August 23, 2023

Students’ Association plans GAF spending

GRETA GOEDE Editor-In-Chief

Monday night, Students’ Association held a General Activity Fund strategic plan session to determine how the money should be spent for the next five years.

The GAF fee for students is currently $50.85 per credit hour and funds things like the Miller Wellness Center, athletics, career development, the University Student Union and student organizations. Every five years a new plan is made on how GAF money should be spent the following five years.

This is the last year in the five-year plan and SA is determining if GAF spending should be changed and invited students to give their opinions on the subject during a listening session. The session filled the Hobo Day Gallery with students who wanted to share their thoughts of where this money should go.

Here are some answers from the students; How does GAF engage (or benefit) students at SDSU?

GAF benefits students by giving them free admissions to games and sporting events, funding the wellness center and the student clinic in the wellness center. GAF money also funds parking for off campus students, provides campus safety, increases stipends for students working on campus and provides money for food services. The money also goes to transportation for students.

What areas need improvement and more funding?

Students said the biggest area that needs improvement, and more funding was the transportation on campus since there is now limited transportation and hours with the BATA Bus and Rabbit Ride. Other students said ADA accessibility spaces on campus need more funding.

What would students not want to fund using GAF dollars?

Students said they don’t think GAF money should be spent on athletics apart from club sports on campus. This includes physical additions to the wellness center

TRINITY PETERSON

and stadium or athletic facilities updates. Some other students mentioned that this money shouldn’t be spent on updating dorm halls on campus.

Currently, the wellness center is second in GAF money spending with $14.48 and athletics has the third with $11.78.

From here, the senate will pass what the students want to university administrations who will potentially recommend edits then sign off on it. It will then get sent to the Board of Regents and they will have the final say on the new GAF spending plan.

Students’ Association President Trinity Peterson said at the end of the day, this plan is just a suggestion.

“This is a pretty solid recommendation and is the starting point for what students want, which is really important obviously in this whole process,” Peterson said.

The Students’ Association is comprised of all General Activity Fee-paying students at South Dakota State University. The Students’ Association Senate is the official student government organization at SDSU, consisting of 26 senators representing each of the academic colleges and the student body president and vice president.

SA Vice President sworn in

GRETA GOEDE Editor-In-Chief

Hayden Bentz, a sophomore, was chosen as vice president by Trinity Peterson, who became President of the Students’ Association (SA) after the resignation of President Nick Grote last semester. The senate unanimously voted for Bentz to fill the position, and he was officially sworn in at the emergency meeting during finals week last semester.

As president, Peterson had to pick the new vice president, and she felt that Bentz would be the best for the job.

“Frankly, Hayden was kind of the obvious choice for vice president. He just showed really good potential, he was on senate, you know came on as a freshman first semester,” said Peterson. “He’s a really hard worker, very organized, and just all around a great person.”

Bentz served on SA as a senator at large his freshman year and was appointed as the finance chair when Grote was in office.

“I applied during the at large process of last year and it’s kind of funny to think now that I’m in charge of running that at large process for this year as a sophomore,” said Bentz.

Bentz says he is looking

forward to “soaking everything in” and is thankful for the opportunity to serve as SA vice president.

“She truly could have picked anyone and she just felt that I would have done the best job. I’m very very honored to be given the opportunity to serve in this capacity,” said Bentz.

really good opportunity to bring in some college of natural sciences which is a pretty small college,” said Peterson.

Peterson said she’s excited to serve with Bentz this year, and she couldn’t run SA without him. “I think we make a really good team; we balance each other out very well,” said Peterson.

Bentz said he’s excited for the year and all the things SA has planned for the school. One thing Bentz is looking forward to is implementing the electric scooter that was discussed last year. He says SA is hoping to have them on campus soon. “We feel like that will provide a good service to students and affordable means of transportation around campus and around the community of Brookings at large,” said Bentz.

Peterson thinks Bentz will bring a fresh perspective to SA through his majors and only being a sophomore since last year’s positions were filled by seniors.

“He’s a human biology and business economics major so he’s not political science which I think is a

There are also plans to get the scoreboard placed on the end of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium that would face the students section, according to Bentz. He feels this will be a big benefit to students on game day to enhance the experience for attendees.

Bentz says he loves being a student at SDSU and getting involved. Besides being the vice president of SA he also plays the trumpet in the Pride of the Dakota’s.

