RABBIT TRACKSSOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

VOLUME 15 NO.2 | SUMMER 2010

CREATINGLIFELONGCHAMPIONSDykhouse Student-Athlete Center

CANADIANCONTRIBUTIONS

COACHING & MOTHERHOOD

DYKHOUSECENTER

Greetings to the Jackrabbit Family. I hope this issue of Rabbit Tracks finds you and your family having a great summer. It has been an unbelievable year for

the Jackrabbits, the list of accolades and accomplishments academically, athletically, and socially would be too much to fit into one issue of this publication. I hope you noticed the title of this article, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk

about the motto and mission that we strive for with our development and revenue-generation meetings, “Investing in Lifelong Champions.”In this issue, there is an article on the newly formed SDSU Letterwinners Club. It has

been a goal of mine and our administration to better engage and reconnect with currentand former student-athletes. We formed this club to essentially create an athletic alumniassociation so that we can reconnect for a common cause we all know and love,Jackrabbit athletics. For those former Jackrabbits who are reading this, you should have received a

mailing about the SDSU Letterwinners Club. This club is exclusively for you and a great avenue to give back to the Athletic Department you helped build. Make sure to mark your calendars for Hobo Day 2010. The SDSU Letterwinners Club will behosting an all-former student-athlete reunion on Saturday, October 23.Nearly a year ago, a few staff members and I sat down to talk about how we could

take the Jackrabbit Club to the next level. As most of you know, the Jackrabbit Club is our annual athletic scholarship fund and is the foundation for funding our 200-plusscholarships. For years we had a membership base around 800 members that brought in $350,000.

With a scholarship bill going over $3 million this year and continuing to rise, you canunderstand our need to increase support for the Jackrabbit Club. I am happy to reportthat during the last year, memberships have increased to more than 1,250 and for the first time the Jackrabbit Club exceeded $500,000. This is a great start to our goal, but we have a long ways to go, and that’s where

we need your help. I am committed to investing the resources to continue to build the Jackrabbit Club. We are revamping our annual fund membership drive and aresearching for volunteers out there who will help sell our message. Please feel free to contact the athletic development office if this is something you are interested in. Thank you for your continued support of Jackrabbit Athletics. The energy and

momentum that our programs and department have is something that is very exciting and something I feel very fortunate to be a part of! I am going to steal a line from Coach Stig here and end with:

“When you Invest in Lifelong Champions, Jacks win!”

Go Big. Go Blue. Go Jacks.

JUSTIN SELLATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Investing in

LIFELONG CHAMPIONS

RABBIT TRACKSSOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

VOLUME 15 NO. 2 | SUMMER 2010

SDSU PRESIDENT David L. ChicoineDIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Justin SellASSISTANT AD/SPORTS INFORMATION Jason HoveSPORTS INFORMATION ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Ryan SweeterASSOCIATE AD/EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Leon CostelloEDITOR Andrea Kieckhefer, University RelationsCONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Graves, Kyle Johnson, Dana Hess, Cindy Rickeman, University RelationsDESIGNER Candace KleinsasserPHOTOGRAPHER Eric Landwehr, University Relations

Athletic Department South Dakota State UniversityHPER Center, Box 2820 • Brookings, SD 57007Telephone: 1-866-GOJACKS • Fax: 605-688-5999Web site: www.gojacks.com

Rabbit Tracks is produced by University Relations in cooperation with the SDSU Athletic Department at no cost to the State of South Dakota. Please notify the Athletic Department office when you change your address.

1300 copies printed by the SDSU Athletic Department at no cost to the State of South Dakota. PE069 07/10

2 DYKHOUSE CENTERThe new $6 million “one-stop football center” is available to all SDSU student-athletes.

5 DANNY BATTENThe defensive end becomes the first SDSU football player to be drafted since 1999.

6 A DATE MARKED IN REDSDSU fans can’t wait for their team to take on the Huskers in Lincoln, Nebraska.

8 CANADIAN CONTRIBUTIONSFor baseball coach Ritchie Price, the recruiting pitch is “Go south, young man.”

10 MOTHERHOOD & COACHINGThe Jackrabbit family expanded this spring when coaches Katie Falco (women’s basketball) and Nanabah Allison-Brewer (volleyball) each gave birth.

12 WHERE ARE THEY NOW?Former soccer midfielder Michelle (Rahe) Friedrich is back in town as a businesswoman, a youth soccer coach, and a mom.

13 WHY I CHOOSE SDSUStudent-athletes explain why they came to State.

14 WOMEN’S SPORTS HISTORYRabbit Tracks continues its look at women’s sports at SDSU and focuses on four decades of track and field, tennis, and softball.

17 DANCING WITH THE STARSMen’s basketball coach Scott Nagy paired with nursing student Leslie Miller to win the campuswide dancing contest.

19 LETTERWINNERS CLUBNFL Hall-of-Famer Jim Langer heads the newly formed club for former State athletes.

24 LUKE LEISCHNERSDSU’s 400-meter dash record had stood since 1971, but a sophomore from Parkston topped the mark twice this spring.

Junior utility player Joel Blake ofLangley, British Columbia, wasone of six Canadians on the 2010Jackrabbit roster. He showedhockey isn’t the only sport playedup north, finishing the year with a.391 batting average and sixty-sixRBIs in sixty games. For more onthe Canadian Club, see Page 8.

ABOUT THE COVER

2

5 22

2 RABBIT TRACKS

DYKHOUSE CENTERcreating ‘lifelong’ champions

The spacious football locker room includes 110 individual woodenlockers covering 2,540 square feet. Players moved in for spring ball,

replacing the white block building at the south end of the stadium.The locker room is part of the Dykhouse Student-Athlete Center.

Standing in the Chicoine Champions Room of theDykhouse Student-Athlete Center, Dana Dykhousebegan his dedication remarks thanking everyone forbeing there.

Opening gratitudes went to family members: wife, La Dawn;son, Dan, and his wife, Kristina; and daughter, Alana. Then, afterpointing out his mother, Evelyn, who had just celebrated her 88thbirthday, Dykhouse paused before recalling a personal journey.“You know Mom, thirty-five years ago, when you saw your son

drive out of the driveway to become a Jackrabbit, you didn’t thinkyou would be here in this room today,” he says. “You were

probably just hoping I would make it through the first semester.But, it ended up working out pretty well.”Indeed it has, because when the center was officially dedicated

at a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 24 in conjunction with theJackrabbit football team’s annual spring game, the dream becamereality, thanks to the Dykhouse family and South Dakotabusinessman and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford.Together, they provided leadership gifts totaling $6 million that

set in motion construction of the first major athletic building oncampus since the Stanley J. Marshall Center/Frost Arena in 1973.

CENTER FOR CHAMPIONSFor the Dykhouses, the center reflects a strong allegiance to their alma mater.Meeting and graduating from State in1979, Dana lettered three years for theJacks, earning honorable mention all-North Central Conference honors as a defensive tackle in 1978. Meanwhile, La Dawn was a Pride of the DakotasDakota Deb member.“Everyone in this room shares

something in common and that is apassion for South Dakota State Universityand a passion for our student-athletes,”says Dykhouse, president and chiefexecutive officer of First Premier Bank in Sioux Falls.“You realize it takes two things: a

commitment in the classroom and acommitment on the field of competition to create lifelong champions,” he adds.“That’s what we are all about.”

The 30,000-square-foot center risesfrom the same ground that previouslysupported thirty-foot pine trees that were a customary sight at the back of the northend zone of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.The center is built of brick, precast

concrete, glass, and features a uniquebutterfly roof with both ends higher than the middle.

The second floor facing the footballfield has an outdoor deck offeringpanoramic views of the stadium and game-day action below. Athletic Departmentdonors and special guests will use the area.The football coaching staff also will use itto meet visiting recruits and their families.Walls are decorated with colorful

artwork and photographs highlightinggreat players and moments in Jackrabbitsports history. Blue artificial turf on themezzanine level is another eye-catchingfeature.

The facility houses an academic center for all SDSU student-athletes. It is equipped with study areas, computers,tutors, and other educational aids for allJackrabbit teams.

FOOTBALL HEADQUARTERSThe small, single-story block building atthe southwest end of the stadium groundsthat served as the locker room for fivedecades’ worth of Jackrabbit footballplayers is now a distant memory.So is the trio of trailers cobbled together

behind the east grandstand. Serving asmakeshift meeting areas for the coachingstaff, they, too are past relics.Jacks players will put on pads and

yellow-and-blue uniforms in a spaciouslocker room that contains 110 individualwood lockers. At 2,540 square feet, plusanother 800 in showers and bathroom, itoffers luxury that previous generations ofJacks never knew.The 4,600-square-foot strength and

conditioning room is impressive. The lateststrength training and fitness equipmentfills the area with Jackrabbit logos stampedon the weights.Although academic, weight, and

conditioning areas are available to all SDSUstudent-athletes, the Dykhouse Student-Athlete Center was primarily designed as a “one-stop football center,” according toSDSU Head Coach John Stiegelmeier.

SUMMER 2010 3

Even the dumbbells in the Dykhouse weight room bear the Jackrabbit logo. New equipmentwas purchased for the area that supplements the lifting room in the HPER Center.

SDSU players loosen up before the April 24 intrasquad game at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. The Dykhouse Student-Athlete Center (background) was dedicated before the game.

“This facility will be used by a number of different sports, but for the footballprogram, this is really huge,” he says. “This will affect everything we do. Itallows us to teach, train, and house thefootball program under one roof twelvemonths a year.“It will not only be home to the present

football program, but ideally a home for all living football alums who have everworn the Yellow and Blue,” he adds. “Weask our players to make a difference, thatwhatever they do, to have a positive impact. . .that really defines what the DykhouseStudent-Athlete Center will do for SDSUand SDSU football.”

FAMILY ATMOSPHEREEach of the coaches’ offices in the buildingfeatures tall glass windows facing thefootball field. Roomier offices allow players and coaches to have one-on-oneinteraction and immediate access to thefootball stadium.Nine meeting rooms will accommodate

offense, defense, and special teams as wellas specified position space when necessary.Coaches can use high-tech videoproduction systems to edit and displayvideo from daily practices and games.There is a sports medicine room, office

space for graduate assistants, and a full-time football receptionist.“We appreciate everything that we

have been given,” says senior cornerbackGeneral Parnell. “Just having the facilityoverall makes a person feel good.“We come here after class,” he adds.

“We can work out, go back to the lockerroom, go to meetings, or watch film. Wejust feel relaxed . . . it feels like home.”Justin Sell, in his second year as SDSU

director of athletics, labels the center a new era for Jackrabbit sports.“This is the type of facility that brings a

family together,” he says. “All our student-athletes can use this facility, but from afootball perspective, people don’t

understand how important it is to have the space that this building offers a football program.“This is a great tribute to all the years

of passion and energy Dana and his familyhave given this University and the athleticprogram,” adds Sell. “It’s through theirgenerous gift that made this building possible.”

MORE AMENITIES PLANNEDThe Dykhouse Student-Athlete Center isthe first athletic building actually built oncampus that is part of the master plan tomodernize Jackrabbit athletic facilities.Additions to the center are planned

and each is contingent on donor dollars.When they happen, the other buildings will include a field house and an office/locker room complex.The field house will have a football

practice field and an eight-lane, 300-meterrunning track. The facility would serve alloutdoor sports teams, giving them a placeto practice year-round.The office/locker room complex calls

for a structure to house offices, lockerrooms, and team meeting rooms for

baseball, softball, golf, tennis, cross-country,track, and soccer.The master plan’s biggest component

is a new football stadium with clubroomsand suites, replacing Coughlin-AlumniStadium that opened in 1962.Jackrabbit fans can play an important

role in the fund-raising process withnaming opportunities still available foroffices, individual rooms, lockers, weightroom, the academic center, and even theplaza area.For now, though, the Dykhouse

Student-Athlete Center is open for business, thanks to a burly defensivelineman from Rock Rapids, Iowa.“So many people have given back to

this University and this is just one piece of it,” says Dykhouse. “We all know this is just a start, but today is the day thatdream is realized.“This building will make a lifetime of

memories for so many student-athletes,” he adds. “Literally, 100s and 1,000s ofyoung people will walk through these halls and they will become those lifelongchampions.”

