the team
EDITOR
MARCUS TRAXLER
mtraxler@mitchellrepublic.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SARA LEITHEISER
CONTRIBUTING ARTIST
CHRIS JOHNSON
CONTRIBUTERS
MATT ZIMMER
ADAM THURY
TRENT SINGER
BLAKE DURHAM
LANDON DIERKS
NATHAN SWAFFAR
JUSTIN WICKERSHAM
meet the contributors
MARCUS TRAXLER
Marcus Traxler is the assistant editor and sports editor for the Mitchell Republic. A past winner of the state’s Outstanding Young Journalist award and the 2023 South Dakota Sportswriter of the Year, he’s worked for the newspaper since 2014 and covers a wide variety of topics.
MATT ZIMMER
Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting.
LANDON DIERKS
Dierks covers prep and collegiate athletics across the Mitchell Republic’s coverage region area. He is a Mitchell native who graduated from South Dakota State University with his bachelor’s degree in journalism in May 2020. Dierks joined the Mitchell Republic sports staff in August 2021.
BLAKE DURHAM
Blake Durham is a Sports Reporter for the Mitchell Republic, having joined the newspaper in October of 2023. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in December of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. Durham can be found covering a variety of prep and collegiate sports in the area.
TRENT SINGER
An Iowa native who grew up in the south, Singer is a 2012 graduate of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he received his bachelor of arts degree in photography with a minor in journalism. Singer was most previously the editor of high school sports at Just Women's Sports and, before that, was a sports reporter and editor at the Southeast Missourian and the Kentucky New Era, respectively.
on the cover
Pine Ridge's Marvin Richard III (1) scoops up a layup attempt between two Lennox defenders during a Hoop City Classic boys basketball game on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, at the Corn Palace. Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic
TOP PERFORMER
LIKE ris Richard’se
Thorpes’ star Marvin Richard III isn’t just breaking records HE’S REDEFINING WHAT GREATNESS LOOKS
BY JUSTIN WICKERSHAM NEWSCENTER 1
PINE RIDGE, S.D. — As we near the end of the first month of the high school basketball season, there’s been some outstanding performances so far from players across the state.
Marvin Richard III recently led Pine Ridge to the championship game at the Lakota Nation Invitational with record breaking performances throughout the tournament.
Winning is nothing new for Marvin Richard III.
Last month, he led Pine Ridge to its first All-Nations Class A football title. Now the junior is off to a scorching start on the basketball court.
But he said he’s had a lot of help throughout his career.
“Watching my sisters and all the role models I grew up watching playing Pine Ridge basketball has inspired me throughout all my years,” said Marvin Richard.
Richard has emerged as one of the top boys basketball players in the state, averaging 38.4 points through seven games this season.
Recently, he set a new single game scoring record at the Lakota Nation Invitational with 57 points. He scored a total of 151 points in four games at the LNI, also a new record.
But Thorpes head coach Casey Means isn’t surprised by Richard’s strong start.
“He’s the first one in the gym,” said Casey Means. “The last one to leave. He’s teaching the game to his teammates. He’s a 4.0 student. He’s in class everyday. He don’t miss weight training. He don’t miss shoot around. “To me, he’s the number one player in the state and I’ve been saying this since last year. But when we come to the practice gym, he prepares like he’s the 15th guy on the team or still trying to make varsity.”
The 6-foot-4 guard has become more of a leader this year and does the little things to help get his teammates more involved.
“My biggest strength I think would be me getting to the basket and just creating for my teammates since I’m such a big threat to the other teams,” said Richard.
Although Richard continues to impress fans, he’s also successful off the court and a true role model.
“We do this thing called Little Thorpes,” said Means. “Being a main player, most kids don’t want to be hanging around little kids teaching them. He don’t miss that. All the kids love him. Last night, our three water boys are counting his points. He just has that special effect with everyone around.”
After reaching 1,000 points during his sophomore season, Richard is on pace to reach 2,000 points in his high school career.
But more importantly, he has bigger goals he’d like to accomplish this season.
“I for sure want to get to hang a banner in March from the state tournament,” said Richard.
