PRESS RELEASE

The South Dakota Cross Country and Track & Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place Saturday, May 27 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls, immediately prior to the team awards for the State Track & Field Championships.

Inductees and their event specialty include: Scott Embry, SF Lincoln – Sprints & Relays; Richard “Doc” Michel, RC Stevens – Distances & Cross Country; Bob Judson, Pierre – Hurdles; Georgia Adolph, Flandreau – Horizontal Jumps; Jerry Miller, Sioux Falls Lincoln – Vertical Jumps; Max Hawk, Yankton – Throws.

Also, Tom Freece of Spearfish, will be inducted as a Head Cross Country Coach.  Tom was unable to attend the ceremony last fall due to a family medical emergency.

Here is a bio on each inductee:

Scott Embry

Scott Embry attended Black Hills State University where played basketball for one year, ran track for four years and ran cross country for three years. Coach Embry began his career in Geddes, where he was the assistant boys’ basketball coach, and head boys & girls track & field coach. After stops at Douglas and Iroquois, he moved to Sioux Falls, where he has spent the last 28 years coaching Patriot basketball in one form or another. Coach Embry began coaching track & field in the Spring of 1996 and with current head coach Jim Jarovski, has helped bring the Patriots back to their past glory. Scott has coached two State Meet MVPs, has had 30 champions in relays and individual events along with helping set eight school records.

Richard “Doc” Michel

Richard J. Michel was born in Gordon, NE, May 22, 1939. He grew up on the family farm/ranch outside of Batesland, S.D., and graduated eighth grade in Pine Ridge, and also graduated from Northwestern Lutheran High School in Mobridge, S.D., in 1957. He graduated from Black Hills State College in 1970. While teaching, he went on to earn his M.S. Degree in Secondary School Administration from South Dakota State University in 1975. The Fall of 1970, Richard began as a business education instructor at Rapid City Stevens where he spent 29 years. Richard acquired the position of “sport trainer” at this time and along with it the moniker “Doc” which inevitably stuck. After Doc’s retirement from the classroom, his extra duty position evolved into assistant coach for both cross country and track & field. During his 47 years working with athletes at Stevens High School, the teams won a total of 51 state championships.

Bob Judson

Originally from Keystone, S.D., Bob Judson graduated from Custer High School in 1960 and Huron College in 1964. During his school years, Bob was a true multi-sport athlete excelling in football, basketball and track & field, earning 11 varsity letters in both high school and college. Bob began his teaching and coaching career at Sisseton High School in the Fall of 1964, after leaving Huron College. The Fall of 1965 he moved to Pierre-Riggs High School, then 1969 to Huron High School, finally in 1973 he returned to Pierre retiring from teaching in 1999 and continued coaching track until 2014, capping off a 50-year coaching career. Bob Judson’s coaching career included: 50 years of track & field at every stop along the way (1965-2014), 22 years of football; 1 year as Head (1979), 21 years as sophomore & varsity assistant (1964-1986), 27 years of Boys basketball; 11 years as assistant (1964-1969) & (1973-1980), 16-years as head at Huron (1969-1973) & Pierre (1980-1991).

Georgia Adolph

Coach Georgia (Mason) Adolph grew up on a farm near Platte, S.D. She attended a small country school through eighth grade and graduated from Platte High School in 1970.  She grew up in a time when no sports were offered for girls in smaller schools in rural South Dakota.  Georgia attended South Dakota State University graduating the Fall of 1974 with a B.S. in Education. Georgia’s teaching and coaching career started in Wessington Springs, S.D., where she taught junior high social studies and coached basketball. After two years, she returned to SDSU where she completed her Masters of Science degree. While working on her advanced degree, she also completed a minor in athletic training and served as a graduate assistant for the womens track & field program under Coach Ruth Marske. In 1980, Georgia was hired to teach elementary physical education and coach Varsity volleyball for Flandreau Public School. During her 31 years in Flandreau, Coach Adolph also coached seventh grade girls volleyball and basketball, junior track & field, then assistant high school track & field, and all the while acting as a coaches assistant responsible for first aid needs and taping for all sport teams. Georgia retired as head volleyball coach after 18 years, taking her team to the state tournament in 1987, the only time that the Flier Girls qualified. As a varsity assistant for the track & field team; Georgia coached boys and girls specializing in the long, triple and high jumps, as well as helping with the sprints and relays. She coached several conference and regional champions as well as individual girl state champs; in the long jump (Tami Johnston/1995) and triple jump (Ramona Zephier/1997).

