February 28, 2024

STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION BRIEF

Office of Career Development talks goals with senate members

KENNETH REBELLO News Editor

Open Forum

Kevin Fullerton, director for Office of Career Development addressed the Senate on Monday regarding goals of its department and sought advice to improve efficiency for students within the university.

The Office of Career Development is located at the University Student Union and provides drop-in hours along with appointments available through the ‘Handshake’ website for students. They offer services for students such as resume coaching, interview preparation, personal statements, career and major exploration.

Fullerton informed the Senate about staffing within the Office of Career Development and addition of new members

“I want you all to know that we’re almost fully staffed,” Fullerton said. “The implications for that is going to be more services for all of you and more consistent offerings that we would have for our students.”

Fullerton further described goals set by the Office of Career Development that align with the strategic plan of the university. These goals include hosting career fairs and events to support all degree programs, develop co-curricular professional development programs for all students, and commit to fostering events that help the university work towards R1 and a sense of belonging for all students on campus.

“For example, our career fairs and the efforts we put forth within the colleges have a high impact on students and bring a lot of employers on campus and we want to continue doing that,” Fullerton said. “We also want to expand because we know there are some gaps within the campus and certain colleges that don’t necessarily utilize the career services.”

Fullerton discussed goals of connecting with Sioux Falls businesses to

create a Sioux Falls specific job fair, curate events for different degree programs that do not fit the career fair model, design fundraising programs to support new programming and services and to implement artificial intelligence (AI) software within career services offerings.

“The thing that I’m also working on and watching this week and really excited about is ‘career champions network training program’ for faculty and staff where I’m going to help with strategies on embedding career conversations,” Fullerton said.

Committee and Staff Reports

Vice-President Hayden Bentz and President Trinity Peterson met with Provost Dennis Hedge and Vice-Provost Teresa Seefeldt during their monthly meeting to discuss general education courses and better implementation of freshmen seminar courses.

Government Affairs Chair Michael Garofalo informed the Senate about the update on House Bill 1178 and the bill being amended along with Senate Bill 45.

“Legislature has been very busy with getting new things to think about as we discuss it tonight,” Garofalo said.

The University Program Council (UPC) will hire eight new coordinators for the next school year and applications are due on Friday, March 1.

Unfinished Business

Senators brought up discussions for Resolution 23-8-R, which saw the introduction of Senate Bill 45 to appropriate a sum of approximately $6 million to the Board of Regents (BOR) for the purpose of establishing a Center for Quantum Information Science and Technology. The motion is currently tabled until further clarification.

Senators also voted to approve Resolution 23-9-R. The resolution sought Students’ Association support for Senate Bill 1 to “expand eligibility for reduced tuition benefits for certain school districts and Head Start employees at Board of Regents institutions to school counselors.”

“This doesn’t affect us directly but it will help to ensure that our K-12 students who would join universities are more adapted to mental health,” Garofalo said.

New Business

SA introduced seven new amendments (Amendment 23-7-A through Amendment 23-13-A). The resolutions revolve around amending clerical spelling errors, revising wording in removal process of senators and advisers, adviser term length, adviser removal proceedings, review of senate advisers and adviser duties in the SA bylaws.

Peterson informed the Senate that these amendments came from the Advisor Bylaws Taskforce and would be discussed during their next meeting.

The senate also closed the slate for President and Vice President nomina-

TUESDAY, FEB 20

tions after noticing no nominees for four straight SA meetings, making both Peterson and Bentz the only nominees for the respective positions.

The Senate nominated seven senators and four ex-offico’s for the ‘Senator of the Year Award’ and ‘Ex-Officio Member of the Year Award’ respectively.

Announcements

Chief of Staff Benjamin Connor asked students to email him to submit petitions if they wished to run for Senate position.

Peterson informed the Senate about a transition meeting to be held on Monday, April 8 as senators would end their term as the 116th Senate and would observe swearing-in of new senators.

UPD Daily Crime Log

The following were included in the University Police Department daily crime log from FEB. 20 to FEB. 24

• 9:21 a.m., LOT 115 - East Hansen, Intentional Damage/Vandalism

• 2:12 p.m., LOT 158 - Big Southeast, Possession/Use Drug Paraphernalia

• 11:35 p.m., LOT 158 - Big Southeast, Possession/Use Drug Paraphernalia

THURSDAY, FEB 22

• 2:33 a.m., Honors Hall, Liquor/Possession/Consumption

• 10:30 p.m., Young Hall, Intentional Damage/Third Degree Vandalism

• 10:30 p.m., Young Hall, Intentional Damage/Vandalism

FRIDAY, FEB 23

• 3:48 p.m., Young Hall, Liquor/Possession/Consumption

• 4:05 p.m., Young Hall, Intentional Damage/Vandalism

• 9:05 p.m., 900 BLK Harvey Dunn, Liquor/Possession/Consumption

SATURDAY, FEB 24

• 2:39 a.m., Young Hall, Intentional Damage/Vandalism

• 2:46 a.m., Meadows North, Intentional Damage/Vandalism

• 1:28 p.m., UPD, Miscellaneous Incident

WINTRODE GETS REMAKE

Building on south side will serve as well-being center

TAYLOR TENNANT Reporter

The Wintrode Center, also known as the Student Success and Opportunity Center on the south side of the South Dakota State University campus is being renovated and will serve as the well-being center on campus.

The building was built in 1960 as a Methodist Student Center and in 2007, it became the Wintrode Center. In 2010, renovation started with the total cost of it being $1.5 million. $116,000 of that went towards general classrooms.

The fundraising for the new wellbeing center began in 2017 and the project started construction in 2019 but COVID presented challenges.

“The project has been slowed since then due to the lack of funding and COVID-19,” Luke Witte, project manager, said. “Construction started back up in 2023.”

The total estimated cost is $2.7 million with $150,000 in project contingency (extra funds put away in case of an emergency).

There will be no expansion to the building, but the footprint will change and there will be an exterior finish insulation system.

Everything will be changed on the inside, besides some of the offices.

“They won’t go away, they will just be getting an update,” Witte said. Clark Drew Construction, out of Brookings has been working on the building Monday through Friday since October of last year.

“Demo work is being done now,” Witte said. “Framing walls, mechanical and electrical IP, cutting new windows in the exterior and glazing the exterior.”

Holes in the building is something

a passerby may notice. The larger aluminum storefront windows that are being installed will give the building more natural light. The holes on the south side will bring more light into the mobile classroom. Other noticeable holes will be newly updated windows for the building, with the exception of an access door on the second level of the north side for maintenance of rooftop equipment, Witte said.

Construction is expected to be completed in June and the SDSU counseling and human resource development program will move in before the beginning of the fall semester. The newly renovated building will include offices for all counseling and human resource development faculty, active learning classroom and lecture space, a student lounge, and Practicum (practice counseling rooms).

“The practicum rooms are spaces for CHRD graduate students to apply what they are learning in courses into a clinical experience under the supervision of faculty members,” Anne Karabon, director of the School of Education, Counseling, and Human Development, said. “In addition to individual counseling practicum rooms, the renovated building will have a family/couples therapy and a play practicum rooms.”

