WRESTLING SEASON FIRES UP IN SD
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the team
EDITOR
MARCUS TRAXLER
mtraxler@mitchellrepublic.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SARA LEITHEISER
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.
South Dakota State linebacker Adam Bock (32) shouts in celebration with teammates Graham Spalding (back left) and Bo Donald (back right) in the final moments of the Jackrabbits’ FCS semifinal win over Montana State on Dec. 17, 2022, at Dykhouse Stadium, in Brookings.
Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic
BOCKANCHORS
" He’s one of the best defensive players that’s ever played here. "
JIMMY ROGERS SDSU HEAD COACH
South Dakota State linebacker Adam Bock (32) shouts in celebration with teammates Graham Spalding (back left) and Bo Donald (back right) in the final moments of the Jackrabbits’ FCS semifinal win over Montana State on Dec. 17, 2022, at Dykhouse Stadium, in Brookings. Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic
BOCKANCHORS
Jackrabbit Defense Final Chapter
Four-year starter leads SDSU into the playoffs with legacy on the line
BY MATT ZIMMER | SIOUX FALLS LIVE
" Adam Bock is the rock of our defense, week in and week out. "
or as long as South Dakota State has been a Division I football team, strength at middle linebacker — ‘The Mike’ — has been a hallmark of the program.
You could argue it started with Jimmy Rogers, the man who coaches the Jackrabbits today. Rogers was an undersized overachiever from Arizona who’d never heard of South Dakota State when they first recruited him, but he left a four-year starter, all-conference selection and die-hard Jackrabbit.
That seemed to establish a standard
From Rogers to Mike Lien, RC Kilgore, TJ Lally, Christian Rozeboom, and now, Adam Bock, the Jacks have always been able to count on their Mike serving as a reliable quarterback of the defense, a sure-handed tackler who sets the tone in practice and ensures the defense executes with efficiency on Saturdays.
Bock, now a senior, has been as good as any of them. A five-year starter and three-year captain, the Solon, Iowa native was recently named to his third All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first team, and heads into Saturday’s playoff opener against Montana hoping to lead the Jacks to a third straight national championship.
Bock has battled injuries for much of his career, but when healthy he’s been nothing short of the total package. The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder is one of the fastest linebackers in the Valley, is built like a Mr. Olympia competitor, plays with an intimidating, hard-hitting style and yet with all his physical tools, is revered among coaches and teammates as much for his cerebral approach to the game. Bock is almost never caught in the wrong place, rarely misses an assignment and excels at making sure the players are where Rogers and defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit want them to be.
“Obviously, physically, he’s a great player,” said outside linebacker Graham Spalding. “But mentally, I mean, people take for granted how much it takes mentally each week to go up against a high-level opponent and run the defense like he does. He knows everything he needs to. I see it every week and it motivates the other guys. That’s what takes him to another level.”
SDSU linebacker Adam Bock is one of the top returning players in FCS football in 2024.
7,
Adam Bock flexes after making a touchdown-saving tackle at the goal line in the first quarter of South Dakota State’s 23-3 win over Montana in the FCS national championship game on Sunday, Jan.
2024 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Tex.
Jenn Kenyon/Sioux Falls Live
Bock grew up in the shadow of Kinnick Stadium in Solon, where he was an all-timer of an athlete. He excelled at running back and linebacker for the Spartans (taking handoffs from North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller), while also playing baseball and basketball, running track and wrestling, but none of it was enough to get an offer from the Hawkeyes.
So Bock came to Brookings, where he played in four games as a redshirt in 2019 and then took over as the starting middle linebacker in the spring season of 2020, replacing the departed Christian Rozeboom, the Jacks’ all-time leading tackler and himself a four-year starter.
Rozeboom is currently one of the leading tacklers in the NFL for the LA Rams, but Bock has pretty much filled those shoes from the moment he stepped into the lineup.
That’s how good he’s been.
Bock made 74 tackles as a rookie in that spring season, helping the Jacks reach Frisco for the first time. He came back that fall and put together an MVP-caliber season, recording
Both times he made it back in time for the playoffs, and both times he made his presence felt, especially in last year’s 23-3 win over Montana, in which his goalline tackle of Griz running back Eli Gillman prevented a touchdown and served as the turning point in the Jacks’ win.
Bock already had awards and a ring, but that tackle made him a legend.