Jerry Miller

Coach Miller was born and raised in White Lake, S.D. While at White Lake High School Jerry participated in football, basketball, track & field, and baseball, he graduated in 1959. After graduation Jerry attended Dakota Wesleyan University participating in football four years. It was while attending college, Jerry started his coaching career. His summer job was coaching baseball teams in White Lake and Mitchell.  Jerry graduated from DWU in 1963 with a teaching degree and coaching certification. Coach Miller’s first teaching assignment was at Chamberlain High School from 1963-’65. He was the assistant football, basketball and track & field coach and head wrestling coach. In 1965-’66 Jerry attended South Dakota State University to obtain his masters degree and was a grad assistant for the track & field program during that time. From 1966-’70, Jerry moved to Mitchell High School where he taught and was an assistant football and track & field coach and head wrestling coach. The Fall of 1970, Jerry took a teaching position at Lincoln High School where he also was an assistant football, wrestling and track & field coach. From 1972-’90, Jerry was the head football coach at Lincoln as well as being responsible for the pole vaulters and high jumpers in the spring.  While coaching the vertical jumpers at Lincoln, Jerry coached six pole vault and three high jump state champions. Miller then assisted track & field at Roosevelt High School for the 1991 & ’92 seasons. In 2002-’04, Miller went to Waverly/South Shore to be the head track & field and head football coach. Jerry and Max Hawk started the SoDak Track & Field Clinics in South Dakota in 1976 and Jerry continued as director until 2014.

Max Hawk

Max Hawk was born March 19, 1933 in Wessington Springs, S.D., and graduated from high school in 1951. He attended Northern State Teachers College for two years before serving in the Army during the Korean Conflict. He returned to Northern, and as a senior was an all-conference football center, graduating in 1957. Coach Hawk began his teaching career in Scotland, SD, in 1957 where he was head football and assistant basketball and track & field coach. In 1965, Hawk began his 30-year tenure as teacher and coach with the Yankton Bucks and Gazelles. As an assistant track & field coach, Max took great pride in working with boys and girls throwers and enjoyed instructing them in discus and shotput techniques. Coach Hawk finished his 38-year career as the winningest prep football coach in South Dakota history, with a record of 284-78-2. Max was instrumental in promoting high school coaches and athletes at both state and national levels.  He was director and co-founder of SoDak Track & Field Clinic from 1976-2004. He was a founding father of the South Dakota High School Coaches Association, serving as President from 1968-’69, and as Executive Director for 40 years. Hawk served as National High School Athletic Coaches Association President from 1980-’81, attended 50 consecutive annual conventions, and was a lifelong member of their Board of Directors.

Tom Freece

Tom Freece was born in 1946 in Phoenixville, PA, he attended high school at Bishop Kenrick in Norristown, PA, where he participated in track & field and cross country.   After high school graduation, Tom attended Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, S.D., where he took part in the inauguration of Wesleyan’s new wrestling program. He graduated in 1968 with his bachelor’s degree in education. That same year he was drafted into the United States Army. Initially he taught Parkston, S.D., for five years where he was introduced to the coaching ranks; first, as the boy’s grade school basketball team, and later as junior varsity girls’ basketball. From Parkston, Tom and family moved to Glenwood Springs, CO, for one year before embarking on the   remaining of his teaching/coaching career in Spearfish, S.D. While at Spearfish, Tom returned to coaching first as junior varsity girls’ basketball coach and assistant track & field for the girls. He left the basketball program in 1985 when he became head coach of the Spartan Cross Country while assisting in the track & field program, primarily for the middle distance and distance runners. He maintained this position until 1998. Coach Freece was instrumental in the foundation of the South Dakota Cross Country and Track & Field Coaches Association.