At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, the first year advising as well as all tutoring and supplemental instruction programs that were once held in the Wintrode Center, moved to the lower level of Wagner Hall.

“The Wintrode Center was not being utilized to its full potential,” Witte said. “It worked out because the Counseling and Resource Development program needed a space for their well-being center.”

The current well-being center is in

Collegian photo by TAYLOR TENNANT

The Windrode Center, which has stood the test of time since the 60s and started out as a Methodist student center, has finally experiencing some serious renovation.

Collegian photo by TAYLOR TENNANT

CA applications hit all-time high

LAYNA TUCHTENHAGEN Reporter

A record number of returning SDSU students have applied for a community assistant (CA) job for the next school year.

The university’s Housing and Residential Life received one of the highest turnouts in years with 202 applicants, including 68 current CA’s who want to return next year, said TJ Bult, the Brown Hall residence hall director and overseer of the CA interviews. Last year, 104 people applied.

There are 128 total positions across campus. Each residence hall has around eight to sixteen CAs, depending on the exact residence.

Bult credits this year’s record application numbers to high levels of recruiting throughout campus.

“The two methods that stand out the most this year are that we very heavily advocated one-on-one outreach from CAs,” Bult said.

The CA recruitment social held in January was the other method that helped get applicants, with 27 alone coming from that week.

Applications for the 2024-25 academic year were open on the platform Handshake from mid-October to late January. They consisted of three essay questions regarding why students wanted to be a CA, and applicants were asked to attach their résumé as well.

Raeann Holmquist, a freshman nursing major, applied for a CA job and described the reasons why.

“I applied to be a CA because I want to help others and assist in building a community within the dorms,” Holmquist said. “Having a strong support system where I live is important to me.”

She said her own CA inspired her to apply by providing her with a friendly environment surrounded by creating bonds and connecting Holmquist with her other hallmates.

The CA job comes with a variety of responsibilities. Working with residents to create a safe and friendly environment is an important job, but tasks include working the front desk, logging in mail hours by sorting residents’ mail, and coming up with floor programs.

Rylin Yerdon, a junior CA assigned to Caldwell Hall, describes some of the different jobs a CA must do and why they do it.

“We have floor programs and meetings just to keep our residents connected and to build that sense of community as the position states,” Yerdon said.

Engaging with the residents is one of Yerdon’s favorite parts of the position. She has made connections throughout her time as a CA while working the front desk or participating in floor programs.

Yerdon says the position requires 20 hours a week of an employee’s time, but the scheduling is flexible. They can schedule themselves around other responsibilities they know about.

Collegian photo by MEGAN IVES

Govher Sapardvrdyyeva, Ilse Maldonado Vital, and Levi McKinley are community assistants this year at Abbot Hall. Recently, housing and residential life received a record 202 applications for next years group.

Collegian photo by MEGAN IVES

Ilse Maldonado Vital sorts mail in the Abbott Hall mailroom during a shift.

“For example, I’m the president of the advertising club, so I can arrange those meetings around my CA schedule, and I can schedule my work duties around that too,” Yerdon said.

With a flexible schedule, Housing and Residential Life provides CAs with a single room, a meal plan, a stipend over the fall and spring semesters and a waiver of the housing application fee.

Applicant Jack Barney, a freshman mathematics major, applied for the position because of the significant reduction in tuition.

“I didn’t realize how expensive tuition was until I came to SDSU,” Barney said. “When I saw the CA opportunity throughout campus, I decided it was a good idea to apply and save some money.”

The reduction in tuition is nearly $10,000 with all expenses added, and helping new college students adjust to a new place was a large part of why Barney applied for the position.

Along with all the expectations of being a CA, applicants must have at least two semesters of college enrollment under their belt, maintain a full-time student status, and have a GPA of at least 2.5.

Because of the large number of qualified applicants, the hiring timeline was adjusted to accommodate each student who applied. Interviews were held from Feb. 5 to 9 and extended three days into the next week.

Students who applied and interviewed will hear if they got a position, if they were pooled and must wait for someone else to decline an offer, or if they were denied a position on March 1.

Kwik Trip Opening

ELLA WATERWORTH Reporter

A Kwik Trip convenience store is coming to Brookings in the near future.

Brookings City Council members met Jan. 23 and discussed plans for the convenience store and gas station.

Mike Struck, Brookings community development director said, “They went down to the development review team and worked through that process as well as the planning commissioning team to come up with a site plan.”

Brookings can expect to see the 9,218-square-foot convenience store on 20th Street South and Ace Avenue. This is about 1.1 miles south of the T.J. Maxx, and just west of Edgebrook Golf Course.

“Kwik Trip is a convenience store offering fuel and convenience items to the south portion of the community,” said Struck. “Currently, there is limited commercial development in the southern portion of Brookings, and Kwik Trip will provide some of those convenience amenities as well as help spur additional commercial development in the area.”

Kwik Trip draws a demographic of customers ranging from all over. They supply groceries, ready-made meals and pastries, great quality gas and a carwash. Kwik Trip is known for its breakfast menu filled with pastries and bakery items. The ‘Glazer’ is their top-selling item, which is a glazed donut.

There is no timeline yet for construction or an opening day but Struck says they have yet to apply for a building permit at this time. But what we do know is that “Representatives of Kwik Trip have submitted [plans] and been approved through the Commercial Corridor Design Review Overlay District.”

This Kwik Trip is special in its carwash and yard plans.

“There [will be] a stand-alone car wash to the south with the ability to expand for another wash bay as demand warrants,” Struck said.

During the City Council meeting, concerns for the car wash and its possible disruption of residential neighborhoods were brought up.

Bonny Specker, a Brookings City Council member asked, “Are the hours limited on the car wash? I know there are some concerns over something else going in the area due to residential housing.”

Struck answered, “Typically they are…automatic car washes, so 24/7 [hours].”

Nothing else came from that question or answer.

“This one is really unique.” The Kwik Trip will have three yardages, one to the north, one south, and one west.

Zach Page, the real estate development manager with Kwik Trip, virtually attended the city council meeting via Zoom. “[We] Just want to relay our excitement to become part of your community and appreciate the planning department’s support this far,” Page said.

Collegian photo by MEGAN IVES

Govher Sapardvrdyyeva, Ilse Maldonado Vital, and Levi McKinley sit at the Spencer Hall desk during their shift.

Submitted Art

RAENA VISNESS Reporter

SDSU’s Career Fair aims to prepare students for success

South Dakota State University has numerous resources in place to assist students prepare for their lives and careers after graduation.

Resources include Resume Blitz, the Career Development Center, Advisers, Handshake, and career fairs. Information can be found on the University’s homepage online. Resume Blitz’s, the Career Development Center located just inside the east entrance of the University Student Union, and advisers are all resources that can be a starting point for students to ask questions, prepare and get assistance with resumes, and figure out the directions they want to work in.

Beside advisers, another widely known resource would be the career fairs held throughout both the fall and spring semesters every year. Career fairs are often grouped together with multiple programs and majors to provide to as many students as possible, such as architecture with engineering, and communications with business and economics.