“He’s up there with the best we’ve had,” Rogers said. “He’s one of the most consistent workers I’ve ever been around, regardless of position. He’s one of the best defensive players that’s ever played here, and he’s lived every part of his life outside the walls of football the right way, which is a big part of why he has success. He’s been a blessing to coach.”
Bock’s emergence, rise and development from freshman to where he is today has coincided with that of Mark Gronowski, the SDSU quarterback, as the two have served similar roles to their side of the ball for the last half-decade. Everyone sees what Bock brings to the Jacks defense on Saturday, but Gronowski credits Bock for making him a better quarterback, too.
whether it’s 20-yard dashes or 1-on-1s. We’re always trying to bring the best out of each other, and he’s always doing the little things right, which keeps me on my toes, and me and him can always come together to talk about what’s going on with the team, too. He’s been a rock to have next to me.”
Bock entered this year with the primary goal of staying healthy, and he’s done that, not missing a game and notching 75 tackles to go with three sacks and an interception. He enters the playoffs with 419 career tackles and 13.5 sacks. A look from the NFL is likely, but beating the Griz on Saturday and getting back to Frisco come first. Ask Bock about his own play this year and he mostly demurs, crediting the play of the unit as a whole (which is holding FCS opponents to fewer than 10 points per game for the second year in a row) over his individual contributions.
“I’m just proud of how we’ve played as a collective group on defense,” Bock said. “Control what I can control and play my best every week and do my small part to bring our defense where it needs to go.”
" He’s a legend for what he brings to the field and the locker room. "
Adam Bock has been one of the top linebackers in the FCS throughout his career.
Matt Zimmer/ Sioux Falls Live
Adam Bock (32), Garret Greenfield (74) and Isaiah Stalbird (2) celebrate their national championship victory over North Dakota State on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Tex.
Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
Tigers lead Class AA all-state selections
All-state squads filled with future college talent
BY MARCUS TRAXLER
MITCHELL REPUBLIC
The three-time Class AA state champions and undefeated Harrisburg Tigers led the way on the annual all-state selections for the South Dakota Volleyball Coaches Association.
The 31-0 Tigers, winners of 78 matches in a row to end the season, had two of the six first-team selections on the postseason honor squad.
Members of the all-state first team include Harrisburg senior libero Maggie Meister and junior outside hitter Gabi Zachariasen, Sioux Falls Jefferson senior right-side/outside hitter Emory Brosnahan, Watertown senior outside hitter Emery Thury, O’Gorman senior outside hitter Keira McManus, Sioux Falls Roosevelt senior setter Kate Wiebesiek and Sioux Falls Washington senior outside hitter Kaelyn Snoozy.
Meister, a 5-foot-7 libero, led the Tigers defense with 590 digs, which was the most of anyone in Class AA. The South Dakota State commit was at her best in the postseason, with at least 20 digs in all four matches in the Class AA playoffs. She finished with 1,827 career digs and 691 digs and was a three-time Class AA all-state player, with back-to-back first-team selections.
The 6-foot Zachariasen proved to be the go-to hitter for the Tigers in their undefeated season, finishing with 403 kills, a .312 hitting percentage, 221 digs, 32 aces and 32 blocks. The University of South Dakota commit capped her season with 28 kills in the state championship match, a 3-1 win over Sioux Falls Washington on Nov. 23. She has 1,279 kills and 709 digs to her name with her senior season still ahead.
Brosnahan, a 6-foot senior right-side/outside hitter, powered the Cavaliers to the No. 2 seed in the postseason and a fourth-place finish at the state tournament with a 21-6 record. She finished with 332 kills, 37 aces, 36 blocks and 296 digs. Brosnahan has signed to play Division I volleyball in the Summit League, heading to the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Thury, a 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter, powered the Arrows with a Class AA-best 509 kills for the season and a rate of 4.9 kills per set, with a hitting percentage of .332. She also had 357 digs and 36 blocks. Her career kills total went over 1,000 at the Class AA state tournament, finishing at 1,037 kills while Watertown posted a 26-8 season and a sixth-place finish. Thury, who was a first-team all-state pick for the second-straight year, will play collegiate volleyball in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference at St. Cloud State in Minnesota.
