After completing her college career, Crystal Burk is continuing playing volleyball in Sweden
Last Saturday, the new late-night cookie store, Insomnia Cookies, had its grand opening event where students and Brookings residents packed into the Village Square store in their pajamas to try the new cookies, brownies, blondies and brookies that the shop has to offer.
“It’s been a great couple of weeks for Insomnia’s new Brookings store, and we had an amazing turnout at our all-day grand opening and late-night PJ Party,” an Insomnia Cookies spokesperson said. “We are excited to welcome more Insomniacs into our store as we continue to satisfy the sweets cravings of Brookings cookie lovers.”
Insomnia Cookies is located at 1809 6th St. in the Village Square and is open 11 a.m. - midnight Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. - 1.a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
For some students, like Brady Umberger, the late-night aspect is what drew her to Insomnia Cookies.
“I love that it’s open late,” the junior English major said. “It works way better with school.”
Insomnia Cookies offers in store pickup, delivery and DoorDash and does not accept cash. The Brookings location is the first to open in South Dakota and the 232nd store nationwide.
“It’s close to campus and being in a college town, it will definitely get a lot of business at night and on weekends,” Regan Black,
a sophomore nursing student said. “I am definitely planning to visit again. I may have to be careful before I get addicted.”
During the event, employees were handing out “South Doughkota ‘’ t-shirts, as well as coozies, shot glasses, socks, chapstick, car fresheners and gift cards during the late night party.
“The new Brookings store brings a warm and deliciously indulgent offering to the lively college town, allowing hungry SDSU students and community members to bring their dessert dreams to life and create connections over warm cookies,” the spokesperson said.
Collegian photo by JORDAN RUSCHE (She/Her)
Members of the softball team, Chiara Bassi, Allison Yoder and Shannon Lacey recieved “South Doughkota” t-shirts at the Jan. 14 grand opening of Insomnia Cookies.
Tuesday 11 AM–12 AM
Wednesday 11 AM–12 AM
Thursday 11 AM–1 AM
Friday 11 AM–1 AM Saturday 12 PM–1 AM Sunday 12 PM–12 AM
Monday 11 AM–12 AM
a.m. - 1.a.m.
For the fi rst time in more than a quarter century, there will be a change of head coach for South Dakota State football.
Former assistant coach and defensive coordinator Jimmy Rogers was named the 21st head coach in Jackrabbit history Friday, following the retirement of John Stiegelmeier after 26 years as SDSU’s coach.
“I am extremely proud to be the next head football coach at South Dakota State,” Rogers said. “At 17 years old, South Dakota State wasn’t a dream of mine, but 17 years later I can proudly say that my reality has become a dream because of the people that have been in my life, the relationships I’ve built, the mentors I’ve had and the friendships that will last a lifetime.”
Rogers takes over a program coming off a 14-1 season and its first FCS national championship, a 45-21 beatdown of North Dakota State in the title game Jan. 8 in Frisco, Texas. Safeties coach Jesse Bobbit will take over as defensive coordinator.
The 2022 season was Rogers’ first as sole defensive coordinator, having previously shared the position with Brian Bergstrom. When Bergstrom left SDSU to be the head coach at Winona State, Rogers took over the defense.
Last year, Rogers helped the Jackrabbit defense lead the nation in rush defense (88.1 yards per game) and interceptions (18) and finish third in scoring defense (15.8 points per game). That year, he was named FCS Coordinator of the Year.
And despite Stiegelmeier retiring, Rogers and the football program are determined to maintain SDSU’s success.
“The 2022 season was one I’ll cherish forever. In the playoffs, we dominated our opponent 168 points to 66 and we beat every team in the playoffs by more than 21 points,” Rogers said. “But we’re not done. That’s what I
want to make sure everybody understands is that we’re building…if you know me at all, I am not settling on one.”
Rogers, 34, played under Stiegelmeier from 20062009 as a linebacker, where he was a two-time all-conference selection and was a captain on SDSU’s fi rst FCS playoff team in 2009. He became a graduate assistant for two seasons before leaving SDSU to coach in Florida. In 2013, he returned to his alma mater to coach the linebackers.
For the next six seasons, Rogers continued his reign as linebackers coach as the SDSU defense consistently became one of the best in the country. In 2019, he added the role of co-defensive coordinator and continued to help the Jackrabbit defense improve to one of the best in the FCS.
His experience and his passion are two reasons why Athletic Director Justin Sell is comfortable in handing over the coaching duties to Rogers.
“He’s a lifelong learner, he wants to continue to grow and learn,” Sell said. “He is absolutely the perfect person to keep the culture that we have here but to modernize it. To win a second (national championship) is going to be way harder than winning the first, and he’s exactly the type of person that can help us accomplish those goals.”
Replacing Stiegelmeier could be a difficult task because of the legacy he built. He became SDSU’s head
coach at a time when they were still a Division II program with only one playoff appearance in its history (1979).
Stiegelmeier oversaw his alma mater’s transition to Division I, a move that was criticized by many at the time. Since then, he built the Jackrabbits into a championship contender, eventually leading the team to the national title.
But Sell said that Stiegelmeier’s accomplishments go beyond the football field.
“His accomplishments aren’t winning and losing, they aren’t the trophies and they aren’t the individual accolades,” Sell said. But it’s rather how he made us feel all the time and his never-ending love for his family and for the Jackrabbits.”
When Rogers first visited SDSU 17 years ago, it was an experience that changed his life. It was then that Stiegelmeier said he believed in Rogers before offering him a scholarship. Ever since then, Rogers has remained committed to the program as he looks to continue the legacy Stiegelmeier started.
“I want to win, don’t get me wrong, I do,” Rogers said. “But the real purpose of competition isn’t just to win, it’s to test the limits of the human heart and to push yourself beyond the boundaries of who you are. I plan to do that, and next fall you’ll see a spirited team.”
“I am extremely proud to be the next head football coach at South Dakota State.”
Former assistant coach Jimmy Rogers replaces John Stiegelmeier, becomes 21st head coach in Jackrabbit historyPhoto by DAVE EGGEN Former assistant coach Jimmy Rogers speaks about his passion and plans as upcoming head coach at an introductory press conference held in in the Chicoine Champions room on the second floor of the Dykhouse Student-Athlete Center. Jimmy Rogers, 21st SDSU head football coach
South Dakota State University President Barry Dunn addressed the Students’ Association about the university’s legislative goals in Pierre this year and softly hinted his support for SA’s pro-LGBTQ agenda.
Dunn began his address by reminding the Senate that by the Chinese lunar calendar, the world is entering into the year of the rabbit.
“Who won the FCS championship this year?” Dunn joked. “The Jackrabbits!”
Dunn also announced to the Senate he attended the Martin Luther King Jr. “marade” last week.
“I’m kind of embarrassed [the marade] was our first one, but I think everyone has pledged to make it our first but [not] our last one.”