" To me, he’s the number one player in the state "
CASEY MEANS,
COACH
HEAD
FORTE COYOTE DRIVES
HOOPS
NORTHWESTERN STATE TRANSFER HAS BEEN COYOTES LEADING SCORER
BY NATHAN SWAFFAR MITCHELL REPUBLIC
VERMILLION – The University of South Dakota men’s basketball team needed a leader with the ball in his hands.
A true point guard was an evident missing piece from last year’s team and head coach Eric Peterson new the Coyotes needed a floor general commanding the offense.
USD dipped into the portal, looking for someone who could be that drive, pass and scoring threat that wasn’t there in 2023-24 in a forgettable 12-win season for the Coyotes.
“We were missing a true point guard last year,” Peterson said. “Bostyn [Holt] did a great job for us, but Boston played the four for us at Utah. We had two season-ending injuries at the point and that was hard for us. We knew in the off-season it was really important to go get a true point guard.”
Coming from Northwestern State, Chase Forte was USD’s man for the job and it’s been a strong match as Summit play nears, with the Coyotes holding a 9-6 overall record.
After averaging 9.8 points and 3.75 assists last season, Forte has been a true game-changer for the Coyotes. He leads USD with 15.3 points per game, leads with 3.5 assists per game and has scored over 20 points on six times this season, including three out of his last four. Not to mention, his aggressiveness sends him to the free-throw stripe nearly seven times a game.
It’s definitely a better league, I’ll say that it’s definitely better competition.
- CHASE FORTE
The transitional process has been nearly seamless for Forte into a higher-level of play compared to what he saw while at Northwestern State. A big reason for that was because of the team’s international trip over the summer to Italy.
NCAA teams are permitted to take summer international trips every four years and many of the most successful programs in the country make use of those trips. It gives teams a chance to play different competition and provides an extra 10 practices that normally aren’t there for teams to take advantage of.
Over the course of the tour, USD played three games and Forte was the man standing out in every game. It went a long way, not only for Forte to get comfortable in the Coyotes’ system but also for the entire team.
“Any time you bring some transfers in, it’s tough and it might take a few games to do it, but we got to spend 12 days in Italy,” Peterson said. “Chase was our leading scorer, he was our leading rebounder, he was our leading offensive rebounder and he led us in assists as a new guy. That’s phenomenal. Honestly, that’s probably why we’re off to such a great start because we had 12 days to really come together as a team and grow as a team.”
“It was very important. It gave us extra time to practice over the summer, so that built chemistry,” Forte said. “Being in a different country with the guys, I mean, that’s automatically going to create bonds that you’ll never forget. So that trip was very important.”
Even with the extra games and practices, Forte’s adaptation process has still gone smoothly, it’s like he’s been a part of the team for a few seasons. He credited part of that to the level of talent around him, giving him more trust in those around him to make plays.
“It’s definitely a better league, I’ll say that it’s definitely better competition,” Forte said. “So just in that way, it’s just different. Like my team last year, we really weren’t the best. So coming to a team where there are more guys that I can facilitate to, more guys that I can trust with the ball, it’s just a beautiful thing to watch.”
Chase Forte guards a Wyoming player in a men’s basketball game between South Dakota and Wyoming in Vermillion on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. NATHAN SWAFFAR / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
South Dakota’s Chase Forte drives to the basket during a men’s college basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion. Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic
Tanagers Pursue Rare Back-to-Back Class A Title
BY LANDON DIERKS
MITCHELL REPUBLIC
VERMILLION, S.D. — Repeating as Class A girls basketball champion has proven to be no easy feat.
Since Sisseton’s back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001, St. Thomas More is the only repeat champion, putting together a dynastic five-peat between 2014 and 2018.
Vermillion, the defending champion from 2023-24, hopes to be the newest member of the club. This season has a distinctly different feel to it, but equipped with the lesson learned from last year’s run, the Tanagers believe they’re up to the task.
“It’s the first time we’ve been in this situation,” coach Jon Brooks said. “... That’s one thing we’ve
really stressed to this group is it’s going to take time; it’s not going to happen overnight. And I think understanding that is a big step for us to continue improving.”
Building off a talented returning core that includes senior guards Brooke Jensen and Kasey Hanson and freshman standout Taylor Reuvers, the Tanagers have retooled while embracing the heightened expectations that come with being a defending state champion.