HAYDEN BENTZ

Bentz was sworn in as Students’ Association Vice President during finals week last semester. Bentz served as a senator since his freshman year.

“Students said the biggest area that needs improve- ment, and more funding was the transportation on campus since there is now limited transportation and hours with the BATA Bus and Rabbit Ride.”

WHAT’S NEXT AT STATE

Thursday, Aug. 24

• Welcome back Ice Cream Social, 3:30-5 p.m, Campus Green (“College Green” east of Art Museum)

• Scholarship check drop-off/ signing, 9 a.m-1p.m, Student Union SSU 0150S Black Hills

Friday, Aug. 25

• D2l for beginners, 10-10:40 a.m, Pugsley Center

• Scholarship check drop-off/ signing, 9 a.m-1p.m, Student Union SSU 0150S Black Hills

Saturday, Aug. 26

• Free Community Art Day, 10 a.m- 1 p.m, South Dakota Art Museum

Monday, Aug. 28

• The immense world of Virtual Reality: Exploring Your senses in VR, 4 - 5:30 p.m, Avera Health and Science Center, Sav 0369 Classroom

• Scholarship check drop-off/ signing, 9 a.m-1p.m, Student Union SSU 0150S Black Hills

Tuesday, Aug. 29

• Student Part-Time Job Fair, 3 - 5:30 p.m, Student Union, SSU 0101 Volstorff (A and B)

• Common Read Event, 5-9:30 p.m, Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium SDJD 320 Club 71 Ballroom

• Scholarship check drop-off/ signing, 9 a.m-1p.m, Student Union SSU 0150S Black Hills

Wednesday, Aug. 30

• Radical Feminism (supported by Feminist Equality Movement, FEM), 6:30 – 8 p.m Student Union SSU 0262 Lewis & Clark (A & B)

• Coffee with Collections (Christina Burke), 9:30 – 10:30 a.m, South Dakota Art Museum SMU 0001 South Dakota Art Museum Online Event

• Scholarship check drop-off/ signing, 9 a.m-1p.m, Student Union SSU 0150S Black Hills

Thursday, Aug. 31

• Jacks Start Abroad, 2-4 p.m, Student Union SSU 0169 Campanile & Hobo Day Gallery (A & B)

• Artist Conversation (Continuum: Honoring Oscar Howe’s Legacy), 4-5:30 p.m South Dakota Art Museum, SMU 0104

South Dakota Art Museum Theater

• Scholarship check drop-off/ signing, 9 a.m-1p.m, Student Union SSU 0150S Black Hills

BRIEFS

SDSU PROFESSOR HONORED BY NACTA

Rosie Nold, assistant department head and professor in the Department of Animal Science, has been recognized for her dedication to teaching by being selected as one of 21 individuals to receive the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Educator Award.

Nold has always had a passion for teaching and has done extensive research on the teaching side of her career. She recently completed a project looking into honors curriculum within post-secondary agricultural education and teaching in larger class sizes. Along with teaching, she served as one of the 100th Little International advisers and plans to serve in the same role for the coming 101st Little International.

“Not every professor has a knack for teaching large lecture-style classes as well as hands-on laboratory sections,” said Rebecca Bott Knutson, SDSU Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College dean and professor. “Dr. Nold’s dedication to establishing SDSU as the premier choice for undergraduate education extends well beyond her home department and reaches the university. Dr. Nold is the educator whom we should all aspire to resemble.”

NACTA aims to recognize those whose efforts represent the best in agricultural higher education. The organization seeks to inspire all to achieve higher levels of excellence while encouraging colleagues to share their methods of achieving greatness with others. The organization spans multiple disciplines of agriculture, recognizing faculty from two-and four-year programs. The Educator Award is based on engagement with students and impact. It also recognizes individuals for their involvement in scholarship and within the organization itself.

“It is humbling to be nominated by my colleagues

and recognized at a national level across all disciplines,” said Nold. “I will strive to continue to provide the teaching and services that exemplify this award.”

Briefs courtesy of University Marketing & Communications

SDSU MAINTAINS STAR SUSTAINABILITY RATING

South Dakota State University has maintained its STARS Silver Rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, in recognition of its sustainability achievements.

STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, is a benchmarking tool that measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. SDSU received a bronze rating in 2016 and a silver rating in 2020. STARS participants report achievements in the areas of innovation and leadership, operations, academics, engagement, and planning and administration.