McManus proved to be a force at the net for the Knights, who took third place in Class AA with a 25-6 record. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter finished with 171 kills, 45 aces and 70 blocks. She’s committed to play college volleyball at NCAA Division III College of St. Benedict.
Wiebesiek finished with 874 assists, 215 digs, 43 aces and 101 kills for the Rough Riders, who finished with 21 wins and a fifth-place finish at the Class AA state tournament. A three-year stalwart in the middle for Roosevelt, the 5-foot-6 Wiebesiek finished her Rough Rider career with 2,273 assists and 593 digs. Wiebesiek has signed to play college volleyball at Division II-bound University of Jamestown in North Dakota.
Snoozy, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter, led a talented Warriors team to the Class AA state championship match in a 22-5 season, with Snoozy putting up 462 kills and a .308 hitting percentage, plus 34 aces, 24 total blocks and 342 digs. For her career, she posted 1,089 kills and 1,029 digs playing her final two seasons at Washington after starting at Harrisburg. Snoozy is committed to play volleyball at Division II powerhouse Concordia-St. Paul in Minnesota.
Members of the second team include Sioux Falls Washington senior libero Taryn Kirsch and outside hitter Cate Legel, Sioux Falls Jefferson senior middle/right-side hitter Isabel Simmons, O’Gorman senior setter Kyra Hermanson, Brandon Valley junior middle hitter Abby Gruber, Aberdeen Central sophomore outside hitter Lauryn Burckhard and Harrisburg freshman setter Josalyn Samuels. Kirsch, Hermanson and Samuels were both honored for a second-straight year, with Kirsch and Hermanson as first-team picks in 2023. All 14 honorees on the all-state teams were on state tournament-qualifying teams.
The second team is long on future Division I talent. For volleyball, Kirsch is a University of Illinois signee, while Legel has signed on at the University of South Dakota, and Simmons is committed to the University of Dayton. As a sophomore, Burckhard committed earlier this year to play women’s basketball at South Dakota State.
" Harrisburg’s undefeated season and 78-match win streak are a testament to their teamwork and talent. "
Sioux Falls Jefferson’s Emory Brosnahan hits an attack against Brandon Valley in the South Dakota high school state volleyball quarterfinals on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
Harrisburg’s Maggie Meister digs the ball during the Class AA state volleyball tournament at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. South Dakota Public Broadcasting photo
Harrisburg’s Gabi Zachariasen (5) hits a serve during a Class AA volleyball state tournament quarterfinal match against Aberdeen Central on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. South Dakota Public Broadcasting photo
South Dakota running back Charles Pierre Jr. carries the ball during a college football game on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic
South Dakota State center Gus Miller prepares to snap the ball during a college football game on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024 at the UNIDome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic
UND wide receiver Bo Belquist fights for extra yards Saturday against Western Illinois. Photo by Western Illinois.
South Dakota quarterback Aidan Bouman gets behind center Joey Lombard prior to an offensive play during a college football game on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic
North Dakota State’s Eli Mostaert (53) celebrates his quarterback sack against Missouri State at the Fargodome on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. David Samson/The Forum
SDSU linebacker Adam Bock is one of the top returning players in FCS football in 2024. Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
USD defensive back Dennis Shorter. Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
Bison football head coach Tim Polasek gives the team instructions during the first day of NDSU football practice on Monday, July 29, 2024, at the Nodak Insurance Football Performance Complex in Fargo. Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
SDSU linebacker Adam Bock is one of the top returning players in FCS football in 2024.
THE VALLEY’S BEST OF THE BEST
Stats matter, but so do wins in picking the Valley’s all-pro team
BY MATT ZIMMER
SIOUX FALLS LIVE
This year marks my 10th year of covering the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which makes this the 10th edition of my Valley “All-Pro Team”.
The idea here is and always has been exclusivity. No second team, no honorable mention, no ‘all-purpose’ or ‘athlete’ categories. Just the very best players in the league at each position, according to me.
There’s no effort here to spread the wealth or give every team representation. Stats matter, but so do wins.
Here’s the 2024 team.
QB - Cam Miller, North Dakota State
The Bison were the No. 1 team in the nation right up until the final week, and Miller has been the catalyst all the way, delivering the best season of an already decorated career.
Miller leads the Valley in rating (179.9), completion percentage (74.2), is second in TD passes (23) and passing yards (2,340) and has scored seven rushing touchdowns.
