Feb. 22: The Hill City boys’ basketball team defeated St. Thomas More 52-49. The last time that happened was almost 25 years ago on Feb. 29, 2000, when the Rangers defeated STM 79-73 in double overtime in the District 15A semifinals.
March 1: The Rapid City Rush’s 11-game winning streak ended with a 4-3 overtime loss to the visiting Idaho Steelheads. It was pro hockey team’s second-longest streak in program history.
March 1: Bon Homme-Scotland-Avon wrestler Peyton Hellmann is the first girls’ five-time state champion in SD prep history.
March 1: Paige Meyer and Brooklyn Meyer (unrelated) combined to score 52 points to lead the SDSU women’s basketball team to a 79-46 win over St. Thomas. The Jackrabbits closed out the regular season with its third straight unbeaten Summit League championship. The Jacks have won 63 regular-season conference games in a row and are 81-1 in the Summit League since the 2020-21 season.
March 2: Iowa’s Mark Gronowski was ranked as the No. 7 quarterback in the Big Ten Conference. He passed for 10,309 yards and 93 touchdowns and ran for 1,767 yards and 37 scores in 55 appearances (49 wins) at South Dakota State. Gronowski is sitting out spring ball due to an offseason medical procedure that is scheduled to put off his return to the field until summer.
March 2: Former NSU standouts Kevin Ratzsch and Darin Peterka led Sioux Falls Gray to the SD State A amateur basketball title. Ratzsch was the tourney MVP and both men were named to the all-tourney team.
March 3: In the same press release, South Dakota Mines parted ways with its two head basketball coaches, men’s coach Eric Glenn and women’s coach Jeri Owsley. In seven seasons, Tech went 72-118 under Glenn, including 4-24 this season. In six seasons, Tech went 55-103 under Owsley, including 8-19 this season.
March 3: Northern Colorado and Montana are the Big Sky Conference regular season co-champs in men’s basketball. Northern Colorado is coached by former NSU standout Steve Smiley.
March 4: The Kadoka Area boys’ basketball team ended a historic run in beating White River 48-30 and ending the Tigers’ season. White River had qualified for the State B Tournament from 2006-24, tying Mitchell (1983-2001) for the boys’ basketball record of 19 straight state tourney appearances. It was a historic run by coach Eldon Marshall and his Tigers, and host Aberdeen fans will miss their prescence.
March 4: Former Rapid City and USD basketball standout Kyah Watson of West Virginia made the All-Big 12 Conference Defensive Team and the honorable-mention all-conference team. Watson led the Mountaineers to a 24-7 regular-season record, a top 25 national ranking (16 th ) and the No. 6 seed in the Birmingham 2 Region of the NCAA DI Tournament.
March 5: In his first season at Drake, coach Ben McCollum earned the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball coach of the year after his Bulldogs went 27-3 and won the regular-season conference title. Before Drake, McCollum spent 15 seasons at Northwest Missouri State and developed somewhat of a recent rivalry with NSU. McCollum’s Bearcats won four NCAA DII national titles and compiled a 394-91 record.
March 6: Former SDSU and Creighton standout Baylor Scheierman had his best NBA game as he helped Boston defeat Philadelphia 123-105. The Celtics’ rookie had 15 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal.
March 7: It was a historic night for the No. 1 Oklahoma women’s gymnastics team at their home Lloyd Noble Center. On senior night in which the Sooners honored its four seniors including South Dakotan Danielle Sievers of Gary, OU scored its best score of the season in beating No. 17 Michigan 198.2-196.9 in front of 9,144 fans (fourth largest crowd in program history). The Deuel High School graduate Sievers is a multiple All-American who has helped the Sooners win two national team titles.
March 7: Nick Comfort of the Aberdeen Wings played in his 150 th NAHL game. The defenseman and assistant captain for Aberdeen has played 122 games for the Wings. It was a big week for Comfort of Saline (MI) native as he also announced this week that he will play DIII hockey at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Skylur Jameson (Long Beach, CA) holds the NAHL record for most games played as he played in 243 games for the Wichita Falls (TX) Wildcats from 2004-08.