“It’s exciting that we maintained our Silver Rating. It recognizes that we have sustainability efforts in place here on campus,” said Jennifer McLaughlin, SDSU’s sustainability specialist. “It also helps us see the path forward. If we want to continue to improve our sustainability, it really takes a campus wide effort to implement larger-scale initiatives. It’s not just one staff member or one office—it has to come from all different sections of campus.”

McLaughlin said areas where SDSU earned full points and was better than peer institutions included sustainability curriculum workshops for faculty members, helping them integrate sustainability into their classrooms, and learn how it connects to their different fields.

Other areas that received full points or were above average include, but are not limited to, SDSU’s wellness program, outreach engagement via newsletters, social media, articles, events and more, electronics purchases meeting sustainability certifications; and water usage. SDSU’s scores also improved in academic courses, learning outcomes and energy consumption. SDSU earned innovation points for other efforts. Extra points came from SDSU’s Native Plant Initiative, the Wizipan Leadership and Sustainability Program, and the Wokini Initiative.

McLaughlin said more than 100 people on campus contributed to SDSU’s report. With more than 900 participants in 40 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance.

ROSIE NOLD

Upon the report’s submission, universities are rated based on the percentage of points earned: platinum, gold, silver, bronze and reporter. Unlike other rating or ranking systems, this program is open to all institutions of higher education and the criteria that determine a STARS Rating are transparent and accessible to anyone. Because STARS is a program based on credits earned, it allows for both internal comparisons as well as comparisons with similar institutions.

The STARS rating lasts for three years.

Briefs courtesy of University Marketing & Communications

ENGINEERING STUDENTS WIN NASA CONTEST

South Dakota State University engineering students used down-to-earth knowledge to design an out-of-this-world lunar transport vehicle which won them a NASA-sponsored contest.

The SDSU team was one of 15 teams selected as a finalist in NASA’S Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition.

Finalists were grouped in four categories. SDSU was chosen as a finalist in the Lunar Surface Transporter Vehicle category along with Maryland, Texas and Virginia Tech. All finalists gathered in Cocoa Beach, Florida, June 12-14 to present their projects to NASA judges.

The space agency released contest results June 15. In addition to having the best plan for a lunar transport vehicle, SDSU was honored for building the best prototype of any of the 15 finalists.

Todd Letcher, an associate professor in the mechanical engineering department and the adviser for the SDSU students, said of his team, “I’ve probably never had a team that worked together so well. They had their assigned areas, but when someone needed help, they all pitched in and got the job done.”

Team members were Liam Murray (Omaha, NE), Jacob Pettit, (Dublin,OH), Ben Sobczak, (Rapid City), Nick Stegmeier (Sioux Falls) and Elisabeth

Timmer (Savaneta, Aruba). All of them graduated May 6 with degrees in mechanical engineering and are now heading off for full-time jobs, master’s degrees or in the case of Stegmeier, an internship at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

In their executive statement, the students wrote, “Our lunar cargo transporter features an innovative drivetrain, flexible wheels, a cargo locking mechanism and a universal attachment mechanism for auxiliary systems. The vehicle is adaptable not only for missions on the moon, but for Mars and beyond.”

Using rounded numbers, the design for each forklift is 11 feet by 11 feet and 9 feet high with the ability to lift 16,500 pounds.

Stegmeier explained, “The prototype is about the size of a go-cart while a full-scale ANT would be as large as a Volkswagen Bug, which is quite fitting.”

While the students have gone their separate ways, the prototype is being shipped back to campus and Letcher has plans to display it in the lobby of the Chicoine Architecture, Mathematics and Engineering Hall with the two plaques the team received.

Briefs courtesy of University Marketing & Communications

STIEGELMEIERS TO LEAD HOBO DAY PARADE

Planning is well underway for the 111th Hobo Day, set for Oct. 14 at South Dakota State University.

The Hobo Day Committee has named John and Laurie Stiegelmeier as parade grand marshals, and “All Rails Lead Home” is the tagline for this year’s “Biggest One-Day Event in the Dakotas.”

“All Jackrabbits start their collegiate journey with varying experiences and diverse backgrounds, yet each person’s path has led them to South Dakota State University. Hobo Day is a time when all friends, memories and relationships formed at SDSU are celebrated at the place where it all began—Brookings,” said Grand Pooba Marissa Vogt.