Academic adviser for the school of communication & Journalism Erica Quam, said how students have and continue to benefit from the career fairs.

“It helps students get concrete examples of job opportunities, the opportunity to speak one on one with a professional and ask questions and helps them figure out how to fill their toolbox.,” Quam said.

Quam also explained her role in preparing students for post-graduation.

“One is helping them arrange their

skills while at SDSU with minors, internships and involvement,” Quam said. “Two is sharing opportunities beyond SDSU like job opportunities and job fairs.”

A big reason why students can benefit from these events and structures is how the students take advantage of them. Izzy O’Rourke, a junior from Wells, Minnesota said she feels prepared to enter the “real world” in a year. She said she has recieved two of three internships by going to the career fairs on campus.

“Yeah, I feel very prepared,” O’Rourke said. “I have made tons of different connections from past internships, clubs on campus, career fairs, and I feel confident with all of the connections I have made to be able to secure a job.”

Becky Pistulka, assistant director of Employee Engagement, plays a key role in assisting students as they prepare for after graduation. In addition to making career fair preparations and connecting with employers, Pistulka reaches out to students and provides them with job opportunities and connections to employers looking for students in a certain program.

“I am more than welcoming to help a student, they just need to come to me and take advantage of my role for them,” Pistulka says.

Quam, Pistulka, and O’Rourke agree that preparing yourself for after graduation should begin early on in your college career.

“If they dig in ahead of time, they can really prepare themselves and build confidence,” Quam said. “You cannot

wait until senior year to prepare for these things, it’s an evolution and a growth experience, it is a safe place.”

The Career Development Center takes

in donations of professional attire and then gives them to students. 80 students took advantage of this opportunity this year.

Submitted Photo

An

SAM MOSER Reporter

CAFES advocates narrow down to three finalists

South Dakota State University’s College of Agriculture, Foods, and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) has selected its top three finalists for the 2025-2026 CAFES Advocate: Luke Gordon, Dellana Muck, and Kyle Hagen.

The CAFES Advocate is the only position in which CAFES students elect a student representative to the Prexy Council, which governs all SDSU CAFES clubs and organizations. As an advocate, one will represent and bring new ideas that will highlight and benefit CAFES students.

Voting will take place on March 19 and 20 with the general Students’ Association election.

questions for those in the industry, including business and instructors. I believe that this will truly make an impact on their future. I want to encourage students to gain confidence and have those communication skills because I believe it is vital to your experience in college, but also the future of your career.

What qualifications do you have that set you apart from other candidates?

I have the leadership experience required for this position. I was involved heavily with 4-H and FFA in high school at the club, county, and state levels. I am also involved in a lot of organizations within CAFES, so I know a lot about the different departments.

How does your passions and values align with this position?

to connect and have their voices heard. Lastly, I would like to make an index of club officers so that incoming officers have someone to contact if they need assistance to fulfill their roles.

What kind of long-lasting impact do you wish to have on CAFES?

This goes back to my goal to form a club index of previous officers. I hope that this becomes a long-term thing that continues to be carried on. I have heard of some struggles of new officers. I hope to do what I can to ease the transition from year to year.

What qualifications do you have that set you apart from other candidates?

is a club report. I would pick a different club each month and write a report that would be added to the newsletter. I also want to publicize undergraduate research in the newsletter.

What kind of long-lasting impact do you wish to have on CAFES?

I want to make genuine connections with others. I strive not only to make, but maintain the connections that I have with others. I think it is important to help others feel listened to, valued, and important.

What qualifications do you have that set you apart from other candidates?

The Collegian recently sat down with all three finalists. The interview has been edited for clarity and space.

Luke Gordon

Gordon is a junior, agricultural systems technology major from Worthington, Minnesota.

Why do you want to be the CAFES Advocate?

It would be a good way to meet people within CAFES and to bring the college to the next level by being able to communicate with the industry and gain leadership experiences on campus.

What changes and improvements do you want to make to CAFES?

First, I would like to introduce panels of industry members that represent different departments within CAFES, sit them down with a moderator, and allow students to be able to ask questions to help them prepare for the future. I also want to reimplement the Ag. Radio show in the morning with the campus radio.

What kind of long-lasting impact do you wish to have on CAFES?

I hope to encourage students to ask

I grew up on a farm and have a deep passion for agriculture. Keeping a passion for the industry during and after college is important for the future, not only for myself but for agriculture as a whole. I also am involved with the Minnesota Soybean and Corn Growers as a member and hope to go to meetings as a delegate.

Kyle Hagen

I have been involved in many clubs within CAFES. I also am very active in Alpha Gamma Rho and a CAFES ambassador. As an ambassador, I have many connections within the college and have a deeper understanding of what is going on and why things are happening. In high school, I was very involved in FFA as well. I held chapter office for four years, achieved my state degree, and won the state star in agriculture production.

I am involved with multiple different areas in CAFES. I am an agronomy major, but I grew up showing livestock which led me to join the livestock judging team. I am also a member of Sigma Alpha which has helped motivate me by being surrounded by like-minded individuals in the agriculture industry. I think I have multiple different perspectives and a wide knowledge base by being involved in those areas of the college.

How do your passions and values align with this position?

Hagen is a sophomore agriculture systems technology major from Glencoe, Minnesota.

Why do you want to be the CAFES Advocate?

I have good connections with students and faculty within CAFES. I am also involved in many clubs where I see a need to have a representative to work with the Prexy Council and the university to help voice the concerns of students.

What changes and improvements do you want to make to CAFES?

I want to continue the newsletter. I also hope to host lunch for different CAFES departments where students can sit down with the department head

Dellana Muck

Dellana Muck is a junior agronomy major from Caledonia, Illinois.

Why do you want to be the CAFES Advocate?

I can confidently say that the CAFES students and professors have made SDSU home and it would be an honor to represent those who have had such an impact on my life both personally and professionally. I also feel very passionate about motivating involvement in CAFES whether that be in extra circulars or class.

What changes and improvements do you want to make to CAFES?

One improvement I would like to make

I am a big advocate for improvement and implementation. I think that an organization can only become stronger with growth. It is also important to look back on the success of CAFES and build upon that. My core values are being passionate about implementing ideas but also understanding students’ needs and how to improve on those.

Collegian Online

To read the full interview with each candidate, log on to SDSUCollegian.com

Luke Gordon

Kyle Hagen

Dellana Muck

As legislative session ends, the Culture War continues in Pierre Building better boundaries

MICHAEL GAROFALO

SDSU Students’ Association Government Affiars Chair

As Legislative Session ends, the Culture War continues in Pierre

As the 99th session of the South Dakota Legislature draws to a close, we find ourselves again being subjected to unnecessary policies and political soapboxing, among other things. This is especially clear now that House Bill 1178, an “Act to prohibit the Board of Regents or any institution under its control from using state resources for obscene live conduct, has passed both the South Dakota House of Representatives and the South Dakota Senate. This bill is disguised as a way for certain legislators to attempt to ban drag shows on our college campuses. The issue of drag shows on campuses, though, has been dealt with, thanks to hard work from the South Dakota Board of Regents and the universities across the system. As I said both times I testified against the bill in Pierre, students are tired of this issue, and we are fully capable of running student organizations that comply with existing Board of Regents policy. And, we are entirely capable of determining which events do and do not belong on our campuses, without legislation which would allow us to be sued for hosting certain events.

iting student organizations from accessing on-campus resources (rooms to host them in, for one) is censorship. Furthermore, prohibiting students from accessing resources to host events that could be flagged as illegal based on the vague definition of Obscene Live Conduct in South Dakota Codified Law would likely lead to a lawsuit to overturn the bill.