March 7: UND standout Treysen Eaglestaff of Bismarck scored 51 points (15-28 FGs, 8-18 threes, 13-17 FTs) to pace his team to a 85-69 win over SDSU in the Summit League quarterfinals. He also had four rebounds, four assists and two steals. It was the most points scored in a DI game this season and the fourth-best all-time for a DI conference tourney. Eaglestaff, a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe member, scored 40 in UND’s 97-90 loss to sixth-ranked Alabama earlier this season. The Summit League Conference tourney record of 38 was held by former Wright State and Sioux Falls Skyforce guard Bill Edwards. Former NSU standout player/coach and UND coach Paul Sather’s Fighting Hawks outscored the Jackrabbits 39-11 during a second-half stretch that took them down 14 to up 14. SDSU shot 18 percent (6 of 34) from the field in the second half.
March 8: Sioux Falls Jefferson ended the Aberdeen Central girls’ basketball season 57-54 on a 55-foot, halfcourt plus heave from Abby Horner that rattled around the rim before dropping in.
March 9: SDSU (29-3) won its third straight Summit League Tournament women’s basketball title in defeating Oral Roberts 84-69. Tourney MVP Paige Meyers led the way with 26 points, nine assists and five rebounds. Teammates Haleigh Timmer (21 points), Madison Mathiowetz (20 points), Brooklyn Meyer (15 rebounds and 10 points) and Mesa Byom (13 rebounds and four assists) also contributed heavily. It was the 12 th Summit League Tournament title and will be the 13 th NCAA DI Tournament trip for coach Aaron Johnston’s Jackrabbits. The Jacks are 41-5 all-time in SL tournaments.
March 9: It was a memorable day for Augustana baseball as the Vikings swept Bemidji State in a doubleheader. In the first game, the Vikings earned coach Tim Huber his 600 th career win. In the second game, J.D. Hennen threw a no-hitter striking out 15 in his 90-pitch, seven-inning win. In 17 seasons at Augie, Huber is 601-269-1.
March 11: The Wall boys’ basketball team defeated Sully Buttes 64-51 to advance to the State B for the first time since 2001 and only the second time in school history.
March 11: The Hill City boys’ basketball team defeated Cheyenne-Eagle Butte 55-38 to advance to its first-ever state tournament. Coach Laramie Harvey’s Rangers feature eight seniors on its State A tourney roster: Everett Sullivan, Devin Buehler, Brayden Wilkison, Alex Stoeckmann, Brandon Escalante, Leo Daiss, Noah Schelske and Adolph Tyler.
March 12: Wagner junior Ashlyn Koupal is the 2025 South Dakota girls’ basketball Gatorade player of the year. Koupal is the first Wagner player to win the award since her aunt, Mandy Koupal, won the award in 1998 and 1999.
March 15: Team USA Paralympian silver medalist, Yankton native and USD freshman Miles Krajewski won five medals in six parabadminton events in two international tournaments in Spain. He won two gold medals in men’s doubles with Brazilian Vitor Tavares and three bronze medals, including two in men’s singles. Almost 250 athletes from 40 nations competed.
March 15: The Rapid City Rushmore Thunder varsity boys’ hockey team won the state tourney in Watertown. Rushmore (25-0) dominated its three state opponents 20-3. Coach Konrad Reeder’s team was led by three-time all-stater Wyatt Reeder, Colton Merchen, Cam Ritter, Jackson Prussner and Jackson Hepper.
March 15: The O’Gorman girls’ basketball team erased a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to remain perfect and win its second-straight State AA title. OG topped Brandon Valley 47-46 to extend its winning streak to 50 straight over the past three seasons. With the Knights trailing 46-42 with less than a minute to play, OG sophomore Ruby Moore sparked her team’s rally with a nine-second sequence of a three-pointer, steal and game-winning bucket. OG coach Kent Kolsrud’s Knights have won four of the last nine state titles. Coach Mike Zerr and his Lynx also have had a great run with two straight state runner-up finishes and a record of 40-8 over the last two seasons. Moore is the daughter of former NSU basketball standout Keith Moore. Zerr is a former standout football player at Aberdeen Roncalli and NSU.
March 16: With half of the regular season still on the schedule, the Black Hills State softball team is off to its best start in the history of the 18-year-old program. Coach Ashlyn Englehorn and her Yellow Jackets are 18-10. BHSU’s previous best season came in 2009 when the Yellow Jackets went 17-16.
March 17: After 20 some year as a high-level DI men’s basketball assistant, Ryan Miller is taking the head job at Murray State. Miller comes to the Kentucky school as an assistant coach at Creighton. He is a Mitchell native and former NSU standout player.
