A look back at some of the sports happenings during the week of March 2-8, 2025:

Last year on March 5, 2024: An NFL player visited Jill Young’s third-grade class at Aberdeen Roncalli Elementary. Young’s cousin, Spencer Waege, is a member of the San Francisco 49ers. The South Shore native and former Watertown and NDSU standout defensive end is in his second year with the team that went to this year’s Super Bowl. Waege played in all of the team’s 2023 pre-season games, but was later cut, and then resigned to the 49ers’ practice squad. He was recently resigned for 2024.

10 years ago on March 5, 2015: American News research showed 57 high school boys’ basketball players in South Dakota are at least 6-foot-6 or taller: 20 each in both class AA and A and 17 in Class B.

20 years ago on March 5, 2005: Former Harding County standout B.J. Padden of Nebraska won the 197-pound title at the Big 12 Conference Championship.

30 years ago on March 4, 1995: Chad Lamer of SDSU won his second NCAA DII national
wrestling title at 177 pounds. The Colton native is a former Tri-Valley standout.

40 years ago on March 5, 1985: The Watertown boys’ basketball team nipped Brookings 48-46 in four overtimes in the Region 1A semifinals. Neither team scored in the first three overtimes. In the fourth overtime, Eric Stevenson of Watertown made a free throw to give his Arrows a 47-46 lead. Scott Holm of Brookings tied the game again with his free throw. At the end of the fourth overtime and game, Stevenson grabbed an offensive rebound and put it in at the buzzer to send Watertown to the championship game. Billy McMacken had 18 points and nine rebounds for Brookings while Stevenson had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Arrows.

50 years ago on March 8, 1975: Watertown native Steve Heidenreich finished helped Indiana win its third straight consecutive indoor track Big Ten Championship. The Hooisers’ star finished second in the mile in 4:05.9 behind Mike Durkin (4:04.5) of Illinois.