Thankfully, the Senate Committee on State Affairs struck out the second section of the bill, which provided the framework for lawsuits against the Board of Regents, Universities, and University Employees based on events that someone might deem as constituting “obscene live conduct.” This renders the bill mostly useless, save for vague potential restrictions and the ability of the sponsors to claim a hollow political victory. All things considered, House Bill 1178 is simply government overreach, and, if it should make it to Governor Kristi Noem’s desk, she should veto it, and stand strong for the South Dakota values of freedom and limited government.

priority for this session.

Additionally, a few special projects have been either supported or set aside by appropriators in Pierre, including a new quantum computing connection for the Board of Regents System and new resources for K-12 Literacy and K-12 counselors who are continuing their education through the Board of Regents. Higher Education legislation was somewhat infrequent this session, so the SDSU Students’ Association and the South Dakota Student Federation have kept a close eye on legislation that will positively affect outcomes for K-12 students in South Dakota. This is part of our forward-looking vision, hoping that we can help ensure SDSU and the rest of the Board of Regents system has the most capable and mentally sound next generation of potential students to recruit.

TRACY CHAPMAN Yellow Brick Road Counseling & Therapy

Do you find yourself regretting yet another “yes” nearly as soon as the words leave your mouth? Maybe you’re having a hard time advocating for yourself when someone says or does something that makes you uncomfortable. For most of us, setting boundaries is hard and requires a lot of practice, patience and self-awareness. The concept seems simple. Boundaries are about communicating what we are and aren’t comfortable with. So where do we get caught up?

Maybe you’re trying to prove yourself at a new job, so you agree to cover someone’s shift even when you’ve already worked more hours than you planned to this week. Your roommate keeps inviting their friends into your room when you’re trying to get some sleep, but you don’t want to start drama by asking them to leave. Your brother frequently tells you that your major of choice is a waste of time and you should choose something with more job security.

These are just a few examples of boundary setting scenarios you might be faced with. So, what factors are at play here? Maybe we’re afraid of disappointing or offending someone we care about or even have an unrealistic fear of what might happen as a result. We dislike confl ict and avoid it like the plague. We’re used to hearing “it’s not a big deal” or “you’re too sensitive” when bringing an issue forward.

If those legislators listened to us more carefully, they would know that we as students value free speech and expression. And, if they thought more carefully, they might realize that attempting to ban certain events via prohib-

Aside from that, the outlook in Pierre largely resembles that of the last few legislative sessions. As expected, there is widespread support for another year of tuition freeze. The tuition freeze has been enacted for the last four years, and is a mechanism the legislature uses to set tuition at the same amount as the previous year, thereby eliminating any potential increase in tuition. This would be a huge victory for students who study at our state universities, and is the Board of Regents’ top

All things considered, this session has served as a good reminder that we as students need to stay engaged, even when the odds are stacked against us. Once the dust settles on the session next week, we will hopefully be able to enjoy a tuition freeze for the 2024-2025 school year and new projects that will benefit all the South Dakota universities for years to come. And, hopefully, we can continue to make the case for university students to be treated like adults more often, and that we are able to keep ourselves in check when trusted with the responsibility to have events on campus. As always, stay active, stay engaged, and ask questions of policymakers; I can’t think of anywhere else to start if you’re looking to create positive change.

When it comes to setting boundaries, building self-awareness is a great place to start. What’s important to you? How do you want to be treated in your relationships? What are you willing to negotiate and where do you need to draw a hard line? It’s OK to start small and work your way up to “bigger stakes” boundaries as you build confidence. Asking an intimidating boss to communicate with you in a more respectful tone will be more difficult than telling a friend you’re not feeling up to getting coffee today.

This practice takes a lot of trial and error for many of us. However, I can tell you that the time and effort you put into setting healthy boundaries can save you a lot of stress and resentment in the long run. If you’re looking for more information about boundary setting, I recommend the article ‘Boundaries and Healthy Relationships for College Students’ by Maren Panzirer of Mindful Psychology Associates. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out when you need some extra support!

If you’re a young adult who is navigating a recent life change, experiencing symptoms or anxiety or depression, or just need a safe space to process your thoughts, I’d love to meet you! My approach to therapy involves a combination of validation, self-exploration, psychoeducation, accountability, reframing unhelpful beliefs and behaviors, and above all, unconditional care and compassion. Whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to do it alone.

NEW THEATRICAL ONE-MAN SHOW

JONAH SEDELMEIER Reporter

South Dakota State University is hosting a new theatrical event called ‘Strangers: A Homo’s Odyssey.’

The one-man show that is exclusively student produced and led will have its first show tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the Fishback Studio Theatre located at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.

The preformance is put on by SDSU senior Skyller Schoening and The Company of Strangers.

This event features “a chronicle of one man’s journey to discover himself after a tragic moment and forces his identity to be compromised and questioned,” according to The Company of Strangers.

The show contains elements of Greek mythology, including Zeus and Ganymede, but in a contemporary

manner.

This performance will contain sensitive material, so viewer discretion is advised.

Schoening said that he hopes the audience will learn how to understand connections with people who have different experiences or cultural experiences that have shaped them differently.

“This production tackles some heavy subject matter that is not commonly talked about in a theater setting,” Schoening said.

He added that his reasoning for deciding to produce this event is due to being able to combine his friends, family members, peers, and colleagues into one space. Placing so many different demographics of people into one space would feel empowering.

“It is a one-man show that runs 30 minutes. Who does not love that? Although it is 30 minutes of emotions all over the

place,” Schoening said.

For Schoening, the event is a way to showcase something entirely new to the world.

“Student-led project of only two students is something that has not happened on the SDSU campus since 2018 or 2020,” Schoening said.

The second showing of ‘Strangers’ is Friday, March 1, at the same time, located in the same venue.

To attend the event, tickets are not a requirement. If you would like to speak directly with The Company of Strangers, there will be a panel discussion after the performance on Friday.

The event is free admission for anyone who wants to attend.

For more information, check out their Instagram, @strangers_odyssey.

“Strangers: A Homo’s Odyseey”

When: Feb. 29 & Mar. 1

Price: Free admission

Where: Oscar Larson

Fishback Studio Theatre

Runtime: 30 minutes

Starring: Skyllar Schoening

MORE FITNESS CLASSES BEING OFFERED AT WELLNESS CENTER

HAIDEN GRANDPRE Reporter

Back by popular demand, The Miller Wellness Center has expanded its group fitness classes from past semesters.

These fitness classes have become popular with students and the community in recent years. In 2018, the Wellness Center started offering free classes with student passes and memberships.

