JOHANSEN ERA KICKS OFF AT USD
SCORING CHANGE
FLIPS HIGH SCHOOL
WRESTLING TACTICS
UNDEFEATED WATCH FOR PREP HOOPS
KOTAI IS KEY GLOVE FOR AUGIE HOCKEY
the team
EDITOR
MARCUS TRAXLER
mtraxler@mitchellrepublic.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SARA LEITHEISER
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
CHRIS JOHNSON
MOLLIE BURLINGAME
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.
New USD head football coach Travis Johansen and Athletic Director Jon Schemmel hold up a No. 31 jersey at Johansen’s introductory press conference on Friday, Jan. 17, 2024 in Vermillion. Nathan Swaffar / Mitchell Republic
UNDEFEATED TEAMS SHINE AT MIDSEASON
A GLANCE AT THE REMAINING UNBEATEN
SD HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAMS
BY LANDON DIERKS
Harding County’s Brayden Padden (44) shoots a jump shot over Hitchcock-Tulare’s
Katelyn Schroeder (3) during a Hanson Classic high school girls basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at the Corn Palace. LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Mitchell Republic
O’Gorman’s Sydney Terveen drives along the baseline while being guarded by Sioux Falls Washington’s Claire Woods on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at Washington High School in Sioux Falls. TRENT SINGER / SIOUX FALLS LIVE
As the South Dakota high school basketball season powers toward February, the pursuit of perfection remains intact for a select few programs across the state.
Out of more than 300 total girls and boys basketball squads across six classes, 11 total programs are undefeated through the action on Jan. 20. Seven girls teams and four boys teams have yet to lose this season.
Here’s a closer look at the last unbeaten records left standing. (Note: All records are through Jan. 20 games.)
GIRLS
CLASS AA
SIOUX FALLS O'GORMAN (8-0)
One reason for success: O’Gorman picked up right where it left off a perfect 24-0 state championship campaign, this despite graduating five seniors, including star guard Mahli Abdouch. But with the new dynamic guard duo of Sydney Terveen and Ruby Moore helping lead the way, the Knights’ win streak stands at 34 games dating back to the end of 202223. O’Gorman boasts the top offense in Class AA, scoring 63.6 points per game with a class-leading plus-25.1 average scoring margin.
Best wins: The Knights have already taken out two of their biggest challengers in Sioux Falls Washington and Brandon Valley, which are tied for No. 2 in the most recent South Dakota Prep Media poll. O’Gorman knocked off Brandon Valley 53-43 in the season opener on Dec. 12 and handled Washington 70-53 on Jan. 14.
Biggest hurdles still ahead: A second clash with Washington on Feb. 14 looms large, and a Feb. 7 meeting against a current one-loss Rapid City Stevens squad is likely to factor into the deciding the top seed positions come postseason play. O’Gorman gets the benefit of hosting both games.
CLASS A
SIOUX FALLS CHRISTIAN (10-0)
One reason for success: Coming off the program’s first-ever Class A state semifinal last season as the No. 2 seed, only two seniors graduated for SFC, leaving the door to be a state title contender open for another year. Honorable mention all-state pick Avery Reitz headlines a fleet of eight upperclassmen on the Chargers’ roster this season, as SFC has been the No. 1 team in the South Dakota Prep Media poll since Dec. 23.
Best wins: SFC owns a pair of wins against teams that have consistently received votes in the South Dakota Prep Media poll, having handed Elk Point-Jefferson its lone loss to date by a 63-57 final in addition to a 58-47 win over Hamlin.
Biggest hurdles still ahead: Dakota Valley, which also appears on this list, awaits the Chargers on Jan. 30, followed by another trip south to Vermillion on Feb. 6. A top opponent to be determined also figures to challenge SFC at the Dakota XII/NEC Clash.
MAHPIYA LUTA (10-0)
One reason for success: Mahpiya Luta ranks as the top scoring girls basketball team in the state, regardless of class, at nearly 71 points per game. Armed with a talented roster headlined by all-state selections from last season in junior Ashlan Carlow-Blount and senior Jodene Big Crow-Hunter, Mahpiya Luta boasts a monstrous plus-40.1 average scoring margin.
Best wins: Fresh off a 56-34 thumping of defending Class
A champion Vermillion at the Hanson Classic, Mahpiya Luta also owns a dominant 62-31 win over Rapid City Christian in the finals of the Lakota Nation Invitational.
Biggest hurdles still ahead:
Coming up for Mahpiya Luta is a home date against Belle Fourche on Jan. 25, along with road trips to face Rapid City Christian on Feb. 4 and St. Thomas More on Feb. 11. If Mahpiya Luta can successfully navigate that stretch, it could plausibly enter the postseason unbeaten for a second-straight year.