RB - Charles Pierre, USD
RB - Wenkers Wright, Illinois State Pretty simple, here. The only two 1,000 yards rushers in the league, and Pierre is a strong candidate for Valley offensive player of the year. He leads the conference in rushing yards (1,073), leads all running backs in rushing touchdowns (15, YSU QB Beau Brungard has 16) and averages an absurd 7.6 yards per carry.
Wright’s 1,035 yards and 10 touchdowns keyed the Redbirds to a 9-win regular season.
WR - Bo Belquist, UND
WR - Max Tomczak, Youngstown State
WR - Griffin Wilde, South Dakota State
The veteran Belquist had another strong season with a league-high 932 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Tomczak led the Valley with 73 catches and ranked second with 904 yards. Wilde has en-
dured some dry stretches and still finished with 56 catches for 900 yards and eight touchdowns, suggesting that as good as he already is, he’s nowhere near his ceiling.
TE - Lance Mason, Missouri State
An easy call with 34 catches for 590 yards and six touchdwons.
OL - Evan Beerntsen, SDSU
OL - Joey Lombard, USD
OL - Gus Miller, SDSU
OL - Mason Miller, NDSU
OL - Grey Zabel, NDSU
Zabel might be the Valley’s most pro-ready offensive lineman, while Miller and Beerntsen stepped up to help fill the void left by Mason McCormick and Garret Greenfield to keep the SDSU O-line at the top (the Jacks allowed a league-low six sacks and lead the Valley in rushing yards and yards per carry).
And in Vermillion, Lombard is the biggest threat to Miller repeating as Rimington Award winner as the nation’s top center.
DL - Jarod DePriest, SDSU
DL - Nick Gaes, USD
DL - Mi’Quise Grace, USD
DL - Eli Mostaert, NDSU
Best of the best, here. These three defenses were head and shoulders above everyone else, and it started with D-line dominance and disruption.
LB - Adam Bock, SDSU
LB - Gary Bryant, USD
LB - Caleb Francl, SDSU
LB - Logan Kopp, NDSU Bock finally stayed healthy and delivered another standout season, but Francl’s emergence as a can’t-miss tackler was just as key to SDSU’s defense holding its opponents to fewer than 10 points per game for the second straight year (not counting FBS games).
Bryant and Kopp both excelled for the next-best defenses in the league.
DB - Dalys Beanum, SDSU
DB - Matt Durrance, SDSU
DB - Devin Hembry, UND
DB - Dennis Shorter, USD Beanum delivered another season of steady consistency as the Jacks’ top cover corner, while Durrance stepped up in the face of numerous injuries to spearhead a safety group that could’ve had its depth tested but stayed strong again.
Shorter was one of the most exciting defensive players in the league, making an impact both in coverage and as a hard-hitting tackler.
K - Yousef Obeid, Missouri State Led the league in field goal accuracy, making 11 of 12 with a long of 50.
P - Brendan Kilpatrick, Youngstown State Led the league with a 46.0 average and dropped nearly half of his punts (19 of 40) inside the 20. Allowed just 43 yards in returns, second only to SDSU’s Hunter Dustman, who gave up just six return yards on the year.
KR - Keondray Jones Logan, USD Some years there are very few impact returners. This year there were several. I’ll give the nod to Jones Logan, who was so good people basically stopped kicking to him (seven kickoff returns, two touchdowns, 43.3 average).
Coach of the year - Tim Polasek, NDSU
The Bison weren’t exactly faltering under Matt Entz, who left to be an assistant at USC, but NDSU had objectively slipped a bit in recent years. Polasek was brought in to end that slide and get the Bison back on top, and he did that.
NDSU nearly ran the table in the Valley and with a strong non-conference schedule earned the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. They got the Dakota Marker back and might be the favorite to win the national championship.
MVP - Cam Miller, NDSU
Is there another player who is as singularly indispensable to his team than Miller is to the Bison? I’d argue no. May well be the Walter Payton Award winner, and is an easy choice for Zim’s Missouri Valley Football Conference 2024 MVP.
THEIR CLASS TOP OF
12 South Dakota high school wrestlers to watch in 2024-25
BY LANDON DIERKS MITCHELL REPUBLIC
From east to west, north to south, and across three divisions of competition, there is no shortage of standout wrestling talent in South Dakota.