Dunn commended the Black Student Alliance for their leadership in putting on the march and parade.
SDSU hosted girls basketball teams from three Sioux Falls middle schools at the beginning of the semester. It’s the fourth group of middle schoolers SDSU has hosted this year, Dunn said, adding that the university’s goal is to have 1,000 middle school students tour campus this year.
University Boulevard, the street connecting the main campus to 22nd Avenue, will be torn up for underground maintenance. According to Dunn, half of the road will be torn up this summer with the remainder of the project taking place the following year. Improvements include updated sewer and storm water lines, widened lanes and a boulevard with a sign at the end by 22nd Avenue.
“...A lot of people have gotten stuck [on University Boulevard], so we’re going to do some snow mitigation to help,” Dunn said. “That’s a really important entryway to the campus so I’m very excited about it.”
Dunn announced he was traveling to Pierre Tuesday along with Vice President for Finance and Budget Michael Holbeck, Provost Dennis Hedge, SA President Blake Pulse and SA Vice President Hannah Shane to attend the legislature’s budget hearing.
The Board of Regents and six regental campuses are looking to secure about $10 million more to keep tuition and fees flat for another year, which would make next year the third year without an increase, Dunn said. Otherwise, Governor Kristi Noem’s proposed 5% raise for state employees could cause the cost of tuition to increase.
Dunn said the university needs to secure funding to finish the POET Bioprocessing building, the dairy farm rebuild, repair buildings damaged in the derecho last May and to do “major renovations” in McFadden Biostress, including a new HVAC system.
Dunn ended his address by carefully signaling support for the Gender and Sexualities Alliance and other student organizations as the Board of Regents continues to crack down on events they believe don’t reflect the family-friendly image of college campuses.
“I’ll let you read into this,” Dunn said. “One beautiful summer evening, out where Jane and I have our own home, there was a double rainbow that came right down on our farm. I took a picture of that, and I have that double rainbow picture in my office, and … many times I move that to a prominent place … depending on who’s visiting
me. I’ll let you read between the lines and the message that I’m trying to send there, but it’s really important for me and for you to know my feelings on some of these issues.”
Jack Olson and Brock Aleshire, president and vice president of the Wild Hare Racing team, gave the Senate updates about the club. Each year, the team builds a formula-style race car and competes among about 125 other teams in the U.S.
This season, the team hopes to place within the top 25% of teams when they travel to Michigan in May for the national competition.
Philip Black and Sam Meyer, president and vice president of the Quarter Scale Tractor Club, announced the club is preparing for the International Student Design Competition. Each year, the team builds a tractor for the competition in Illinois. Last year, there were 18 teams from around the world. Events at the competition include the sled pull, durability, maneuverability and safety.
The Senate unanimously approved the club constitution for Young Americans for Liberty.
“Basically, our club is a coalition of Libertarian and conservative students that we are training in grassroots lobbying,” Hannah Determan, the club’s vice president, said.
The Senate also heard briefs from the Rodeo Team and KSDJ.
The Senate passed three resolutions Monday. The first resolution, 22-15-R, expressed the Students’ Association’s support for Senate Bill 63, which would authorize the regents “to contract for the design and construction of a year-round rodeo practice facility on the campus of South Dakota State University, together
with equipment and furnishings…” The resolution was passed with unanimous support.
The next resolution, 22-20-R, expressed the Students’ Association’s support for House Bill 1079 and “any legislation that positively impacts mental health for college students.” Allocations in HB 1079 include a $4 million appropriation to the South Dakota Department of Health. The resolution was passed with unanimous support.
The final resolution passed Monday was 22-12-R, titled “The SDSU Students’ Association continued support for the Gender and Sexualities Alliance and opposition of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.”
The resolution had 13 sponsors: Garrett Satterly; Blake Pulse; Anna Shane; Harley Fischer; Grant Sternhagen; Hannah Dayaget; Hayden Bentz; William Kessler; Madison Fitch; Michael Garofalo; Nicholas Grote; Betsey Williams; Mathew Schwarz.
“Recent events sponsored by GSA have generated public backlash from South Dakota state legislators and citizens of South Dakota questioning the legitimacy of state funds and the group’s presence on the SDSU campus,” the resolution reads.
Senators Caleb Huizenga and Tyler Rasmussen opposed the resolution.
“I think it would be more inflammatory,” Rasmussen said. “Extra attention can be negative for your guys’ community. Having them constantly watching you, watching for a slip up could potentially be very bad. In this case, it could be you guys tossing gas on top of a fire rather than water.”
The final vote was to 21 to 2. Sen. Mara Anderson voted present.
The University Student Union was evacuated Jan. 10 after a retardant used on a grill fire caused a power failure buildingwide.
Thanks to fast action by Sodexo workers, a grease fire that erupted in The Market’s prep kitchen at about 7:30 p.m. was halted before it could spread, according to Doug Wermedal, associate vice president of Student Affairs.
“When an extinguisher is used in a confined space, you can’t always control where the fire retardant agent, which is a powdered substance, ends up,” Wermedal said. “Some of the retardant ended up in some (electrical) outlets, and when the outlets got that material in them in that concentration … it tripped some circuit breakers, and it cascaded throughout the Union.”
The area was cleaned up and back online that night with operations resuming
the next morning, Wermedal said.
“It’s a nice confirmation that the training of the staff worked and the fire was put out without even having to activate the hood,” Wermedal said.
The hood system, or fire suppression system, would put out a larger fire but could also activate more extreme fire suppression measures across the building, including the sprinkler system.
No equipment was damaged or destroyed, Wermedal said, with the biggest cost of the fire likely being the refilling of the fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
Following the incident, the University Student Union closed for the remainder of the night. Emergency lighting and the fire alarm remained on through the loss of power.
Collegian photo by SERENA DAVIS (She/Her)
Students wait in line for QDoba Tuesday night. A small fire Jan. 10 in the Market kitchen led to students evacuating after a loss of power.
Within less than two months, South Dakota State University had two publicity opportunities on a national scale with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and FCS Championship game. What does all of this recognition mean for the future of SDSU? University spokesperson Mike Lockrem said it shows that the school is a “premier university with premier opportunities.”
In November, the Pride of the Dakotas sent 360 band members to New York City for a six-day trip, ending with a once-in-a-lifetime performance in the Macy’s parade. Well over three million people crowded the streets of New York to watch the parade, and over 27 million watched the live coverage on NBC.
“If we tried to purchase an advertisement for the Pride on that stage with that many people, I don’t think we ever could have afforded it,” Kevin Kessler, director of athletic bands, said.
And just six weeks later, SDSU was again on national television when the football team won the FCS Championship game against rival NDSU in front of a national ESPN Sunday audience.
Jennifer Fleming, a public relations expert who owns her own consulting agency, Next Jen, and a 1994 SDSU graduate, said the opportunities the school has had on a
national front elevate the school and students.
