Michael Engdahl described the Jackrabbits’ tennis seasons. While he admits things could have been better, he was happy the women’s team posted 18 wins while the men’s program added 17. The women’s team posted a 5-1 record during The Summit League season as Engdahl was named the league’s women’s coach of the year. He was chosen the league’s men’s coach of the year in 2013. “Our motto has been ‘think win.’ It doesn’t matter if they’re in practice or if they’re in class, if they’re playing a match … they need to think win and I think they are thinking win,” he said. “You can see it in our results and outside the court. The mentality is really catching on and when it catches on, it catches on quick and snowballs. We’re looking forward to the next couple of years when the team really snowballs and we can accomplish our goals.”
With four men’s players recording 17-or-more wins and four women’s players picking up 18-or-more wins, the think win motto has made its mark. The on-court success was demonstrated when men’s players Parker Lawley and Henrique Pereira and women’s players Tacy Haws-Lay and Iasmin Rosa were named to their respective All-Summit League teams. Lawley was joined by Mateus Moreira and Jenny Blackburne on the 2014 Academic All-Summit League teams. In addition, both teams were honored with the NCAA Public Recognition Award, an honor recognizing teams whose most recent multiyear Academic Progress Rate (APR) ranks among the top 10 percent in each sport at the Division I level.
Women’s program Engdahl said the seeds for the think win mentality and the 5-1 Summit League record were sown at the 2013 Summit League Championships. “The day we lost to UMKC last year was devastating. It was like we had seven seniors on the team as far as the disappointment,” said Engdahl, noting the lineup was predominantly freshmen. “You could see in their faces that they were going to have a good summer and we were going to have a good fall. The UMKC match was the turning point in terms of motivation or the belief that we weren’t far behind those teams.” Part of the success was due to Rosa, a freshman from Espirito Santo, Brazil. She recorded 25 wins, including the Gopher Invitational. “Having a freshman be able to do that, make a name for the Jackrabbits like that, got contagious throughout the fall,” Engdahl said. “Her stepping
up that early in fall practice really got the belief going throughout the entire team.” Teammates responded with success. Ffion Davies and Haws-Lay each won 19 while Blackburne picked up 18 wins. The doubles teams of Haws-Lay and Davies and Rosa and Beatriz Souza each won 11 matches. “The next couple of years should be exciting,” he continued.
Men’s program Similar to the women’s program, a fairly consistent lineup allowed four Jacks to record 14-or-more dual wins. “The most exciting part about the season and the most exciting part about the future is that we’re getting wins from everybody at every single position,” said Engdahl. “We didn’t change the lineup a lot.” An injury to Andrea Boglic forced a few changes but Engdahl credited his team with stepping up when needed. Lawley and Boglic went 12-7 in doubles play while Lovro Curcija, Gary Notkin, Lucas Pereira and Moreira each won 17-or-more matches. Boglic thought the 4-3 win over IUPUI in the regular-season finale will help the Jackrabbits in the future. “IUPUI was a really important match for us and one where we needed to step up,” he said. “We had prepared the whole season for that match. If we had lost, we would have been in the play-in round. We were 3-3 and Curcija lost the first set, came back in the second set and won the third set. That day, our effort and determination, and being a team was really important. “Yes, we lost in the semifinals but it was our second semifinal in a row and we can use it as motivation to do better,” he continued. “It’s the reason why we’ve started to work earlier. We expect to be better next season.” MATT SCHMIDT SUMMER 2014
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SEASON RECAP
WRESTLING
Jacks send three to NCAAs
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wo conference champions and three NCAA qualifiers highlight the list of accomplishments for the 2013-14 SDSU wresting season. Since moving to Division I, both feats are the best in the program’s history. “We’re real happy with the progress,” head coach Chris Bono said. “We are happy with the way our redshirts have developed, and we are looking to putting more guys in the NCAA Tournament and finishing higher in the country next year.” The Jacks posted a 6-8 overall dual record and a 3-2 mark in the Western Wrestling Conference. All three NCAA qualifiers—Cody Pack, Alex Kocer and Joe Brewster—return next season. At this point, the team’s goal is clear: become All-Americans. In the program’s history, only two wrestlers— Greg Schmidt in 1970 and Pat Dorn in 1988—have achieved All-America honors at the D-I Championships. The Jacks continue to make progress toward that goal, according to Bono. After two years at the helm, Bono believes the team is in a good place and is “buying in” to his philosophy.
Leading the way would be Pack The 157-pound Pack finished the season with a 28-8 overall record and had a team-best 13-1 dual record. He also went 5-0 in the conference season. Pack qualified for his second-straight NCAA Championship qualifier and feels this 24
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year was a precursor of next season. “Bono has definitely created a new mentality and he comes in expecting us to win and we go out in a match expecting to win,” Pack said. “Us believing in ourselves and Bono coaching us go a long way.” Pack admits his connection with the head coach wasn’t so strong in their first season together, finishing the 2012-13 season with a 15-16 overall record and going 8-8 in duals. “He had his eye on a lot of things,” Pack said. “We clashed heads a lot, but this year I came in with a different attitude and said I’m going to listen to him, put my head down and get on the grind. I felt like it went a lot better than last year and there was better communication between the coaches and me.” Bono touched on how Pack is becoming the leader on the team. “Cody is a quiet leader and wrestling is kind of different,” Bono said. “The guys who win are who become the leaders.” The team won only one of their first four duals and placed 22nd in the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn. Their next dual proved to be a turning point for the team said Bono. After trailing 17-12 with two matches left, Brance Simms and Eric Orozco won the final two matches 6-0 and 9-4 to escape with an 18-17 victory over Wyoming. The Jackrabbits closed their home dual schedule with a convincing 27-6 win over Northern Illinois. They followed that performance with a 31-6 victory at Northern Colorado.