As the 2024-25 wrestling season revs up across the state, those grapplers begin the three-month-long race to reach the state tournament in Rapid City.
Among the fortunate few who climbed the podium as individual state champions in 2024, 19 return looking for more in 2025. Of those, 12 are highlighted here as the best of the best from last season, with a scope spanning breakthrough stars to unbeaten runs to four-time champions, this group has it all.
Here are a dozen of the top wrestlers in South Dakota this season, organized by classification and listed alphabetically by last name.
CLASS A
Moses Gross, sr., Huron: A finalist at threestraight state tournaments in three different weight classes, Gross returned to the top of the podium last year by going 38-1 and winning Class A’s 160-pound bracket. Gross was also the 132-pound champion in 2022, with a runner-up finish at 145 pounds sandwiched between in 2023. Overall, he’s a five-time state qualifier at five different weights entering his senior season.
Custer’s Tray Weiss celebrates his victory in the Class B 120-pound title match during the 2024 South Dakota State Wrestling Championships on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
Watertown’s Gage Lohr attempts to turn Brandon Valley’s Trevon Oehme during the Class A 120-pound state title bout during the 2024 South Dakota State Wrestling Championships on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls.
(Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall’s Jace Blasius (in black and gray) grapples with Kimball/ White Lake/ Platte-Geddes’ Iden Myers (in black and green) during the Class B 144-pound title match at the 2024 South Dakota State Wrestling Championships on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
Pierce Hurd, so., Rapid City Central: Not only was Hurd a Class A state champion at 106 pounds as a freshman last season, but he also paced the entire state with 56 match victories. It was a quick ascent to the top for Hurd, who was seventh at 106 in 2023 as an eighth grader.
Gage Lohr, so., Watertown: The lone returning Class A wrestler that went unbeaten in 2024, Lohr posted a 44-0 mark on his way to the 120-pound state championship. The year prior, Lohr won the 106-pound title as an eighth-grader, giving him an 88-4 varsity record over two seasons.
Sam Werdel, sr., Tea Area: In the 2024 Class A 175-pound title bout, Werdel knocked off the No. 1 seed by fall in less than 90 seconds, giving him a second-straight state championship. With a final record of 41-3, Werdel recorded his third consecutive season of 40-plus victories, as he owns a 130-22 mark during that span.
CLASS B
Jace Blasius, sr., Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall: Over the past four seasons, Blasius has placed no worse than third at the state wrestling tournament, posting an overall record of 133-31. Most recently, he claimed Class B’s 144-pound title in 2024, going 35-4 on the year, adding to his 138-pound triumph from 2023.
Kellan Hurd, sr., Miller/Highmore-Harrold:
A three-time state finalist, Hurd has two Class B state titles to his credit, winning at 138 pounds last year after making the climb from 126 pounds in 2023. Hurd, who went 48-1 last season, avenged his lone loss in the state championship with a 2-1 win after the tiebreaker overtime periods. Across the past four seasons, Hurd has amassed a combined 182-20 record.
Brody Randall, jr., Hamlin/Castlewood: After taking fifth place at 106 pounds in 2023, Randall broke through in a big way last season as a sophomore, going 44-0 to win the Class B 113-pound title. At the 2024 state tournament, he won a match in four different ways — by fall, technical fall, decision and, lastly, a 13-2 major decision that won the title match.
Tray Weiss, sr., Custer: Along with claiming a Class B state title at 120 pounds last season, Weiss tied for the class’s overall lead in victories, with 52 wins to his credit. Over his two title-winning seasons, Weiss’ record stands at 105-6. Going back even further, Weiss has finished on the podium four times, going 181-23 overall.
GIRLS
Peyton Hellmann, sr., Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon: Ranked No. 4 nationally at 135 pounds by USA Wrestling on Nov. 14, Hellmann enters her senior season in search of a fifth state title. En route to a state championship at 138 pounds and a 42-0 record last season, Hellman won 39 matches by fall, leading all girls wrestlers in the state. One of the few victories that didn’t end via fall was a 16-3 major decision to win the state championship match, extending an active win streak to 83 matches in a row.
Abbigail Lewis, so., Pierre: Just a freshman last season, Lewis churned out a 41-0 record and claimed a state title at 152 pounds. In three seasons of varsity wrestling, Lewis has a trio of top-four state tournament placements, with an overall mark of 119-15.