John Stiegelmeier retired in January after serving as head coach of the SDSU football program for 26 seasons. He’s the winningest coach in program history, and in his final season he led the football team to its first-ever NCAA Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision national title. Stiegelmeier was honored as the 2022 recipient of the Stats Perform Eddie Robinson Award for top coach in the FCS, as well as the American Football Coaches Association FCS Coach of the Year.

The Stiegelmeiers’ off-field contributions to the community have earned high praise as well. The couple has been involved in a variety of nonprofits, from Fellowship of Christian Athletes to Feeding South Dakota.

“The Hobo Day program and university are excited to celebrate the Stiegelmeiers for the difference they have made for countless Jackrabbits— past, present and future,” Vogt said.

The 2023 Hobo Day Committee is comprised of 18 student-members. Grand Pooba Vogt is a senior business

economics major from Albert Lea, Minnesota. Members of the committee also include Charles Dendinger, Sarah Davids, Avery Dooley, Gracie Dose, Annie Feden, Elle Guthmiller, Victoria Hansen, Sarah Kastner, Claire Koenecke, Megan Linke, John Petersen, Ainsley Plack, Kordiea Rerick, Elizabeth Ross, Zoey Schentzel, Malia Schumacher, and Julia Thaden. The Hobo Day program is advised by Matilyn Kerr, program adviser for university traditions.

For more information on the university’s homecoming, visit the Hobo Day webpage.

JOHN STIEGELMEIER

Summit League, CBS Sports, Midco ink multi-year media rights deal

BRAYDEN BYERS Managing Editor

The Summit League, CBS Sports and Midco have announced a new threeyear media rights agreement aimed at expanding national distribution of Summit League athletics.

The new deal will act as a direct-to-consumer branded digital network through Midco aptly named, the Summit League Network according to a press release published Thursday.

“This is a historic moment for the League, and these relationships will give fans a better experience to consume Summit League content, with more national exposure on CBS Sports Network and enhanced digital content through Midco.” Said Summit League Commissioner Josh Fenton.

Starting with the upcoming basketball season, at least six Summit League regular-season men’s basketball games will be televised on CBS Sports Network. This agreement also adds an opportunity to add an additional six men’s or women’s games throughout the year.

In addition to the regular-season matchups, CBS Sports Network will televise select games during the 2024 Summit League Basketball Championships. The Women’s Championship semifinals and final and the Men’s Championship final will be televised nationally for the first time.

“We are excited to begin this partnership with The Summit League,” said Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President of Programming for CBS Sports. “This deal allows us to add live games throughout the regular season to our CBS Sports Network schedule.”

This three-way partnership also expands beyond the basketball court. Starting this fall, the Summit League Network (SLN) will provide a centralized platform that fans can watch regular season broadcasts on. This new network will be distributed by Midco Sports Plus.

“In an ever-changing and complicat-

ed landscape of media rights, we believe the unique combination of CBS Sports and Midco helps the League and membership align with these established priorities.” Said Fenton who is leading the League into its 42nd year.

The SLN will include all home regular-season conference and non-conference games for volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, and baseball. All Summit League championships, including cross country, indoor/outdoor track and field, and swimming and diving, will also all be streamed on the network.

Other programs, such as Northern Colorado baseball and Western Illinois men’s soccer, will be included on the streaming service as well.

“This partnership is a win for everyone involved,” said Midco Chair and CEO Pat McAdaragh. “We are so pleased to further our relationship with

The Summit League.”

Subscriptions cost $9.99 a month or $79.99 for a year. The Summit League Network is available through the Midco Sports Plus applications on both mobile (iOS and Android) and connected TV devices (AppleTV, FireTV, and Roku) as well as online at SummitLeagueNetwork.tv.

As a result of this new agreement, live streaming of events through Jackrabbit All-Access at GoJacks.com will end immediately according to a release from the SDSU athletic department. Jackrabbit football will continue to be seen on Midco Sports Plus and/or ESPN+ as well as select games on Midco Sports Network. Wrestling can be seen on FloWrestling, and equestrian can be seen on YouTube as these programs are not affiliated with the Summit League.

WELCOME BACK JACKS

SDSU Students move back to campus ahead of new year

ANNA LOCKREM

News Editor

SDSU welcomed new students to campus Friday, Aug. 18. As parents, siblings, guardians and first-year students packed up their vehicles and headed to Brookings, a handful of people were there to greet them.