KYLE JOHNSON

4 RABBIT TRACKS

“THIS IS A GREAT TRIBUTE TO ALL THE YEARS OF PASSION AND ENERGY DANA

AND HIS FAMILY HAVE GIVEN THIS UNIVERSITY AND THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM.

IT’S THROUGH THEIR GENEROUS GIFT THAT MADE THIS BUILDING POSSIBLE.”

– ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JUSTIN SELL

Perched on the deck of the Dykhouse Student-Athlete Center prior to the SDSU spring gameApril 24 are, from left, Dana Dykhouse, his mother, Evelyn; his daughter, Alana; the jackrabbitmascot; his wife, La Dawn; his daughter-in-law, Kristina Dykhouse; and his son, Dan.

SUMMER 2010 5

Danny Batten is experiencing something few college football players realize: the chance to play in the National Football League.

But, as Batten discovered, life at the professional level is a brand-new ball game.“As soon as you step on the field you can tell it’s the NFL,”

he says. “On the field, you either get it done or they will findsomebody who can—that’s the mentality.“It’s like survival of the fittest,” adds Batten. “You have to put

in the time and do what you have to do to keep ahead of the nextguy. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m looking forward to it.”The decorated Jackrabbit defensive end from Gilbert, Arizona,

was taken in the sixth round by the Buffalo Bills in the NFL draftApril 24.Batten was the 192nd overall pick and the first SDSU player

drafted since 1999, when tight end Steve Heiden was selected in the third round by the San Diego Chargers. In fact, no SouthDakota collegian has been chosen during that time. Overall,Batten is the twenty-eighth Jackrabbit player drafted in theseventy-five year history of the NFL draft.“It’s a dream come true,” admits the 6-foot-3, 250-pound

Batten, who is listed on the Bills’ roster as a linebacker in the new three-four defensive scheme under first-year Head CoachChan Gailey.“I think it will be a smooth transition,”

he says of his new position. “I’m trying to get it started. I’ve got the instincts of a linebacker. It’ll be a great move, a great transition.”

PROVING SELF WORTHYBatten’s prelude to life in the NFL cameMay 7-9 at Buffalo’s rookie mini-camp,followed by five volunteer organizedteam practices in May and June. TheBills’ official team training camp opensJuly 29 with the first preseason gameAugust 13.“They were phenomenal football

players in college and they are greatplayers in the NFL,” he observes. “Thecaliber of athletes is definitely greaterthan at the NCAA level.”When reminded, he, too, falls in that category, Batten replies

matter-of-factly, “I keep telling myself that they liked me wellenough to draft me, so they are giving me a fair shake and the rest is up to me,” he says.

“TO BE HONEST, I WAS SO EXCITED BECAUSE

I HAD BEEN WAITING ALL DAY. IT WAS INSTANT

RELIEF. WHEN I GOT THE CALL IT WAS SUPER,

SUPER EXCITING.”

– DANNY BATTEN

Batten’s talent was much appreciated at SDSU. He was honoredon three all-America teams in 2009 after leading SDSU in bothtackles for loss (seventeen) and sacks (nine). He was the Missouri Valley Football Conference co-Defensive

Player of the Year and third-place finisher for the Buck BuchananAward as the top defensive player in NCAA Division I FootballChampionship Subdivision ranks.The draft process is over for Batten, but the day the phone rang

with good news from the Bills is a memory he will carry forever.“To be honest, I was so excited because I had been waiting all

day,” he says. “It was instant relief. When I got the call it was super,super exciting.”In addition to Batten, four other Jacks inked free-agent deals

at the conclusion of the NFL draft. It represents SDSU’s largestcontingent of NFL prospects in one year. The others were:• Casey Bender, a 6-foot-6, 285-pound offensive guard, signed with the Cleveland Browns.

• Casey Knips, a 6-foot-8, 306-pound offensive tackle, signed with the Arizona Cardinals.

• Chris Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker, received an invitation to attend a mini-camp with the Chicago Bears.

• Glen Fox, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound wide receiver, earned atryout with the Green Bay Packers.

KYLE JOHNSON

Phone call sends Batten packing for

BUFFALO BILLS

Danny Batten works out at the Buffalo Bills rookie mini-camp afterbeing selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft.

Danny Batten

6 RABBIT TRACKS

September 25 — A date marked in redFANS EAGER TO MEET HUSKERS ON GRIDIRON

Husker fans celebrate a Nebraska touchdown inside Memorial Stadium, which has a capacity of 81,067. Dubbed a “Cathedral of College Football,” the stadium has been sold out for 304

consecutive games to date. This view is from the south end zone.The 3,000 tickets allocated to SDSU for the homecoming game are in the southwest corner.

Three Heisman trophy winners, three Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees, five national titles, 81,067 fans at a home game.

Those are the numbers of Nebraska football. It can beintimidating. It is what SDSU will experience September 25 when the Jackrabbits travel to Lincoln for their first gridironmeeting since 1963. Players aren’t the only ones who have circled the date on their calendars.“It’s going to be historic,” says Phil Carlson, of Brookings,an SDSU season-ticket holder since 2005.“I’ve been a Husker fan since I was a teenager. Now being a

Jackrabbit fan, it will be like a double joy to go to that game,” saysCarlson, who will be attending the game with his wife, Pam, andtheir two daughters as well as a son-in-law and a future son-in-law.Pam Carlson’s brother also lives in Lincoln so a number of

relatives will gather and make the game a reunion as well.

A SEASON-TICKET BOOMSDSU was granted an allotment of 3,000 tickets for the game byNebraska. SDSU football season-ticket holders could purchase up

to six tickets for the game. Carlsons did so. The opportunity tobuy UNL tickets helped convince Larry Janssen to buy SDSUseason tickets for the first time.He is among more than 560 new season-ticket holders in 2010.

That pushes season-ticket holders to a record 2,200.A $100 season ticket (plus a $50 minimum donation to the

Athletic Department) buys a seat to the five home games. If onecould buy a ticket from the Nebraska ticket office for the SDSUgame, the cost would be $55. But the Cornhuskers enter theseason with 304 consecutive sellouts.Jay Bubak and Clint Brown will get into the game for free,

but they’re still scouting for tickets.The Jackrabbit co-defensive coordinators are both Nebraska

natives. The coaches will be able to seat some of their familiesthrough an allotment given to SDSU Athletics, but they will have to tap other contacts to get extended family members into the gates.Raised on a western Nebraska farm four hours from Lincoln,

Bubak’s family isn’t among the Nebraska-ticket holders.

SUMMER 2010 7

GRANDMA WILL BE IN REDBrown, who was raised in the eastern Nebraska town of Arlington,played for the Huskers in the early 1990s. His parents, his wife’sparents, and his grandmother all have season tickets. “I’m sureI’m still going to have to find some tickets for other people,”Brown says.“I hope they’re wearing blue and gold and not red. I’m hoping

the people around them will let it go for one game,” he jokes.Brown says he might actually get his dad to wear blue and gold.

He adds, “I know my grandma won’t. She’s missed one Nebraskahome game in five years. That was last year to go to our NorthernIowa game,” which was SDSU’s homecoming game.

HOMECOMING FOR THE HUSKERSThis year’s game against SDSU is Nebraska’s homecoming. For Janssen, who earned his bachelor’s degree from Nebraska in 1971 and his doctorate in 1978, returning for homecomingadds to the appeal. “I haven’t been back to a homecoming sincemy graduate days.“We’ll get together with friends that were in our wedding and

are Nebraska season-ticket holders, do a little tailgating,” he says.Carlson also says he plans to tailgate and soak in the

atmosphere, but he didn’t say if he would be wearing red or blue. Ron Einspahr, a season-ticket holder for both teams, says,“Haven’t decided what to wear yet, whether a blue sweatshirt or a red hat, red sweatshirt or a blue hat.”But he does know who he will be cheering for—“Being in

a smaller town, you get to know the players and the coaches. I’m sure we’re going to be cheering for the Jacks.”

’RABBITS THAT BLEED REDBut there will be Jackrabbit graduates who will be rooting forNebraska.Among them are Jay Dirksen ’68/’69 and Willie Jones ’07/’09.

Dirksen has been the cross-country coach at Nebraska since 1983.Jones, who played football at State, became an assistant strengthcoach for Nebraska football in summer 2009.During games Jones is on the sidelines as a “get-back coach,”

keeping position coaches from going where they don’t belong.The former Yankton High standout says, “I’m not sure how I’ll

react if they [the Jackrabbits] score a touchdown. There might be a little excitement down deep. I’m always going to be a Jackrabbit,but obviously I hope Nebraska wins.”Dirksen says, “Of course, I want to see Nebraska win but

I wouldn’t feel terrible if it was a close game.”He adds, “I actually can go to a game and be fairly calm.”

That’s not the case with most in the sea of red.

HUSKER FANS ‘LIKE OUR FANS’Coach Brown says, “The fans, to me, are probably some of the bestfans in the country. They’re like our fans. They’re loud, they have agenuine care for Nebraska athletics like our fans, but there are85,000, not 15,000, so it makes a different environment.”

SDSU has played before big crowds in the last two years—46,600 at the Big 12’s Iowa State in 2008, 50,800 at the Big Ten’sMinnesota in 2009, and 19,200 at Montana in 2009— butNebraska is a “totally different atmosphere,” Coach Bubak says.“Same conference [as Iowa State], but Nebraska is definitely anotch above.”Brown wears a ring from the 1994 Husker team that went

13-0 and won Coach Tom Osborne’s first national title.“I don’t know if you can truly prepare the kids for the

atmosphere they’re going to walk into. I don’t think the kids are going to be intimidated by it. The Montana game was goodpreparation. You hope they’re not awestruck,” Brown says.“It’s going to be different than Minnesota or Iowa State. It’s

a different monster. You want to try to silence the crowd if youcan,” he adds.

MEMORIES FROM 1963The 1963 squad didn’t have much luck silencing the crowd. Thatwas the last time SDSU played Nebraska. The Cornhuskers won 58-7 en route to an Orange Bowl season. “It was quite eye opening,”says Ed Maras, a sophomore end on that SDSU team.He was struck by the size of the crowd (34,500) and the size of

the Nebraska football team, both in numbers and weight.Maras, who lives near Des Moines, Iowa, hopes to get a ticket

for the game. Doug Peterson, of Rapid City and quarterback ofthat 1963 team, already has his tickets and will be sharing amedicine bag full of memories during the tailgating session.He broke his ribs while blocking on a punt return late in the

first half and endured a bumpy bus ride home.But the injury isn’t the first thing he thinks about when he

thinks about the game. “The first thing you think about is you had the opportunity to go play against the bigger team. Forty years afterward people are still talking about playing Nebraska,”Peterson notes.“I think we all were somewhat [intimidated]. But once you start

the game, that was all gone,” he adds.Overcoming intimidation wasn’t enough for the Jackrabbits

to overcome ability. Darrel Tramp, an SDSU end, recalls, “Thebackfield guys were so quick and so fast. We hadn’t seen that kind of quickness before. They made one little move and theywere gone.”

BETTER OUTCOME EXPECTED THIS FALLMaras is optimistic about the 2010 Jackrabbits. “They’re probably going to be much more competitive than

we were when we went judged by how well they played againstMinnesota,” he says. State gave up a late fourth-quarter field goal to fall to the Gophers 16-13 in their first meeting since 1933.Einspahr also is optimistic. “I think we can do OK. I don’t

expect SDSU to win, but I don’t think it’s going to be another 1963.”DAVE GRAVES

8 RABBIT TRACKS

INTERNATIONAL FLAVORJackrabbit baseball draws six Canadians across the border

Glove? Check. Bat? Check. Cap? Check. Passport? Check.

The Jackrabbits’ Canadian Club, from left: redshirt freshman outfielder Daniel Telford, of Newmarket,Ontario; sophomore infielder Daniel Marra, of Toronto, Ontario; junior infielder Jesse Sawyer, of Alberta,Calgary; junior utility player Joel Blake, of Langley, British Columbia; freshman pitcher Shane Kraemer,of Vancouver, British Columbia; and sophomore outfielder Zach Rhodes, of Champion, Alberta.

The Jackrabbits’ May 2 game against Centenary started like any other, with the playing of The Star Spangled Banner. However, the Jacks may have been within their rights torequest O Canada as well since five of the starters on the State team were citizens from our neighbor to the north.