“I think it’s invaluable in that overall awareness and visibility and recognition that people who may not have otherwise been exposed to the university have an opportunity to learn a little bit more,” she said.
Brad Cordts, a 1986 SDSU graduate, is still a die-hard Jacks fan and attended the FCS game in Texas with his family. Cordts now works as a lawyer in Memphis and isn’t exposed to Jackrabbits in the media as often in Tennessee, so he was excited to see people talking about the game.
“It’s very exciting that the Jacks are on ESPN+, people would talk about it and would always ask me about it,” he said.
While he was in school, Cordts ran cross country and track but made a point to attend every football game because he loves the sport so much.
“In the fall of ‘85 we beat USD at Hobo Day, which was the biggest game since I was there,” he said. “But it seemed like we never could beat NDSU, and now they’ve been so successful and it was just the perfect time to go see NDSU versus SDSU. It was the perfect game.”
Andi Fouberg, president of the Alumni Association, said other alums have been reaching out to her office to express their pride for the band and football team after seeing them on the national news. Kessler similarly expressed the connection with alumni that the Macy’s performance fostered. After the parade, Kessler said former band members and directors reached out from across the country.
“In addition to certainly being beneficial to our future and having that national exposure and helping to inspire people to join, I think the other benefit of it that I’m not sure I really fully grasped until what happened was how much connection we made to our alumni,” he said.
Fouberg said that as the university starts to rise in prominence, so does the ability for alums to get recognized in the job field for attending SDSU.
“It just feels like the momentum of this place just continues to go up and is always pushing us into new spheres,” she said. “Employers hear the name and there’s just some awareness that gets generated by all of this that may not happen otherwise.”
One way the school capitalized on this national momentum was through billboards along the Interstate to Frisco. Lockrem said the school was able to secure billboards in cities like Sioux Falls, Omaha, Wichita, Oklahoma City and Frisco to promote and congratulate the football team on their win. The SDSU signs were featured for upwards of 14 days in some places and just so happened to be along the same route that NDSU fans took.
“Our alums and people at the university were able to see, but also you’re introducing our brand to other markets,” Lockrem said. “Athletics served as a front door to the university, and it was certainly a unique opportunity to get our name, our brand out in front of a lot more people.”
Lockrem assured that despite the two monumental opportunities students had this year, it won’t be the last time SDSU makes it into the national spotlight.
“How well represented everything was on all levels for this university on those national stages is extremely impressive,” he said. “It’s not the last time it’s going to happen, but certainly was an incredibly memorable and historic time.”
As many South Dakota residents know, this state is a little different when it comes to agriculture. It is not rare for women to be hands on and working on an operation.
Women make up 30% of producers in South Dakota. This is a 16% increase over the national average. The increase of women in the industry is becoming very relevant at South Dakota State University.
Women have officially exceeded the number of men in the animal science major at SDSU. For many years, agriculture and especially animal science have been a predominately male career path. Currently, women are accounting for over 80% of the people in the animal science major at SDSU.
“I think the number of women has surpassed men in animal science because of the many jobs that our animal science program prepares you for alongside the preparation of returning to the farm,” animal science major Mitchell Kaul said. “I think a lot of men decide to go straight to the farm out of high school in order to get an income earlier in life.”
Students noticed this trend was occurring, and they generally agree that the industry has become so diverse that there are many options for women besides going directly back to the farm or ranch.
“I think the diversity of job opportunities in the
industry now allows for women to excel,” Tate Risse, an animal science graduate, said. “As compared to the past, where nursing and teaching took many women away from the major.”
Female students on campus were proud of being animal science majors and were excited for the increase of women in the major. The major at SDSU is split between four specializations: science, food animal health, production management and industry relations.
The science and food animal health specializations are focused on students who are interested in pursuing vet school after getting a bachelor’s.
Production management teaches students about what it takes to feed the world and is more based on running their own operations.
Industry relations teaches students how to communicate agriculture across the world. The industry relations specialization is new, being introduced in 2021.
“Being a woman in animal science is very important to me, because with that title I am able to relate to other women within the major,” Annabelle Hlavac said. “I am the first female in my family to pursue an agriculture related career choice.”
Kyle Shaw, an animal science/pre-vet student, believes that the field has lots of different opportunities that are enticing to women.
The SDSU horse club experiences tremendous growth by going beyond campus grounds to build leaders, serve the Brookings community and promote the equine industry.
Carmen Paulson, SDSU horse club adviser and equine instructor, has experienced growth throughout her five years as adviser, especially this fall. The horse club had 26 members when she took over in 2018. The membership today is nearly double that amount.
Sixty-one South Dakota State University students currently construct the 2022 horse club with visions to expand. Paulson gives much of the credit to the members’ ambition and passion for the equine industry.
Nicole Matter, horse club president, is responsible for running the meetings, executing events and directing the
club in all endeavors. Her leadership stands the test of time because she initially got involved by taking on a leadership role as a freshman.
“No one volunteered for the proxy council officer position and I took a leap of faith and continued to move up in the club from there,” Matter said.
Matter enjoys the diverse opportunities available within the club. She especially appreciates the trail rides because it allows her to relax from the stress of college.
Regardless of members' equine expertise, the horse club provides everyone the opportunity to interact with horses.
Paid members ride into their year at SDSU with an hour-long annual trail ride for experienced riders, whereas beginners start in the arena with lessons and embark on trail rides when they feel comfortable.
The equine teaching facility plays a vital role in
surpass
in university animal science majors, reflect national growth in fieldCOLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO
the equine program and club.
“I don’t teach a class that does not utilize the equine teaching facility,” Paulson said.
The equine facility allows students to receive hands-on learning that will help them beyond the walls of SDSU. Members assist with care of horses during grooming days which occur throughout the year.
The club historian, Cathryn Bauer, got involved with the horse club her freshman year. She joined because she wanted to grow her love for equine by directly interacting with horses and connecting with other students that are
enthusiasts.
As a child, Bauer had always loved and admired horses, but never had direct access to horses. She wants to inspire students that don't come from an agriculture background like herself.
“This club has helped me find my place and passion,” Bauer said. “It showed me that the more effort you put into some the greater you'll get out of it.”
A main focus for the horse club that Bauer appreciates is community outreach, which equally benefits club members and the community.
The horse club utilizes SDSU livestock to put on an educational petting zoo for the Brookings community. This provides students the opportunity to share their equine knowledge and expand their network.
Members also participate in South Dakota Ag Day in Sioux Falls. The club constructs an inter-
active kid friendly booth with hopes to inspire equine interest in the younger generation.
“The interaction with the youth has been one of my favorite parts of the horse club, because it allows you to give back to the industry,” Matter said.
Every fall the horse club jumpstarts their club with an open house which provides tours of the equine facilities and overview of the club to prospective members. If you missed the open house, people are encouraged to join them in any activity or meeting.