“We had around 650 – staff, faculty, and students. We had a great year for faculty and staff volunteer turnout, and every person was needed,” said Rebecca Peterson, director of Housing and Residential Life. “It made for an incredibly smooth day. The 650 includes the Community Assistants and Housing Residential Life staff too.”

Sophomore Corrie Erdahl was a part of the Meet State Team, who worked closely with Peterson during move-in day.

“Overall, it went very smooth; there were many systems in place to make it easier,” said Erdahl. “We were all just happy to be helpful and wanted to make the day special for them.”

Erdahl was a first-year student in the fall of 2022, and she was excited to help the incoming first-year class, but also knew how intimidating it can be.

“I talked to a few students, and most were anxious but excited for the change,” said Erdahl. “They were excited to set up their room and had been dreaming of this day for a long time, and they couldn’t believe it was finally here.”

The Meet State Team plays a huge role in helping new incoming first-year students on move-in day and before everyone gets to campus. Along with all of the Meet State’s social media platforms, they provide links to everything

from what to bring, driving directions, schedules and more on sdstate.edu.

First-year student Kiah Boetel, who moved into the newly renovated Pierson Hall, thought the move-in process went well.

“My move-in day was good. Everything went smoothly, and it was a very positive environment,” said Boetel. “I also felt welcomed walking into my dorm by all the Community Assistants.”

Boetel also mentioned that she is most excited about football games this fall.

Throughout the rest of the weekend, the Meet State Team helped move students in and planned events to get firstyear students acclimated to campus and help them meet other first-year students. Festivities continued into Saturday as returning students moved back to campus. Last year, the second-year stu-

dents made up the largest freshman class since 2017.

“Official enrollment numbers are released by the South Dakota Board of Regents the third week in September, but the university is encouraged by the strong freshman class and the number of returning students attending class this week,” said Mike Lockrem, director of Marketing and Communication. “Overall, we anticipate strong enrollment numbers for this fall.”

With the anticipation of large enrollment numbers, One Day for STATE, the first home football game and so much more to come, there is a positive outlook on the start of the year.

Collegian

photo by EAN WENTZEL

Collegian photos by ALLIE WEBER

VOLLEYBALL TEAM RELOADS, ADDS SEVEN NEW PLAYERS

JON AKRE Sports Reporter

The South Dakota State Jackrabbit volleyball team looks a little different compared to last year’s squad, but still seeks to make waves in the Summit League.

While the coaching staff remained intact, the team needed to replace six roster spots, as players graduated, used up their last year of eligibility, entered the transfer portal. They have reloaded and added six new freshmen and a transfer.

“Seven out of our 15 (players) are new,” head coach Dan Georgalas said. “You could look at us and maybe think we are inexperienced, but the caliber of recruits that we’re attracting tells a different story.”

While there is a huge turnover on the roster, the incoming freshmen class is one of the most decorated recruiting classes in recent years at South Dakota State. Seven state championships across volleyball and track, one USA Volleyball National Championship and MVP Honor, one AAU National Championship, AAU AllAmerican all coming from this class.

The six freshmen that will be joining the team this fall are Rylee Martin (#5), Mckenna Moehrle (#6), Stella Winterfield (#7), Sylvie Zgonc (#10), Joslyn Richardson (#17), Brogan Beck (#20). They will also add Sydni Schetnan (#11), a redshirt sophomore transfer from Louisville.

Coach Georgalas returns for his fourth year at South Dakota State and has led the team to back-toback winning seasons for the first time at the division 1 level. In 2021, the team finished with a 19-12 record while going 10-8 in the Summit League, and last year finishing with an 18-15 record, going 11-7 in the Summit League. Coach Georgalas hopes to showcase a different looking Jackrabbit team than in years past.

“This is the biggest team we’ve had,” Georgalas said. “We’ve always kind of been a bit of a smaller team who got a lot out of its front row players with athleticism, you’re going to see a much more physical and bigger presence in the front row for us.”

While the Jackrabbits lost a lot of veteran leadership from last season, one name stands out as the lone returning senior for her fifth season with the Jacks. Akeela Jefferson, a 5’10” outside hitter from Cedar Rapids, Iowa suffered a season-ending injury early in the 2022 season, but is back for her fifth year. Having been with the team since 2019, Jefferson will provide the veteran leadership this season, as the Jackrabbits have a much younger team than the 2022 campaign.

