Rare moments: State runners made big strides nationally

By Roger Toland, Journal Sports Editor | Friday, December 31, 2004

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RAPID CITY -- High school runners put South Dakota on the map nationwide during 2004.

Yankton's Ramsey Kavan and a foursome of Rapid City Stevens girls headline the South Dakota Sportswriters Association's Rare Moments in Sports for 2004.

Kavan, one of the state's all-time best high school runners, captured first place in the prestigious Nike Team Nationals cross country run in Portland, Ore.

Kavan helped the Yankton team to third place in the national meet as a team, while a team from Sioux Falls Roosevelt finished 14th.

Just a couple of weeks ago at the Foot Locker Championship National Finals in San Diego, Kavan placed third.

On the other side of the United States, in Raleigh, N.C., at the Adidas Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Stevens' Betsy Blackler, Samee Pagel, Shannon Hattervig and Julie Schwengler placed fourth in the 3,200 relay in an all-time state record clocking of 9:10.68.

Stevens' girls also continued its dominance in the Class AA ranks in the state by capturing its ninth straight state title.

Douglas' Shannon Hellman had one of the most memorable happenings during the state track and field championships.

Hellman was competing in the 300 hurdles when she clipped a hurdle, did a full somersault, got back up and ended up winning the event, bringing the fans to their feet.

"All I could think was 'just get back up there,'" said Hellman after the race.

Other Rare Moments for 2004:

Basketball

* The Class B state champion in both boys and girls defeated the Class A champ during the regular season. Class A girls winner Sisseton lost just one game all season, that to Class B champion Mount Vernon. In the boys ranks, Class A victor Chester lost only twice all year, once to "B" champion Dell Rapids St. Mary.

* Pine Ridge's Laura Big Crow was named winner of the Spirit of Su Award at the "A" girls basketball tournament. The award is in honor of the late SuAnne Big Crow, Laura's first cousin.

* Freshman Logan Albers scored four points in the third overtime as Mobridge out-lasted Elk Point-Jefferson 98-97 in the consolation semifinals of the state Class A boys basketball tournament.

Baseball

* Rapid City Post 22 team was the first South Dakota American Legion team to play at Coors Field in Denver. Post 22 defeated Cheyenne, Wyo., in that game.

* Post 22 had an unusual stretch of wins and losses last summer, after putting together a 12-game winning streak, they followed by a seven-game losing string.

* The Aberdeen Smittys won their first state "A" high school baseball crown with a pair of comebacks on Memorial Day to beat top-seeded Brookings 8-5 and second-ranked Yankton 8-4.

Other sports

* Grant-Deuel's Jerad Berg ran for 495 yards to set a state high school football record for rushing in a game. He also tied a record with 60 points in a game on nine touchdowns and three two-point conversions.

* Custer's Larry Luitjens, the state's winningest boys basketball coach, submitted his resignation because of health problems (prostate cancer and a bicycle accident).

* Rapid City bowler Raymond O'Connor rolled three 300 games on the same two lanes.

* Rapid City's David Piker came within two strikes of a 900 series. He rolled back-to-back 300 games (only the third time this has happened in the state) before ending with a 260 game an a 860 series.

* Rapid City's Jordan Lintz Cherebetiu earned her Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour card.

* The state high school girls tennis tournament was played in Rapid City for the first time since 1979 and the Rapid City Stevens team came away with the team title.

* Rapid City's Joe Amo set a world land speed record for all 1,000-cc motorcycles with a 240.913 miles per hour average at the Bonneville Speedway.

* South Dakota State will start equestrian as a club sport next year, but only has one participant currently. There are only 15 Division I schools offering the sport, which features feats of grace, daring, agility and speed. College riders are judged on posture and control of the horse. Start-up money is approximately $400,000.

Contact Toland at 1-605-394-8430 or at roger.toland@rapidcityjournal.com