Johanna Steinlicht, sr., Brookings: Steinlicht needed overtime in her state title bout last season, but she fended off a challenge to complete a 33-0 campaign at 145 pounds. A relative newcomer to the mat after previously competing in gymnastics, Steinlicht is 58-9 overall in two seasons and has placed top four in both years.
Regina Stoeser, jr., Harrisburg: With a national ranking of No. 21 at 125 pounds by USA Wrestling, Stoeser will go for a state title four-peat this season, the most recent coming last season at 126 pounds after backto-back titles at 120 pounds. Last season, Stoeser led the state with 201 takedowns while only allowing one against her, cruising to a 40-0 record.
Hamlin/Castlewood’s Brody Randall celebrates after winning the Class B 113-pound state title match during the 2024 South Dakota State Wrestling Championships on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon’s Peyton Hellmann holds up four fingers to signify her four state championships in celebration after winning the girls 138-pound state championship match on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
Harrisburg’s Regina Stoeser works to pin Ipswich/Bowdle’s Sophia Knittel during the girls 126-pound state title bout at the 2024 South Dakota High School Wrestling Championships on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. South Dakota Public Broadcasting photo
Senior class turns contenders
From setbacks to triumph, Coyotes push forward
BY NATHAN SWAFFAR | MITCHELL REPUBLIC
This senior class for University of South Dakota football has faced as much adversity as any that has come before them.
From uncertainty following a 3-9 season only two years ago to the completely unprecedented challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the seniors that have steered the ship through it all have encountered obstacles like almost no one to ever come through Vermillion.
And yet, they have already become the most accomplished senior class to ever walk through the fabled concourses of the DakotaDome.
From individual accolades, playoff appearances and the first Missouri Valley Football Conference title in program history, no other senior class in Coyote history can boast the success this one has had.
In total, 21 seniors went through Senior Day activities last week. Each and every one of them can say they’ve impacted this team in some way, shape or form since they arrived in Vermillion.
The run of success has especially been special for those who have utilized redshirt and the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA because of the pandemic. For that group, they’ve been around for five or even six years in some cases.
For someone like Carter Bell, that journey has been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He’ll end his career as the all-time receiving yards and receptions leader in Coyote history. He still has a chance to end it as the alltime receiving touchdowns leader as well.
But he never expected to get to this point, especially with everything he faced in the early stages of his career in Vermillion.
“It’s been kind of a circus really,” Bell said. “I’ve had four different receiver coaches, a couple of different quarterbacks, so it’s kind of been a little circus. But everyone around me appreciates everything and pushes me every day. That’s what it’s all about.”
Those who have been in the program for as long as Bell have truly grown closer through the experiences regardless of whether they were positive or negative.
Joey Lombard has been a staple of the offensive line since he arrived in 2019. He’s played guard but has been the Coyotes’ star center for the past two seasons. He’s been through it all just like Bell and he says this group of seniors is nothing short of special and that comradery has been the foundation for the last two seasons of success.
turns USD into contenders
“A lot of us have been here six years, that’s about a quarter of our lives we’ve been together,” Lombard said. “All these guys that we’ve been doing it with for so long are family. The sacrifice that having that relationship has allowed for us to give for each other has built an amazing culture. I think it’s just it makes everything so much more special when you get to share these moments with people who are truly your brothers.”
Even for those who haven’t been through the fire as long as Lombard or Bell has seen how special the turnaround has been. Aidan Bouman has been at the center of it as USD’s starting quarterback for two of the three seasons he’s been in the program.
“It’s been awesome,” Bouman said. “Obviously, I wasn’t here the five or six years that some of these other guys were. But to see where the program was and see where we’ve been able to take it, it’s a really cool feeling.”
For as much as this senior class has accomplished, some may think they could be content
with the new era of Coyote football they’ve ushered in. But that could not be farther from the truth. This team still has one more goal in front of them, the ultimate goal.
A national championship.
No USD team has ever even made it to the FCS Playoff semifinals let alone get close to a national title. But this senior group wants to leave an even greater lasting legacy with the program’s first.
Head coach Bob Nielson said he’s been proud to coach this group of seniors and said he’s eager to see them try and accomplish yet another feat that no other team before them has done.