“We know that the target is going to be on our backs, and we know that we want another state championship,” Jensen said. “There’s no other way to end it for us.”
According to Brooks, a major positive as the Tanagers look to reach similar heights this season
has been that three of the four new members of the Tanagers’ rotation early in the year are seniors in Madigan Wallin, Mya Halverson and Amarah Thomas, with the fourth being freshman Alexis Hanson. As veteran leaders, Jensen, a University of South Dakota signee, and Hanson, a Dordt University commit, have prioritized helping the newcomers get up to speed as quickly as possible.
“We’re just trying to support them as much as we can. We know that three players can’t win a game by themselves, so we need to get those girls in good spots where they can be successful,” Hanson said. “We have a lot of experience, and by the end of this season, we’ll have a lot of minutes spent on the court together. I think we have a really good shot at it if we stay connected as a team.”
Vermillion’s Taylor Reuvers (11) races toward the hoop with the basketball during a high school girls basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Corn Palace. PHOTOS BY LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
With the 2024 Class A state girls basketball tournament as a prime example, winning one state title is difficult enough as it is. At the state tournament, five of the seven winner’s bracket contests were decided by two possessions, six points, or fewer, including all three of Vermillion’s victories. The largest margin in any of the seven games was 11 points.
Even for the best of teams, the margin for error is slim, but during their road to a state championship last season, the veteran Tanagers learned a valuable lesson they’ve carried into this campaign. It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish — a mantra that applies both to single games and the season as a whole.
During the 2023-24 season, Vermillion took some setbacks early, losing by double figures in two separate mid-season classics and taking a home loss to Tea Area. But from there, the Tanagers turned a corner, winning 15 of their final 16 games en route to the title. In each of Vermillion’s three state tournament games, it trailed in the fourth quarter. But with the game on the line, the Tanagers, which entered as the No. 4 seed with four losses, were the more composed squad time and again.
This season, Vermillion heads into the New Year with the No. 2 ranking in the South Dakota Prep Media poll
and a 4-1 record, its lone loss a 48-45 decision against Class B No. 1 Centerville at the Vermillion Classic. It was the first of five classics the Tanagers are set to compete in this season, in addition to facing a challenging slate within the Dakota 12 Conference.
“We’re not interested in going and trying to find an easy game to get a win,” Brooks said. “We’re going to try to challenge ourselves as much as possible.”
That mindset served Vermillion well in the past, and to reach those same heights as last season, the Tanagers will certainly have to earn it once again. Just to get out of region play and into the SoDak 16 come postseason time, Vermillion must navigate a Region 4A field that includes the likes of Sioux Falls Christian, Dakota Valley, Lennox and Elk Point-Jefferson.
But while the road ahead may be littered with potential landmines, the Tanagers are focused on taking the steps directly in front of them and trusting that the path they follow leads them back to the same final destination.
“We know we’re not going to top what we did last year,” Jensen said. “We’re just hoping to get back to where we were. It’s gonna be a different adventure and a different route to get there, but we’re really excited to see how it goes.”
Vermillion’s Brooke Jensen (33) looks to score in the post as Mitchell’s Charleigh Collins (24) defends during a high school girls basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Corn Palace.
Vermillion’s Kasey Hanson (1) shoots a 3-point jump shot against Mitchell during a high school girls basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Corn Palace.
LEFT: Vermillion’s Alexis Hanson (10) drives toward the hoop as Mitchell’s Charleigh Collins (24) defends during a high school girls basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Corn Palace.
RIGHT: Vermillion’s Madigan Wallin (12) drives to the hoop as Mitchell’s Carsyn Weich (23) and Londyn Hajek (4) look on during a high school girls basketball game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Corn Palace.
GRONOWSKI LEFT INDELIBLE MARK ON JACKRABBIT PROGRAM GRONOWSKI LEFT INDELIBLE MARK ON JACKRABBIT PROGRAM
AT END OF COLLEGE CAREER, SDSU QB DESERVES PRAISE
FARGO — On the Fargodome turf is where the career of the greatest Jackrabbit ended.
After five years, four seasons as the starting quarterback, three trips to Frisco, two national championships, one Walter Payton Award and zero losses in Brookings, Mark Gronowski has played his final game as a Jackrabbit.