Mahpiya Luta’s Ashlan Carlow-Blount (1) throws a chest pass in transition against Vermillion during a Hanson Classic high school girls basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at the Corn Palace. LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
DAKOTA VALLEY (10-0)
One reason for success: Until recently, the Panthers had flown under the radar, only cracking the South Dakota Prep Media poll for the first time on Jan. 13. But behind a hot start fueled by freshman Ella Otten, who was an honorable mention all-state pick last year as an eighth-grader, the Panthers are currently the No. 1 team in the Class A seed-point standings.
Best wins: The Panthers have collected a few solid wins, including over Lennox in the season opener back on Dec. 10 and most recently over Groton Area at the Hanson Classic. Perhaps Dakota Valley’s best win came over out-of-state foe Spirit Lake (Iowa), a 10-2 team.
Biggest hurdles still ahead: Dakota Valley is about to enter a back-loaded slate which includes unbeaten Sioux Falls Christian, oneloss Bennett County and Elk Point-Jefferson, defending champion Vermillion and a top opponent to be determined at the Dakota XII/NEC Clash.
CLASS B CENTERVILLE (12-0)
One reason for success: As Centerville pursues a Class B state championship defense, the Tornadoes have the benefit of leaning on much of the same talent that delivered a title last season. First-team all-state performer Althea Gust is back for her senior season, as is second-teamer Emma Marshall, not to mention another veteran presence in senior Keira Austin, among others.
Best wins: Seven of Centerville’s opponents so far have had records above .500, but a couple stand out. The Tornadoes clipped defending Class A champion Vermillion 48-45 at the Vermillion Classic in December and recently rallied to take out fellow Class B power Ethan 55-47 at the Hanson Classic.
Biggest hurdles still ahead: A steady stream of tests still loom for Centerville, including oneloss Mobridge-Pollock at the Pentagon Heritage Classic, an opponent to be determined at the Great Plains Conference Classic, a road contest at one-loss Elk Point-Jefferson and a home game against two-loss Dell Rapids St. Mary.
LEMMON (10-0)
One reason for success: Yet to receive a single vote toward the South Dakota Prep Media poll despite the hot start, Lemmon is by far the quietest of all the undefeated teams to this stage. That’s partially due to a schedule heavy on out-of-state opposition that hasn’t included a notable South Dakota classic or tournament.
Best wins: By opponent record, a 46-36 win over Grant County/Mott-Regent (N.D.) stands as Lemmon’s best win to date. To Lemmon’s credit, it has dominated all comers, owning a classbest average scoring margin of plus-31.9 points per game.
Biggest hurdles still ahead: Coming up, Lemmon will tackle the Little Moreau Conference Tournament in addition to a home date against two-loss McLaughlin on Jan. 30 and a road trip to fellow unbeaten Harding County, the next team on this list, on Feb. 4.
HARDING COUNTY (8-0)
One reason for success: With just two seniors lost to graduation, the Ranchers retained much of the roster that put together a 23-2 season a year ago, creating a balanced group of scorers and defenders to build on this year. Harding County cracked the top five of the South Dakota Prep Media poll for the first time this season in the Jan. 20 poll, as the Ranchers continue to prove themselves.
Best wins: Another schedule dotted with outof-state opposition, Harding County has defeated eight-win teams from Bowman County (N.D.)
Dakota Valley’s Ella Otten (23) brings the ball up the floor at Groton Area’s Kennedy Hansen (5) gives chase on defense during a Hanson Classic high school girls basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at the Corn Palace. ADAM THURY / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
and Sundance (Wyo.). But the Ranchers also have a Hanson Classic win over Hitchcock-Tulare to their credit after making the long trip to Mitchell last week.
Biggest hurdles still ahead: Again, similarly to Lemmon, Harding County has the Little Moreau Conference Tournament ahead in addition to a head-to-head battle with the Cowgirls. Later in February, the Ranchers face a couple of current two-loss teams in Tiospaye Topa and Edgemont.
BOYS
CLASS AA
SIOUX FALLS LINCOLN (8-0)
One reason for success: A refreshed roster and coaching change have worked wonders for Sioux Falls Lincoln, which graduated six seniors from a team that went 10-11 and didn’t even make the state tournament last season. But first-year coach Luke Hannemann has the Patriots playing like it’s 2008-09, when he was a player on an undefeated Lincoln state title team. Though no returning player averaged more than eight points per game last season, the Patriots are leading Class AA in scoring at more than 66 points per game this season.
