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Nineteen new inductees to be honored during a banquet scheduled for Sept. 22 in Sioux Falls

Roger Merriam, Watertown Public Opinion
·2 min read

A world-class jockey, the father of AAU boxing and a groundbreaking female coach highlight the Class of 2024 inductees into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.

The 19 new inductees will be honored during a banquet set for Sunday, Sept. 22, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Tickets will go on sale later this summer.

For more information on the hall of fame or the inductees, contact Executive Director Jim Dorman at 605-940-1262, Mike Henriksen at 605-595-8487 or John Papendick at 605-290-9677.

Former Aberdeen Central High School girls basketball coach Dawn Seiler is a part of the 2024 induction class into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.
Former Aberdeen Central High School girls basketball coach Dawn Seiler is a part of the 2024 induction class into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.

Athletes

  • Fred Ecoffey was one of the most successful jockeys in the United States over a career that lasted more than three decades.

  • Bill Burns had a short stint in the state but was responsible for the most successful crop of boxers South Dakota ever saw.

  • Sally Plihal was among the first South Dakota female athletes to excel on the national stage in track & field.

  • Amy (Mickelson) Brecht had a remarkable career for a nationally ranked Brookings High School girls basketball team before becoming an All-Pac 10 player at Washington.

  • Kim Templeton led Miller High School to a state high school boys basketball title then moved on to a sensational career at Black Hills State University.

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  • Scott Morgan played boys basketball for the legendary Gary Munsen in Mitchell and was a three-time NAIA All-American at Dakota Wesleyan University.

  • Jeff Tiefenthaler was a four-sport athlete at Armour High School then became an All-American in track and field and football at South Dakota State University.

  • Mellissa (Olson) Guebert became one of Augustana University's all-time leading women's basketball scorers.

  • Kelvin Torve was one of the best who ever played baseball for Rapid City Post 22 then went on to a pro career.

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Coaches

Several coaches will be inducted.

  • Chad Lavin had a great career coaching basketball at the University of South Dakota and Wyoming University.

  • Jim Heinitz is the all-time winningest football coach at Augustana.

  • Don Barnes established a tennis dynasty at O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls.

  • Dawn Seiler of Aberdeen was the all-time winningest high school girls’ basketball coach in state history before it was broken this year.

George Kiner of Volga (back left) mans the South Dakota Coaches Against Cancer booth last weekend during the state high school track and field meet in Sioux Falls. The former high school coach has been instrumental in helping the organization raise more $300,000 for scholarships and charity since it was formed in the early 2000s.
George Kiner of Volga (back left) mans the South Dakota Coaches Against Cancer booth last weekend during the state high school track and field meet in Sioux Falls. The former high school coach has been instrumental in helping the organization raise more $300,000 for scholarships and charity since it was formed in the early 2000s.

Contributors

  • George Kiner of Volga has been one of the state's best chroniclers of sports history.

  • Tim Smith has been a standout sportscaster in Mitchell for over 40 years.

  • Mark Meile had a very successful coaching career before becoming the Athletic Coordinator for the Sioux Falls Public Schools.

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Being inducted posthumously

  • Wayne "Hawkeye" Haensel had a great career as an athlete and coach.

  • Milo Wepking was a legendary official for numerous sports.

  • Rudy Soderquist was an outstanding basketball player and coach.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame to induct 19 new members