In all, the Jacks had six Canadians on the 2010 roster: junior utility player Joel Blake, of Langley,British Columbia; freshman pitcher Shane Kraemer, of Vancouver, British Columbia; sophomoreinfielder Daniel Marra, of Toronto, Ontario; sophomore outfielder Zach Rhodes, of Champion,Alberta; junior infielder Jesse Sawyer, of Alberta, Calgary; and redshirt freshman outfielder Daniel Telford, of Newmarket Ontario.Against Centenary, the Jacks’ lineup included Blake at first base, Kraemer pitching, Rhodes

as the designated hitter, Sawyer at third base, and Telford in left field with Marra injured andwatching from the sidelines. The Canadian players were instrumental in the Jacks’ 10-6 victory,accounting for six runs, four hits, and five runs batted in. Blake got the scoring started in earnest for the Jacks with a two-run single in the team’s

five-run third inning and Sawyer posted the fifth two home-run game of his collegiate career and his second of the season.“They’re making contributions, that’s for sure,” says head coach Ritchie Price of the

Canadian contingent.

AS AN ASSISTANT, PRICE MADECANADIAN CONNECTIONSix international players is a high numberfor a Summit League team. A check ofrosters shows only three other Canadianplayers in the league—two at North DakotaState University in Fargo and one on theCentenary squad out of Shreveport,Louisiana. As an assistant coach, Price’s first

recruiting class in 2008 included fourCanadian players.“I’ve got a couple connections up there,”

Price says. “We’re always looking for thebest players and they happened to be theseguys from Canada.”When Price is looking for the best

players, geography isn’t one of his concerns.Recruiting players from Canada, Price

says, “is no different than getting kids fromTexas. It’s where we’re located geographically.”

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, DIVISION I LURE PLAYERSAccording to Price, SDSU has successrecruiting Canadian players because offavorable scholarships and tuition rates. “One of the reasons we’ve had some

success is that baseball is a partialscholarship sport and SDSU has a verycompetitive international tuition rate,”

Price explains. “It works to our advantage on the financial side.”Money aside, players were also

interested in the chance to play baseball for a Division I program.“Baseball is pretty good in Canada,”

Sawyer says, “but this is Division I. It’s as good as it gets.”Canadian teammate Blake echoes that

sentiment: “I wanted to play Division I. It’s a great program, and they gave me thechance to play every day and compete.”

SDSU OPPORTUNITIES MEAN FEW TRIPS HOMEJuniors Blake and Sawyer are the elderCanadian members of the team. Bothplayers, along with Rhodes, were recruitedfrom the Prairie Baseball Academy inLethbridge, Alberta, the equivalent of a junior college in the United States.As a sport, baseball travels well from

Canada to the United States. The playerssay the only change they had to make intheir game was putting aside their woodenbats and getting accustomed to hitting withbats made from aluminum.“It’s not a tough transition to make,”

Sawyer says and the proof of his statementis in the fact that Sawyer and Blake arelisted among the leaders in most of theJackrabbit squad’s offensive categories.Like other international students, the

Canadians have to weigh the benefitsoffered by SDSU against the fact that trips back home will be infrequent.“You get used to it,” Sawyer says of lifefar from Alberta, Calgary. “I really enjoy it in Brookings.”Blake got accustomed to long trips

home while at the baseball academy thatwas a good fourteen hours away from hishome in Langley, British Columbia. “I miss my family and friends, but

everyone does,” Blake says. “Playing sportsand having teammates helps the most. Assoon as you get to a different school youautomatically have thirty best friends tokeep you company and help you through it.”

PLAYERS HOPE BASEBALLJOURNEY CONTINUES AFTER STATESawyer, who plays third base for the Jacks,enjoys watching when another thirdbaseman—Alex Rodriguez—gets up to the plate. “I like watching great hittershit,” he explains.For his part, Blake tries to emulate the

hustle of Pete Rose. “I’m a strong believerin if you play hard, you’ll get results.”Blake is a sociology major and Sawyer

is majoring in health, physical education,and recreation. Neither player would mindputting their post-college careers on holdto keep playing baseball.“I’ve talked to a few teams,” Sawyer says.

“I’d like to keep it going a little bit longer.”Blake concurs, and he’s not opposed to

taking his baseball skills to yet anothercountry.“I hope to play as long as my body will

let me,” Blake says. “If I don’t get drafted, I’d like to play pro ball, maybe in Australia,and see a different part of the world.”

DANA HESS

SUMMER 2010 9

Top: Sophomore Zach Rhodes fields a high bounder while seeing some rare action in leftfield against Oral Roberts University May 8. He played in fifty games, usually as the DH.

Bottom: Junior third baseman Jesse Sawyer lead SDSU with nineteen home runs in sixtygames, all of which he started.

“BASEBALL IS PRETTY GOOD IN

CANADA, BUT THIS IS DIVISION I.

IT’S AS GOOD AS IT GETS.”

– JESSE SAWYER

JACKRABBIT THIRD BASEMAN

Balancing motherhood and a career isnever easy. But when at home they call

you Mom and at work they call you Coach,your footwork needs to be a bit fancierthan most.Just ask Katie Falco and Nanabah Allison-

Brewer. If you can catch them.Both women delivered the most recent

addition to their families within a day ofeach other. Allison-Brewer gave birth May12 to her third child, Tahchuhsee, littlebrother to sisters I’yawa, 7, and See-na-ne, 4.On May 13, Falco delivered Jillian, hersecond child and little sister to brotherDominic, who will be 3 in October. The formula for making it work reads

differently for every family, but one commonfactor is a strong support system comprisedmainly of the very people who make up thefamily and the job being balanced.For Falco, who will begin her third season

as assistant women’s basketball coach this fall,coming from her first coaching job atMontana State, success has revolved aroundher husband and high school sweetheartDavid, who has been a stay-at-home dadsince Dominic was born.“It’s a fantastic situation,” Falco says.

“College athletics is very demanding, with theamount of travel we have. Every seasonvaries slightly, but on average we’re goneevery other week. We leave on a Friday, playtwo games, and return on Tuesday.“David is a constant figure when I’m gone.

I know our children are in good hands. Hehas an unbelievable gift, and I’m proud ofhim. I feel so grateful to have such asupportive husband.”Early in their careers, Allison-Brewer and

her husband, Joseph, made sacrifices foreach other in order to get to where they aretoday.“I coached high school volleyball while he

pursued his master’s and doctorate degree,”she says. “Afterwards, he let me apply forcollege coaching positions, which havedictated where we live.”Allison-Brewer was an assistant coach at

Dartmouth College in New Hampshirebefore coming to State, where her husband isan assistant professor and director of theAmerican Indian Studies program.“It’s exciting to say we’re now at a place

where we can both fulfill our professional

goals and dreams,” she says. “I’m verythankful that our professional careerscompliment one another so we can be therefor our children.”She’s also looking forward to her family

joining her on the road a time or two.“I’m hoping they can make a couple trips,”

she says. “SDSU administration encouragesthe coaches to take family when we canbecause of the rigor of our travel scheduleduring the season. The coaching season isnot an eight-to-five, Monday-through-Friday job. We are constantly in and out, sosharing a travel weekend with my familywhile on the road would be nice.”Coworkers, supervisors, and team

members also put forth their own generousshare of familial support.“The coaches and players on the team have

been amazing in showing interest in our kids,”Falco says. “The Athletic Department as awhole tries to provide that familylikeatmosphere. My family is able to stop up ona workday and say hi. Come to have lunchwith me. Poke their head in at the end ofpractice. You have to have that with thehours Division I athletics requires.”

A family-friendly atmosphere, bothwomen say, was an important considerationin their coming to SDSU.“From the start, I wanted to know about

the athletic culture at SDSU,” Allison-Brewersays. “Is it a family-oriented environment?The responses from the staff and communitywere nothing but positive. Plus, seeing thelongevity of the coaching staff showed methey had the support and that the Brookingscommunity had to be a great place to raise afamily. It is!“You must be creative, at times, and willing

to ask for help. Other major support groupshave been my church members and otherwomen mentors in the field of coaching.”It all boils down to personal priorities and

holding them in balance.“I love coaching, and I love the athletic

environment,” Falco says. “SDSU provides a place where I can do both successfully. To have my family directly involved in mycareer makes me a better coach and a betterparent because it puts things in perspective.”

CINDY RICKEMAN

10 RABBIT TRACKS

With a little help from their friendsCOACHING MOMS BALANCE WORK, FAMILY

Meet the newest members of the SDSU Athletic Department family. Volleyball coach Nanabah Allison-Brewer, left, holds her son, Tahchuhsee, who was born May 12. Assistant women's basketball coachKatie Falco holds her daughter, Jillian, who was born May 13. The photo was taken July 2 at FrostArena, where both women coach.

SUMMER 2010 11

Many baseball players dream of making it to the major leagues. For four former Jackrabbits, that dream might

someday become a reality as they work their way through theminors for three National League clubs.

RABBITS IN THE MINORS:Outfielder Craig Perry, of Colstrip, Montana, drafted in 2008 by the Pittsburgh Pirates.In his third year in the minors, Perry isin his second year in the Pirates’ farm system with the Class Low A State College Spikes in the New York-Pennsylvania League.

Pitcher Caleb Thielbar, of Randolph, Minnesota, drafted in 2009 by the Milwaukee Brewers.The left-hander is in his secondseason in the Milwaukee farm system, pitching this year for theWisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Class A Midwest League.

First baseman Korby Mintken, of Blair, Nebraska, signed as afree agent by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009.In his second yearin the minors, Mintken is playing this year for the ClearwaterThreshers in the Class A Advanced Florida State League.

DRAFTED, NOT SIGNED:Pitcher Blake Treinen, of Osage City, Kansas, was taken by theFlorida Marlins in the twenty-third round of June’s Major LeagueBaseball First-Year Draft. A junior at the time of the draft, theright-hander reported for his physical and it was discovered hehad inflammation in his throwing arm. Consequently, the Marlinsdidn’t offer Treinen a contract and he will be back at SDSU for hissenior season.

Three Jacks working their way through

THE MINOR LEAGUES

Company signage, such as at the Frost Arena scoreboard, is amongthe benefits of helping to sponsor SDSU athletics.

GIFTS IN KIND ALWAYS WELCOMEThere are many ways that fans and friends of the AthleticDepartment can be involved with the programs they enjoy. According to Mike Burgers, associate athletic director for

development, those include word-of-mouth, volunteerism,monetary donations, or, as in the case of Bowes Construction,gifts in kind.Bowes Construction makes its donations by providing services,

materials, or labor for building projects at athletic facilities oncampus.“The sheer number of student-athletes impacted is phenomenal,”Burgers says of the work provided by Bowes Construction.Individuals or firms that would like to make similar contributions

should contact Burgers at 605-697-7475 ormike.burgers@sdsufoundation.org.

Twenty businesses form the core of the corporate sponsorshipprogram. However, there are likely to be other promotional

opportunities for businesses that would like to see their nameslinked to SDSU athletics.“There are a lot of other businesses that want to help us,”

says Leon Costello, senior associate athletic director-external.

And it’s his job to find ways for those businesses to help.

By using his experience in developing media contracts and special interest programs, Costello hopes to increase the number of sponsorship opportunities associated with the Athletic Department.

“We’re going to protect those core twenty,” Costello says by making sure they’re the first to hear about new sponsorshipopportunities. “But we’re sure that as the number of opportunitiesgrow, so will the number of businesses that sign on.”

Business owners interested in sponsorship opportunities forSDSU athletic programs should contact Costello at 605-688-6294 or Leon.Costello@sdstate.edu.

SDSU working on more

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Former Jackrabbit standout Michelle(Rahe) Friedrich is in two fields that continue to grow: health care and soccer.

The former soccer midfielder is back inBrookings where she set many records forthe then-fledgling women’s soccer program.Friedrich moved to Phoenix after graduationin 2005, but she found her way back toBrookings in 2008 and purchased Kendall’sHome Medical Services, a medical equipmentand supply company, in 2009.“Health care, there’s always going to

be a need for it,” says Friedrich, a businesseconomics major at State. “I enjoy workingwith the people.”Her professional enjoyment

in Brookings was tempered,however, by the tug to return tothe soccer field. Unfortunately,Brookings doesn’t have anything like the adult soccer league she played for in Phoenix.