Best wins: The Patriots caught everyone’s attention early by taking out Sioux Falls Washington, one of the preseason favorites, in the season opener. Lincoln also owns wins over Harrisburg and Huron, as all but one of its results to date had a 10-point margin of victory.
Biggest hurdles still ahead: Lincoln is about to tackle a tough stretch of games coming up, with O’Gorman, a rematch with Washington, Mitchell and Tea Area in quick succession. A second matchup against O’Gorman is followed by a trip to Brandon Valley later in the season.
From left, Dell Rapids St. Mary’s Trevon Beckman attempts a layup while Gregory’s Cruz Klundt defends during a Class B SoDak 16 boys basketball game on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at the Corn Palace. LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
CLASS A SIOUX FALLS CHRISTIAN (8-0)
One reason for success: Continuity and motivation have been paramount for Sioux Falls Christian. The Chargers didn’t have a single senior on the roster that amassed a 25-0 record to start last season before coming up just short in the state title game. So it comes as little surprise that the same core, headlined by 6-foot-11 South Dakota State men’s basketball signee Griffen Goodbary, is back to finish what it started in 2023-24. SFC is the No. 1 offensive team in all of South Dakota boys basketball, averaging nearly 75 points per game.
Best wins: In a supreme show of strength, SFC has already rebuffed many of its top challengers, including all other top-five ranked squads in the most recent South Dakota Prep Media poll — No. 2 Hamlin, No. 3 Rapid City Christian, No. 4 Lennox and No. 5 West Central. That’s not to mention a 20-point beatdown of Class AA O’Gorman, as well. Based
Sioux Falls Christian’s Griffen Goodbary attempts to shoot the ball in the midst of the Coronado (Nev.) defense during the Hoop City Classic high school basketball event on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 at the Corn Palace. MARCUS TRAXLER / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
on opponent win percentage, SFC has played the toughest schedule in Class A so far.
Biggest hurdles still ahead: The road doesn’t get any easier for the Chargers, who are set to visit two-loss teams Vermillion on Jan. 23 and Dakota Valley on Jan. 30. In between, SFC battles Tea Area, now a Class AA foe, at the Sanford Pentagon. February features an opponent to be determined — potentially another meeting with Hamlin — at the Dak XII/NEC Clash. Out-of-state foes include 11-win programs Western Christian (Iowa) and Marshall (Minn.).
CLASS B
DELL RAPIDS ST. MARY (10-0)
One reason for success: A supremely talented roster at the top, explosive senior guard Trevon Beckman and senior forward Maverick LeBrun, a South Dakota State football commit, headline the Dell Rapids St. Mary core. Junior guards Trimmier Hanson and Lincoln LeBrun help round out an attack that leads Class B in scoring at nearly 69 points per game.
Best wins: DRSM opened the season with a win over defending Class B champion Howard and also stands as one of two teams to beat Estelline/Hendricks and Elkton-Lake Benton to date. At the recent Dakota Valley Conference Classic, the Cardinals took out 10-win Dawson-Boyd (Minn.).
Biggest hurdles still ahead: An immediate challenge awaits, as DRSM hosts Castlewood on Jan. 21 in a battle of the top-two ranked squads in Class B. The Cardinals also have a matchup against Parkston at the Hanson Classic to end the week, with a return to the Corn Palace for the DWU Classic in February. DRSM closes the regular season with a tricky trip to visit Bridgewater-Emery.
LEOLA/FREDERICK AREA (10-0)
One reason for success: Building off a 19-1 regular season that produced a state tournament berth last year, the Titans have continued to establish themselves as a contender. Leola/ Frederick Area is led by the returning honorable mention all-state guard Noah Kippley, one of two seniors on a roster packed with nine juniors, seven of which were on the state tournament roster last season.
Best wins: Seven of Leola/Frederick’s wins to date are against opponents with records below .500. By win percentage, the Titans’ top win was a 77-68 final over Aberdeen Christian.
Biggest hurdles still ahead: A pair of classic contests are likely to be the Titans’ toughest remaining tests. Leola/Frederick faces host Hanson at the Hanson Classic and an opponent to be determined at the Blizzard Buster Classic.
WANTS TO KEEP NEW USD COACH EXPECTATIONS HIGH
Former defensive coordinator Johansen is 31st head coach in Coyote history
BY NATHAN SWAFFAR
Mitchell Republic
VERMILLION – Coaches change, but expectations haven’t for South Dakota football.