“It’s a great group to coach,” Nielson said. “They’re very matter-of-fact, they understand what you have to do to win. They take pride in doing it the right way, and I look forward to this next stage. They won a championship, but there’s another championship out there that this team is going to be focused on.”
JJ Galbreath said championships have been the goal from the beginning and that the team has discussed it constantly. But to be able to claim the big one would mean more to him and everyone surrounding the program than anything could.
“At the beginning of the season, even at the end of last season, that was our goal,” Galbreath said. “We talked about chasing that conference championship, so that’s just one check done. We still got a few weeks left, but it would mean the world, not just to me, but to every guy that’s on this team. ... It’d be huge for all of us and for this program just to do something else that no other Coyote football team has done in the past.”
“It’d be amazing,” Bell added. “Our goal has been to win a championship this whole year, and we did. But we’re not done yet. We’re going to go for two and it’s going to be awesome when we do.”
TOP LEFT: Joey Lombard poses with his family on USD's senior day against North Dakota State on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in the DakotaDome. Nathan Swaffar / Mitchell Republic
TOP RIGHT: South Dakota’s JJ Galbreath runs with the ball on a touchdown reception during a college football game on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic
RAPID Italy from to
CITY Meoni shines at SD Mines
BY JUSTIN WICKERSHAM NEWSCENTER 1
The South Dakota Mines volleyball team has made tremendous strides over the last two years thanks to a strong recruiting class that featured Alessandra Meoni.
The senior grew up in Italy but made her way to Rapid City after a couple of stops along the way.
Now Meoni has been a big part of the Hardrockers’ success.
Meoni tried a variety of different sports growing up like swimming, basketball and gymnastics.
South Dakota Mines volleyball player Alessandra Meoni is pictured during a match earlier this season at the King Center in Rapid City.
But she decided to stick with volleyball and for good reason.
It’s fair to say, volleyball is in her blood.
“My dad used to play,” said Alessandra Meoni. “I play. My brothers both of them play. So we all play. We all talk about volleyball all the time. My dad is now a volleyball coach. So he’s still in the volleyball world. He played for the national team and the Olympics team for three years. It was ‘96, 2000 and 2008.”
When Meoni was a junior in high school, she moved to Houston, Texas with her family after her dad received an offer to coach volleyball.
“It was suppose to be just a one year opportunity because my dad got a job offer,” said Meoni. “But then COVID happened. So we ended up staying longer and my brother went to college and I went to college and we’re here so. The English part was probably the hardest part of everything because volleyball is just volleyball. It’s the same everywhere.”
After two years of playing volleyball at Western Nebraska Community College, Meoni found a new home at South Dakota Mines.
“When we recruited Ale, it was all about her obviously proven success at a high level,” said SD Mines volleyball coach Lauren Prochazka. “She was winning at a high level. She was dominating individually at a high level. When she came her visit, she was incredibly athletic and hitting balls at a high levels. It was sort of a no-brainer for us to bring in a winner like her.”
It turns out the 21-year old was a perfect fit for the Hardrocker volleyball program.
Besides breaking a couple of school records, Meoni has emerged as one of the top players in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
After being named an honorable mention All-America pick in 2023, Meoni was first-team all-RMAC in 2024. Meoni averaged 4.06 kills per set and 4.64 points per set, both which ranked in the top-25 in NCAA Division II. Meoni also posted eight double-doubles this season. She finished with 761 kills in two Hardrocker seasons, with a .321 hitting percentage.
“She’s an incredibly consistent athlete,” said Prochazka. “She does good at a high level all the time. So we knew she was going to be dominating in a lot of those areas whether it be in our record books or with the RMAC, because every match she goes out and does her absolute best.”
After Meoni graduates in May, she hopes to stay involved in the sport she loves. She’s studying biomedical engineering.
“I’m going to go back to Houston that’s for sure,” said Meoni. “I don’t know exactly what kind of job I”m going to have. I doubt I’m going to be able to play volleyball. But I’m definitely going to coach.”
However, Meoni is also leaving open the possibility of moving back overseas and playing volleyball in a European League.
" She’s an incredibly consistent athlete who dominates at a high level. " LAUREN
PROCHAZKA
SD MINES COACH
South Dakota Mines volleyball player Alessandra Meoni is pictured during a match earlier this season at the King Center in Rapid City.