South Dakota State has had scores of great players, from Division II throwbacks who became NFL Hall of Famers to D1 stars who now make millions, but Mark Gronowski, quarterback, 2020-2024, is the GOAT of Jackrabbit football. The season-ending 28-21 semifinal loss to rival North Dakota State doesn’t change that.
It’s ironic that Gronowski would take off his pads for the last time as a college football player at the Fargodome, because that’s one of three buildings in which he truly cemented his legacy at SDSU.
The first, of course, is Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. Gronowski never lost there. In four seasons as the Jackrabbit starting quarterback, he never once trudged back to the home locker room frustrated by defeat, never once had to explain what had gone wrong in the defensive line room where postgame press conferences are held.
31-0 at home. Someone ask Dana J. if he’s OK with renaming the field (just kidding, Mr. Dykhouse).
The second was Toyota Stadium, in Frisco, Texas, where Gronowski first led SDSU as a true freshman, in the spring 2020/21 season. He tore his ACL just minutes into that game and the Jacks lost to Sam Houston, but making their first trip to the national championship game was a major step for the program. After missing the 2021 season recovering from that injury, Gronowski returned in 2022 and led the Jacks to 29 consecutive wins and back-to-back wins in Frisco. Saturday’s loss ensures they’ll fall short of a three-peat, and marks the first of Gronowski’s four active seasons that won’t end in the national championship game.
Mark Gronowski celebrates a touchdown during the spring 2021 season in the FCS semifinal win over Delaware. MITCHELL REPUBLIC FILE PHOTO
MATT ZIMMER
SIOUX FALLS LIVE
It’s easy to forget now, but the Jacks weren’t exactly in a great place before Gronowski arrived. Taryn Christion graduated after the 2018 season as the greatest quarterback in SDSU history, with two wins over the Bison and a 4-0 record against USD, but he never got the Jacks farther than the semifinals. SDSU went one-and-done in the 2019 playoffs, losing to Northern Iowa to finish with a pedestrian 8-5 record that included three losses at home and the first Division I defeat to USD. J’Bore Gibbs and Keaton Heide showed promise as Christion’s successor in 2019, but something was missing.
That something turned out to be Gronowski. There were other factors, of course (the development of the Janke twins, Isaiah Davis, Tucker Kraft and improved strength and depth on the offensive and defensive lines), but the kid with no other Division I offers immediately won over teammates with his outgoing personality, easygoing leadership and breezy confidence. He was also a big, strong kid with a big arm and quick feet who’d been coached as a youth by a dad who’d been a Division I quarterback himself. He was the missing piece.
Gronowski was so impressive that Mason McCormick, now the starting right guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers, walked into then-coach John Stiegelemeier’s office and urged him to consider making the kid from Naperville, Ill., the starter as a true freshman. That made a pretty cool story at the time. Little did anyone know it was basically the day a mini-dynasty was born.
In addition to the 49 wins (tied with Stick for the most ever by an FCS quarterback) and national championship appearances, Gronowski leaves with 10,309 yards and 93 touchdowns passing and another 1,767 yards and 37 touchdowns rushing. But of course, those are merely details.
When last season ended, and the Jacks were sending Davis, McCormick, Isaiah Stalbird, Garret Greenfield, Zach Heins, DyShawn Gales and the Jankes all on to NFL opportunities, it seemed like the perfect time for Gronowski to take his talents to a higher level. Lucrative NIL offers were made for Gronowski to join a program in a major conference, but after consideration, he spurned those to return to Brookings and make a run at a three-peat.
It almost didn’t make sense. Gronowski had nothing left to prove. Nothing left to accomplish. He’d won two national championships, a Walter Payton Award (which is basically the FCS version of the Heisman Trophy) and given SDSU control of the Dakota Marker.
But he came back. There were some rocky moments along the way, but by December, Gronowski was once again playing like a Walter Payton Award winner. His final game as a Rabbit was not his best, but it was a gutty effort befitting a guy who bleeds blue and yellow. Gronowski’s non-throwing hand was visibly bruised and bloodied and Rogers revealed after the game his throwing arm was bothering him, too.