Following Bob Nielson’s announcement that he stepped down as USD’s head coach and headed for retirement, nearly simultaneously the program announced that defensive coordinator Travis Johansen would be his successor.
Following a coaching change, programs may re-evaluate current expectations. However, one of Johansen’s first comments after being introduced as the program’s 31st head coach is that the goal for the program is still the same as it would have been if Nielson hadn’t retired.
“I’m inspired to win a national championship,” Johansen said. “Playing in the FCS playoffs is a heck of a journey. We all know that there’s a lot of pride in this state in doing that. My motiva-
tion is very, very high when it comes to winning in South Dakota. I love my family, my kids are growing up here. It’s an unbelievable community that’s wrapped its arms around us and we’re going to try and pay it back.”
Conversations about Johansen taking over for Nielson started as far back as last summer. Nielson met with USD Athletic Director Jon Schemmel to discuss his future and how his retirement would likely come sooner rather than later.
At that time no decision was made, but Johansen’s name was brought up as a possible replacement candidate.
Schemmel made an effort to learn more about Johansen and make sure he was the right fit for the position. However, other programs, including some at the Power 4 level were eying him as well. Before he made the decision to step down, Nielson even offered Schemmel a proposition where Johansen would be named the head coach in waiting to steer other programs away. However, Schemmel shot this down.
But once Nielson made his decision within the last two weeks that he would retire, Johansen was the man to take over. One of the main reasons Schemmel felt he was the right fit was how important continuity has become in college football.
“Continuity has led to championships,” Schemmel said. “Whether it’s on your roster, with your staff, whatever it is, there’s been a lot of great teams, but usually that team hasn’t been made of portal kids in their first year and a first-year head coach. In particular, at our level, you look at what they’ve done at SDSU and NDSU, even the Montana’s, the continuity, their runs have been a key part of that. Even when you have a transition, whether it’s someone on staff or kind of from the family so to speak, is always going to be the goal, that familiarity is huge.”
However, many challenges lie ahead. Johansen will be tasked with navigating the program with the highest expectations its ever had. Plus, he will have to steer USD through an ever-changing world of college athletics where nothing is ever set in stone. Factors such as NIL and the transfer portal have changed the landscape of college football to where coaches struggle to find a delicate balance.
New USD head football
coach Travis Johansen and Athletic Director Jon Schemmel hold up a No. 31 jersey at Johansen’s introductory press conference on Friday, Jan. 17, 2024 in Vermillion.
NATHAN SWAFFAR / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Johansen said finding that balance will be one of the toughest challenges of his head coaching tenure, but he knows it will be key to the continuation of the program’s upward trajectory.
“I think that’s the name of everybody’s game right now and then, even from the just the most results-driven standpoint, better teams retain their players,” Johansen said. “Better players are more experienced, mature players, and so we need to be able to balance that in a way
that retains them so they continue to gain the intangibles of the program.”
Johansen said the way the program operates won’t change drastically under his leadership. However, he said that being the defensive coordinator since 2019 gave him a unique perspective on the steps needed to take the Coyotes to the next level. It’s all about identifying the weaknesses and addressing them in the right way.
But it goes back to the same thing: expectations haven’t changed. The end goal for every season at USD is to be competing for a national championship with it ending with a trophy hoist in Nashville.
“We’re going to do everything we can. We take it one step at a time,” Johansen said. “There’s a lot that has to happen. There’s a lot that’s got to go your way, but everything we’re going to do, we understand how to do that as a staff, we understand how to do that as a program and organization. All roads lead to there. I think everybody in our community expects that and we wouldn’t want it any other way.”
" I’m inspired to win a national championship "
TRAVIS JOHANSEN, USD HEAD COACH
CHANGES SD HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING STRATEGY 3 POINT TAKEDOWN
Quicker matches with more offense, technical falls observed
BY BLAKE DURHAM
Mitchell Republic
MITCHELL — High school wrestling in South Dakota has a new signal for when a wrestler executes a takedown.
Officials raise three fingers in the air instead of two.
As part of a series of rule changes by the National Federation of State High School Associations last April, wrestlers are now awarded three points for executing a takedown in order to encourage more attacking from a neutral position on the mat. South Dakota High School Activities Association-sponsored boys and girls wrestling uses the NFHS rulebook.
The changes come a year after the three-point takedown was implemented in the college ranks at the NCAA and the NAIA levels. As more points are now on offer to the wrestlers, running up the score early in matches proves advantageous.
“I’ve been telling my kids that you’ve got to be able to come out of the first period with the takedown or 0-0,” Chamberlain head coach John Donovan said. “Kids that are really good on their feet are cutting people loose and then getting another takedown right away. You’re now down 6-1 and that’s quite a lead to make back up.”