Classes are offered throughout the morning, afternoon and evening with some classes being offered more than once a day because of their popularity. Times range from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. with most classes lasting 45 minutes.

Jacob Heidenreich, fitness and aquatics coordinator, has helped with scheduling more classes.

“This semester we have 52 classes throughout the week, with the most popular class being Pilates,” Heidenreich said.

Pilates is fairly new to the group fitness roster. It was introduced last year and has been a hit.

“Over 500 different people attended a Pilates class last year, with each class holding up to 36

participants,” Heidenreich said. These huge turnouts led the center to increase the number of pilates classes from two classes a week to four.

Another one of their most popular classes is cycling. The Wellness Center offers three different cycles, Heidenreich said, cycle and core, spin and strength and

rhythm ride. All classes are cycle based, but cycle and core and spin and strength have a short ab or lifting portion to finish out the session.

Photos Submitted

Students participating in a fitness class at the Miller Wellness Center. The wellness center has offered more classes this semester due to growing popularity.

The number of cycle classes has been increased this semester as well. Heidenreich said they now offer 12 cycle classes a week.

Along with the normally scheduled classes there are also specialty classes offered. These are normally spin classes, but have been Pilates, pool or dance classes as well. Heidenreich said that registration is always full for specialty classes and that many students and the community have expressed that specialty classes were the first class they attended.

“This is a great way to spend 45 minutes and meet new friends and community while getting in a good workout,” Heidenreich said.

“We try to create a really fun atmosphere with having (LED) lights, neon signs and a welcoming environment,” said Mariah Weber, assistant director – Programs and Development. Weber has also taught many spin classes and other group classes the Wellness Center offers.

Weber said that she enjoys group fitness because it helps people get over their gym anxiety and gym fears that may be holding them back.

“People can be intimidated by group fitness because they assume everyone will be more experienced, so we create an environment where people feel comfortable even if it is their first class,” Weber said.

Students like group fitness and the wide variety of classes available. “Group fitness has been a great resource for me to workout in different ways than just traditional gym methods,” said Sydney Campbell.

Campbell said she has tried a few different classes and tries to regularly attend as many as she can. Other students expressed similar enthusiasm when asked about their experiences with group fitness.

“The classes helped me get over gym anxiety when I got to SDSU,” said Teryn Sparling, a student at SDSU.

The size of the gym was overwhelming and the group environment of classes helped to get her in the gym.

The schedule for classes and registration can all be found on wellnesscenter.sdstate.edu.

SPORTS BRIEF

Jacks take on Summit League tourneys

Stories by Marshall Minihan Sports Editor

Both the track and field teams as well as the swimming and diving teams competed in conference tournaments over the weekend.

For track and field, the teams headed up to Fargo, North Dakota while the swimming and divers went to Minneapolis, Minnesota for their conference championships.

Track and field

The SDSU track and field teams competed in the Summit League Track and Field Championships over the weekend with the men taking third and the women taking fourth.

Overall, the Jacks had 11 medals with two of them being golds. The men’s team finished with 135.5 points while the women finished with 78 points.

For the men, Tristin Hanna earned gold in the triple jump with a mark of 48-11.75 which now sits at fifth all-time at SDSU.

South Dakota State saw three top-six finishes in the men’s 5000-meter with Carson Noecker (14:16.83) who took second, Cody Larson 14:26.43 in fourth and sixth was Josh Becker (14:31.70). Similar to Hanna, Noecker’s time is now the fifth fastest in school history.

BASEBALL VS NEW MEXICO

Feb. 22- 11-5 (W)

Feb. 23- 11-12 (L)

Feb. 24- 8-9 (L)

Feb. 24- 2-13 (L)

A time of 49.03 earned Thailan Hallman second place in the 400-meter while Brandon Kampsen had a similar result in the mile, taking second (4:10.13).

Jake Werner rounded out the track event medal winners with a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash at 21.78.

Caiden Fredrick’s new personal record of 53-09.75 put him in third place for the shot put.

For the women, Claire Beckman took first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:13.89. In her last conference championship, Leah Hisken clocked in at 16:56.02 in the 5,000meter to earn her silver.

A PR from Brielle Dixon of 8.30 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles gave the Jackrabbits another second-place finish while teammate Savannah Risseeuw took sixth place at 8.52 seconds.

A mark of 5-08.50 gave Madison Kizer a boost to third place in the high jump while the women’s 4x400 relay team consisting of Jessica Boekelheide, Erika Kuntz, Maggie Madsen and Emily Rystrom finished in third place with a time of 3:49.53.

Senior thrower Hunter Wallster was awarded the Men’s Scholar of the Championship by JLG Architects. Throughout college, the mechanical engineering major has maintained a 4.0 grade point average.

Swimming and diving

SDSU traveled to Minneapolis for the Summit League swimming and diving cham-

pionships where the men took fourth with 427 points and the women finished in fifth with 331 points.

Denilson Cyprianos competed in the 200yard backstroke where he finished at 1:45.64 and took silver in the event.

Sophomore Jack Ellison took bronze in the 1,650 freestyle at 15:37.84, but it wasn’t his biggest feat. Ellison’s time beat the previous school record which was set in 2016 by 12.93 seconds.

The 200 butterfly also saw a Jackrabbit near the top with Braxton McGrath finishing in fourth place at 1:48.20 and snagging a PR.

Rafael Negri, Cyprianos, Aiden Carstensen and Eric Anderson competed in the 400 freestyle relay where they clocked in at 2:58.33, a mark good for fourth in the event and first in the South Dakota State history books.

Anderson placed fourth in the 100 freestyle as well, finishing at a time of 44.41 seconds.

The women’s finals had three Jackrabbits competing. Kelsey Kocon and Sianne Downes took back-to-back finishes in the 200-yard backstroke. Kocon took fifth with a time of 2:01.55 while Downes followed closely at 2:02.10 for sixth.

Senior Emma Walz in the consolation final of the 200-yard backstroke, taking 14th at 2:05.28.

Emma Bachelder, Jenna Currier, Kocon and Gigi Hioki took fifth place in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:26.35.

STAT LINE

Track and Field

• 23 total Jackrabbits made the All-Summit League track and field team.

Men’s:

Jackson Dutcher, Caiden Fredrick, Thailan Hallman, Tristen Hanna, Brandon Kampsen, Cody Larson, Will Lohr, Andrew Moeller, Carson Noecker, Reggie Slaba, Hunter Wallster and Jake Werner

Women’s:

Claire Beckman, Jessica Boekelheide, Caitlin Bright, Brielle Dixon, Harley Fischer, Leah Hisken, Madison Kizer, Erika Kuntz, Maggie Madsen, Emily Rystrom and Grace Waage

Baseball

• SDSU has homered in all eight games this season.

Softball

• SDSU pitcher Tori Kniesche became the TicketSmarter Summit League Softball Peak Pitcher of the Week award after two weekend victories.

Wrestling

• Jacks have won the last three outings against North Dakota State (45-26-1) overall.