The horse club is committed to creating an enjoyable and stressless environment for its participants. One of the club’s favorite activities includes collaboration with other clubs. Every spring, the club recruits members of the rodeo team to teach members different methods to rope dummies. After lots of practice, the clubs unite and have a friendly roping competition.
Paulson's favorite part of her role is her enthusiastic audience. Having the opportunity to constantly learn about horses and people through teaching and advising the horse club is huge. She highly recommends all students to get involved on campus.
“The horse club is an easy and rewarding club to get involved with as the only requirement to be a member of the horse club is to simply have an interest in horses,” Paulson said.
Cody Gifford leads a club that has impacted generations of SDSU alumni for 100 years with the hope of 100 more years to come.
Gifford, a junior agricultural science student, is the manager for the Little International club at SDSU. Little International is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Gifford’s background in FFA and 4-H makes him passionate about doing his part to continue this tradition.
Gifford joined the club his freshman year and became assistant manager his sophomore year. As the manager this year, he oversees 150 club members who work to put on the biggest two-day agricultural exposition in the country. He said that Little International has a place for everyone and is important for educating about agriculture.
“There is really a spot for everyone on staff as well as exhibiting,” Gifford said. “I think it’s a really great educational tool as well as advocating for agriculture as a whole.”
Gifford and Assistant Manager Isaac Berg meet with club advisors Lora Berg and Rosie Nold to keep them informed and listen to their advice about club decisions. Despite Little International being a fully student-run organization, Gifford said the advisers’ knowledge and advice have been beneficial.
“None of the decisions would really be possible without the support and knowledge of our two advisors, Rosie Nold and Lora Berg,” Gifford said.
Lora Berg, Little International club adviser and Marketing and Communictions director at SDSU, has been the club adviser for six years. Berg said Little Intenational is close to her heart because it has
started families, including her own. She said that this club is a great networking and leadership opportunity that has played an important part in students’ college careers.
“People are so passionate about it because it is such a meaningful part of their college experiences,” Berg said.
Berg said Gifford is a good fit for the manager position because
he has the vision to see what Little International could be and works to incorporate as many students as possible. She said it’s intimidating to face a room of 150 staff members for the first time, but Gifford has gained confidence and grown into his role.
“He has the ability to lead people,” Berg said. “He has a lot of really good contacts and gets along very well with people.”
Grady Gullickson, former SDSU student and 99th Little International manager, helped Gifford transition to manager through communication and support. Gullickson said it’s difficult to lead an event of this size, especially with the pressure of keeping the tradition going. He said that Gifford wants to create a team atmosphere for the staff which is a big thing that helps Little International succeed every year.
Gullickson said that Little International is a tradition and experience that many students get to participate in. He said it’s a well-known organization that benefits SDSU, the students and the community.
“It’s one of the only clubs on campus that’s considered a tradition,” Gullickson said. “It’s every year, and kids have stories that they will be telling their kids.”
Gifford hopes to make the 100th anniversary of Little International a special event. He plans to make the event bigger, involve alumni and create a more educational experience for novice exhibitors and the community.
“Education on agriculture is one of the biggest things for me so I think this event is really a great way to put that out there,” Gifford said. “I want to highlight what this organization has meant to so many people in its hundred years of being at SDSU.”
Year : Junior Major: Agriculture Science Hometown : Tyler, Minnesota Clubs : Little I, Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR) Hobbies : Farming, raising cattle and crops and huntingequine
Minnesota Twins fans filled the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings Tuesday evening to attend the 61st edition of the Twins Winter Caravan.
Twins players, alumni and broadcasters are out on the road traveling to 12 different communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa. The Brookings event featured catcher Ryan Jeffers, Jackrabbit baseball alumni Caleb Thielbar and Hall of Famer Tony Oliva with longtime television voice Dick Bremer emceeing.
“I love doing that,” said Oliva about the caravan. He was elected and inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022, “I’ve been doing that since the ‘60s. The Minnesota Twins, they have it as a tradition for the caravan every year.”
Thielbar, who lives and trains in Brookings during the offseason, said that he doesn’t quite get star struck when he takes the field at Target Field, but that his favorite thing about being a Twin is playing for his favorite team growing up and getting to take part in these opportunities throughout Twins Territory.
Thielbar started things off by announcing that the Jackrabbit football team will be playing against Drake in Minneapolis at Target Field Sept. 16. He said that tickets will go on sale shortly after Twins Fest which takes place Jan. 28 and 29.
Jeffers and Thielbar, along with the entirety of the Twins roster, has been training during the offseason expecting good things to come of this year.
“The offseason has been good,” Thielbar said. “I’ve been out here every day preparing for the season and spending some good quality time with my family and between those two things, it takes up all of my time.”
Thielbar’s wife, Carissa, is in her 9th season as an assistant coach of the Jackrabbit Women’s basketball team.
The Twins have made some key moves this offseason after narrowly missing the playoffs last year after injuries tanked their record late. Outfielder
Carlos Correa is back on a six-year deal as well as bolstering the pitching staff with names like Chris Paddack and Pablo Lopez.
“It’s nice to get some guys in that have had a lot of success, It’s just a matter of replicating that with the Twins.”
Along with roster changes also come some rule changes in the 2023 MLB season. The most notable being the pitch clock which will be implemented. The MLB will also implement a pickoff limit for pitchers, defensive shift restrictions as well as making the bases by three square inches which will shorten the distance between bases.
“The minor leagues have been testing some of these rules and we haven’t seen a ton of drastic changes statically with the run game.” Jeffers said speaking from a catcher’s perspective, “Spring Training will be kind of a test run for all of us, but as a player it is our job to go out there and play games.”
“The shorter time a pitcher takes, the harder it is to hit it,” said Oliva, who finished his career with a .476 slugging percentage. “I liked to take my time, to be ready.”
We will get to see these changes for the first time when spring training begins in a month. Pitchers and catchers will report Feb. 16, while the Twins will open with split squad games against Tampa Bay and Baltimore the 25 in Fort Myers, Florida. Their schedule will also include a game against the Dominican Republic national team March 9.
The MLB regular season will begin March 30 with a 6-game road trip against the Royals and Marlins in Kansas City and Miami.
Their home opener will be against the defending American League champion Houston Astros at Target Field April 6 at 3:10 p.m.
The Twins’ will also participate in other events throughout the region before the season starts including the Justin Morneau Ice Fishing Classic, as well as Twins Fest.
by GARRETT SATTERLY
Fourteen young women and teenagers competed for several local Miss titles at the Larson Performing Arts Center at South Dakota State University Saturday, Jan. 21.
The candidates consisted of eight young women and six teenagers. They competed in two groups for one of seven possible titles: Miss SDSU, Miss Brookings, Miss Dakota Plains, Miss McCrory Gardens, Miss Jacks Outstanding Teen, Miss Brookings Outstanding Teen and Miss Dakota Plains Outstanding Teen. In addition to the honor of a title, crown and sash, the winners all receive scholarships. The title of Miss McCrory Gardens is new this year.