Ultimately Friedrich did get back on the soccer field. But this time instead ofbeing a player, she’s a coach.

YOUNG PLAYERS LOWER COLLEGE STAR’S INTENSITYFor two years she’s been coaching 9- and10-year-olds. Friedrich admits it’s quite a change to go from the discipline of acollege team to coaching some of theyoungest players in the game.“You definitely have to change your

mindset,” Friedrich says. “You have toreduce the intensity.”For a relatively new coach, Friedrich

seems to have already developed a prettysolid philosophy.“We have fun, absolutely,” Friedrich

tells her players. “We work as a team, make friends, and develop a work ethic.”Friedrich’s experience as a member of

the SDSU team gave her instant credibilitywith the young players.“They love that I used to be a Jackrabbit,”

Friedrich says. “Ask any of them, and they’llsay they want to play for the Jackrabbits.”

FRIEDRICH RECRUITS ANOTHER SOCCER FANFriedrich’s recruiting efforts for the sport ofsoccer go beyond the young team she coaches.Friedrich met her husband, Corey, who

farms east of Brookings, after her collegeplaying days were over. She’s still a fan ofJackrabbit soccer, however, and frequentlygoes to the games accompanied by Corey,who had never seen a soccer game prior to getting to know his future wife.“I even made my husband a soccer

fan,” Friedrich says with pride.

FORMER COACH WELCOMESFRIEDRICH TO SIDELINESFriedrich finds the transition from playerto coach interesting and rewarding.

“It’s kind of fun being on the other sideof it,” Friedrich says. “I’ve got a differentappreciation of what a coach goes through.”As for her former coach, he’s happy

Friedrich has joined the sideline fraternity,sharing her knowledge of the game.“I think it’s wonderful that she’s coaching

in Brookings now,” says women’s soccercoach Lang Wedemeyer. “Not only is shegiving back to the game itself, but to thecommunity as well.”It’s only natural that Friedrich give back

to a game that she says has given her so much.“Being a student-athlete gave me the

work ethic and drive to do whatever I want to do,” Friedrich says. “I appreciatedthe opportunity to be a Jackrabbit, to be astudent-athlete, to be part of somethingthat was greater than yourself.”

FRIEDRICH SIDELINED BYSOCCER’S NEWEST FANNow Friedrich needs to bring the workethic and drive that has served her so wellin business and on the soccer field to yetanother growing endeavor—her family. Friedrich has once again stepped away

from the sport she loves, taking a leavefrom coaching while preparing for thebirth of her first child in July.

DANA HESS

12 RABBIT TRACKS

FRIEDRICH RETURNS TO SOCCER FIELDthis time as coach

Where are they now?

Michelle (Rahe) Friedrich scored ten goals for SDSU during her four-year (2001-04) career as a midfielder at State.

Michelle (Rahe) Friedrich holds a photo ofthe Brookings soccer team she coached.

AARON PICKREL, WATERTOWNFRESHMAN, WRESTLING Why did you choose SDSU?I chose SDSU because I liked how close it was to home so that my family can always watch and support us. I also liked what it has to offer as far as helping me succeed in my major of premed. I liked the coaches and liked my chances of getting a starting spot early in my career.

What has your scholarship meant to you?My scholarship has been meaningful to me because it has helped me be able to succeedand focus only on school and wrestling because it makes it possible for me to not need ajob throughout the school year.

ANGELA GEBHART, MAPLE GROVE, MINNESOTAJUNIOR, EQUESTRIAN Why did you choose SDSU?SDSU piqued my interest because of the equestrian team. I ultimately decided to attendbecause of the feel of the campus. The first time I visited Brookings, I felt at home. I loved thefact that I could see the horse barns from my dorm room and the small-town feel of the campus.

What has your scholarship meant to you?I don't remind myself often enough of how blessed I am to have received a scholarship to do what I love at school—ride horses. Embracing this new style of competition andhorsemanship as part of the equestrian team has taught me more about being a betterhorsewoman than I ever thought I could be in just three years. The scholarship has also let me see so many vast areas of the country. I love the feeling of going to learn about a new place of the country and see their horses!

CLINT SARGENT, SOUTH SIOUX CITY, NEBRASKAJUNIOR, BASKETBALL Why did you choose SDSU?I chose SDSU because of the coaching staff, players, and the opportunity to play Division I basketball.

What has your scholarship meant to you?My scholarship has meant everything to me. It has allowed me to achieve one of my dreams in playing Division I basketball. It has also given me the opportunity to get a good education as well as meet a lot of great people.

REBECCA SWORDS, ROSEMOUNT, MINNESOTASOPHOMORE, GOLF Why did you choose SDSU?Choosing SDSU was a hard decision. I'm from the city, so a small town was definitely going to be something new! However, I liked the size of the school and wanted to play Division I golf.

What has your scholarship meant to you?My scholarship has kept me going. There have been a number of times when I've wanted to just give up, but I knew that the money was important, and if I kept working hard andimproving, I could only hope that it would increase.

SUMMER 2010 13

JOHN BISSON, STURGISJUNIOR, SWIMMING Why did you choose SDSU?I chose SDSU because of its great academic value. I have had many friends and family members attend SDSU, and they have all been pleased with the exceptional level of education.

What has your scholarship meant to you?My athletic and academic scholarships from SDSU have improved my college experience by freeing up time that I would otherwise have to spend working. The scholarships haveallowed me to become more involved with campus activities.

Why I chose SDSU

Decades of champions grasp Jackrabbit pride All-male track meets seem as ancient as an 880-yard run on acinder track. But until the early 1970s, SDSU women weren’t running miles

or meters. By 1973, while a woman (Barb Strandell) was leadingstudent government, Sexauer Field was still an all-male domain.But the 1972 passage of Title IX would bring change.By 1974 SDSU not only fielded a team, it was also winning state

titles in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.While the SDSU record books can date volleyball matches

and basketball games to 1966, a formal track program didn’t come until later. The team’s first mention in the yearbook was1974, when hurdler Lavone Opitz received the first women’sathletic scholarship.It was 1976 when SDSU began awarding letters to its female track

team. The first North Central Conference track meet was 1979.“We were just so happy we got to compete at the college level,”

says Fran Hoogestraat ’79, who was one of twenty-two Jackrabbitson the 1976 team that earned the first letters for women’s trackand field. “A lot of the girls now think they’re entitled to things. We

didn’t think that way. We were really proud when we got to travel and South Dakota State was represented,” she says.

FINDING EARLY SUCCESSWhile women’s track and field could be considered an expansionprogram, it was by no means fledgling. “The girls at South DakotaState really excelled,” recalls Hoogestraat, who transferred to Stateafter one semester at the University of South Dakota-Springfield.“All these kids you read about in high school were at South

Dakota State” as few considered out-of-state schools. In Hoogestraat’s freshman year (1976), she competed in

the AIAW nationals along with teammate and fellow thrower Pam Porter. The squad also included premier distance runner Sue Thomas and Opitz, both of whose resumes also includenational meet experience.

The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women didn’t classify its membership. So that 1976 national meet at the University of California-Los Angeles featured Bruins,Jackrabbits, Cornhuskers, and athletes from schools of all sizes.

A CHANCE TO COMPETE“At the time I don’t think we knew any different,” says LunetteBirrenkott ’78, a sprinter from Lemmon.“ We were all just female athletes. There weren’t as many

women involved. The women that were involved didn’t have all the training programs” so the skill levels between athletes in big and small schools were not as great, Birrenkott explains.“We were all just women athletes.”

Hoogestraat adds, “There was no such thing as recruiting. I remember getting one recruiting note.” Teammates Birrenkott and Hoogestraat agree that the joy was

in the journey. Birrenkott says, “It was just so nice to be with anumber of people that wanted to be competitive. It was more of a competitive environment than at high school, and we had theopportunity to feel like an athlete.”And SDSU had successful women athletes. In 1975, the state-

champion team won every meet in which it entered.

THE MARSKE LEGENDThe yearbook reports that Coach Ruth Marske said she washaving trouble getting other South Dakota schools to competeagainst the Jacks, so she would be looking for competition in Iowa and Minnesota for the 1976 track season.Hoogestraat says, “Because she [Marske] hadn’t gotten that

opportunity, she was more committed to seeing that we got that opportunity. “She was very much fighting for opportunities for us girls .

She and Jay [Dirksen, the men’s coach] fought for us to competebeyond the region. We weren’t held back. ‘If they can do this goodat Kansas [Relays], where else can they go?’“I had never seen a woman like that before. She was a great

role model. I’m sure she’s the reason I went into coaching,”Hoogestraat says.

TRACK & FIELD

14 RABBIT TRACKS

WOMEN’SSPORTSHISTORYA S E R I E S

Kristin (Asp) Schoffman, right, runs to victory in the 3,000 meters at the 1984 NCAA Division II national championship in CapeGirardeau, Missouri. Her time of 9:28.41 remains a school record.

SUMMER 2010 15

SHAPING THE FUTUREHoogestraat ended up coaching fifteen years at Vanderbilt, andnow is doing private coaching with high school throwers in theNashville area. Birrenkott coached for thirteen years at Rapid City Stevens as well as a few years in Tacoma, Washington.Birrenkott also remembers being influenced by Coaches

Geraldine Crabbs, Norma Boetel, and Sue Yeager.“I remember those names pretty fast. They went to bat for

the programs from the administration,” Birrenkott says. While the coaches argued for better funding of women’s programs, the matter wasn’t an issue at the athlete level, she says.Hoogestraat says, “There weren’t ever locker room discussions

like ‘What are the men getting that we aren’t getting?’”

ASP CONTINUES PROGRAM’S SUCCESSKristin (Asp) Schoffman ’86 says during her years on campus thefocus continued to be more on track titles than Title IX. Marske“was big into Title IX. I never really worried about that. I just didwhat I did. I went out and ran,” the 1984 national champ says.She does recall, “Our meal allowance was $3 per meal. That

doesn’t go very far. It didn’t then either.”Asp was a scholarship recruit from Lamberton, Minnesota.

She found immediate success and became the program’s firstfour-time All-American (1981-84). The 9:28.41 she ran in winning the 3,000 meters at 1984 Division II championship is still a school record.Asp, now of Eagan, Minnesota, also still holds marks in the

5,000 and 10,000 meters (16:25.25 and 35:02.60, respectively.)Looking back on her SDSU experience, Asp certainly recalls

her winning kick to win the 3,000-meter national championshipat Cape Girardeau, Missouri, but also the joy of teammatescheering everybody on, and the hard work to achieve individualand team goals.“That work ethic sticks with a person for the rest of their

life. You work, you strive to improve,” Asp says.

HARD WORK TRANSCENDS GENERATIONSJennifer (Bass) Hoffer, the 1999 national champion pole vaulter,agrees. “I learned how to accomplish things and set goals. I haveno fear I can accomplish anything I decide to accomplish becauseI’ve done it through that experience in track,” Bass says. Winning the national championship in pole vaulting wasn’t

her goal when she graduated from high school.In fact, Bass ’99 walked onto to the SDSU team after

graduating in 1994 from Heron Lake-Okabena High School in Minnesota. During her first year at State she entered 400- and 800-meter races but wasn’t turning heads.

THE POWER OF PERSEVERANCE“I decided I didn’t fit in. So I didn’t go out in the fall. After a month I decided I missed it too much and went back out,” Bass says.Her decision was wise, but it took perseverance to bring

fruit. In her sophomore year she tried the 400 hurdles and entered a couple heptathlons. “I had a lot of skills, but nothing I was extravagant at,” says Bass, who now lives in Harrisburg.That changed in the fall of her junior year, when coaches

invited any team member to try pole vaulting.For years, pole vaulting had been like the two-mile run.

It was considered appropriate for men but too strenuous forwomen. That thinking had begun to change even before 1996with the USA Track and Field sponsoring the event in its meets.In fact, Jill Nuttbrock ’94 was having success in those meets

and worked as a grad assistant when Bass started.