Photo by DAVE EGGAN/INERTIA

RYLEE MARTIN Sports Reporter

INTERSTATE SERIES

Jackrabbits take lead in rivalry series’ new era

South Dakota State is leading the First Interstate Bank Series with South Dakota in convincing fashion this year.

SDSU has a 8-3 lead after the Jacks sweep the Coyotes in both men and basketball teams.

This added four points to the SDSU score for the 2023-24 athletic seasons.

The men’s team defeated the Coyotes on Jan. 20 and Feb. 4. Meanwhile, the women’s team topped the yotes on Jan 20 and Feb 3.

There have been 11 total Interstate Series matchups and the Jacks have taken home the title six times. With only two more scheduled opportunities in the South Dakota Series to score points athletically, SDSU is looking to clinch its seventh title.

SDSU has won in the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2015-16, 201819, 2020-21, and 2022-23 seasons.

This matchup was first called the S.D. Showdown and was sponsored by South Dakota Corn before being crowned the Interstate Series.

The Interstate Series was established in 2012 to grow the SDSU and USD rivalry, First Interstate Bank created the “Interstate Series”. Teams can score points by winning a game and for academic performances. Basketball and football can score two points, while the remaining of athletics can only score one point.

SDSU Athletic Director, Justin Sell spoke on the intentions of creating the Interstate Series. Sell said that the three key notes of the Interstate Series are to promote sportsmanship amongst the teams, highlight academic success, and ultimately compete for South Dakota as a state.

“These are games that are really well attended from both fan bases…people show up and want to watch,” Sell said, “If you are putting out a trophy for something, I want to win it, and any week we play USD is important.”

The legacy behind the instate rivalry started years ago and continued to change from Division 2 to Division 1 era. The first time the Jacks and Coyotes faced off was in 1950 in football. As time has passed, the emphasis on sportsmanship has increased.

Women’s basketball coach Aaron Johnston said that when both teams were Division 2, the rivalry was very intense. Johnston mentioned that SDSU fans threw dead coyotes onto the court and USD fans tossed baby carrots at the SDSU bench.

As both teams moved to Division 1, the deep roots of the intense matchup continued, and the games became more personal. Johnston said that the environment in the gym feels different when the Jacks are playing the Coyotes.

Men’s basketball coach, Eric Henderson has faced the Coyotes for eight years three as an assistant coach and five as head coach.

“My favorite part of playing USD is that there is always a little bit more energy in the building…the traditions that go along with having an in-state rival always give me goosebumps.”, he said.

Interstate Bank wanted to increase the competitive experience for everyone involved with USD and SDSU athletics.

Henderson said, “There is a pride factor in having the name South Dakota and being able to represent it…people take to pride in calling it a blue state after beating USD.”

Coming up on Feb. 21-24 the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have an opportunity to score points against the Coyotes at the Summit League Championships in Minneapolis.

Following directly after, the men’s and women’s track teams can also score points for the Interstate Series on

Feb. 23-24 at the Summit League Championships in Fargo.

“Being in the same state you get to work with people from both schools and there are some families that have alumni from USD and SDSU,” said Sell. “I think that is cool and unique about the rivalry between the schools,” he said.

8 3

(Right) South Dakota State’s Madysen Vlastuinn puts a shot up over South Dakota’s Tori Deperry during their matchup Saturday, Jan. 20 in Frost Arena. (Left) South Dakota State’s Zeke Mayo gets defended by South Dakota’s Bostyn Holt during their game in Frost Arena Sunday, Feb. 4.

Jacks wrestling keep Border Bell, focus on Big 12 Championship

BOSTEN MOREHART

Asst. Sports Editor

The South Dakota State wrestling team closed out the dual season with a win over NDSU, keeping the Border Bell at home.

This dual would be the final one wrestled in Frost Arena and it was an emotional time for fans and especially the wrestlers. Head coach Damion Hahn noticed this in his seniors specifically before, during and after their matches.

“It was a little emotional, you saw a copy of guys after their wins. Tanner Cook goes out there and gets a huge pin, in Tanner Cook fashion and he’s getting emotional because this will be the last time he steps foot in Frost Arena and wrestles for this crowd,” said Hahn.

In front of a crowd of 2,241, Tanner Jordan started the Jacks out with a major decision (13-0) over Ryan Henningson.

Starting his scoring run with a takedown and four near-fall points, Jordan went up early 7-0 at the end of the first period. He would then earn a reversal in the second and takedown in the final period to round out his 13-point win.

The Bison answered right back as Fernando Barreto upset Derrick Cardinal 7-2 at 133 pounds. This would be the last win for NDSU until the end of the dual.

At 141 pounds, SDSU’s Clay Carlson earned a late takedown in the final period of the match to beat NDSU’s Gavin Drexler 4-1. Carlson and Drexler were tied at one point apiece throughout the match until Carlson’s takedown at around 15 seconds left in the third.

In another close match, the Jacks’ 149-pounder Alek Martin and Max Peterson for the Bison gave the crowd their money’s worth.

Martin led the match 7-2 heading into the third period where Petersen would bring himself back into the match. Petersen earned a point for stalling, a point for an escape and a takedown tying the

match at seven.

After SDSU head coach Damion Hahn was successful in challenging a two-point near-fall given to Petersen, Martin would earn an escape to win the 149-pound match 8-7.

Back-to-back bonus-point victories at 157 and 165 pounds would extend SDSU’s lead. At 157 pounds, Cael Swenson won by a major decision over Landen Johnson of NDSU, 10-1.

Starting the second half of the dual strong for SDSU, Tanner Cook earned a fall over Brendan Howes in one minute and 16 seconds. The match started with a takedown by Howes but Cook made his own in which he put Howes to his back for the pin.

At 174 pounds, Cade DeVos added to the Rabbits’ lead as he won by decision (5-2) over Gaven Sax. DeVos, ranked fourth, got up early leading 5-0 after

two periods before Sax earned a reversal making it 5-2 where the score would remain for the rest of the match.

Bennett Berge kept things rolling for the Jacks as he earned his second pin in three matches. Berge pinned Adam Cherne in one minute and 23 seconds to take the win at 184 pounds.

Tanner Sloan continued his dominance in Frost as he finished with a record of 25-0 on the Frost Arena mat.

Sloan put a clinic on in his match against Spencer Mooberry with a takedown in the first period, a takedown with back points in the second period and one more takedown in the third to win by technical fall 15-0.

The second and final win for the Bison came at heavyweight where Devon Dawson defeated SDSU’s Bowen McConville by decision (4-2).

With a strong performance by the Rab-

bits, they would win the dual 34-6. The 11th-ranked Jacks finish the dual season with a 13-4 overall record (7-2 conference).

SDSU will be on the mat next at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The tournament is March 9-10 at the BOK Center.

With a week in between the last dual and the Big 12 Championship, the wrestling team is tuning up their techniques in preparation.

“Right now, I don’t want to say it’s on cruise control by any means. But obviously, we have got to be very intentional with our individuals that are going to the Big 12 tournament, and we need to be focused on what they need to be able to compete at the highest level,” said Hahn.

Seeding for the Big 12 Championship is being worked on and will be set around Monday.