This year’s Misses winner are: Miss Brookings Maleah Eschenbuam, Miss Dakota Plains Loretta Smith, Miss MCrory Gardens Breanna Bossman, and Miss SDSU Katie Milbrandt. The newly crowned teens are: Miss Jacks Outstanding Teen Madison Glover,
Miss Brookings Outstanding Teen Evian Johnson, and Miss Dakota Plains Outstanding Teen Isabella Gortmaker.
The titles were awarded to those who the judges thought will do an excellent job representing their local areas, according to, Carolyn Knutson, director of the Miss SDSU/Miss Brookings Scholarship Program. Candidates showcase themselves in several areas, including on-stage questions, red carpet and talent presentations.
On stage-questions give the contenders an opportunity to prove their poise and confidence. They also modeled evening gowns for the red carpet portion. The talent presentations at Saturday’s event showcased a variety of talents, including monologues, vocals, dance and a CPR demonstration.
Miss candidates each chose an area of the community they are passionate about improving for the social impact portion of the event and gave a presentation about that area. For the Teens, this part of the program was replaced with a fitness demonstration.
Attending and emceeing Saturday’s competition were the 2022 reigning roy-
alty: Miss SDSU Molly Crawford, Miss Dakota Plains Emily Deinken, Miss Jacks Outstanding Teen Jadah Aragon, Miss South Dakota Hunter Widvey and Miss South Dakota Outstanding Teen Olivia Odenbrett.
Widvey sang the national anthem to start the pageant. She said she has won over $26,000 in scholarships through pageants throughout the years.
“There was a good turnout for an audience at a regional event, the talent elements were varied and the candidates worked hard,” said Jay Vanduch, operations manager at the Performing Arts Center. “I thought it went well.”
For the new royalty, the Miss SDSU/ Miss Brookings Pageant is just the beginning, Knutson said. They are now eligible to compete for the title of Miss South Dakota and Miss South Dakota Outstanding Teen, who are then able to continue to the national level and compete for Miss America.
The Miss SDSU/Miss Brookings event is put on with the help of volunteers and the winners’ scholarships, bouquets and sashes are donated by organizations or alumni.
It is common for participants to continue to stay involved with the program, Knutson said. Teens come back to compete for a Miss title, Misses return to volunteer with the organization.
“It’s kind of like a family,” Knutson said.
Miss Brookings: Maleah Eschenbuam
Miss Dakota Plains: Loretta Smith
Miss McCrory Gardens: Breanna Bossman
Miss SDSU Katie Milbrandt
Miss Jacks Outstanding Teen: Madison Glover
Miss Brookings Outstanding Teen: Evian Johnson
Miss Dakota Plains Outstanding Teen Isabella Gortmaker
The Brookings Burger Clash is happening now in Brookings and surrounding areas from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28. This year, there are 21 restaurants participating in the competition, an increase from 15 last year.
Shane Andersen, team lead for Century 21 Brookings Home Team, is the man behind the creation of the Burger Clash. He said this all started with the creation of the “In and Around Brookings, SD Food & Drinks” Facebook page when the pandemic hit. This page was a place where people could go and check what restaurants were open, due to operation limitations during COVID.
“Somebody reached out to me and said, ‘have you thought about doing a burger challenge?’” Andersen said. “It just kind of took off from there.”
2021 was the first year of the Burger Clash, where there were 10 participating restaurants, and it has kept growing since then.
One participant is Tables Steakhouse in Castlewood, South Dakota. Andersen said that he has received positive comments from the owners, and how they are thankful for this competition because they have been seeing a lot of new faces.
For the Burger Clash, each restaurant creates a signature burger to enter into the competition. Anyone interested in participating is recommended to try the burger from each restaurant. From there, participants can go online and fill out the Google
form, where they rank each burger in three key categories: taste, creativity and customer service.
“At the end of the contest, my wife and I will spend about two hours going through the results and averaging everything up and get whoever has the highest average,” Andersen said.
Aside from the bragging rights, the winning business also receives a plaque.
Last year’s winner was Downtown Brookings’ Pints & Quarts. The restaurant is coming into its third year in The Burger Clash competition with another win in sight.
This year’s contestant brought to the burger ring by Pints & Quarts is the Jack’s burger, which has a sweet and savory Tennessee bacon glaze on top of two smash patties.
“People have been saying they really like it,” Kevin Raab, owner of Pints & Quarts, said.
One major benefit of this competition is the encouragement to get people to go out and try new restaurants around Brookings and the surrounding areas.
This competition has been a great way to get more people into the restaurant, said Raab.
Andersen said that last year there were about 550 entries that had to be sorted through, and there have been about 300 entries so far this year.
“Brookings is pretty cool with having good support for the restaurants,” Andersen said. “The community has been awesome with participation.”
From A8
“I also believe that people are becoming aware of the need for agriculture in the world and are wanting to make sure we continue to make agriculture a priority for generations to come,” Shaw said.
Cheyenne Hulstein thinks that part of the change in norms for agriculture has to do with social media. She said “Agvocates” are helping promote the career path more now than her parent’s generation.
The students came to a consensus that agriculture is becoming diverse and more willing to allow women into the industry. Both male and female students are looking forward to seeing how the program is going to continue to change for years to come.
When you are shopping online, have you noticed an option to pay in four installments rather than the total balance? This has also become an option for certain credit card purchases. On some sites, there is a button next to the pay with credit card button. This financial tool gives you the option of buying now and then paying later (BNPL).
The tool is also known as a point-ofsale loan, as you can buy items online or in-store while splitting the cost over a few weeks or months by making regular installment payments.
An example for this could be purchasing items and it totals $100. You could pay $25 today, then make three more installment payments of $25 every two weeks to fully pay it.
It sounds like a deal! You get your merchandise today without having to
part with all of your cash. Or, if you are a little short on funds, you can still get the item today. The loan is interest- free with no upfront fees. Your credit is not checked so if it isn’t stellar, you don’t have to worry about not being approved.
Of course, if you don’t make the three installment payments, or pay late, there will be fees assessed. If there are insufficient funds in your account when the payment is withdrawn, you could be charged fees from both your bank (overdraft) and the BNPL company. This increases the overall cost of your purchase and could lead to poor credit history.
If there are no fees or interest charged, how does the BNPL fintech company make money? The company (and retailer) is counting on you to spend more because you feel like you are getting a good deal. Consumer behavior consistently proves the retailers are right, by offering goods immediately the pain of parting with money is delayed.
Why do college students need to know about BNPL apps? You are the target market. BNPL works similarly to a credit card, buy now, pay the bill later. Many college students don’t have a credit card or a lot of disposable cash so being able to get stuff immediately is very appealing.
How can you avoid being tempted to buy now, and pay later? Be aware of any tendencies you have for impulsive shopping. Ask yourself, is this a good deal? Is this something I need or can I live without it until I can pay in full? Will I have the money to make future installment payments? If you have a spending plan and track your spending, you will know if you can afford to make a purchase.