Due to the renovations of Frost Arena, the

SCHEDULE

Aug. 25-26: Rumble in the Rockies @ Laramie, Wyo

Sep. 1-3: Fryfest Invitational @ Coralville, Iowa

Sep. 8-9: Ole Miss Invite @ Oxford, Miss.

Sep. 14-16: Boise State Classic @ Boise, Idaho

Sep. 21: St. Thomas @ St. Paul, Minn.

Sep. 23: Kansas City @ Kansas City, Mo.

Sep. 28: Denver @ Frost Arena

Oct. 5: NDSU @ Frost Arena

Oct. 7: Omaha @ Frost Arena

Oct. 12: Oral Roberts @ Tulsa, Okla.

Oct. 14: Denver @ Denver, Colo.

Oct. 17: South Dakota @ Vermillion

Oct. 19: St. Thomas @ Frost Arena

Oct. 21: Kansas City @ Frost Arena

Oct. 26: North Dakota @ Grand Forks, N.D.

Nov. 2: NDSU @ Fargo, N.D.

Jackrabbits will have to wait to play their home-opener. After beginning their season with an exhibition match against Augustana at Brookings High School, the Jackrabbits will spend over a month on the road, where they will play four non-conference tournaments and two Summit League matches.

The Jackrabbits will start their season playing in the Rumble in the Rockies Tournament hosted by the University of Wyoming. They will play two matches on Friday, August 25, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. against Green Bay and Winthrop respectively. They will then play on Saturday, August 26, at 7 p.m. against Wyoming.

The Jackrabbit’s home-opener is on Thursday, September 28, at 7 p.m. against Denver.

Raegen Reilly

Jacks seek stronger finish

Hansen, Tanner lead Rabbits into season

2022. Mya Hansen earned the conference’s Player of the Year Award, while Jocelyn Tanner was named the Summit League’s Goalkeeper of the Year for the second straight season.

With several all-conference players returning, the Jackrabbit’s women’s soccer team is excited for the coming season.

The Jackrabbits open their 2023 season at Fishback Soccer Park in Brookings. They will be playing two matches against Manitoba starting at 6 p.m.

Last year the team finished with a record of 13 wins, one loss, five draws. This record is one of the best that the program has had since the beginning.

They finished second in the Summit League falling to Omaha in the semi-final match. They were the last undefeated Division 1 women’s soccer team at the end of the regular season.

Two of the players returning this year were recognized for their achievements in

Along with earning the Player of the Year Award Hansen leads the program in points scored and is tied for goals scored at 39. Although she earned Player of the Year, Hansen does not have that on her mind when preparing for this season.

“It just makes me excited to play again and get better individually and as a team, I think that’s a cool accolade to have but it’s not always on my mind. But it’s definitely cool and credit to the team as a whole and the coaching staff and just the jackrabbit community.”

During the offseason, Hansen worked on improving her shooting and noticed the improvements from it during her summer season.

“I think that made a big difference going into my summer season, I definitely

BOSTEN MOREHART Co-Sports Editor

BROOKINGS, SD - AUGUST 17: Avery LeBlanc #8 from South Dakota State University celebrates the first goal of the season against Manitoba at Fischback Soccer Field in Brookings, SD. (Photo by Dave Eggen/ Inertia) REWORD THIS

noticed that that part of my game had changed,” said Hansen.

Although she has earned the title of Goalkeeper of the Year for two straight seasons Tanner does not let that affect her mindset for this season.

“I think it’s nothing more than what I’ve always done, focusing on fundamentals, I look at that as a team award, our defense is awesome, so they make my job easy. Being consistent, doing little things, making the standard saves.”

Tanner also knows she has areas to work on in her game as she knows it is not perfected. “Overall, I want to be more confident coming out of the air on crosses, organizational stuff, just building on what I’ve done,” said Tanner.

The two players mentioned last year’s season ended as it did left a sour taste in their mouths going into this year’s season. With this in mind, they are going to use it as motivation as they work toward a successful season.

Tanner spoke about the team’s thoughts and plans for this upcoming season. “We’re not really a team that sets goals but, I think a lot of us have some revenge in mind. We want that summit league back where it belongs,” said Tanner.

Head Coach of the Jackrabbits, Brock Thompson mentioned that even though they had players graduate, they return “seven or eight” of their starting 11 along with newcomers.