Photo by Evan Patzwald

South Dakota State’s Tanner Sloan defends a shot from his North Dakota State opponent in the team’s dual win against the Bison Sunday Feb. 25, 2024. Sloan finished his career in Frost with an undefeated record going 25-0 in duals in Frost Arena.

SDSU walk-ons make immediate impact

LYNDSEY ARCHER Sports Reporter

Despite season ending injuries to four key players and two new faces on the team, the SDSU women’s basketball team is still on top of the Summit League.

The Jackrabbits spent last week beating the University of Denver and the University of St. Thomas moving them to 22-5 overall and 14-0 in the Summit League. These victories pushed them to clinch a shar of the the Summit League Regular Season Championship.

That kind of success didn’t seem possible the first two weeks of November. That’s because the women’s basketball team knew they had to look for more players to round out the team. Tori Tollefson, playing 62 minutes on the season with 11 points, and Isabel Aesoph, playing 23 minutes and adding 3 points on the season, became those missing players.

“We were looking at only having seven available players for our game versus Wisconsin and we just thought that seven players weren’t enough, we needed an eighth or a ninth player on our bench in case we were to get into foul trouble,” said assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Sadie Thramer.

Head coach Aaron Johnston likes to have 12 to 14 women on the roster and this season he landed at 12. But by September he already had two players go down with season ending injuries.

“Then we had another player go down right before the season started and that’s when we started the process of thinking we might need to add some people here,” Johnston said.

Tollefson and Aesoph ended up being the answer to the thinning roster, becoming walk-ons. It’s only the second time this has happened in Johnston’s 24-years as coach.

The coaching staff began their search by asking other coaches if they had any athletes willing to help them out this season. Thramer expanded their search to Hudl, online film, and past all-state honors in South Dakota and other surrounding states to find anyone that was on campus and willing to help out their team.

“We had seen Tori play when she was in high school so we kind of knew what she was capable of,” said Thramer. “And Isabel on film looked like she was capable of helping us on the court.”

Tollefson, a standout high school softball and basketball player from Chanhassen, Minnesota, was ready to start her senior year for the SDSU softball team when her coach, proposed a new opportunity to also play for the basketball team.

“Right away for sure I was like absolutely I want to do this,” Tollefson said. “I always loved basketball, but

I loved softball too. I obviously choose softball first, but I definitely missed playing basketball and not everyone can say they got that unique opportunity.”

Aesoph agreed “It was a lifetime opportunity that couldn’t be passed up.”

Tollefson knew when accepting the offer that it was going to be intense to play two Division 1 sports. She knew the demands of practicing, watching film, lifting weights and traveling wouldn’t be easy.

“I knew how successful they were and how well they play together but it was a shock going into a Division 1 college basketball team after only playing mid-level high school basketball three years ago,” Tollefson said.

Aesoph played sports at Faulkton High School but never considered playing college basketball because her focus was more on volleyball. She began this year as a typical sophomore student but soon added Division 1 athlete to her resume.

After watching film on Aesoph, Thramer messaged her on Instagram and the process moved quickly after that.

“These two really stuck out to us as competitors,” Thramer said. “They aligned with what we were looking for and they were motivated to help us out.”

For Aesoph and Tollefson, adjusting to the physical and mental demands of college basketball has been a challenge. Assistant head coach Carissa Thielbar worked out with them individually to get them comfortable, and

they were incorporated into practice.

“It was definitely challenging for the first week or two just trying to get my feet back under me after being away from competitive basketball for over a year,” Aesoph said.

After three months into the season, Aesoph and Tollefson have adjusted to the new roles.

“They have gotten to the point now where they are just like everybody else. They do everything that anyone on the team has done,” Johnston said.

Although the team has faced unique challenges, with unexpected injuries and two walk-on players, the Jacks are 14-0 in their conference and 22-5 overall. The team looks to make a strong push in the post-season despite these obstacles.

“I think we still have a lot of really good players, the injuries have been hard for sure, so we aren’t as deep with as much talent as we usually have but we still have a ton of talent, I mean we still have some of the best players in the conference on our team,” said Johnston.

SUMMIT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 8 - March 12

From left, Jenna Hopp celebrates with her teammates Isabel Aesoph and Tori Tollefson while Kallie Theisen, Haleigh Timmer, Hilary Behrens and Natalie Nielsen cheer on the team, sidelined with injuries.

Women’s basketball prepare to host Bison in final game at Frost

JORDAN RADDATZ Sports Reporter

South Dakota State completes their road trip of the 2023-24 season with two wins over Denver and St. Thomas. They look ahead to their last two games of the regular season at home, in what will be the final events inside Frost Arena.

Denver

The Denver Pioneers were able to bring the game close in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to as little as four points.

In the end, the Jackrabbits pulled away to secure the win by nine, marking their second single-digit victory in Summit League play this season.

Foul trouble struck both teams as three players fouled out. Tori Nelson for the Jacks, and for Denver, sophomore guard Jordan Jones, and graduate forward Makayla Minett all fouled out in the waning minutes of the game. Three other players accumulated four fouls each.

The highest scorer for the Jacks was Paige Meyer, putting up 17. Mesa Byom, Madison Mathiowetz and Brooklyn Meyer scored 16 each, making up the majority of the team’s scoring in the 73-64 victory.

The Jacks shot 59% during the game and were 50% on three-pointers.

“[We] just didn’t make free throws the way we probably needed to to create a little separation,” head coach Aaron Johnston said. The Jacks were 55.6% on free throws, their fourth lowest free throw percentage this season.

The Pioneers had three players put up double-digits; Jones with 21, sophomore guard Emma Smith with 14 and senior guard Emily Consuel with 11. Denver shot 37% while converting 30% of their three-pointers.

The loss for Denver drops them to 4-10 in the Summit League.

St. Thomas

The Jackrabbits were able to clinch a share of the Summit League regular season title after sweeping St. Thomas with a strong scoring effort by three players.

A six-for-six start on shots by the Jacks set the tone for the game, easily beating the Tommies in a 97-63 victory, marking their eighth road victory by double digits.

Four Jacks eclipsed double digits, with three of them surpassing 20 points; Brooklyn Meyer with 26, Paige Meyer with 23 and Madison Mathiowetz with 20. Ellie Colbeck rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11. SDSU was a season-best 68% on shots while going 64% on three-pointers.

“That was a really complete game for us,” Johnston said.

Paige Meyer earned herself a third weekly accolade from the Summit

League on Monday, averaging 20 points in the last two contests.

Three Tommies hit double digits; junior forward Sammy Opichka with a season-high 15 points, while junior guard Jade Hill and junior center Jo Langbehn scored 10 each. St. Thomas was 46% on shots, while converting just 26% of their three-pointers.

The loss for the Tommies drops them to a 6-8 conference record.

North Dakota

The Fighting Hawks of North Dakota will visit Brookings for the penultimate women’s basketball game in Frost Arena. UND is sixth in the Summit at 5-9 and are coming off a 107-80 loss to North Dakota State on Saturday.

Despite the defeat, fifth-year guard Kacie Borowicz scored a career-high 40

points, putting her atop the team in scoring as she averages over 20 points a game.