If you are struggling to make ends meet or lack money for necessities like food and transportation, contact (Lorna. woundedhead@sdstate.edu) for advice.
There is a myth that college students have to survive on ramen or generic macaroni and cheese because they don’t have money to buy “real” or “good” food. With a little planning, students don’t have to limit themselves to lowcost, high-sodium foods or raid their parents’ cupboards when home for the weekend.
The first step is to make a plan for how much you have to spend on food and what foods you want to buy. Think about the week, what meals do you plan to prepare? What meals will you eat on campus or at restaurants? What is your capacity for cooking? If you live on
campus, you may be limited to a microwave and blender. If you live off-campus and have a stove and pots and pans, you can have more variety. How much time do you have to prepare meals? Will you pack a lunch? Make your coffee? Or have snacks for those days when classes are back to back? Then, plan your meals for the week. Keep it simple. You know what you like and what you need to be satisfied with. Consider repeating a few meals since you are cooking for one and may have leftovers.
Because you are probably limited on storage space, make a plan and shop for just one week at a time. At first, this will help you figure out how long your food will last. From week to week, you can make adjustments on how much to buy. Write down your meal plan. This will
also help to reduce food waste. If you know you will only eat three bananas in a week, don’t buy six. Always check your food stash as you make the menu plan for the next week. Include snack food because you will most likely want some during a late-night study session.
To save money, shop for sales. As you are making your shopping list, check the grocery store ad for the week. Don’t buy fresh or frozen foods in bulk unless you know you have the storage space. Remember to consume these items before buying more or something similar.
For more information about healthy eating and personal finance, go to www.extension.sdstate.edu.
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The South Dakota State men’s track team won the title, while the women finished third at the Jim Emmerich Invite Saturday at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex.
There were also impressive individual performances, as many athletes finished on the podium and broke personal and school records.
“I think we competed with a lot of grit,” coach Rod DeHaven said. “Times and marks and all that are going to come as kids get in better condition. I think we competed really hard and we had some really good stuff and I think that is all you can ask for this time of year.”
The South Dakota State Men’s team narrowly took first in the meet by beating North Dakota State by four and a half points (123-118.5).
Thailan Hallman, Pierre Lear, Reggie Slaba and Reid Pierzinski put their names in the Jackrabbit history book with a 3 minute and 14.40-second finish in the 4x400 which not only won the competition but was also the fastest 4x400 time in Jackrabbit history.
“We’ve had the bodies in the past but just never really aligned perfectly, but on Saturday it did,” DeHaven said.
Luckily for Lear, it wasn’t his only first-place finish of the meet. The Brandon native took first in the 60-meter dash with a time of 8.01, only .05 seconds before Augustana runner Lawrence Lokonobei.
Emmanual Phoulom-Smith finished with a 6.85second run in the 60-meter dash, good for sixth in school history and fourth overall in that event. He also got the sixth-fastest time in the 200-meter dash, and teammate Pierzinski ran a 21.75, which got him in third place for the meet and fifth all-time in Jackrabbit history.
Hallman, Slaba, Jeremiah Donahoe, Joey Anders and AJ Josephson all recorded new personal bests with Hallman taking third place at 48.55 seconds while the others followed behind with ninth, 12th, 13th and 18th respectively.
In long distance, Daniel Burkhalter earned bronze in the mile at 4:05.62 while Ben Olson placed seventh closely behind him at 4:07.37, personal records for both runners.
The Jacks also owned the 3,000-meter run with three top-five finishers in the event. Joseph Minor-Williams took first place with a time of 8:15.47 while Olson again finished closely behind, only .63 of a second behind him, placing second at 8:16.10. Max Selbach earned the fifth spot at 8:18.91 minutes.
Tom Breuckman placed ninth at 8:24.87, followed by a 13th-place finish at 8:26.49 by Will Lohr and a
14th-place finish from Kyle Nordling.
Tristin Hanna claimed the bronze in the triple jump at 45-05.00. Tre Manning took second place in the long jump at 23-00.00. Also competing in the long jump was Tyler Goehring who placed 11th with a 20-09.25 jump. Matthew Katz finished fourth in the pole vault with a 15-09.00 jump.
Hunter Wallster’s 63-02.00 throw in the weight throw not only earned him third in the meet but sixth all-time. Joining him in fourth place was Dominick Etherington, who also had a personal best throw of 60-03.25. Etherington also took bronze in the shot put with a throw of 58-11.50.
The women’s track team finished third at the meet with 108.5 points behind division rivals South Dakota (224 points) and North Dakota State (118).
Jaiden Boomsma placed second in the 60-meter dash, running in 7.59 seconds. Brielle Dixon took fifth place in the event, at 7.79 seconds while Ashtyn Bertram took sixth in 7.82 seconds.
Dixon also ran in the 60-meter hurdles where her 8.52 put her in fourth place in the meet and second place all time. Taking seventh in the same event was
Savannah Risseeuw in 8.81 seconds.
The Jacks took nearly half of the top 11 spots in the women’s 400-meter dash. Leading the charge was Lauren Van Dyke who took fourth in 56.54 seconds, followed up by Cerington Jones at sixth in 57 seconds and Jenna Johnson at seventh, who ran a 57.59 with Erika Kuntz and Hannah Whitbread taking ninth and 11th respectively.
Sophomore Laura Bogue took fifth place in the 600-meter run with a time of 1:39.26 and a new personal record.
Holding the second and third places in the event were Grace Waage, who clocked in at 2:15.24, and Tori Glazier, who ran a 2:16.05 in the 800-meter run.
For the 3,000-meter run, taking sixth and seventh place respectively was Mya Kizer and Nicole Greyer. Kizer ran a 10:00.01 while teammate Greyer finished at 10:00.23.
Taking third in the 4x400 was runners Johnson, Jones, Van Dyke and Whitbread with a three-minute and 47.72 second-place finish.
South Dakota State will steer its way north to Grand Forks, North Dakota, for the UND Open Jan. 27 and 28.
What does South Dakota State’s Myah Selland have in common with Peyton Manning, Tim Tebow and Pat Summitt? They’re all winners of the Coach Wooden Citizen Cup.
Only six athletes are chosen for this prestigious award each year: two in high school, two in college and two professionals. Athletes who win display the best character, teamwork and citizenship along with acquiring excellence both on and off the field.
They are role models as performers and people. To put the award in perspective, over 570,000 athletes are participating in collegiate sports, according to the Athletes Agency. Selland, a redshirt senior with the SDSU women’s basketball team, was nominated as one of two collegiate winners this year and is the first athlete from South Dakota State to win this award.
The award was announced last month. While Selland’s community service throughout Brookings is one of the reasons she was given this award, her new organization, Her Turn, which she co-founded with her teammate, Tori Nelson, was another big factor in being selected as the winner.
