By Bob Bakken
MaxPreps.com
Aberdeen hosted the South Dakota All-Star Games last week, in addition to the annual Coaches’ Clinics. The top high school senior athletes in a number of sports, including football, basketball, and wrestling, put their talents on display one last time before beginning college careers.
In the annual football all-star game, the North defeated the South 19-7 on the strength of two touchdown passes by Watertown’s Josh Hanson, who threw for 133 yards by hitting on 12-of-19 attempts. The Augustana College (South Dakota) recruit connected with Pierre’s Devin Rounds and Austin Luecke of Groton in coming back from a 7-6 halftime deficit to win the game.
Tyler Jensen of Sturgis hit Huron’s Elliot Smith on a 36-yard touchdown pass in the final quarter for the other score for the North.
Danny Isaacson led the way for the South all-stars, running for 35 yards and a five-yard touchdown for the former O’Gorman star. Former Lennox quarterback Andy Kruse was the South’s passing leader with a 4-for-12 effort for 70 yards. Two passes were caught by former Brookings receiver Dan Schmidt for 52 yards.
White River’s Louie Krogman ended his stellar basketball career where he earned his greatest praise, as the current Mr. South Dakota Basketball scored 27 points in leading the South to a 76-66 win over the North in the boys basketball all-star game in Aberdeen.
That was where the state’s all-time career scoring leader pushed his team to the Class B state championship earlier this spring.
Krogman is going to the University of South Dakota this fall to play for the Coyotes in their move into Division I athletics. He scored 45 points for White River in the state finals at Aberdeen’s Barnett Center last March in his school’s 66-50 title-clinching victory over Langford.
The North was led Jordan Buddenhagen of Huron, who scored 15 points, 12 of which came from beyond the three-point line.
The South earned some basketball pride in the girls all-star game, defeating the North 81-79 Tuesday in Aberdeen. West Central’s Vanessa Johnson led the way for the South with 16 points. The South Dakota State recruit connected on 6-of-9 from the floor in the close victory.
Colman-Egan’s Cami Koehn chipped in with nine points and the same number of rebounds. The North was led by Alexis Yackley of Sully Buttes. The Iowa State-bound player scored 15 points and dished out five assists. James Valley Christian’s Stephanie Hofer contributed 14 points for the North.
Tennis: Rost Makes SD Tennis Hall of Fame
The South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame is honoring the state’s all-time top girls tennis player with the induction of Nancy Rost.
Rost is being inducted during ceremonies this weekend with James “Skip” Spensley.
Rost has been the benchmark for girls tennis since Title IX expedited the surge in girls’ athletics in the Seventies. Her record five state high school singles titles for Sioux Falls O’Gorman remains untouched.
Among her achievements, Rost won her first state championship as an eighth grader for O’Gorman while attending St. Mary’s School in Sioux Falls. In doing so, Rost avenged a semifinal loss as a seventh grader to defending champion Jeanne Craney of Sioux Falls Washington.
O’Gorman claimed every state team title during Rost’s career and she swept the No. 1 singles from her eighth grade year on. She also teamed with two classmates for three doubles championships.
Rost graduated from O’Gorman in 1981 and went on to play at the University of Minnesota. Her accomplishments as a youngster also included 60 junior tournament championships.
Nancy was named the South Dakota Prep Athlete of the Year in 1979, selected to play at the National Sports Festival, and was named an All-American by the National High School Coaches Association. Rost now lives in San Diego.
Cross Country: Dannenbring to Be New Coach at Yankton
Yankton assistant cross country coach Dave Dannenbring will be the new head coach at the southeast South Dakota school, replacing Dan Fitzsimmons, who moves 30 miles east on Highway 50 to become the new cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at the University of South Dakota.
Dannenbring is taking over one of the strongest programs around for cross country. In addition to state power status, the Gazelles have become regional powers, competing in all four Nike Team Nationals, which only one other program in the nationa can claim. The Bucks’ boys program has run in one Nike Nationals event.
Basketball: Scotland’s Schlimgen Taking Over at Mount Marty College
Tom Schlimgen is moving up from the preps to the college ranks, as the long time boys basketball coach at Scotland, South Dakota becomes the new head women’s coach at Mount Marty College in Yankton.
Schlimgen has coached the Highlanders boys’ teams since 1978. During that time, he won 16 conference and five region championships.
Coaching women’s basketball won’t be completely new for Schlimgen, who also coached the Scotland girls for four years. He was also the school’s golf coach and has helped in baseball and football coaching.
Schlimgen is replacing Jim Iverson, who is moving into full-time athletic administration as Mount Marty’s athletic director. The move away from coaching may also free up some time to watch his standout basketball son Colin, about to become a freshman at the University of Minnesota. The past two years, Jim Iverson has coached the Lancers to a 41-21 record and a NAIA national tournament berth in 2007.