He still threw for 204 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another 50 yards and a score. If the Jacks didn’t lose that back-breaking fumble in the first half right when they were taking control, we might be talking about a fourth trip to Frisco right now. If Grahm Goering hauls in that perfectly-thrown deep ball on the final drive, maybe Gronowski outduels Miller in overtime. There’s a fine line between winning and losing when you’re down to four teams in December.
So Gronowski doesn’t get the storybook ending. He knew that was a possibility when he chose to come back. He knew it would be harder this year, with a new O-line, new receivers, new running backs and a new offensive coordinator. Instead of taking the money and seeking a new challenge (which would have been a totally valid decision), Gronowski chose the difficult path. And he almost finished the job.
Put him on the
ABOVE: SDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski leaps into the air to celebrate a touchdown in the first half of the Jackrabbits’ win over Incarnate Word in the FCS playoffs on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. MATT ZIMMER/SIOUX FALLS LIVE
SDSU Mount Rushmore with Mike Daum, Nate Wolters and Macy Miller. Retire his jersey. Give him a statue. Whatever. Gronowski took SDSU football
South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski scores against North Dakota State during the NCAA FCS semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. DAVID SAMSON/ THE FORUM
And all the while, of course, Mark was as easy to root for as a college kid can be. Much like Daum before him, Mark Gronowski is the kind of guy who lives like he’s never had a bad day, who’s friends with everybody, who leaves an impression on every person he meets.
There was a lot of hand-wringing over NDSU’s Miller saying after Saturday’s win that he ‘hates’ the Jackrabbits, and while that was overblown (it’s a rivalry, people, relax), Jacks fans know that’s something Gronowski would never say. That dude doesn’t hate anybody.
Gronowski does have one year of eligibility left, but he’s done at SDSU, and it sounds like there’s little interest in a year at the FBS level. He’s likely to enter the NFL Draft. And whatever shortcomings you may think Gronowski has, the intangibles he brings to the table — the winning, winning, so much winning — is going to be attractive to NFL teams always on the lookout for that hidden gem quarterback who has the ‘it’ factor.
So now that it’s over, all that’s left is to say thank you.
Thanks, Mark.
Thanks for helping to make South Dakota a football state.
Thanks for putting the Jackrabbits, and by extension our state, on a national stage.
Thanks for getting us all to trek down to Frisco where lifelong memories were created.
Thanks for making Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium a place where fans could always count on a win.
Thanks for keeping John Stiegelmeier young.
Thanks for keeping Jimmy Rogers sane.
Thanks for the laughs at practice and in the postgame press conferences.
Thanks for always saying yes to the kids wanting pictures and autographs.
Thanks for making the months of September, October, November and December more fun than they’ve ever been around here.
Good luck at the next level, Mark. Make South Dakota proud. We know you will.
From left to right, South Dakota State football’s Garret Greenfield, Mark Gronowski and Jason Freeman raise the FCS Championship trophy as confetti falls following the Jackrabbits’ 23-3 victory over Montana on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
FLYING HIGH
Family-driven motocross series brings thrilling jumps and fierce competition to Huron
BY BLAKE DURHAM MITCHELL REPUBLIC
HURON, S.D. — Throughout his professional career, Tom Glanzer has taken risks.
His latest venture promotes those who put their bodies at risk every time they step on a dirt bike.
Glanzer founded 713 Racing Promotions, which is set to put on a series of indoor motocross racing events throughout the winter inside the Dakota Events Complex in Huron. Race days are scheduled for Jan. 18, Feb. 15, March 15 and April 12, with open practices happening throughout January and February.
Expecting over 300 total entries from regions across the midwest and Canada divided into multiple classes, similar to Rapid City’s indoor motocross series. It promises to make fans out of anyone who hasn’t
seen motocross through the riders’ performance and ability to circle the track.
“You’re going to be amazed at what these kids can do,” Glanzer said. “Then, you’re going to be dumbfounded at what the pros can do. With everybody coming together, we’re going to build way better dirt bike kids in this area just by giving them a place to ride all winter long.”
The course is set up on the south end of the DEX, featuring a variety of jumps, turns, and mounds for the riders to navigate. The north end remains open to hold rodeos and other events requiring the space. A bull riding event is scheduled to be held on Dec. 31, with dirt bikes holding practice the following day on Jan. 1.