VAULTING TO SUCCESS“I did well initially. It was one of those things that was just funcompared to other things in track. I discovered early on that polevaulters were very friendly, especially at meets. You get to hangaround and talk to others,” says Bass, who continued to hurdle.“A lot of that first year was just exhibition. I don’t ever

remember having contests” in which team points could be earned, she recalls.That changed in 1998, when the women’s pole vault was

contested at the North Central Conference meet. Bass was the champion with a vault of 11-1. “I had some speed, but notsprinter speed. I had some jumping ability, but never great. Polevault put together the things that I was good at,” Bass explains.

A FRUITFUL EXTRA SEASONIn 1998, Bass was a senior, but thanks to an injury that forced herto redshirt in 1996, she had a year of outdoor eligibility remaining.During 1999, Bass competed unattached during the indoor

season and then won every meet she entered during the outdoorseason. The only meet at which she didn’t win a title was theHoward Wood Dakota Relays, which she skipped to graduate with a double major in horticulture and landscape.

Fran Hoogestraat ’79may have worn anAfro and suspenders,but it was her ability that really made her stand out. Shequalified for AIAWnationals as afreshman and her153-foot discus throw in 1976 stillranks sixth in SDSU’sall-time marks.

16 RABBIT TRACKS

WOMEN’SSPORTSHISTORY

Bass won the conference meet with a vault of 12-0 and headed for the Division II national championship May 28.She was a favorite for the first women’s outdoor pole vault

championship and had cleared 12-2 during the season. But Bassnotes “you always have nerves when you compete. I rememberbeing nervous, but not extremely nervous. “I remember my family was there, and they looked morenervous than me. I wasn’t worried about missing twice and having to make it on a third attempt. This meet I made everysingle jump on the first attempt.”She entered the competition at 10-6 and won with a mark

of 12-7 ½, which, eleven years later, remains the school record.

A LONG-STANDING RECORDBass closed the competition at 12-9. “They were all horribleattempts because obviously I had accomplished what I wanted to,” she recalls. Clearing 12-9 would qualify her to compete in theUSA Track and Field Outdoor Championship in Eugene, Oregon.She cleared 12-9 ½ at a qualifier in Blaine, Minnesota, June 13

and on June 26 was one of twenty-three competitors at Eugene.Bass had to cancel her wedding shower to go to Eugene, and

then finished twelfth with a vault of 12-3. For a while, that seemedlike the end of the line. “I decided I missed it too much and triedto give it another shot,” Bass explains.Perseverance paid off again. She was able to compete in the

Olympic Trials in Sacramento, California, where she cleared 13-1¼ in winter 2000 and then put her poles away, four years aftertaking a chance on a new event and finding life-defining success.

THIRD TIME WAS A CHARMBass was SDSU’s first national champ since 1994, when Ann (Westby) Lamer won the 10,000-meter run.Unlike Bass, who was competing in the pole vault every

chance she got, Westby was only running her third 10K of the season when she won the 6.2-mile race in 35:22.34, whichranks fifth on the school’s all-time list. What made her timeremarkable were the conditions.“About halfway through the race, dark clouds came in,the wind came up, and it was pouring,” Westby says.She followed that effort with a third-place finish in the

5,000 meters and the Jackrabbits finished eighth as a team. That remains the squad’s second highest finish at a nationaloutdoor meet. The top placing was third by the 1982 squad, lead by 10K champ Audrey Stavrum and fellow distance runners Nancy Gieske and Asp.

A SEVEN-TIME ALL-AMERICANAt the 800 meters, no one in the program’s history outshines Kim Fordham Lien, a four-time All-American.In addition to four top-five placings in the outdoor 800 and

a school record of 2:06.24, Fordham was a three-time indoor All-American and won national titles in 1988 and 1989. Her 1988mark of 2:11.37 remains the school record by more than a second.

At that point, Division IInational champs could advanceto compete in the Division Inational championships.After 1988 that was

discontinued, but Fordhamcounts the Division I nationalsat Raleigh, North Carolina, asone of her career highlights,although it “wasn’t my best race.I got boxed in. I was scared, I was nervous, but it was areally good experience.“Suzy Favor was running in

the other heat. You walk on the track and go ‘whoa,’” saysFordham, who now lives in her hometown of Aberdeen.Suzy Favor Hamilton was named one of the top 100 high

school athletes of the century, became the winningest femalecollegiate athlete ever at University of Wisconsin, was named the Big Ten Athlete of the Decade for the ’90s, and was a three-time Olympian.

INSPIRED BY MARQUEE ATHLETESWalking on the same stage as the nation’s elite can inspire,according to Sara Ackman, who graduated this spring.In her freshman year, the Grove City, Minnesota, native was

young enough and good enough to compete at the USA JuniorOutdoor Track and Field Championships during the summer of2006 in Indianapolis. She was named a junior All-American, butmore importantly was influenced by the senior All-Americans. “You could see all the really great athletes. It gave me a drive

to see how far I could go,” Ackman says.The thrower went where no SDSU women’s track and field

member has gone before. Twice she qualified to compete in theDivision I national championship. Ackman finished twenty-firstin 2009 and closed her career with a twenty-second-place finish.

‘GREAT BEING A JACKRABBIT’During the 2009 season Ackman left her mark on the SDSUrecord book in the discus, indoor and outdoor shot put, and the weight throw.“There have been ups and downs, but I’ve had some really great

coaches. They’ve definitely prepared me in the weight room andgiven me confidence,” she says. When Ackman started competingoutside the area, people would ask if she was San Diego State.“It was exciting when people started to recognize the Jacks

as a DI school. It’s been great being a Jackrabbit.”And that’s a sentiment today’s athletes share with the program’s

pioneers nearly forty years ago.DAVE GRAVES

Sara Ackman, a two-timenational qualifier in the discus.

SUMMER 2010 17

Program finds new life playing in DI flight

IF YOU COULD BE ANY ANIMAL, WHAT WOULD IT BE?Should that question be posed to the SDSU women’s tennisprogram, the answer would have to be the phoenix. Like the bird of Greek legend, the once proud SDSU women’s tennisprogram has risen from death and is starting to regain the respect it held nearly forty years ago.The birth date for the program isn’t certain, but University

photo archives hold team pictures dating to 1970.No mention of the team is found in the SDSU yearbook until

the 1974-75 season, and letters weren’t awarded until fall 1975.Women’s athletics in the early 1970s existed below the level ofpublic awareness, but Coach Geraldine Crabbs knew she had a good team.SDSU claimed the title in a tournament with other in-state teams

in 1974-77 and 1979 while finishing second in 1978 and 1980.There was no team in 1981. In 1982 the women competed in

the North Central Conference for the first time. (Previously, Stateplayed under the umbrella of the Association for IntercollegiateAthletics for Women, which guided women’s sports before theNCAA stepped in.)

IT LOOKED LIKE THE ENDIn the 1982 NCC tournament, State finished second, the highestconference finish to date.In 1983, Penny Narum was the only returning player for the

Jacks, which finished 2-9 and scored zero points in the NorthCentral Conference tournament. That also was the season thatSDSU put the program on its funeral pyre.Due to budget cuts, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s golf,

and women’s gymnastics were eliminated.

BACK TO LIFE, BARELYTennis remained in ashes through the 1991 season. But unlike thephoenix, Jackrabbit women’s tennis didn’t rise as a supernaturalcreature when the program resumed in 1992. The team finishedlast or next to last at almost every North Central tournament inthe years that followed.The Jacks only had two-thirds of a team in 1992. Two girls

started in the fall and two more joined after Christmas break.In the following years the team gained more players, but no

accolades. No coach stayed longer than two years. So when then-Athletic Director Fred Oien approached Don Hanson in fall 1998about directing the program, it’s understandable that Hanson said no.

Hanson, a SouthDakota native, hadbeen a teacher andcoach in Australiasince earning hismaster’s at SDSU in 1969.But by 1999 he

had retired after aforty-year career ineducation and was thinking about his mother, who still lived in Clear Lake. Later he decided he wanted to come back to see his mother and coach tennis in the spring, and Oien welcomedhim aboard.

COMING BACK HOMEHanson arrived for the spring 2001 season, five years before SDSU began playing at the Division I level. While playing a varsity schedule, the program “was more

of a club sport” at that time, says Hanson, noting he had noscholarships to offer. “When I got there, it was being coached by a grad assistant [Kyle Groos] from the football program.“When we were Division II, it was exciting. We’d go out in

the spring and see who was there,” Hanson says.Now Hanson doesn’t have the excitement of seeing who will

show up at the first practice. He has scholarships to offer and bythe 2011-12 season will be able to offer six scholarships, which is still two short of the maximum allowed by the NCAA.

TRAVEL CONTRASTS: NORTHFIELD OR LAS VEGASWhile the program still faces challenges, “We’re competitivewherever we go, and we’re going to get better,” Hanson says.And the team does a lot of going. “We’re forced to hit above

our weight with inadequate facilities. Therefore, in the ten yearsI’ve been there we’ve had probably five matches at home. We travela lot,” he says. This spring’s schedule had two trips to Orlando andtwo to Las Vegas.Mary Vickery ’78 also remembers traveling a lot when she

played in fall seasons from 1974 to 1977.Vickery, who still lives in her hometown of Sioux Falls, and

teammates such as Dawn Johnson, Mary Dunhom, and CherylWilliams drove to Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota; the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, and Columbia (Missouri)College. But Vickery says the team felt privileged because other in-state

teams didn’t travel outside of South Dakota.

IMPROVED BY TOUGH COMPETITIONShe credits that to Coach Geraldine Crabbs. “She was a smart ladywho knew a lot about tennis. She fought for the tennis programwhen it wasn’t the highest regarded program on campus. Shefought for us to take the trips. No other small team made trips like that,” Vickery says.

TENNISMinion (Volin) Schwebach ’73 returns avolley at McDougall Courts on the SDSUcampus May 8, 1973. Schwebach, amember of the South Dakota Tennis Hall ofFame, never lost a match in her collegecareer.

18 RABBIT TRACKS

WOMEN’SSPORTSHISTORYEven after Crabbs retired, the team continued to go to Missouri

and once made a side trip to Kansas City Royals game.Private schools such as Columbia and those in the Twin Cities

provided good competition for the Jacks. “We had fun winningstate [AIAW] tournaments but we almost had more fun traveling.We played a lot higher level tennis,” Vickery says.

IT’S A DIFFERENT GAMEKate Wylie, a 2008 graduate, can say the same thing.“I always had fun even if I was losing. I might get mad at myself,

but the losing made me a better player and work harder to try andbeat them,” says Wylie, who played No. 1 flight at some point in allfour of her seasons at State, including all matches as a senior.The opponents that Wylie struggled against weren’t the caliber

that Vickery mastered in the mid-1970s.Rob Wylie ’76, Kate’s father and a four-year letterman on the

SDSU tennis team, observes, “There is no sport, tennis included,that the quality of talent, the conditioning of the players, and theimprovement of the equipment has not risen tremendously.“Tennis is a much more demanding sport than in my day.

The rigor of the talent and the rigors of the game have stepped up tremendously.“How they serve, how they hit their ground strokes, how

they cover the court is so much better,” says Wylie.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DI AND DIIConsequently, even though SDSU fields a much more talentedteam, its win-lose record still tilts toward the latter.Coach Hanson gives an example of the difference between

Division II and Division I. St. Cloud (Minnesota) State had always dominated SDSU when both played in the NCC. St. Cloud, the top-ranked Division II team in the region, hostedSDSU this spring and lost 5-4.“We played extremely well. We had just come from Florida” and

Las Vegas, playing nine matches against DI schools, Hanson says.

2011 BRINGING TOURNAMENT TO BROOKINGSSDSU will continue to make those trips and in 2011 will host aSummit League playoff match for the first time. In The Summit,conference teams gather twice each spring for a round-robintournament with the top four teams advancing to the leaguetournament.Because there is no indoor competition court in Brookings,

Sioux Valley Fitness in Sioux Falls is the backup facility.Kate Wylie says, “I grew up without any indoor court in Pierre

and there’s only one [practice] court in Brookings, which we couldgo to between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., and we had to share it with themen, avoid the basketball rims, and deal with narrow out-of-bounds areas.”Her opponents often were foreign-born players who were

raised in tennis academies and go to schools with six to eightindoor courts.SDSU’s long-range plan calls for an indoor facility north of

the football stadium.

