Dickinson State University snares another Trinity standout
Mar. 12—DICKINSON — Trinity High School three-sport standout Jake Shobe simply takes care of business. The court, track and field star was a lightning-fast feature of THS's state-final run, in the 2023 season on the gridiron; he overcame a wrist injury he picked up in that same game against Kindred to get back onto the basketball court as the team's leading scorer and is now preparing for what will probably be another brilliant and speedy season in track and field before his high-school athletic careers end.
Dickinson State University, meanwhile, seems to have become the destination-of-choice for star athletes graduating from Trinity Catholic School, which incidentally is right around the corner. That subtle move — but major change — has become popular with Titan athletes, as Ava Jahner is set to play volleyball and softball, and Ty Dassinger will be joined by Jeremiah Jilek on the football squad for the 2024-25 season.
"With me and Ty both signing together to play, and then Jeremiah following a little-bit after, I think when you have a group of friends that see their friends become DSU Blue Hawks it kind of makes them want to follow you or go to the school there, or something like that," Shobe said.
But in Shobe's case, with his prep basketball playing days ending earlier this month, the next challenge awaits and he found that step very close to home — which is a delight to his parents, Amy and Jerry — although being close to home wasn't necessarily a priority.
"It kind of just worked out that way, to be honest, I just like the college part; it wasn't even it being in Dickinson and that wasn't what helped make my decision," Shobe said. "My parents are both DSU alums — my Dad played football here and my Mom had 11 brothers and sisters, and I think nine or 10 of them went here — so they really just left it up to me and there wasn't anything, like, 'Hey we want you to go to DSU,' but when I made my decision they were both happy about it."
Shobe will focus solely on basketball while at DSU, which is his favorite sport, anyhow. He joins fellow THS alumnus Jake Daniel on the basketball team, and having grown up with Daniel and other area athletes who have moved up to the next level with the Blue Hawks will help maintain that small-town feel ... but with bigger obligations and more challenges.
"Deciding on DSU was mostly because of the people in the building; I really connected well with the coaches and played with the other players all summer," Shobe said. "I just felt like I had a good connection with them and that made my decision pretty easy.
He added, "I played with Jake (Daniel) my freshman year (at Trinity) and we had a pretty good connection and just him being there made my decision easy that way, too."
Trinity head basketball coach and athletic director Gregg Grinsteinner said the move will be good for Shobe and knows he will excel as he moves onwards and upwards in his athletic career. Grinsteinner also touted the recent success the school has had sending players to various athletic programs at DSU and it helps the university and Trinity to continue a sports-momentum that's become one of the school's trademarks.
"I think, number-one, it's going to be a very good fit and we've kind of been lucky because we've had a couple guys the last five to 10 years that have decided to stay in town and play basketball," Grinsteinner said. "I think it's great for the local kids to be playing at a college in town and I think it brings out some local fanfare."
He added, "Number-two: I think he's really earned it, especially with some of the ups-and-downs he had this year with only being able to play half the season with the broken arm; but having to sit that first half of the season got him into the coaching aspect of it and seeing the game from a different perspective."
Blue Hawks head basketball coach Derek Selvig said he was thrilled to obtain Shobe's signature and knows he will be a key contributor for years-to-come.
"I think he fits the mold of what we try to build our identity around: His toughness and he's played for a great coach in Gergg Grinsteinner and, obviously, we have Jake Daniel on our team and I think he's very similar to Jake Daniel," Selvig said. "He's got that toughness and he's a high-character kid who works hard, and we want to make sure that we keep building our way with those types of kids."
He added, "We love signing local kids, whether they're from Dickinson — or just North Dakota in general — we want to make sure that our culture keeps building with kids like that; they're the backbone of our team."
While it's unknown what his twin brother, Luke is preparing to decide about his athletic future, but the two have played a prominent role in athletics at the school for years.
Shobe carries a 3.7 grade-point average at THS, and after having done such an exemplary job of taking care of business on the track, court and field it's no coincidence that he wants to study business when he starts his college education in the fall.
"My family has been a part of business and I kind of like having the connections," Shobe said. "And it's really got a lot of open options."
Among his many accolades and achievement include scoring more than 1,000 in prep basketball, helping his football team as a season-long starter with an undefeated district record in 2023 on the way to the state-title game and a trip to the state track & field meet last May — as a junior — in the 200 meters and the 400m dash, not-to-mention a fourth-place finish with the 200m relay team. That multifaceted athletic skill-set will continue to propel him as he sticks around close to home and displays his growth at Scott Gymnasium.
"The community has meant a lot and I've had family members go to DSU and those people have continued to follow me throughout the Trinity process," Shobe said. "Just to see the whole community and my family come together is what was cool about it."
For more information about Trinity Catholic Schools, please visit
https://trinitycatholicschools.com/
and for more information about Dickinson State University's athletic programs, they can be found at
https://www.dsubluehawks.com/landing/index
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