A look back at some of the sports happenings during the week of June 9-15:

Last year on June 10, 2023: The winningest high school boys’ basketball coach in state history has died. Britton native and NSU graduate Larry Luitjens was 81. His teams were 748-45 in 46 seasons (1968-2014). In 41 seasons, his Custer teams won five state titles (1990, 1992, 1993, 1998 and 2002) in 13 state title game appearances and won seven Lakota Nation Invitational championships. Luitjens also coached at DeSmet for four years and won two (1970 and 1971) state titles there. His 1969 De Smet team was the state runner-up.

10 years ago on June 9, 2014: Presentation College is planning $4.1 million worth of improvements to its Aberdeen campus. Plans include building a 108,000-square-foot, inflatable seasonal sports and recreation facility and completing the stadium around the college’s existing on-campus turf football field.

20 years ago on June 15, 2004: The South Dakota High School Baseball Association announced its all-state teams. Earning first-team honors in Class A were Aberdeen’s Taylor Mehlhaff and Jordin Kline.

30 years ago on June 11, 1994: “Banana George” Blair, 79, was in South Dakota showing off his water-skiing skills. He wowed the crowd at Catfish Bay Water Ski Park in Sioux Falls by skiing barefoot at 35 mph holding the ski rope in his mouth.

40 years ago on June 9, 1984: State record-holder and champion Rod DeHaven of Huron was invited as one of eight high school milers to compete in the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento (CA). In the city of his birth, DeHaven finished seventh in 4:15.63. Joe Falcon of Belton (MO) won in 4:08.24.

50 years ago on June 15, 1974: Faulkton will have some new coaches this fall as Marv Bult will become the head football and track coach while Doug Tanke will be the new boys’ basketball coach.