Several Jacks’ players earned all-conference honors and many of them return for this season. “We have maybe the most returning all-conference players that we’ve had come back ever, so we’re excited about the players that we have coming back,” said Thompson.

Thompson wants the team to focus on getting better each week than they were the week before and believes that it will be key to a successful season.

“I think the biggest thing for us is just the consistency that we play at. Soccer is a very unique sport where one kick

of the ball could change the outcome of the game and so over the course of ninety minutes the players have to play hard with the balance of intensity and intelligence.”

Along with the combination of intensity and intelligence, Thompson has noticed during exhibition games that the team’s maturity will be key this season. “When we played Nebraska and Kansas last weekend, I thought the maturity of our team really showed and we stepped on the field and expected to be the best team on the field,” said Thompson.

The team took a different approach in their training this year leading up to their first game. They focused on how they were training from a strength, conditioning, and periodization standpoint with the team.

Although coach Thompson said the team does not set goals, they plan to focus on another important aspect of the team. “We embrace our values which are growth, being a family, and demonstrating mental toughness, so really, we are focused on the process each day,” said Thompson.

CROSS-COUNTRY EXPECTS BIG THINGS

JORDAN RADDATZ Sports Reporter

The South Dakota State Men’s Cross-Country teams expect plenty of competition this year as they try to win an eighth-straight Summit League title.

St. Thomas and North Dakota State have beefed-up rosters and have a chance to knock off the defending champions, according to SDSU coach Rod DeHaven.

The 2022 season for the Jackrabbits Men’s Cross-Country team saw them win their seventh-consecutive Summit League title. Ben Olson led in the 8,000-meter race, which also saw six additional Jackrabbit runners place in the top ten. He was also named the conference’s Male Athlete of the Year. In the NCAA Midwest Regionals, the team finished in sixth place with 204 points. Heading into the 2023 season, a total of eight runners will return to the team. Here are some of the key players:

Five All-Conference performers graduated following the 2022 season, while two in Josh Becker and Daniel Burkhalter will return to the team for 2023.

One of the ten runners is out to start the 2023 season. “We do have a bit of a mountain to climb on the men’s side,” said DeHaven.

Six incoming freshmen are joining the team for 2023, including Carson Noecker, who won four individual championships in Nebraska, and became the only athlete to break the 15-minute barrier on a state course, according to coach DeHaven. “[We’re] excited to add him into the mix,” he said.

The men’s team saw plenty of success in 2022, but so did the women’s team. The 2022 season for the Jackrabbits Women’s Cross-Country team saw them finish runner-up in the Summit League Conference Championship. The team saw even greater success during the season, as

they finished inside the top five in five different competitions. Leah Hansen (who now goes by Leah Hisken as she was recently married) won her third-consecutive league’s individual championship. In the NCAA Midwest Regionals, the team finished inside the top 10. 16 runners, including Hisken, will be returning to the women’s team for 2023. Here are some of the key players:

Three All-Conference performers in Caitlin Bright, Leah Hisken, Mya Kizer will return to the team for 2023.

While a majority of the team is returning, a couple of transfers are making their way onto the team: Jessica Lutmer, who ran for the University of Sioux Falls, and Meghan Ford, who ran for Furman University. Ford was a past Nike Cross Regional Champion in Sioux Falls.

Six incoming freshmen from multiple states are joining the team. “They will add some depth [to the team] as well,” said DeHaven. In all, the 2023 team will have a total of 25 runners on the roster.

One major change is coming to the Jackrabbits cross-country schedule. With the Jacks set to host the Summit League Championship on Oct. 28, coach DeHaven says it can create plenty of distractions for the teams. “It’s a lot easy being the hunter than the huntee,” he said.

- Sept. 1: Augustana Twilight –Yankton Trails Park, Sioux Falls, S.D.

- Sept. 8: SDSU Classic –Edgebrook Golf Course, Brookings, S.D.

- Sept. 22: Roy Griak Invitational

– Les Bolstad Golf Course, Falcon Heights, M.N.

- Oct. 7: Briar Cliff Invitational

– Adams Nature Preserve, North Sioux City, S.D.

- Oct. 13: Platte River Rumble –Mahoney State Park, Ashland, N.E.

- Oct. 28: Summit League XC Championship - Edgebrook Golf Course, Brookings, S.D.

- Nov. 10: NCAA Midwest Regional Championship – Greiner Family XC Course, Stillwater, O.K.