The traditional top-bottom style of wrestling, where the wrestler on top of their opponent controls the pace and movement of the match, has been replaced in essence by a style that features wrestlers trying to cut underneath opponents, aiming at the legs to go and secure takedowns.
Similar to college coaches and wrestlers’ observations last season, the high school coaches have noticed the length of a match has been trimmed with wrestlers trying to run up the score. The pace of a match can also take on a frantic feel, providing wrestlers with less time to reset.
“You always want to keep going,” Kimball/ White Lake/Platte-Geddes wrestler Iden Myers said. “You never want to try and stall, but at the same time when you can catch your breath, you have to catch your breath because you always have to be looking to score.”
Though the additional points benefit wrestlers who are strong on their feet and can create good positions, it also places a premium on defensive tactics to protect large leads during a match. The goal for wrestlers is to still try and pin their opponents, and with higher scoring comes with a bit more desperation for the trailing wrestler.
“I think more than anything you can’t get careless,” Parkston boys head coach Dan Bonte said. “You have to have cleaner finishes and execute on your feet better in order to stay in matches. Otherwise, you can get yourself in a hole that’s hard to crawl back out.”
High school wrestling official Maddix Slykhuis holds up three fingers in the air to signify a takedown during a high school wrestling triangular on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Platte. BLAKE DURHAM / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
RISE IN TECHNICAL FALLS
The three-point takedown, in addition to revising the near-fall criteria to award wrestlers a maximum of four points for keeping their opponents down in a pin attempt, has seen technical falls increase across the state and matches finishing sooner.
“More talented wrestlers are able to get that tech fall sooner,” Parkston/ Ethan girls head coach Dustin Bouza said. “The wrestler is more under the gun to score the points versus being able to sit back and go, ‘I can wait until the third period.’”
A technical fall occurs in high school wrestling when a wrestler jumps out to a 15-point lead in a match, the sport’s equivalent of a mercy rule. Last season, Burke/Gregory boys wrestler Judd Hansen led the state with 14 technical falls, and Bennett County’s Finley Evjan led the girls in the category with three.
This season, five boys and 14 girls wrestlers have surpassed last year’s state-leading totals with six weeks remaining in the season. Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall’s Kale Crowser has a boys-leading 19 technical falls to his name, with Wagner’s Gannon Knebel second in the state at 16. Sisseton’s Vi Anderson and Sioux Falls Washington’s Olivia Kolbrek share the girls lead with seven.
While the changes have led to more attacking at duals and tournaments this season, some in the community feel the prestige of some stats and the old style of wrestling was taken away from the sport.
“Bottom wrestling is probably not even a big deal anymore,” Burke/Gregory head coach Seth Webster said. “I’m not a big fan of (the rule changes), but a lot of people are. Tech falls used to mean something back in the day. Now you get two takedowns to the back and then one extra point off the bottom hit, you got a tech fall already.”
However, wrestlers themselves believe there’s still a place for traditional wrestling today, whether to slow the pace down or score points off escapes and reversals of opponent holds. It also allows an opponent to be less fearful of getting pinned on the mat, knowing they can make up points as easily as losing points.
“I’m not wrestling as scared as I was last year,” Mitchell girls wrestler Frankie Kranz said. “I know that if I can get a reversal or an escape, I can get on top and make up those points if I do get taken down. That’s more points on my feet.”
Kimball/White Lake/ Platte-Geddes’ Iden Myers (top) wrestles Lyman’s Braydon Oldenkamp during the 150-pound semifinals at the McCook Central/ Montrose Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Salem. BLAKE DURHAM / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Burke/Gregory’s
a
BELOW: Parkston’s Wyatt Anderson (right) dives at the legs of Kimball/White Lake/PlatteGeddes’ Kenyon Kuiper during a 175-pound match in the teams’ dual on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Platte.
MORE ENTERTAINING
As the stakes get higher with trips to the state tournament and hardware on the line, the matches could see more aggressiveness out of the wrestlers to score points and execute pins, especially the trailing wrestler. But if there’s one detail everyone is in agreement on, the action on the mat’s been entertaining for everyone in attendance.
“It makes it more exciting for the fans,” KWLPG head coach Thomas Konechne said. “The wrestlers understand the rules and they know what they need to do to make sure that they're staying in these matches or pulling away in these matches even. But wrestling is still wrestling.”
“It’s a good change moving forward,” Bonte added. “Everybody likes seeing offense, and that’s kind of what we like to coach, too. You’re being rewarded for being on offense more, and it’s more fun for the fans to watch.”