“This award is a special award, and it’s a national stage, so getting to share more about Her Turn on that kind of level is exciting for us,” Selland said. “Hopefully as people continue to learn more about it, they’ll want to support it.”
The journey to earning this achievement began with an email that was sent to Megan Glover, assistant director/communications for the women’s basketball team. After reading about the award, the nomination process and the required criteria, Glover got permission from the administration to nominate Selland.
Athletes for a Better World, the organization that sponsors the award, was instantly impressed with Selland’s application.
“Myah achieved the highest pinnacles of athletic, academic and civic
achievement, plus represents an individual who shows great life balance,” Brad Catherman, executive director for the organization, said.
Jackrabbit coach Aaron Johnston recently highlighted Selland’s accomplishments off the court on the Jackrabbit Sports Network podcast.
“The work that (Myah) and Tori did with Her Turn and that citizenship and giving back to the community and helping grow young people and shape young people is remarkable,” Johnston said. “She really didn’t work hard for the award but worked hard in her life to be at this point to be recognized for this award.”
Her Turn is a nonprofit organization that grants scholarships to girls in the Brookings community to participate in sporting camps. The idea of starting an organization like this began when Selland and Nelson talked about the platform they hold as athletes on the SDSU campus.
They wanted to share their passion and love for sports with other girls. One conversation led to the next, which led to the launch of Her Turn in February 2022. Since then, girls have been given scholarships for the chance to participate in an SDSU summer college camp of their choosing.
Those who attended camp also received the proper gear required for that sport. They are invited back to watch the sport they participated in during the summer, free of charge.
The impact Her Turn has had on Selland will stay with her for a lifetime.
“It’s been really fulfilling just to see the kind of experiences that our campers have been able to have,” Selland said. “And it takes us back to when we were their age and how important sports were for us growing up.”
Parents of the girls who have been selected for the Her Turn scholarships loved the positive impact it has had on their girls.
“My daughter had a great time at camp,” one parent said. “We would never have been able to send her to soccer
camp without Her Turn.”
Another parent added that it was an experience that her daughter will remember for a long time, and that she came home from the camp excited about volleyball.
“It was her first overnight camp, and she made connections and new friends that she maybe wouldn’t normally interact with while at school,” the parent said. “This was a great thing for her confidence, and to give her something to be excited for. I am so grateful for the opportunity that Her Turn gave my daughter.”
When Selland isn’t busy with Her Turn, she is filling up the stat sheet, averaging 16.1 points per game, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting above 50% from the field this season. The Jackrabbits host St. Thomas this coming Thursday and celebrate Title IX Saturday when they compete against Western Illinois.
To some, balancing school and basketball with community service and running Her Turn can appear stressful and overwhelming. But to Selland, this is her stress reliever.
“It’s been so much fun to work on Her Turn, so it’s never really been like an added job or responsibility,” Selland said. “You can set basketball or school work aside and just enjoy what you’re working on.”
To learn more about Selland and Nelson’s foundation or to donate, you can check out their website at herturnsd. org for more information.
From: Letchner, SD
Position: Forward Awards and Honors:
• Summit League POY (2020-21)
• WNIT All-Tournament MVP (2022)
• All-Summit League First Team (2020-21, 2021-22)
• Becky Hammon Mid-Major POY Finalist (2020-21)
After a rough start to the season that included four consecutive losses, the Jackrabbit men’s basketball team have turned their season around in Summit League play.
Zeke Mayo was named the Summit League Peak Performer of the Week last week after two strong performances in their home wins over Omaha and Denver.
Mayo had 31 points Thursday against Omaha, two points shy of his season-high 33, which he got Dec. 29 against Western Illinois. He shot 9-of-14 from the field Thursday including 6-of-8 on 3-pointers. He also had five assists and five rebounds in SDSU’s 84-61 win.
“Zeke was terrific again tonight,” coach Eric Henderson said after the game. “We’ve continued to help him grow, but I’m really proud of how he’s really grown with the mental part of the game. We’ve got a long way to go, but our connectivity is getting there.”
The Jacks went into halftime with a 41-26 lead. SDSU stretched its lead out to 22 points with 13:51 to play in the game at 57-35.
The Mavericks would go on a 13-0 run over the next five minutes after multiple turnovers from the Jacks to cut the margin to nine points with eight minutes left in the game.
SDSU then made its next eight 3-point attempts to close out the game, coming from Mayo, Alex Arians and Matt Mims. Arians finished with 16 points, while William Kyle III had 12 points and eight boards to pace the Jacks.
“You can finally see we’re all on the same page,” Arians said. “Whether it’s help side defense or just individual matchups, I think you can finally see it all coming together.”
Saturday’s game against Denver was a tighter contest with 14 lead changes
and seven ties throughout the game. Mayo shined again, with 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists, shooting 50% from the field and 3-point range.
Mayo suffered an injury in the last few minutes, but the team was able to close out the game, going on a 13-4 run over that stretch to give the team its fourth-straight victory and sixth conference win of the season.
“When we saw [Zeke] go down, we just really came together and were going to win the game for him, and I think that mindset really helped carry us to a win,” Mims said.
Mims had a season-high 14 points in
the game and had big plays on the defensive end. Kyle had a career-high 19 points, surpassing his 17 points on Nov. 25.
Mayo didn’t practice Tuesday, but Henderson said it is more precautionary and is “hopeful” that he can get back on the court this week after his injury in Saturday’s game.
SDSU currently sits in second place in the Summit League at 6-2 and 11-9 overall behind Oral Roberts at 8-0 and 17-4 overall. The Jacks will see ORU one more time this season during Senior Day Feb. 25 at Frost Arena. The Golden Eagles won their first matchup Dec. 19 79-40.
Up next for the Jacks is three games
in five days on the road.
They travel to St. Paul, Minnesota, to play St. Thomas Thursday at 7 p.m., Western Illinois Saturday at 2 p.m. and Kansas City Monday at 7 p.m. Their game with Kansas City was postponed from Dec. 21 due to poor weather conditions.
“Our guys are used to tough situations, and that’s why we do put ourselves in those in the nonconference schedule to prepare us for situations like this,” Henderson said of the team’s number of games in a short amount of time. “That’s how teams get tougher and come together.”
After two more Summit League wins on the road, the South Dakota State women’s basketball team returns to Frost Arena this weekend for two more games against St. Thomas and Western Illinois.
The Jackrabbits (16-5, 9-0) are now at the halfway point in their Summit League schedule coming off two wins against Omaha and Denver. They’ve won nine consecutive conference games, seven of them by double digits and will now face two teams near the bottom of the conference standings.
“I’m really proud of the team for figuring out a way to get two important wins for us and wrap up the first half of the conference season,” coach Aaron Johnston said. “In both games, we had to make some plays, and I thought our team responded well.”