CAMPUS ON
BY MARCUS TRAXLER MITCHELL REPUBLIC
A look at former South Dakota prep athletes that are making waves in college
sports:
REILLY SISTERS
lead Big Ten squads to NCAA tournament
O’Gorman High School graduates Raegen Reilly and Bergen Reilly are both playing for Big Ten Conference standouts that have landed in the NCAA tournament, which starts this week.
Bergen Reilly, the 6-foot-1 sophomore, is the conference’s reigning setter of the year for Nebraska, which is ranked No. 2 in the country and earned the No. 2 overall seed in the 64-team bracket. Nebraska (29-2) faces Florida A&M in the NCAA first round at 7 p.m. Friday and if the Huskers win, they’ll face Miami or South Dakota State
on Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln. If Nebraska wins its first two matches, they will host the regional round of 16 and round of eight matches Dec. 12-15 in Lincoln.
She had a season-high 60 assists in the Huskers’ match on Oct. 11 against Purdue. She is hitting .411 on attacks, 301 digs and has accounted for 1,156 assists on the season, bringing her career total to 2,428 assists ahead of the NCAA tournament. She’s been the Big Ten Conference’s setter of the week five times this season.
Raegen Reilly is using her final year of collegiate eligibility at Illinois after two seasons at South Dakota State and her freshman season at North Dakota State. Reilly has played in all 30 matches this season for the Illini, who have logged an 18-12 record to claim the team’s first NCAA tournament bid since 2021.
Reilly has 106 assists, 57 digs and eight aces this season. Entering the NCAA tournament, Reilly has 2,849 assists, 779 digs, 91 blocks and 78 service aces for her career.
Illinois will play Northern Iowa at 3 p.m. Friday in Louisville, Kentucky. The winner of the match will take on the victor of the Louisville and Chicago State matchup.
The two sisters played against each other this season, with Nebraska earning sweeps on both occasions. In the Oct. 3 match in Champaign, Illinois, Bergen Reilly had 31 assists and Raegen Reilly chipped in with five for Illinois.
BIRNBAUM SURGES TO BIG TEN PROMINENCE IN FRESHMAN SEASON FOR OREGON
EUGENE, Ore. — Rapid City native Simeon Birnbaum had a successful first competitive season on the University of Oregon men’s cross country team, finishing as the Big Ten’s freshman of the year.
The Rapid City Stevens graduate and Ducks redshirt freshman was the top finisher for the Ducks at the Big Ten championships as he crossed the finish line in fourth place with a career-best time of 22:57.2 on Nov. 1 in Savoy, Illinois.
His finish earned him first team all-Big Ten and all-freshman team honors. The Ducks were third as a team at the Big Ten conference meet in its inaugural season of competition.
Birnbaum also finished eighth in the NCAA Division I West Region championships, covering 10,000 meters in 29:12.6 on Nov. 15 in Colfax, Washington. He was 74th at the national championship meet on Nov. 23 in Verona, Wisconsin (29:43.4 for 10K).
LEMS AMONG STARTERS FOR NO. 1-RANKED DORDT WOMEN
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — Sioux Falls Christian product Ellie Lems has stepped into the starting lineup for Dordt University women’s basketball, which is ranked No. 1 to open the season off a NAIA national championship last season.
The Defenders have started 7-0 on the season, including four ranked wins already to their name, including a 79-76 win over Dakota State on Nov. 13 at the Sanford Pentagon and a Nov. 23 overtime win over No. 5 Concordia (Neb.)
Lems, a 6-foot sophomore forward, has started all seven games this season and is averaging 9.9
points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.5% from the field. She played 15 games last year and had 14 total points in the Defenders’ 35-2 national title season.
This season, Lems has scored in double figures three times, including 15 points against Waldorf on Nov. 20 and 11 points and seven rebounds in an overtime win over No. 5 Concordia (Neb.) on Nov. 23. She also had 15 points on Nov. 8 against Grand View (Iowa) and a season-best 10 rebounds in nine minutes against Oregon Tech on Nov. 2.
DORDT’S ELLIE LEMS
Reilly (2) serves against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first set on Oct. 25, 2024 at Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Dylan Widger / USA Today Sports
Nebraska Cornhuskers setter Bergen Reilly (2) and middle blocker Rebekah Allick (5) block Illinois Fighting Illini outside hitter Averie Hernandez (8) during the third set on Oct. 25, 2024 at Bob Dev- aney Sports Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.