Hanson says of SDSU women’s tennis, “It’s an up-and-comingprogram. It’s fun to be a part of it. That’s why I keep coming back.One reason I came back is so I could work more and more ondeveloping an indoor facility. After being here ten years, I do have a lot of alumni and some of them are very successful. “It’s fun to be developing. Basketball and football—they’re the

beacon on the top of the lighthouse. We’re just starting up thestairs. We want to light one of the candles in the window.”

DAVE GRAVES

A year to remember—1996 softball team produced State’sonly NCAA appearanceFor forty years SDSU women have been giving their best effort on the diamond, but one season stands out among all the others.That was 1996, the year the Jackrabbits won forty-three games

and hosted the NCAA Central Regional softball tournament. The team was coached by Tracie Derochie, a grad assistant. In

just one season, Derochie’s win total ranks seventh on the careerwin list among the thirteen coaches to have led the Jackrabbits.Her winning percentage of .662 is second among coaches withmore than twelve games.“I’m pretty proud of what we did,” says Derochie, who was at

State to work on her master’s degree.The team was coming off its first winning season since

1980. The Jackrabbits had gone 26-23 in 1995 with a young

SOFTBALL

While the win-loss continues to be a challenge, Coach Don Hanson sawpromise in his 2009-10 team. In addition to improvement on the court, henotes that every player earned a Summit League Academic Excellenceaward. Pictured, front row, from left, are, Katie Elifson, Caitlin Brannen, CarrieJansen, Nellie Bloomberg, and Megan McDougall. Back row: StudentAssistant Coach Michael Engdahl, Emma Wylie, Bethany Goeden, MollyJohnson, Bryna Nasenbeny, and Hanson.

SUMMER 2010 19

but developing squad. Optimism fueled the players’ offseasonworkouts, but just before Christmas break they were dealt a jolt.Beth Kirchner, who had coached the team for the past four

years, was heading to Kentucky to start the softball program there.

‘A DIFFICULT TRANSITION’“A lot of us, like me, were emotionally attached to Beth,” says Jen(Crawford) Lidel ’97, the catcher. “It was a difficult transition”from coaches with contrasting styles. Derochie says she wanted players to focus more on the

fundamentals and less on stats and standings. But the teamremained united and did gel with its new coach, who, at 23 years old, was barely older than her players.Crawford says, “We just realized we were a pretty intelligent,

talented group. We knew what it was going to take to win somegames. It was difficult to take the graduate assistant giving ordersas the head coach, but we finally realized she knew what she wastalking about and started to follow her.“We had one senior on the team. The core of the team was

this junior class that had gotten our butts kicked as freshmen and sophomores by all these women with so much moreexperience than us. We developed this core together. “We had great pitching and the center of our lineup was

so strong. It was no surprise [we had success]. It was just thepinnacle of all of us coming together our junior year.”

A FAST STARTThat success came immediately. The team started the season 14-2 with those fourteen wins coming consecutively.“I don’t think anybody took us seriously. I developed a good

relationship with the other NCC [North Central Conference]coaches. They kind of took me under their wing. I learned a lotfrom those ladies. But nobody took us seriously until we startedbeating people. “We were offensively heavy, and Melissa Peter was a great

pitcher,” says Derochie. “Things just kind of fell in place.”

HOSTING REGIONAL TOURNAMENTIn fact, things were in place for SDSU to play in the NCAACollege World Series. State was hosting the regional tournament at Southbrook softball field on 22nd Avenue. SDSU and theUniversity of Nebraska-Omaha both beat Minnesota-Duluthto open the tournament.Earlier in the year SDSU had beaten UNO, the 1995 third-place

team in the nation, although UNO won the league tournament.At the NCAA Central Regional, the Mavericks used an eighth-

inning home run off Peter, a twenty-two game winner, to win thefirst game 4-3 and blanked the Jackrabbits 2-0 the next day. UNOwent on to finish second in the NCAA championship. “I’m very proud of that time,” says Derochie, whose only

all-conference selection was outfielder Tania Voltin.

STRENGTH IN UNITYDuring the season SDSU slugged a then-team record seventeenhome runs and batted .290 while holding opponents to a .224batting average. But Derochie says the team’s strength was its unity. “That team got along very well. There was very little drama between kids on the team,” she says.Crawford, who grew up playing softball in Belmond, Iowa,

agrees, “We were a group of people that got along real well. “The road trips were great. It was like being with your family

all the time. A lot of us had parents that followed us around. It was family, not just teammates. If my parents weren’t there,Melissa’s parents probably were.” Crawford and Peter, who in 1997 became SDSU’s only All-American, grew up seventy-fivemiles apart and were roommates all four years at State.

A PROGRESSING PROGRAMCrawford, who now lives in St. Charles, a suburb of Chicago, stillkeeps up with the program and in February 2009 made the trip to Las Vegas to watch a tournament and meet with other alums. “I think the female athletes at SDSU get treated very well and theprogram has progressed since we were there. “The administration has put more effort into it. They’re up to

100 percent of NCAA limit of allowable scholarships,” she says.Ironically, the 1996 season ended Derochie’s softball career.

After the season a new coaching search was held. Shelly Bayer, a second baseman at State from 1991 to 1994 and director of the1996 regional tournament, was hired. Derochie pursued basketballcoaching. She’s now at Briar Cliff in Sioux City, Iowa.Bayer coached five years, followed her husband to Las Vegas

when he had a job transfer, and now is back at State, although notworking in athletics.“The time spent with college athletics is time I’m really proud

of and enjoyed. It really made my college experience worthwhile,”Bayer declares in a statement that many players in the program’sforty-year history would claim.

DAVE GRAVES

Editor’s note: The focus of these stories is not to include every record,championship, or top performer, but to give a glimpse into the program from the perspective of some who helped shape it.

Members of the 1996 team are, front row, from left, Angie Turner,Jessie Lilly, Jen Crawford, Angie Frieberg, Stacey Warner, and AmyLarsen. Middle row, Donna Hansen, Shelly Brandel, Ann Hansen,Jennifer Lewis, Tonia Voltin, and Meredith Franklin. Back row, CoachTracie (Scott) Derochie, Kristie Kimball, Kelly Peterson, Melissa Peter,Jamie Dorfner, Jill Schumacker, and Carla Larsen.

The saying, “What goes around, comesaround,” applies to Kevin Tetzlaff.As a former SDSU football player,

Tetzlaff ’91 benefited from the generosity of Athletic Department donors.Now, the company Tetzlaff works for,

First Bank & Trust of Brookings, is makinga significant contribution to SDSU athleticsas one of twenty corporate sponsors.As might be expected, Tetzlaff, the

bank’s president, has a soft spot forstudent-athletes.“It’s exciting to help student-athletes

realize their dreams both on and off thefield,” Tetzlaff says. “College athletics is alaunching pad for success.”As Tetzlaff sees it, the University and the

bank share similar goals in making dreamscome true. “Whether we’re working with a family

on purchasing their first home, setting up a savings account, or planning for financialsecurity in their retirement, First Bank &Trust aspires to help our customers turntheir dreams into reality,” Tetzlaff says.“That’s what the University does as well.”

Making dreams come true is easier withthe help of Athletic Department sponsorslike First Bank & Trust, according to MikeBurgers, associate athletic director fordevelopment.

DEFINITION OF A PARTNERSHIPBurgers explains that the program islimited to twenty corporate sponsors: fourAnchors, four Founders, and twelve Majors.Sponsorships allow the firms access tostrategic signage, digital content onscoreboards, ticket options, cross-promotional opportunities, hospitalityopportunities, media options, and gameday programs.“We look at it more as a partnership than

a sponsorship,” Burgers says. Thosesentiments are echoed by Tetzlaff and LeonCostello, senior associate athletic director-external.

“When you get that buy-in from thecommunity, it really has that partnershipfeel,” Costello says. “SDSU Athletics andFirst Bank & Trust really signifies what we mean by a partnership.”It’s a partnership that Tetzlaff says is as

old as the University. After all, the foundersof what is now First Bank & Trust were inbusiness in Brookings even before thefounding of the University. “My own philosophy mirrors this

organization’s belief of supporting theUniversity, both academically andathletically,” Tetzlaff says. “This has been a long-standing partnership.”

SPONSORSHIPS VITAL PART OF ATHLETIC DEPARTMENTThat relationship between the Universityand the business community is moreimportant today than it’s ever been,according to Costello. He explains that anathletic department has basically threeways to raise money: development throughscholarships, ticket sales, and sponsorships.“Sponsorships have taken on a whole

new meaning,” Costello says.

Even in tight financial times, an athleticdepartment still needs to provide a certainnumber of sports and take care of thestudents who participate in those sports. In SDSU’s case, that means takingresponsibility for twenty-one sportsprograms for more than 475 athletes. Sincethe switch to Division I, SDSU has seen itsscholarship numbers jump by 133 to 225.“Sponsorships are one of the main

reasons we’re able to operate the way we do,” Costello says. “It’s one of thelifelines to an athletic department.”Costello goes on to single out his

department’s relationship with First Bank& Trust: “They’ve been great supporters ofthe University as a whole. Their support ofthe Athletic Department has paid hugedividends for us.”Tetzlaff is proud of the support his

employer extends to his alma mater. As a former All-American defensive linemanfor the Jacks and current bank president,Tetzlaff knows all about the benefits ofSDSU’s academic and athletic programs.“You can apply the principles that you

learn as a student-athlete and succeedanywhere,” Tetzlaff says.

DANA HESS

20 RABBIT TRACKS

Long-standing partnership with

FIRST BANK & TRUST

Kevin Tetzlaff, president of First Bank & Trust of Brookings and a former SDSU gridder, continues the financial institution’s long tradition of sponsorship of University athletic efforts.

SUMMER 2010 21

CONTRACTOR’S DONATIONS PAVEWAY TO BETTER FACILITIESIt usually takes more than a little rain todampen the spirits of Jackrabbit footballfans on game day. However, the enthusiasmof the day was lost on one woman in awheelchair whose friends were havingtrouble getting her chair through the mud to Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.Fortunately, there was someone in the

crowd who could ensure that traffic atfuture games wouldn’t have to contendwith the mud.“We see that. We talk about it. We get a

hold of Mike,” says Eric Peterson of BowesConstruction in Brookings. In a case like that, Peterson will call

Mike Burgers, associate athletic director for development. Those are calls thatBurgers likes to get.“They’re a company that comes to us and

says, ‘What can we do to help?’” Burgers says.Founded in 1975, Bowes Construction

produces, sells, and services products inthe gravel, asphalt, and asphalt-recyclingindustries. The company also has a longhistory of donating its services for work on SDSU athletic facilities.

LONG HISTORY OF HELPINGAs a new generation is taking over the familybusiness, that tradition hasn’t changed. Inthe recent past Bowes Construction has donated its services to an impressive array of athletic facility projects.

At Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, Boweshelped get patrons out of the mud bysupplying new asphalt for the entrance andby the ticket booths. The company alsoprovided gravel under the scoreboard. At the new baseball field Bowes

provided fill material to shore up areasused for seating and batting cages. Thecompany donated a parking lot on the eastside of the Equestrian Center and providedfill material, a walkway, and cleared awayconstruction debris during the building ofthe Dykhouse Student-Athlete Center. “Now we’re building a new entrance road

and parking lot” at the Dykhouse Center,Peterson says. When most people think of making

donations to an athletic program, theyreach for their checkbooks. Bowes’ crew, onthe other hand, fires up some heavyequipment and gets to work providingservices, materials, and labor.“They’re responsible for marked

improvements in facilities that our fans andstudent-athletes don’t take for granted,”Burgers says.

MANY BENEFIT FROM BOWES’ GENEROSITYWith eighty-five employees and constructionjobs that range across eastern South Dakota,working out the logistics for putting togethera donated project might seem daunting. “The biggest challenge is trying to fit

it into your schedule,” Peterson explains.

“But because we do so much work up there,it fits in our operations well. We try to do whatever we can for SDSU.”

“WHEN YOU GROW UP IN THIS

COMMUNITY, IT’S JUST NATURAL

TO LOVE THE JACKS.”