In the WWC finals the Jacks placed fifth with 34.5 points. Pack and Kocer, a 149-pound redshirt freshman, punched their tickets after bringing home conference titles. Brewster later received an at-large bid. Pack and Kocer were selected to the first team and John Nething II was named to the secondteam. Kocer was a National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team selection. After making their first-ever NCAA Championships, Kocer finished the season with a 29-13 overall record and Brewster ended with a 22-16 overall record. Kocer’s 29 wins led the team.
Top left: Cody Pack records one of his four pins, this one coming against a member of the Air Force Academy. Above: Coach Chris Bono has seen promise in his two years leading the Jackrabbits.
Bono expects another strong year next season from the trio of NCAAqualifying wrestlers. “We’re looking for (Brewster, Kocer and Pack) to go back to the NCAA Tournament,” Bono said. “We’re looking for those guys to step up and become All-Americans. We try to make sure we have a 100 percent buy-in and belief that they can all be All-Americans. Once that happens our whole program can be elevated.” JUSTIN HARNED
SEASON RECAP
TRACK & FIELD
Programs looking toward future success
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espite a fourth-place finish at The Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championships, Rod DeHaven felt good things were on the horizon for his women’s program. That belief came true for DeHaven, who took over State’s cross country and track and field programs in fall 2004. In addition to Mary Wirth becoming the first-ever second-team All-America on the women’s side in the Division I era, the women’s team finished second at The Summit League’s Outdoor Championships while the Jacks’ men’s team finished third. The SDSU men’s program was also third in the indoor season. “The overriding theme, particularly on the women’s side at the indoor meet, was that we established some momentum heading into the outdoor season,” DeHaven said. “It was pretty apparent three or four weeks into the outdoor season that we had a legitimate chance to be second in the Summit League after being picked fourth. Our women competed really, really hard at the conference meet and had a great day on the final day, to secure that secondplace finish.” One of the things that pleased DeHaven was the fact it was a balanced team that recorded that runner-up finish. “It wasn’t just the throws or the jumps or just came on the track. It was almost equal across the board in terms of how the contributions came,” he said. “It was good to see that. We do lose a couple of top-flight throwers and Kali Olson in the high jump, but largely, everyone is back who contributed to that second-place finish. We feel we have some people coming in, particularly in the throws, who can help us maintain and hopefully close the gap on the league leader.” Wirth, who holds both the indoor and outdoor school records in the high jump, won her third outdoor conference title. Wirth, who advanced to the NCAA Championships as one
of the top finishers at the NCAA west preliminaries, placed 12th at the NCAA Championships to earn the All-America honors. Amy Paulzine won the conference’s hammer title, marking SDSU’s fourth hammer title in the past six championships. She was one of four Jacks finishing in the event’s top five.
Halverson, Sanderson win titles The final day of the outdoor championships saw two Jacks record wins. Senior Jake Sanderson won the triple jump title while Adam Halverson dashed to the 400-meter title. “Adam was a tremendous surprise in winning the 400 meters,” DeHaven said. “He was basically a guy in school lifting weights for three years and decided to try track. He turns out to be a conference champion almost out of nowhere—a fantastic thing. “For all of the students in the program, he’s an example of what can happen if you stay focused and have a belief in yourself.” Despite redshirting Trent Lusignan, an All-America cross country performer, DeHaven was pleased with the Jacks’ results. “We’ll get better as we will add some quality people,” he said. “The thing that separates us on the men’s side is our true depth. There are some differences between our program and others in the conference, but based on some of the student-athletes we have coming in, we’ll rectify that in a hurry with the facility situation. “Our long tradition in cross country carries over to track,” DeHaven continued. “We’re proud of that tradition and try to do it in a way that we become a balanced program. We try to attract quality athletes in areas other than just distance running.” That quality carries over to the academic side as well as Halverson, Olson, Wirth and Drew Kraft were
Above: Jake Sanderson won the triple jump at The Summit League Outdoor Championships.
named to the Academic All-Summit League team. Olson was honored for the second time.
Honors Marc Husman was named The Summit League Male Newcomer of the Championship during the indoor season after finishing second in the 400-meter dash (49.87) and was a member of the third-place 4x400-meter relay team (3:22.10). He was one of 22 Jacks honored at the meet.
Looking toward athletic complex Honors could arrive in bunches in coming seasons as the Jackrabbits compete in and recruit with the SanfordJackrabbit Athletic Complex. “We will truly have a place to call home,” DeHaven said. “An outdoor track is nice, but having an indoor facility is vital in our climate. The only way for us to make a splash is to do something the enormity of the SanfordJackrabbit Athletic Complex.” MATT SCHMIDT SUMMER 2014
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