- AUGUST 17: Jadenn Carrillo from South Dakota State University pushes the ball against Manitoba at Fischback Soccer Field in Brookings, SD.

(Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia)

BACK FOR MORE

JACKRABBITS SET TO OPEN SEASON AT HOME

South Dakota State’s Amar Johnson celebrates after a touchdown during the National Championship game last January. Johnson is set to be a big part of the Jacks’ running game.

File Photos by ZOEY SCHENTZEL

MARSHALL MINIHAN Co-Sports Editor

South Dakota State won their first-ever FCS National Championship after a 45-21 victory over division rival NDSU January 8, 2023

Now back for another season, the Jacks find themselves back at the top of the FCS Subdivision rankings where they spent multiple weeks last season.

With it almost being a unanimous decision, North Dakota State received one of the 25 first-place votes.

Not much has changed for the Jackrabbits since their championship. Though stars such as Tucker Kraft and Caleb Sanders are both fighting their way onto NFL rosters, SDSU was fortunate enough to keep multiple players who could have gone to the next level.

The Jacks had a total of seven Preseason AllAmericans selected this season. Mason McCormick, Garret Greenfield, Zach Heins, Jaxon Janke and Isaiah Davis were the five selected on the offensive side while Adam Bock and Dyshawn Gales as defensive players as well.

“We couldn’t be more fortunate to have Mason and Garret for a sixth year,” said South Dakota State offensive line coach Ryan Olson. “They have a great understanding for what we do schematically and culturally. They understand all that stuff at a really high level.”

Along with their All-American selections, both Davis and Janke were named to the watchlist of the Walter Peyton Award, an award that is given to the top offensive player in the FCS. Also joining them from Brookings is quarterback Mark Gronowski.

South Dakota State will open up its season with a Thursday night game against Western Oregon August 31. This season, SDSU will also play Montana State and Drake for their other non-conference games, with the game against Drake to be played at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Last season, the Jacks faced off against the University of Iowa, an FBS school, and this season SDSU will be starting their season off against a division 11 school.

In 2022, the Western Oregon Wolves went 6-5 in the Lone Star Conference. They faced off against an FCS school last year in their opener as well and lost to Weber State 5-41.

This coming game will prove to be a test for Western Oregon for multiple reasons. Last season, WOU averaged just over 200 yards per game with 84 coming on the ground. SDSU contained D1 opponents to just under 88 yards per game.

Last season, South Dakota State was tied for fourth place in turnovers with eight fumble recoveries and 18 interceptions on the year while sitting in the second place spot behind Jackson State in total defense while allowing under 300 total yards per game.

Isaiah Davis will be back and ready for another season with the Rabbits. The Missouri Native led the team in rushing last season with 1,451 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 249 attempts.

“Isaiah is truly special,” said running back coach Robbie Rouse. “Of course, he shows great talents as

everyone has been aware of but not everyone knows how great of a young man he is. You’re excited to be able to coach him but just being able to meet him and realize he is an even better person.”

Gronowski only lost one member of his most targeted receivers in Kraft, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Packers. Having most of his guys back will show great chemistry to the already electric receiving core for the Jacks.

With Gronowski’s 2,967 passing yards and 232 completions, he threw 111 passes and 1,631 of those yards to the Janke twins. Though losing Kraft may lead to some problems, Heins showed he can pick up the slack last season with Tucker’s injury. The Sioux Falls native put up 347 yards last season and four touchdowns on 29 receptions.

The Jacks got back their top three leaders in tackles from last season with Bock, Isaiah Stalbird and Jason Freeman.

South Dakota State is set to take on the Western Oregon Wolves at 7:00 pm August 31 for the home opener at the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

2023 SCHEDULE

• Aug. 31: vs. Western Oregon

• Sept. 9: vs. Montana State

• Sept. 16: vs. Drake at Target Field

• Spet. 30: vs. North Dakota

• Oct. 7: at Illinois State

• Oct. 14: vs Northern Iowa (Hobo Day)

• Oct. 21: at Southern Illinois

• Oct. 28: at South Dakota

• Nov. 4: vs. North Dakota St.

• Nov. 11: at Youngstown St.

• Nov. 18: vs. Missouri State

File Photos by ZOEY SCHENTZEL Jaxon Janke catches a pass on January 8 during the National Championship game. Janke was selected as a Preseason All-American.

Collegian photo by MARSHALL MINIHAN

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