A look back at some of the sports happenings during the week of Aug. 27-Sept. 2:

Last year on Aug. 27, 2022: Kittie “Miss Kittie” Weston-Knauer of Des Moines was among the hundreds who competed in the Hub City Nationals in Aberdeen. The 74-year-old is the nation’s oldest BMX rider and is one of the sport’s most well-known athletes.

10 years ago on Sept. 2, 2013: USD men’s basketball coach Dave Boots retired with the most coaching wins (503) in school history.

20 years ago on Aug. 31, 2003: Yankton native and third-round leader Jim Ahern finished tied for second at the Jeld-Wen Tradition in Oregon on the PGA Champions Tour. Tom Watson won the tourney with a 273 while Tom Kite and Ahern each shot a 274. All three were tied going into the last hole of the tourney, but Watson made his 4-foot birdie putt while Kite (a 5-footer) and Ahern (a 6-footer) missed their birdie opportunities.

30 years ago on Aug. 31, 1993: Rapid City Post 22 defeated Las Vegas Green Valley 7-4 to win the American Legion World Series in Roseburg (OR). Coach Dave Ploof’s Hardhats finished 70-5 and is the only SD team to ever accomplish the feat. Bill Freytag pitched a complete game for Rapid City, which was led offensively by Ryan Merritt’s two singles and three runs scored. Ben Thomas of Post 22 was named national player of the year. The team also included future MLB standout Mark Ellis, who was the Post 22
shortstop.

40 years ago on Sept. 2, 1983: A 74-year-old farmer, Jens Pederson, was putting up hay around 5 p.m. on his farm about 35 miles west of Watertown. The wheel of his tractor hit a hole, the tractor overturned and pinned Pederson underneath it. A few minutes later, the New Effington team bus came by, as its football team was returning home after defeating nearby Gary High School 27-0. The team, including its 22 players and coach David Krause, and a couple of others were able to lift the tractor and free Pederson. Pederson told John Egan of the Argus Leader: “I was unconscious right away, so I didn’t know what happened after that. But I think I’d have been dead in a few seconds if those boys hadn’t come by.” The game was one of only four the small school of Gary would play that fall, and it was nearly called off as South Dakota was being seized by a sizzling heat wave.

50 years ago on Sept. 1, 1973: In their first football meeting, Aberdeen Central rolled past Aberdeen Roncalli 24-8. Scott Gorder opened the scoring on a 56-yard touchdown pass to Brad Olson. Dave Syhre added to Central’s scoring with a 28-yard TD run, three PAT kicks and a 20-yard field goal. Central also got a TD run from Don Reshetar Jr. Roncalli’s lone TD came in the fourth quarter on Ron Grandbois’ 36-yard fumble recovery.