Mitchell’s Frankie Kranz tries to grab Wessington Springs/Woonsocket/WolseyWessington’s Bailey Yost in a 114-pound semifinal match at the MCM Girls Invitational in Salem on Friday, Jan. 3, 2024. NATHAN SWAFFAR / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
The Class B boys dual state wrestling tournament takes place on Friday, Feb. 14, in Pierre, with the Class A boys dual tournament being held on Saturday, Feb. 15. Region tournaments for both boys and girls on Feb. 20 through Feb. 22, with the individual state wrestling tournament running from Feb. 27 through March 1, at the Summit Arena in Rapid City.
ABOVE:
Daytona Paris (right) attempts to grapple Kingsbury County’s Izy Bendorf during
126-pound match at the MCM Girls Invitational in Salem on Friday, Jan. 3, 2024. NATHAN SWAFFAR / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
BLAKE DURHAM / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
A WINNER AT EVERY STOP, BOB NIELSON’S LEGACY SECURE A WINNER AT EVERY STOP, BOB NIELSON’S LEGACY SECURE
Retiring coach turned Coyotes into an FCS contender in final stop
Retiring coach turned Coyotes into an FCS contender in final stop
BY MATT ZIMMER
Falls Live
VERMILLION — Bob Nielson was stepping into a fairly challenging situation when he was named the coach of Coyote football in 2016.
He was replacing the beloved Joe Glenn, a USD alum who’d worked tirelessly to rally enthusiasm around the program in a final stint on an illustrious coaching career. Glenn’s predecessor, Ed Meierkort, had recharged the Coyotes at the Division II level and guided USD through the transition to Division I (with a memorable upset of Minnesota along the way), but ultimately Glenn’s teams won just 12 games in four years.
With former-and-once-again rivals North Dakota State (regular national championships) and South Dakota State (regular playoff appearances) threatening to leave the Coyotes in the dust, patience was not in abundance as Nielson took the reins in Vermillion.
University of South Dakota football coach Bob Nielson looks on during a college football game on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. JEFF
HANISCH / IMAGN IMAGES
Sioux
But rather than offer bombast, brashness, or even aw-shucks modesty, Nielson, who retired Thursday after 32 years as a college football head coach, simply put his head down and got to work. He’d won everywhere he’d been. There was no reason for him not to believe he would win here, too.
No slogans, no hash tags, no guarantees, no attempts to win press conferences. The guy simply put on a suit and tie (literally) and set about making Coyote football into something better than it was when he arrived from Western Illinois (by way of Minnesota Duluth, Wisconsin Eau-Claire, Wartburg and Ripon College).
In just his second season at the helm, Nielson led the Coyotes to an 8-win season and their first Division I playoff berth. Things were off to a good start.
But then came back-to-back losing seasons, followed by the pandemic spring season in which the Yotes played just four games (going 1-3).
They bounced back with their second playoff berth in 2021, but lost at home in the first round, then the wheels fell off in 2022. USD went 3-8, collapsing under the weight of a front-loaded difficult schedule and behind-the-scenes turmoil that forced Nielson to part ways with protege Ted Schlafke and take over offensive coordinator duties himself.
The season ended with a 58-14 home loss to Northern Iowa that’s regarded by many as one of the ugliest losses in program history. If USD had decided to make a change there few would’ve batted an eye. But the Coyotes went out on something of a limb by committing to Nielson, and he rewarded their faith in him by immediately lifting the Coyotes to the level of national
The Yotes went 10-3 last year and 11-3 in 2024, winning three playoff games and coming within one win of the national championship
It would be hard to overstate how impressive the turnaround really was. Nielson won more games in the last two years (21-6) than the previous five (20-30). In the process, he rebuilt his staff, bolstered in-state recruiting and developed NFL talent.
It is probably not a coincidence that Coyote football has received a major boost in donations during that time.
Defensive coordinator Travis Johansen, whom Nielson brought to Vermillion from NAIA Grand View, steps into the captain’s chair after building USD’s defense into a formidable one, and he’s the right man at the right time. The program is healthier than it’s ever been, so staying in-house was imperative. And Johansen has had other opportunities to be a head coach elsewhere. He’s an up-andcoming, in-demand coach who chose Vermillion over other options. There’s little reason to believe he won’t keep the Coyotes in the upper echelon of the FCS. A national championship is the next step, and it’s within reach.
That’s thanks in large part to Nielson, and to USD leadership for sticking by him. Bob’s had a tremendous career — more than 40 years in the business, 239 wins, a pair of Division II national championships, playoff appearances with five different schools at three levels.