Their first matchup of the weekend will be the #BeatType1 game Thursday against St. Thomas (7-12, 2-7). The two teams met earlier this season on New Year’s Eve in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Jacks walked away with a 61-51 win.
The Tommies are struggling this season but are showing signs of improvement. Their seven overall wins this season already match their total from last year with nine games to go. In both of their matchups with the Jacks last year, they lost by an average of 41 points. When the two teams met this season, it was more of a battle, with SDSU winning by 10.
They are last in the Summit League in scoring offense (63.4 points per game) but first in scoring defense (62.8 points allowed). They are led in scoring by Maggie Negaard, averaging 12.7 points per game. Their leading rebounder is Sammy Opichka with 4.6 boards per game and their leader in assists is Jade Hill with 3.7 per game.
After that, the Jackrabbits will then
host Western Illinois Saturday in the Title IX Celebration. The Leathernecks (8-12, 3-6) hosted the Jackrabbits Dec. 29 in Macomb and were defeated 85-63.
After a 26-7 record and the Summit League championship in 2017 and a 22-10 finish in 2018, the Leathernecks have since struggled to match that success. Last season, they snuck into the conference tournament as the No. 7 seed and were crushed by eventual champion South Dakota.
This year, they are again sitting seventh in the conference standings and are coming off back-to-back wins. They will face USD in Vermillion Thursday before heading to Frost Arena.
Anna Deets leads the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game. Their leader in rebounds is Alissa Dins with 7.1 per game and their assist leader is Elizabeth Lutz with 2.8 per game. As a team, the
Leathernecks are sixth in the conference in scoring offense (69.1 points per game) and ninth in scoring defense (73.7 per game).
“Now, we come home and look forward to a couple of big games this weekend where we have some big celebrations going on,” Johnston said. “It will be two really good opponents coming into town.”
At the halfway point in the Summit League schedule, the Jackrabbits are again dominating their conference opponents. They’ve lost only one regular-season conference game in the last three seasons combined.
This season, the Jacks also have a couple of impressive nonconference wins, one against Louisville, ranked No. 4 in the country at the time, and another against No. 24 Kansas State. SDSU’s last loss came Dec. 15 at the Sanford
Pentagon against undefeated and topranked South Carolina.
They are coming off with two more road wins. One is a 68-61 win against Omaha and the other is a 74-64 win against Denver last week.
Against the Mavericks, the Jacks trailed by three at halftime before going on a 24-8 run in the third quarter to put the game away. Paiton Burckhard, playing in her 150th career game, was SDSU’s leading scorer with 14 points to go along with five rebounds and two assists.
For the season, Burckhard leads the Jackrabbits in field goal percentage, making 53% of her shots. She is also second on the team in points per game with 11.3. Myah Selland, the preseason favorite for Summit League player of the year, is averaging 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Dru Gylten leads the team in assists with 3.6 a game.
One highlight for the Jacks this season has been the return of Paige Meyer, who suffered a knee injury late last season. She made her return Dec. 20 against Oral Roberts and has since been a key piece to SDSU’s success.
Against Denver, she scored 16 points off the bench to go along with Haleigh Timmer’s season-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
In that game, the Jackrabbits held off a third-quarter rally to beat the Pioneers by 10 to close out the first half of their conference schedule. With nine games to go, the Jackrabbits hope to keep their momentum as they get closer to the end of the regular season.
“Traditionally our second halves have been pretty good for us,” Johnston said. “I think we’re a team that does a good job of making adjustments and trying to figure out what worked and didn’t work from the first time around. So we’re going to work hard on that again as we start the second round of games this week.”
NATALIE DEAN Reporter
Former outside hitter for the Jackrabbit volleyball team and a South Dakota State University 2022 December graduate, Crystal Burk has signed on to play professional volleyball with the Gislaved Volleyball Club in Gislaved, Sweden.
“When I fell in love with playing the game, it was hard to see that end once college was over,” Burke said. “It was my goal to play professionally.”
Burk played college volleyball for five years, growing as an individual and as a player. With multiple different accomplishments, including being ranked third nationally in total kills, as well as being an incredible leader and enforcer on the SDSU team, it was no surprise to head volleyball coach Dan Georgalas that Burk would go far.
“This contract in Sweden is a good start for her,” Georgalas said. “Who knows what contracts and countries will be coming her way at the start of the next international season, which will be this fall.”
Once her time at SDSU came to an end, Burk got in touch with the Bring It USA agency that helped her get signed on to play with a professional club. The same agency that assistant volleyball coach, Allison Mayfield worked with during her time playing professionally.
“That was the agency I worked with my entire career,” Mayfield said. “There are other agencies out there but just having that personal relationship would be helpful.”
Ever since she began coaching at SDSU in February 2022, Mayfield knew that Burk was interested in playing professionally once she left college. Knowing that Burk had the potential to go far in professional athletics, Mayfield
helped Burk put together a highlightsvideo to send to the agency. Then the agency passes it on to various clubs who are looking for players. Finally, the coaches and agency communicate back and forth on offers for that player.
Club contracts typically last one year from September to April, and, depending on the club, will include salary, travel expenses and paid housing. Clubs can re-sign a player afterwards for one or even two more years. Burk joined halfway through the regular season, which for her will last from January to
April with the Sweden club.
It is very common for players to travel to different countries, since there are more opportunities to play volleyball outside the U.S. than there are staying at home.
Burk always knew she wanted to travel and go see the world outside of the United States. When it came time to consider that she would be living in a different country, it wasn’t hard to make that decision because she was eager to see new places. In her words: “why not do it while doing something I love,
Name: Crystal Burk
Sport: SDSU volleyball
Height: 5’8”
Hometown: Newman, Ga.
Major: Exercise Science
Awards: two-time first team All-Summit League honoree. Stats: owns the program records in career attacks (4,976), career sets played (495), single-season kills (589) and single season attacks (1,620). She is also ranked second in career matches played (135), third in career kills (1,658) and points (1,871) and fifth in career digs (1,350).
which is playing volleyball.”
Burk said living in Sweden is not like it is when living in the U.S., but it is a good change. She appreciates how one can walk anywhere, and if you need to drive somewhere the cars, are smaller but more efficient.
“It’s been really fun so far,” Burk said. “All the girls are nice and all the coaches are helpful. I think this is a great place for me to start out as a professional volleyball player.”
Professional athletics is a goal for many college athletes. Georgalas said college athletics doesn’t have to be “a means to an end,” and athletes can know that there are more athletic opportunities after college, just like Burk is pursuing.
Burk has learned during her time at SDSU to be thankful for where she is at and how far she has come. She advises college athletes hoping to play professionally to play for themself and others while also appreciating the game.
“Don’t let those days when you feel at your lowest affect what’s going to happen in your future,” Burk said. “Keep working through the highs and lows because it definitely pays off in the end.”
“When I fell in love with playing the game, it was hard to see that end once college was over. It was my goal to play professionally.”
– Crystal Burk