MIRANDA PETERSON

The University isn’t the only place inBrookings that benefits from donationsmade by Bowes Construction. The companyhas also supplied materials and expertise forHabitat for Humanity and site work andasphalt for the Boys and Girls Club.For Peterson and his wife, Miranda

(Bowes) Peterson, along with other ownersLyle and Marcia Bowes and Jason andRaeAnn Bowes, there’s a special pride inknowing that student-athletes and fans will be served by projects they completedon campus. “Because we live here, because we go to

the events, we’re proud when we go up there,to see our work,” Miranda Peterson says.The Brookings natives aren’t alums,

but they are fans of the athletic program. “When you grow up in this community,”

Miranda Peterson explains, “it’s just naturalto love the Jacks.”

DANA HESS

Donor spotlight

BOWES CONSTRUCTION

Eric Peterson and Miranda (Bowes) Peterson ofBowes Construction make donations in kind toSDSU by working on grading, gravel, and asphaltprojects at athletic facilities.

“The first move I ever showed him was a body spin on the floor,”Miller says. “He looked at me like a deer in the headlights. I toldhim to just try. Then he did it, and I thought, ‘OK, we can do this.’”The pair practiced for two hours at a stretch, ten hours for their

first competition, and four to five hours each for the three showsafter that.Evenings, Nagy rehearsed with his wife, Jamie, once their five

children were asleep for the night.“My wife has had some ballet and contemporary dance training

and was on the dance team at the University of Illinois,” Nagy says.“She would come to our rehearsals, see the dance from my side,and we’d go home and dance after the kids were in bed, fromabout ten to midnight.”“It was good for us,” Jamie Nagy says. “He did great. Now, when

I look back, I wonder how in the world he pulled it all together.His partner is just a sweet, sweet girl.”Nagy and Miller won the competition April 27, besting four

other couples, including two individuals connected to the AthleticDepartment: Tonya Hohenthaner, senior secretary for the footballteam, and Jenna Smeenk, equestrian team member.Throughout the competition, the couples danced their way

through ’80s music, hip hop, and contemporary. For the finale, itwas couples’ choice. Nagy and Miller, she dressed in a baby blue’50s-style dress with brown sash, he in plaid pants, button-up shirt, brown sweater, bow tie, and nerdy glasses, chose to dance to Ladies’ Choice by Zac Efron from the movie Hairspray.Throughout, Nagy and partner were an obvious audience

favorite.“A lot of people connected with him,” Bickel says. “He definitely

brought a strong fan following.”“We even got international votes,” Miller says. “My dad is a

lieutenant colonel in the Army. He watched online and voted inEthiopia.”Dance Club, which Miller and four friends started last year,

cosponsored this year’s, third annual Dancing with the Stars alongwith Alpha Psi Omega. Both groups handledchoreography; APO designed the dancers’costumes. The University Program Council coordinated the event.Miller and Nagy donated their

$250 winnings to Samaritan’s Feet, a nonprofit that distributes shoes topeople in Third-World countries.Stardust may settle, but good

feelings last.“This past year, the best thing I

did, in terms of how people view me, wasn’t coach,” Nagy says, “but Dancing with the Stars.It was a great experience.”CINDY RICKEMAN

22 RABBIT TRACKS

Before Coach Scott Nagy even entertained the idea of waltzingacross a public stage in the 2010 Dancing with the Starscampus competition, he thought of a reason or two not to.

“He had a lot of reservations. He didn’t want it to be a situationwhere people would mock him,” says Robin Bickel, the UniversityProgram Council special events coordinator who, with her faith inthe student population ever strong, assuaged Nagy’s doubts andconvinced him it would be a good thing to do.“Students think it’s cool when they see faculty get involved and

step out of their element,” Bickel says.“I went way outside my box,” Nagy admits. “What people

usually see is this stern, very serious, very hard, grumpy guy.”Nagy, head men’s basketball coach for fifteen years, saw the

potential to relate in a new way with students both on and off thecourt.“I used to teach, so I had some connection with students then,”

he explains. “For some time, my only connection is with mystudent-athletes.“Most of the players came to most of the shows. It was good for

them to see Coach Nagy in a different light. I was concernedthere’d be some negative comments. I haven’t gotten any.”His dance partner, nursing major Lesli Miller, of Sioux Falls,

saw the potential in Nagy immediately.

NAGY SHOWS NEW SIDEDances his way to win

Top: Junior nursing major Leslie Miller and men’s basketball coachScott Nagy show off their winning moves in the finale of SDSU’s version of Dancing with the Stars.

Right: Jenna Smeenk, an equestrian team member, teams withKameron Nelson, a communications studies and theater major, for the contest that began with six couples.

SUMMER 2010 23

SDSU is about to field perhaps its most prominent athletic squadin school history.The Letterwinners Club, designed exclusively for former

Jackrabbit student-athletes, is an important entity of the SDSUAthletic Department, especially when understanding its role as a formidable fund-raising arm of the department.And, once the competitive fire of the nearly 3,500 former

letterwinners is rekindled in the name of their alma mater, the sky is the limit, just ask Club President Jim Langer, 1970 graduateand National Football League Hall of Famer.“We are the history, heart, and soul of SDSU athletics,” says

the former baseball and football standout. “It will be our goal and mission to help provide the fuel and support to growJackrabbit athletics.“I like to think of it as ‘feed the rabbit,’” adds Langer, who

led the Miami Dolphins to two Super Bowl wins, including anundefeated season in 1973. “We know what it takes to win. I’masking all former student-athletes to join me as we kick off theLetterwinners Club. It will enable us all to reconnect in a commoncause we all know and love.”Plans for the club were hatched about six months ago by

Athletic Director Justin Sell and Assistant Athletic Director for Development Alex Kringen.A letterwinner mailing address database was created with the

help of the SDSU Alumni Association, sports information, andcoaching staff. A mass mailing went out in June to formerJackrabbits informing them of the new venture.

REUNION PLANNEDThe mailing encouraged them to make plans to attend the all-letterwinner reunion October 23 in conjunction with Hobo Day.The event will start at 11 a.m. with a cookout on the green spacejust north of the Wellness Center. Following the football game at 2 p.m., they will be given tours of athletic facilities.

“The goal of theLetterwinners Club is to provide opportunities for the Athletic Department to reconnect and stayconnected with formerletterwinners whilesupporting current student-athletes,” says Kringen.“The club is designed to

bring all current and formerletterwinners together so thatwe can celebrate the history and embrace the future of Jackrabbit athletics,” he adds.Letterwinners can join the club for an annual cost of $100

per year. All contributions raised go directly to support SDSUstudent-athletes and athletic programs.They can also opt for the Letterwinners Legacy Fund for

a one-time fee of $500. The fund will be set up as a perpetualendowment, and once the fund reaches $20,000, a scholarship will be awarded annually to a student-athlete.For the time being, Langer and Kringen are spearheading

the Letterwinners Club with the aid of SDSU athletic staffpersonnel. The eventual goal, according to Kringen, is to have a self-sustaining club with SDSU letterwinners running the show.“We have a plan during the next couple of years for a board

of directors,” he says. “This will essentially be a volunteer-rungroup. They will do the events, help out with mailings, andprovide the resources.“Hopefully, this takes off so we can bring in former student-

athletes who want to help us,” adds Kringen. “We want to let them know all the great things going on here at SDSU.”

KYLE JOHNSON

Letterwinners club

STUDENT-ATHLETES RECONNECTto aid alma mater

LETTERWINNERS CLUB QUICK FACTSReunion: Former Jackrabbits are invited to attend the all-letterwinner reunion October 23 in conjunction with Hobo Day.

Club fees: $100 per year or one-time fee of $500.

The perks of belonging to the SDSU Letterwinners Club:• Annual SDSU letterwinners magazine.• Quarterly SDSU letterwinners E-newsletter.• Discount on season tickets.• Invitations to exclusive SDSU letterwinners events and reunions.• Online recognition as a member of the letterwinners club.• SDSU letterwinners lapel pin.

24 RABBIT TRACKS

The 2010 spring season was a history-making one for SDSU as the school continues to make its mark as an up-and-coming member of NCAA Division I athletics.

Let’s take a look at notable Jackrabbit accomplishments in baseball, equestrian, swimming, track and field, women’s basketball, and wrestling.

BASEBALLThe Jackrabbits were runner-up in the Summit League Tournamentin Tulsa, Oklahoma. SDSU finished 39-21 overall, tying a single-season school record for wins.Ritchie Price was named Summit League Coach-of-the-Year

after guiding the Jacks to a 19-9 finish in the conference, good for a share of the regular-season title.SDSU placed six players on the all-Summit League first team:

first baseman Joel Blake, third baseman Jesse Sawyer; outfieldersJohn Lee and Billy Stitz; and pitchers Blake Trienen and TreverVermeulen. Shortstop Eric Cain and catcher Zach Briggs made the second team.

Vermeulen was named to the Pro-Line Athletic National CollegiateBaseball Writers Association All-American team. A third-teamselection, he posted a 9-1 record with a school-record ten saves and his1.45 earned-run-average ranked fourth among all Division I pitchers.He is the first Jackrabbit to earn All-American honors at the Division I level.Trienen, a junior, was selected by the Florida Marlins in the

twenty-third round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Hecompiled a 7-1 record with eighty-two strikeouts in seventy-fiveinnings.

His selection marks the fourth consecutive year SDSU has had aplayer taken in the draft: infielder Jake Rogers was a twenty-second-round choice of the Washington Nationals in 2007; outfielder CraigParry was drafted in the fiftieth-round of the 2008 draft by thePittsburgh Pirates; and pitcher Caleb Thielbar was an eighteenth-round selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009. All were seniorswhen they were drafted.

EQUESTRIANSDSU’s newest sport, equestrian, waswell represented on the national scene,both individually and as a team.At the Intercollegiate Horse Show

Association National Championshipsin Lexington, Kentucky, junior AngelaGebhart placed ninth in the openreining event for the Jacks’ westernsquad. Meanwhile, on the English side, junior Ashley Marrin competedin open equitation on the flat anddidn’t place.Marrin advanced to the national

show after winning the zone nine title in Maple Park, Illinois.Gebhart qualified after finishing fourth at the western semifinals in Pomona, California.SDSU sent its western team to the Varsity Equestrian National

Championship in Waco, Texas, and lost to Georgia in the first round.

SWIMMINGSenior Katie Budahl was a three-timeconference champion, sweepingbreaststroke events at the 2010Summit League meet. She set school and league records

while establishing NCAA provisionaltimes in the 100-yard breaststroke and200-yard breaststroke. Undefeated inten 200 breaststroke races during theseason, she became the first Jackrabbitto record a provisional mark for theNCAA championship.Senior Emily Tschetter, school

record holder in the 400-yard individual medley, and Budahl were selected to the ESPN The MagazineAcademic all-District VII at-large second team after posting grade point averages of 3.91 and 3.83, respectively.Both were honored on the Summit League All-Academic team

and Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence.

JACKS MAKE SOME HISTORY during spring sports season

Six seniors lead the Jackrabbits to a 39-21 mark, tying the schoolrecord for wins in a season. From left, are Mike Robinson, ScottHood, Sam Pieczynski, Jared Koch, John Lee, and Blaine Alberta.

Katie Budahl

Angela Gebhart

TRACK AND FIELDAmanda (Kuchta) Frohling andAshley Storm were named to theESPN The MagazineAcademic all-District VII Track and Field/Cross-Country Team.Frohling was named to the eleven-

member first team, while Stormearned second team honors. LaterFrohling was named a second teamAcademic All-American.On the field, Sara Ackman earned

her second straight trip to the NCAADivision I Championships. (For moreon Ackman, see Page 16.)Six other Jackrabbits finished their season at the regional meet:

Sean Burns, hammer throw; Nicole Davis, 3,000-meter steeplechase;Luke Leischner, 400 meters; Jennifer Mack, hammer throw;Michelle Schuch, hammer throw; and Jared Vlastuin, long jump.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLSDSU earned its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournamentwith a 79-75 overtime victory over top-seeded Oral Roberts in the titlegame of the Summit League championship at the Sioux Falls Arena.In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Norman,

Oklahoma, the fourteenth-seeded Jackrabbits fell to number-threeseed University of Oklahoma, 68-57.SDSU, which finished with a 22-11 record, landed three players

on the all-Summit League team. Senior forward Maria Boeverearned first-team honors. Senior forward Ketty Cornemann was asecond-team selection, while junior guard Kristin Rotert receivedhonorable mention recognition.