March 19: The 2024-25 basketball season was a fun ride for the Steve Smiley family. Smiley, a former NSU standout, is the men’s basketball coach at Northern Colorado. His Bears finished 25-10, won a share of the Big Sky Conference with Montana, finished second in the Big Sky Tournament (91-83 vs. Montana) and secured a post-season bid in the 32-team National Invitational Tournament. Meanwhile, Smiley’s son Madden as a junior led his high school boys’ basketball team to the Colorado Class 5A state championship and a 22-6 season. It was the school’s first boys’ state basketball title since Windsor of Greeley (CO) won back-to-back state titles in 1923 and 1924. Madden Smiley scored 25 points in the state finals and earned numerous post-season awards, including 5A player of the year.
March 20-22: Mike and Terri Mebius of Wessington Springs had three grandsons playing in the three boys’ basketball state tournaments across the state. Karter Mebius is a junior at Wessington Springs, which played in the State B tourney in Aberdeen. Connor Mebius is a sophomore for West Central, which played in the State A tourney in Sioux Falls. Logan Mebius is a junior for O’Gorman, which played in the State AA tourney in Rapid City. The Mebius grandparents attended portions of all three tourneys, and told SD Public Broadcasting they attended more than 80 games this season and traveled more than 7,000 miles.

March 21: Nick Hanson had 20 points and eight rebounds to lead Viborg-Hurley over Dell Rapids St. Mary 56-49 in the State B Tournament semifinals in Aberdeen. Viborg-Hurley is coached by Shane Warwick, who was a two-time all-conference player for NSU. His son, Walker Warwick, is a junior reserve for DRSM.
March 22: The SDSU women’s basketball team defeated Oklahoma State 74-68 in the first round of the NCAA DI Tournament. The Jackrabbits (30-3) were led by Brooklyn Meyer and Paige Meyer who combined for 35 points and 16 rebounds. SDSU trailed 31-24 at halftime, but outscored the Cowgirls 50-37 in the second half. Leading the second-half surge was Madison Mathiowetz, who scored all 17 of her points in the final 20 minutes on six of seven shooting from the floor. She made all four of her free throws in the final minute of the game as well.
March 22: Ridge Lovett (149 pounds) and Antrell Taylor (157) won NCAA titles to lead Nebraska to its best performance ever at the DI Wrestling Championships. The Cornhuskers finished as the national runners-up behind champion Penn State. Eight Huskers earned All-America honorees in Philadelphia. Nebraska’s title winners brought home their school’s first individual championship since 2011 (Jordan Borroughs) and the first two in a year since 1984 (Mobridge natives Jim Scherr and Bill Scherr). The tournament run also earned head coach Mark Manning the 2025 NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year award. Manning, who completed his 25 th season as the Nebraska coach, is a Vermillion native. He is the winningest wrestling coach in NU history with more than 300 dual wins. Manning was a two-time (1983 and 1985) NCAA DII national champion at 150 pounds at Nebraska-Omaha and a silver medalist at the 1989 Pan American Games. At Vermillion High School, Manning was a state wrestling champion in 1978 (126), 1979 (138) and 1980 (145). He helped Vermillion win the State A team championship in 1979.
March 22: Brandon Valley freshman guard Lincoln McInerney made two three-pointers that helped spark the Lynx to the State AA Tournament championship. The BV boys of coach Craig Nelson defeated Mitchell 53-45 to win the title, led by Briggs Knutson with 17 points. Nelson is a former NSU standout.
March 22: Castlewood rolled to a 51-32 victory over Viborg-Hurley to win the State B boys’ basketball title. The Warriors (24-2) were led by Bryon Laue (13 points and 12 rebounds) while Nicholas Hanson (14 points and eight rebounds) led VH. The VH Cougars are coached by 1983 Castlewood graduate Shane Warwick and Castlewood is coached by 1982 Castlewood graduate Paul Raasch. Warwick and Raasch were standout teammates in high school. Raasch became the fourth coach known in state history to win state football and basketball titles (Bill Marquardt, Kent Mueller and Marv McCune). Raasch led Langford Area to a state football title in 2015 and to State B basketball runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2015. Raasch is now 621-261 in 39 years as a boys’ basketball coach at Castlewood, Webster, Langford Area and Alpena.
March 22: Freeman has a rich sports history, and head coach Lance Friesen has helped turn around the school’s boys’ basketball program. The Flyers were 0-21 in 2020-21 and 1-20 in 2021-22 when Friesen and assistant Kyle Weier arrived in 2022-23. Freeman went 5-16 that season, 14-8 last season and 19-6 this season with a sixth-place finish in the State B tourney.