Every step of the way, Nielson wrote the ending to his own story. He’s left the Coyote football program in far better shape than he found it, and done it with class, integrity and dignity every step of the way.
That’s a fine legacy to leave.
USD head coach
Bob Nielson has high hopes for his team in 2023.
MATT ZIMMER/ SIOUX FALLS LIVE
MATT
Kotai’s stellar season powers Augustana hockey’s success
Sophomore netminder is among nation’s leaders in save percentage
BY TRENT SINGER Sioux Falls Live
SIOUX FALLS — There was no fanfare amongst the Augustana Vikings when they learned the news last week that their star goaltender, Josh Kotai, had been named to the watch list for the Mike Richter Award.
Sure, maybe some stick taps, but ever since the college hockey season began in October, the Vikings’ sophomore goalie hasn’t missed a beat.
The reality is Kotai’s flowers were eventually going to arrive. None of this is surprising to the guys who have come to know him for the brick wall he’s been.
“He’s always at the rink kind of doing the extra stuff that a lot of other people don’t see, so I’m not surprised at all he’s having the success he’s having this year,” Augustana defenseman Will Svenddal said about Kotai. “He’s here every day committed and working hard. The teammates love him.
“He’s just a great kid, so I’m very happy for him.”
As it currently stands, Kotai ranks first in the country this season with a .945 save percentage. His 1.68 goals against average is good enough for third nationally, and he also has a pair of shutouts to his name.
And as Kotai goes, so do the Vikings, who are sitting in second place in the CCHA standings with a .667 points percentage as they enter this weekend’s series at Bowling Green. Augus-
tana is 13-7-2 overall, with 12 of its wins coming from Kotai between the pipes.
“I think the team in general has played great this year,” Kotai said. “We’ve gotten a lot of good successes, which has been a great confidence boost for our group. Just going to work every day and having a home here at the start of the year, that’s been such a great advantage.
“Being able to play in front of such a great crowd, too, we’re definitely starting to get an Augie advantage here.”
A native of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Kotai claimed both of his shutouts during the month of October, earning the first award of the season for CCHA Goaltender of the Month.
A stretch of three games at the start of November indicated that his numbers were likely going to regress to the mean, but that regression never happened.
In fact, he’s gotten even better.
Over his last 11 starts, which dates back to Nov. 9, Kotai has an 8-1-2 record between the pipes, logging a 1.38 GAA and .953 save percentage. During that span, he hasn’t blanked an opposing team but also hasn’t allowed more than two goals in a single game, becoming a model of consistency that’s resonating with the rest of the team.
“Consistency comes with a week of preparation, a demeanor that’s a constant,” Augustana coach
Garrett Raboin said. “He’s just calm and poised.
“His ability to reset after goals, that’s what’s been most impressive and, I think, has attributed to his success.”
A year ago, Kotai was a freshman playing mostly second fiddle in AU’s inaugural season as a program. He was part of a goalie rotation led by senior transfer Zack Rose, appearing in 13 games and logging a 2-9-2 record, 3.32 GAA and .904 save percentage.
Kotai’s rookie numbers were modest but nothing particularly indicative of a player poised for a breakout campaign. Toward the end of the year, though, the routine of the college hockey season started to click for Kotai, who then spent last offseason calibrating in an attempt to take it to the next level.
“Throughout the summer, I just kept working on that,” Kotai said, “and then throughout this year, I just really tried to simplify things as much as I can.
“When you’re playing back-to-backs, there can be a fatigue factor, but I think I play better that second night when you feel fresher because you just played. Then you get in a rhythm, and you can keep that going.”
Kotai ranks third in the conference in saves per game (28.8), and while the shot volume has been higher than what Raboin would prefer, the Vikings have done an exceptional job defending as a unit of five on the ice.
“We’re trying to limit the quality of shots,” Raboin said. “Volume hasn’t necessarily went down as much in terms of what you’ve seen on the scoreboard or game sheet, but we’re feeling that those shots from grade-A scoring areas are becoming fewer and fewer, which is critically important especially in the second half of the year.”
The collective effort from AU’s skaters has made life easier for all parties involved. The Vikings currently boast an .873 penalty-killing percentage that ranks first in the CCHA and is tied for fourth-best in the country, and they’re not afraid to block shots either, averaging 12.9 per contest.
That starts with up top with forwards who are backchecking and communicating well, and it trickles down to a defensive core that’s consistently selling out and doing its best to simplify things for Kotai.
“He’s making all the first saves and limiting rebounds, so he makes it really easy on us defensemen,” Svenddal said. “We just try to give him good sight lines and clear vision of pucks from point shots and stuff like that.