As a team, UND is sixth on offense in the Summit, averaging 68 points a game. They rank seventh in the conference on defense, giving up 75.5 points a game. UND shoots 40% while converting 28.3% of their three-pointers.

Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. The game can be watched on Midco Sports Two or on the Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus.

North Dakota State

The final event in Frost Arena will see the Bison of North Dakota State make a visit in the regular season finale for both teams. NDSU is second in the Summit at 12-2, just two games behind SDSU. They have never been regular season champions in the conference. The Bison will host South Dakota on Thursday before making the trip to Brookings.

In the victory over North Dakota, sophomore guard Elle Evans led the Bison in scoring for the third straight game with 21. She has been averaging a team-high 15.8 points a game and has led the team in scoring in just over half of their games this season. Five other Bison reached double digits in the game.

As a team, NDSU is second-best in the Summit on offense, putting up 77.4 points a game, with their defense ranked fourth in the conference, allowing 68.9 points a game. NDSU shoots 45.1% while converting 38.2% of their three-pointers.

“I think our team is excited to hopefully play well this weekend,” Johnston said. “It’s Senior Week for us so we’ll honor Tori Nelson and what she’s meant to our program over the years as well.” Nelson is just six points away from being a top 20 all time scorer at SDSU.

Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. The game can be watched on the Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus.

Photo by Evan Patzwald

Ellie Colbeck of South Dakota State looks to find an open teammate in the 79-57 victory over Omaha in Frost Arena Feb. 17, 2024. This win helped the Jacks to improve to 20-5 on the season and 12-0 in Summit League play.

Jacks look onto North Dakota opponents to end Summit play

JON ARKE Sports Reporter

The Jackrabbits closed out their last ever games inside Frost Arena with victories over Denver and St. Thomas, reclaiming sole possession of the No. 1 seed heading into the final week of Summit League play.

The Yellow and Blue now control their own destiny, as they would clinch the regular season title with just one more win.

“We’re playing some good basketball, but we know we’re going to have our hands full,” head coach Eric Henderson said. “It’s a challenging final week, but it’s a challenge we’re excited for.”

Denver (15-14, 6-8 Summit)

A career high 21 points for Matt Mims helped the Jackrabbits cruise to a 27-point victory over the Pioneers on Thursday.

Avenging a prior loss to DU earlier this season, the Jacks started on a 14-0 scoring run through the first four minutes of the game.

The Pioneers would keep pace with the Jacks and keep the deficit to single digits going into halftime, but things would get chippy between the two teams after the first half buzzer sounded.

SUMMIT LEAGUE RANKINGS

1. SDSU- 17-12, (10-4)

2. UND- 17-12, (9-5)

3. NDSU- 15-14, (8-6)

4. Kansas City- 14-15, (8-6)

5. St. Thomas- 17-12, (7-7)

6. Omaha- 14-16, (7-7)

7. Denver- 15-14, (6-8)

8. ORU- 11-17, (5-10)

9. USD- 11-18, (4-10)

A technical foul called on an elbow to Mims from DU guard Tommy Bruner gave SDSU two free throws and the ball to start the second half.

The Jacks carried that momentum all throughout the second half, outscoring DU 47-29 in the final 20 minutes to take home the 97-70 victory.

South Dakota State’s Zeke Mayo added 20 on top of Mims’ 21, Charlie Easley poured in 15 points, and William Kyle III scored 12 with six rebounds.

St. Thomas (17-12, 7-7 Summit)

Three Jackrabbit seniors would not be denied a

win in their final game inside Frost Arena on Saturday, holding off the Tommies for a 77-72 win.

After back-and-forth basketball throughout the first 20 minutes of play, the Jacks found themselves down by nine points early into the second half. But then, something happened that sparked an SDSU comeback that can only be described as poetic.

In a span of roughly a minute, the Jacks sparked a 10-0 run with the help of a couple Easley steals and three consecutive three-point plays from all three seniors, Mims, Easley, and Appel.

Collegian photo by JOCLYN HAVEN (She/Her)

Kalen Gary drives passed St. Thomas guard Brooks Allen. This season, Gary averages 7.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and .8 steals on 27.3 minutes of action per game. The freshman’s field goal percentage is 38.7%, his three point percentage is 32.8% and his free throw percentage is 77.5%.

The Tommies hit two free throws on the next possession to retake a one-point lead with just under 13 minutes remaining, but that would be the last time they had the lead as the Jacks took home the five-point victory.

Four players scored in double fi gures in the win. Zeke Mayo led the way with 23, Easley added in 17, and Mims and Appel each poured in 11.

Not only was it the final game in Frost for Mims, Easley and Appel, but it was a final farewell for the whole men’s basketball team in Frost Arena, as renovations to Frost will also involve a new name starting this fall, First Bank & Trust Arena.

Over the last 52 years since it was built, the Jackrabbits went 573-139 in Frost Arena, marking a win percentage of just over 80%.

North Dakota (17-12, 10-4 Summit)

The Jacks will hit the road to North Dakota for the final week of conference play, starting with UND.

This matchup will arguably be the biggest of the season up to this point for the Jacks as the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Win and you clinch the No. 1 seed, lose and you find yourself possibly as low as the No. 3 seed going into the Summit League Tournament.

The Fighting Hawks are having an incredible conference season compared to last year where they finished 6-12.

Now UND finds themselves right up there with the best of them, just one game behind first place.

“What a turnaround they’ve had,” coach Henderson said about North Dakota. “Starting the year 0-3 in the league, and then winning nine of their last 11. It’s pretty special and they’re playing very good basketball.”

North Dakota is led by B.J Omot, the 6-foot-8 sophomore who averages over 17 points a game. Behind him is Tyree Ihenacho and Treysen Eaglestaff, both players average just over 14 points a contest.

Thursday’s tip-off in Grand Forks, ND is set for 7 p.m. on the Summit League Network through Midco Sports.

North Dakota State (15-14, 8-6 Summit)

The final game of conference play pins the Jackrabbits in Fargo to take on the Bison Saturday at 1 p.m.

Like UND, the Bison still have an opportunity for the No. 1 seed but have a few more obstacles that are not in their control. They would not only need to win both Thursday and Saturday against USD and SDSU, respectively, but would also need a UND loss to South Dakota on Saturday.

Playoff implications aside, this Bison team knows they have a real shot regardless of their seed in the SL tournament and would want nothing more than to earn a conference sweep of the Jacks.

Three players average double figures for the Bison this season. Boden Skunberg leads the way averaging

junior has made 45.7% of his shots, 36.4% of his three pointers and 83.7% of his free throws.

14.5 points and six rebounds per game, Andrew Morgan averages 13, and Damari Wheeler-Thomas averages another 11 points a contest.

Opening day for Summit League play begins on Friday, March 8, 2024, at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center and will go through Tuesday, March 12, 2024.

Men’s basketball Summit League rankings will come out after the end of regular season play.

Collegian photo by JOCLYN HAVEN

SDSU guard Zeke Mayo pulls up from deep against St. Thomas defender Kendall Blue. Mayo is averaging 19 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1..1 steals on 35.7 minutes per game. The