WRESTLINGTyler Sorenson made the most of his senior season at the NCAADivision I Tournament in Omaha, Nebraska.

With a 5-3 decision over James Hamel, of the University ofBuffalo-New York, in the first round of the 197-pound wrestlebacks,the SDSU wrestling program earned its first team point ever in thenational tournament.The Jackrabbits competed in the event seven times in the 1960s,

but couldn’t accumulate team points due to their status as a DivisionII school. Since moving to Division I in 2004, the program sent tworepresentatives without scoring.

Sorenson, who ended up with two wins and two losses inOmaha, automatically qualified for the national meet afterwinning the championship match at the West Regional in Frost Arena. Sorenson, who also qualified for the national meet as a junior,

finished with a 31-7 record, becoming the thirtieth member of thethirty-win season club. He ended tied for twenty-fourth on the Jacks’all-time victory chart with a 75-19 slate.Sorenson landed first-team all-Western Wrestling Conference

honors while sophomore teammate David Michaud was a third-team selection.Academically, redshirt freshman teammate Aaron Pickrel was

named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic team. With a 3.867 cumulative grade point average, heranked third among all academic honorees.The Jackrabbits were one of thirty teams named to the

association’s Division I All-Academic list, placing twelfth with a 3.106 grade point average.Five Jacks earned spots on the Western Wrestling Conference

All-Academic team that requires a minimum 3.20 grade pointaverage: Pickrel, Michaud, Kevin Kelly, Seth Moe, and JoeRasmussen. Four wrestlers made the Coaches’ Honor Roll with at least a 3.0 grade point average: Bryce Drefke, Nick Hagar, TylerJohnson, and Jeremy Swier.

KYLE JOHNSON

SUMMER 2010 25

Women’s basketball team members celebrate winning the SummitLeague tournament in Sioux Falls March 9. That advanced theJacks to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.

Tyler Sorenson, top, works over Ross Drew, of North Dakota State,at the West Regionals in Brookings March 6. Sorenson scored atechnical falls to advance to the national championships in Omaha.

Amanda Frohling

26 RABBIT TRACKS

Leischner brings down long-standing 400 mark

DROUGHT BUSTER

One lap around the track. As fast as you can go.Luke Leischner became the school record holder in the 400-meter dash this spring. At the Twilightmeet in Brookings April 27 he gave the 800 a try (pictured here) and won by more than a second.

SUMMER 2010 27

It’s been a signature event of track meets since the origin of the oval track. SDSU’s record for the 400-meter dash didn’t go back quite that far, but before this year the mark was set on a 440-yard track by a runner old enough to be sendinggrandchildren to college. “To say we had a drought in that area would be a kind word,”

says coach Rod DeHaven. The reigning one-lap record holder had been Rob Wahlstrom,

a grandfather who continues the family tradition of managingWahlstrom Ford in Chadron, Nebraska. Wahlstrom’s mark of47.56, established at the North Central Conference meet, is prettyimpressive. That’s part of the reason it stood since 1971. JasonHarris, who also played defensive back, made a run at it in 1998with a time of 47.63.A decade earlier Jason Gengerke clocked what was then

the second-fastest 400 time in school history (48.10 in 1987).But the next fastest times on the SDSU top ten list go to Rick

Kiley (1971) and Tony Kelly (1972), both at 48.16. That’s ampleevidence of the 400 drought at State. In fact, no top ten time wasrecorded this century even though marks in many other eventswere being established annually.

RUNNING UNDER THE RADAR“We made a concentrated effort in spring 2008 to bring in qualityquartermilers,” says DeHaven, the Jackrabbit coach since fall 2004There were plenty to recruit in 2008, even just in Class A South

Dakota. Among them was Luke Leischner, a sub-fifty-second 400-runner from Parkston, who despite his speed wasn’t able to catchthe headlines. A couple standouts from Sioux Falls Christian weregrabbing the publicity and the trophies.At the state meet his senior year, Leischner finished third in

the 200 and second in the 400 despite clocking a 49.30.DeHaven saw talent even when Leischner and many college

coaches didn’t. Leischner says he wasn’t considering college trackand it took the prompting of his sister to return a questionnairefrom DeHaven. The coach didn’t face a lot of competition inmaking Leischner a Jackrabbit.He says his only other offers were from a couple private

schools. There also was family tradition to consider.

HONORING FAMILY HERITAGEHis sister, Lauren ’08, was a Jackrabbit cheerleader and his father,Ron ’75, was a sprinter and jumper at State when Wahlstrom’srecord was still relatively recent. Luke Leischner did arrive oncampus with a track scholarship in fall 2008, but he still wasn’tsure he belonged.

“After the first couple meets I realized I did have the potential andwork ethic to be a college runner,” the wildlife and fisheries major says.Before the indoor season was over, Leischner had run the ninth

fastest time in State history in the 200 meters and was a fourth-place finisher in the 400 at the conference meet. That motivatedLeischner to want to stand on the podium (top three) at theoutdoor conference meet.He achieved that with a 48.52, which placed third and put

the freshman in at No. 10 on the SDSU all-time record book.

READY TO BREAK RECORDSComing back for his sophomore season, Leischner’s goal was tobreak the school record. That happened twice. He took advantageof a nice day at the Jim Duncan Invitational in Des Moines, Iowa,April 10 to win in 47.43. That edged Wahlstrom’s mark by .13.Then he broke his own mark by winning the Howard WoodDakota Relays April 30 with a 47.04.In that race he made a strong surge on the backstretch to

take the lead and held off a North Dakota State runner on thehomestretch to win 47.04 to 47.41.“Not winning a state championship in high school gave me

motivation to work harder. When in high school everybodywanted to run their best time at Howard Wood, so to win atHoward Wood is a really big honor for me,” says Leischner, who won the 400-meters at Howard Wood in 2009 in 48.76.While Howard Wood is THE high school meet in South

Dakota and the best chance to see college track in South Dakota, it’s small potatoes on the college level.

PERFORMING ON THE BIG STAGEThe sport has given Leischner the chance to compete in a coupleof the nation’s premier events. At the Drake Relays, which drawsnational champions among its 7,200 athletes, Leischner ran ontwo relay teams. At the Mount Sac Relays in California, hefinished seventh in the 400 with a 47.78. Drake is an atmosphere where “it seems like I never get

nervous,” says Leischner, who adds that nerves were his biggestchallenge as a freshman.At Mount Sac, he was with only a handful of teammates, which

are usually a calming influence. “But I can relax more at the biggermeets. In a way it seems like I can run better at those bigger meets because there is a high level of competition,” Leischner says. At Mount Sac the top eight times were under 48 seconds.Will Leischner be among those in 2011?“He has the potential to run 46.75 this year,” DeHaven says in

advance of the conference meet in Toledo, Ohio. “Can he run low46? Who knows? The faster he runs, the more excited he gets.”

28 RABBIT TRACKS

QUALITY PLUS CHARACTERThat excitement isn’t easy to detect. He’s a low-key athlete. DeHaven shares, “He’s the type of teammate that urges teammates on. A lot

of skilled runners have this prima donna attitude. Luke’s definitely not that way.”Despite his 6-0, 162-pound build, Leischner has reason to consider himself a big

man on campus. His name is on the top ten in three indoor events, he broke a thirty-nine-year mark in the outdoor 400 meters, and he is ruling that event at the HowardWood Dakota Relays in Sioux Falls.“I don’t like to think like that. I’m just thankful God has given me the ability that

I do have,” says Leischner, who was raised in the Christian faith.

IT’S GOTTA BE THE SOCKSHe attributes his faith for keeping him grounded and his nerves in check. Leischner says a prayer before each race and wears his cross. He also uses music—rap, raggae or rock—to help keep his nerves in control. And, of course, there are the socks; thoseknee-high blue and yellow striped socks.“My roommate [middle distance runner Mike Bredeson] bought a pair. I said,

‘Why not?’ and got a pair for myself,” Leischner says.He started wearing them during the indoor season, when he posted top ten marks

in three events, so they’re not coming off. Leischner claims the socks relax him when he glances at them while stepping into the starting blocks. In a sport where most wear no socks or no-show socks, Leischner does stand out.At Parkston High School, Leischner also played football and basketball, where more

team uniformity is the rule.Being part of the collection of individuals that comprise the SDSU track team brings

a smile to Leischner’s face. “It’s an awesome group of people. I look forward to going totrack practice. It’s the best part of my day. I’ve made so many friends. They’re a flamboyantgroup of people.“We’re always laughing. We make the best out of every situation,” Leischner shares.Don’t interpret laughs as a sign of being lackadaisical.

‘A FIRE IN MY BELLY’DeHaven credits Leischner’s improvement from 2009 to 2010 to “internal drive. He wants to do better. Plus he does as good job of taking care of himself. A lot of kids will eat a bunch of junk food so they can’t practice well or skip out on stretching. Times and distances don’t lie. “In track and field if you’re not improving, you can’t hide. There’s not a lot

of directions you can point fingers. He’s done a good job of making it happen.”Leischner says part of his drive has come from his teammates—one in high

school and one in college. Both suffered injuries that could have ended their careers. At Parkston, standout 800 runner Alex Muntefering got his foot caught in a power takeoff drive in his junior year.At SDSU, hurdler Brandon Priebe landed wrong at the Drake Relays in 2009,

leaving him with a mangled knee and other injuries.“Seeing them injured and not be able to run put a fire in my belly and made me

want to work harder and harder,” Leischner testifies. Both teammates worked their way back onto the track, Muntefering at the University of Oklahoma and Priebecompeted in the hurdles at Howard Wood.

LEISCHNER KNOCKS ON WOOD, HAVING BEEN ABLE TO AVOID INJURIESHe adds that he has become a more powerful runner in college. “In high school I barelytouched the weights. I realize now that weights are a big part of sprinting. I’ve got to givea lot of the credit [for improvement] to my hard work in the weight room and our liftingcoach [Brad Schmidt].”With another two years to establish marks in the weight room and on the track,

it’s safe to say the quarter-mile drought is over.DAVE GRAVES

Luke Leischner

SUMMER 2010 29

As I look back at the past four months at South Dakota State I am reminded of how quickly time flies when you are truly having fun. It was four short months ago that my wife, Heather, daughter Cailin, and I packed up the moving truck and started our journey to Brookings. Having gone through the interview process for the senior associate athletic director position and having worked with Director of Athletics Justin Sell at the University of Northern Iowa, I had an idea of what to expect. What I didn’t expect was the best part of the transition.

My first “official” event as a Jackrabbit was the Summit League Basketball Tournament. I was very impressed by the support of the Jackrabbit faithful throughout the tournament.From the alumni pregame events to the raucous crowds in the Sioux Falls Arena, theatmosphere was incredible. The SDSU fans came out in full force beginning with theSummit League tournament in Sioux Falls all the way through the NCAA tournament in Norman, Oklahoma, and proved why it’s great to be a Jackrabbit!

But that wasn’t even the best part. As a new employee in any organization, there is alwaysa sense of nervousness. From meeting people for the first time to understanding thedetails of the job, there is always a sense of uncertainty. However, the people of SDSUhave made the transition an easy one. From SDSU coaches, staff, and fans, my family was welcomed with open arms and we’re thankful for the decision we made to becomeJackrabbits. We can’t wait to get more involved in the SDSU and Brookings communities,and I look forward to contributing to the growth of the Athletic Department. The peopleof Brookings and South Dakota State University have truly been the best part.

In each issue of Rabbit Tracks, this section will focus on current activities within theAthletic Department. The goal is to keep you up-to-date on new ideas and focus areas in the department. Here is a sneak peak of what is currently underway:

• A focus on increasing television and radio coverage and exposure• Expanding opportunities for new corporate sponsors• New ticket packages • Increased awareness for the entire Athletic Department

As you can see there is work to be done, and we are ready for the challenge. Progress is continually being made, and we can’t wait to be able to share our successes withJackrabbit Nation. I can’t wait for my first full season of Jackrabbit Athletics!

Thank you again to everyone for making my transition an easy and exciting one.

Go Big. Go Blue. Go Jacks.

LEON COSTELLOSENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

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Chili Kickoff ReunionHobo Day, October 23, 2010

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.Tailgaiting green south of Coughlin-Alumni Center

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