“He makes our job easier, and we try to make his job easier. But he’s been awesome. He’s the reason we are where we are right now.”
Raboin believes the quality of goaltending around the country has reached an uncharted high mark.
In the CCHA alone, Kotai is joined on the Mike Richter Award watch list by a pair of standouts in Minnesota State’s Alex Tracy and Bowling Green’s Christian Stoever, both of whom the Vikings will see over the next several weeks in very meaningful league games.
Historically, the CCHA has been a conference chocked full of elite goalies. In 2022, Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay became the first goaltender in 21 years to win the Hobey Baker Award, which is given annually to the top player in Division I men’s hockey. Even AU assistant coach Taylor Nelson guided Ferris State to an appearance in the national championship game in 2012.
Raboin says he’s looking forward to seeing how Kotai fares against the other two distinguished goalies in the team’s upcoming road series at BGSU (Jan. 24-25) and MSU (Feb. 7-8).
“I’m excited to see how he accepts that challenge,” Raboin said. “Hopefully it brings a heightened battle level even beyond what it is because goalies compete against the goalie across the rink.
“There’s certainly some good ones still left in front of us.”
Augustana goalie Josh Kotai poses for a photo Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024, at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls.
PEYTON BARTSCH PHOTOGRAPHY
Augustana goalie Josh Kotai looks down during a break in action against Lindenwood on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at Midco Arena in Sioux Falls. TRENT SINGER / SIOUX FALLS LIVE
Augustana goalie Josh Kotai stops the puck during practice Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at Midco Arena in Sioux Falls. TRENT SINGER / SIOUX FALLS LIVE
Augustana goalie Josh Kotai is congratulated by teammate Owen Baumgartner after the Vikings won the exhibition shootout following a 1-1 tie versus Lindenwood on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at Midco Arena in Sioux Falls.
PEYTON BARTSCH PHOTOGRAPHY
athletes JAN 25 of theweek
BY NATHAN SWAFFAR | MITCHELL REPUBLIC
TRAY WEISS: CUSTER BOYS WRESTLING
Weiss has been one of the top wrestlers for Custer this season and he proved it yet again last Saturday. He took home the individual title at 132 pounds at the Black Hills Conference tournament in Hill City. Weiss won all three of his matches via first-round pinfalls en route to his third individual title this season out of four tournaments he’s wrestled in. With the tournament victory, he improved to 35-2.
SUMMER GUTHMILLER: SIOUX VALLEY GIRLS WRESTLING
Guthmiller has been one of the top girls wrestlers in the state this season and once again proved it this past Saturday at the Jerry Opbroek Invitational. The No. 1 wrestler at 138 pounds, Guthmiller wrestled three matches and none lasted for longer than 1 minute and 15 seconds as she cruised to an individual victory at 138 pounds with three pinfall victories. She improved to 26-0 on the season and the tournament victory marked her seventh already.
LONDYN HAJEK: MITCHELL GIRLS
BASKETBALL
The Kernel girls have won three straight, including two victories last week thanks in part to Hajek. Against Huron on Jan. 14, she scored a team-high 14 points, including a 3-of-5 mark from behind the arc in a 51-39 victory. Then a few days later in a 56-28 domination of Brookings, she made some personal history. Hajek finished with a career-high 20 points, thanks in large part to a 6-of-10 night from 3-point range as she also added two assists. Mitchell now sits at 7-2 as of Jan. 20 with a road test against Tea on Jan. 23.
BRYCEN BRUENING: PARKSTON BOYS BASKETBALL
Bruening has been one of the top performers on a Parkston squad that has been one of the best in Class B. And this past week, the sophomore guard helped the Trojans to two more victories. On Jan. 14 in a 65-34 victory over Canistota, he recorded 10 points, three rebounds and two assists, but his performance just a few days later was far more impressive. On Jan. 16 in a 65-48 victory over Wagner, he scored a team-high 30 points to go along with five rebounds and assists. The Trojans now sit at 9-1 as of Jan. 20 and have games against Bon Homme on Jan. 23 and a highly anticipated matchup at the Hanson Classic against Dell Rapids St. Mary on Jan. 25.
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
Parkston’s Brycen Bruening (11) attacks the basket off the dribble during a Hoop City Classic high school boys basketball game against Pine Ridge on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, at the Corn Palace. LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Mitchell’s Londyn Hajek (right) drives in towards the lane during a Class AA high school girls basketball game on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at the Corn Palace. BLAKE DURHAM / MITCHELL REPUBLIC