With an ever-growing list of events being held inside the building on the South Dakota State Fairgrounds, which opened in August 2023, the series, dubbed “MX at the DEX,” is just the latest to bring a host of opportunities to the region and the community closer with a place to practice during the offseason for outdoor races.
“I’m a big believer in opportunity breeds opportunity,” DEX event manager Katie Eslick said. “You get a big event or location like (the DEX), more of the community can see it, they’ll have the chance to practice more and keep going throughout the winter. Then, more people can get involved.”
The Glanzer family, who operates 713 Racing Promotions and organized MX at the DEX, is pictured here at the soft opening on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, at the Dakota Events Complex in Huron. From left: son Brecken, father Tom, daughter Kolby, mother Stephanie and son Maxim. BLAKE DURHAM / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
A TRUE FAMILY AFFAIR
Glanzer, originally from Wessington Springs, was exposed to motorsports as a kid following his father Bob, a former sprint car racer, around the region to events, racing sprint cars himself as he grew older.
His affinity for motocross peaked when his father became the fairgrounds manager in Huron, specifically admiring how versatile dirt bike riders can be.
“Dirt bikes were the coolest,” Glanzer said. “They always had the fanciest stuff and when you see a dirt bike jump, there’s nothing cooler than that. I always wanted to dirt bike.”
Having purchased a mini dirt bike for his son Brecken when he was four years old, Glanzer knew his family was going to be one that followed motocross based on building a jump with a piece of plywood and cinder blocks a day after first learning how to ride.
The Glanzer’s have also seen the hardships the fairgrounds have had to endure. Glanzer’s father was the fair manager when the Feed and Forage Building was destroyed by a fire in September 1977. He also visited the Beef Complex the morning after it burned down in October 2020, now the site of the DEX, reiterating a simple message that his dad said to him in 1977 to then-manager Peggy Busch in 2020.
“I got kind of choked up and said, ‘My dad told me when the Feed and Forage Building burned down, something better would come,’” Glanzer said, “‘Something better is going to come,’ and we’re sitting in a building that is a testament to South Dakota and how we do things in South Dakota.”
Considering the employees of the fairgrounds family from his connection to the site growing up, Glanzer, who also works as a community relations manager for NorthWestern Energy, also has his own family helping operate 713 Racing Promotions alongside him.
Glanzer’s wife, Stephanie, helps run the promotion’s finances, while Brecken, who currently attends Mitchell Technical College, helps with social media while competing. His daughter, Kolby, a sophomore at Huron High School, will help run the merchandise tent at events, and his oldest son, Maxim, fills in when he’s available.
Their efforts are not going unnoticed by those around them and in the motocross community, showcasing another example of how everyone in the motorsports world comes together to support one another.
“When I get done out of my class (riding), I’ll go and do anything I can,” Woonsocket’s Drew Frey said. “If we need more flaggers, help staging or people getting up, I want this to be perfect and make this the best experience for everyone. I’m lucky enough that they asked me to help.”
ADDITIONAL PREPARATIONS
Much of the remaining preparations for the first race at the DEX pertain to taking out large chunks of dirt and rocks to ensure the safety of the riders. The groups have also experimented with different ventilation settings in order to create an atmosphere suitable for all parties.
Glanzer’s team has also pushed forward with promotional material through social media, seeing positive results. Facebook posts have amassed as many as 177,000 views, showing a general interest and hope for the series to grow.
“There’s people paying attention,” Glanzer said. “Everybody’s helping everybody. You have your little rivalries and you want to beat guys on the track. But when it all comes down to it, everybody in the pits is family, and I just want to build that in here.”
“The different things we can have every weekend and all the different events we can bring to Huron make me really excited,” Eslick added. “There’s a lot of people in this area that are interested in things like motocross.”
The first MX at the DEX feature race begins at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. Fans will be able to walk around the paddock area prior to the beginning of the feature races.
More information can be found on the official website and the promotion’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
A wide view of the motocross race course is pictured here on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, at the Dakota Events Complex in Huron. BLAKE DURHAM / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Brecken Glanzer (713) speeds down the rhythm section of the race course while practicing at the soft opening of MX at the DEX on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, at the Dakota Events CompleX in Huron. BLAKE DURHAM / MITCHELL REPUBLIC