March 24: Tourney favorite Connecticut ended the SDSU women’s basketball team’s season with a 91-57 win in the second round of the NCAA tourney in front of 10,299 fans in a sold-out Gampel Pavilion in Storrs (CT). Minnesota native and national player of the year candidate Paige Bueckers led the Huskies (33-3) with 34 points in her final home game. In her final game for the Jackrabbits (30-4), Paige Meyer had 16 points, four rebounds and three assists. In their 13 th NCAA Tournament appearance in the 17 seasons they have been eligible, the Jacks are 6-13.

March 25: The Dordt (IA) Defenders won the NAIA championship with a 82-73 win over Indiana Wesleyan. The 35-2 Defenders of Coach Bill Harmsen won the title last year as well. South Dakotans on the Dordt roster are Ava Lingemann (Ethan), Trinity Watson (Florence-Henry), Ellie Lems (SF Christian) and Mara Grant (Tea Area).
March 27: Pierre native and NDSU All-American offensive lineman Grey Zabel was tabbed as the 28th pick to the Detroit Lions in Matt Miller’s latest NFL mock draft. Miller is a NFL draft analyst for ESPN.
March 27: Former Dell Rapids and Augustana multi-sport standout Matt Wilber is the new men’s basketball coach at NSU. Wilber comes to the Wolves after one year as a WNBA assistant coach for the Phoenix Mercury. Before that, Wilber was head coach at Dakota Wesleyan where his Tigers went 224-125 in 11 seasons.
March 28: Aberdeen Central boys’ assistant basketball coach Colton McClemans has been been promoted to head coach, taking over for Brent Norberg, who retired after 29 seasons as a head coach. Norberg, a Watertown graduate, used to coach against his brother, Brian Norberg, who resigned in 2018 as the winningest coach in Watertown High School history. The current head coach of the Watertown boys is Pat McClemans, Colton’s dad.
March 28: SDSU men’s basketball head coach Eric Henderson resigned to accept the same role at Drake University. The Jacks had a 129-60 record in six seasons under Henderson. In those six years, SDSU claimed four Summit League regular season titles, along with two conference tournament championships which led to two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022 and 2024.
March 28: The Aberdeen Wings set a new franchise home attendance record. The Odde Ice Center overflowed with 1,932 mostly loud and proud Wings’ fans. That record crowd saw Aberdeen defeat Watertown 6-1. Wings’ goalie Damon Cunningham saved 31 of 32 shots while teammate Leonid Bulgakov had one goal and one assist.
March 29: SDSU men’s basketball assistant Bryan Petersen has been promoted to head coach. The Iowa State graduate has been with the Jacks for the past six seasons.
March 30: The Rapid City Rushmore varsity boys’ hockey team won a national title in Irvine (CA). The Thunder defeated the Illinois state champion Warriors Hockey Club of Aurora to win the USA Hockey High School 2A national championship game. Easton Knoll scored three goals for the champions while teammates Wyatt Reeder scored one goal and had three assists while goalie Brody Lee had 12 saves. The SD state champion Rushmore team coached by Konrad Reeder finished with a 30-1 record.
March 31: Fargo Forum veteran reporter Mike McFeely reported that former Bismarck High School graduate and 2022 North Dakota Mr. Basketball Treysen Eaglestaff landed an Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal of around $1 million at South Carolina. Eaglestaff averaged 18.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 41.6% from the field last season for the coach Paul Sather’s UND Fighting Hawks last season. Sather, a former Northern State standout player and coach, was credited with helping to convince Eaglestaff to stay at UND after the 2023-24 season. After Eaglestaff stayed at North Dakota for the 2024-25 season, his stock grew nationwide this season. On Dec. 18, Eaglestaff scored 40 in a 97-90 loss to No. 6 Alabama in a nationally televised game in Grand Forks. On Feb. 22, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe member, scored 27 in UND’s 79-77 win over rival NDSU in the 311 th meeting between the rivals. On March 7, Eaglestaff delivered 51 points in UND’s 85-69 win over SDSU in the Summit League quarterfinals.

March 31: Troy (AL) University edged NDSU 97-88 in overtime in the quarterfinals of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Molly Lenz of NDSU made a three-pointer with 14 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 81 and send it into overtime. Avery Koenen led the Bison (21-12) with 23 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. A crowd of 2,462 fans inside the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex in Fargo witnessed the game. It was the second largest WBB crowd since the facility opened in 2016. Summit League teams like NDSU have had success in the WNIT as USD won the tourney in 2016 and SDSU in 2022.

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