AREA SCENE: Mines lands first volleyball recruit for 2009 season

By Journal staff | Friday, December 05, 2008

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RAPID CITY — The South Dakota School of Mines volleyball program announced the first Hardrocker recruit for the 2009 season — Rachel Pekarek, of Plymouth, Minn.

Pekarek will be a graduate of Osseo High School this coming spring and has already committed to continuing her volleyball career at South Dakota School of Mines. It was a fairly easy decision for Pekarek as her parents both attended Mines and both were proven athletes as well.

Rachel’s mother, Rose (Schneider) Pekarek was a volleyball and basketball player, while Rachel’s father, Scott Pekarek, was a football and track standout. He currently holds the school record in the 800-meter run.

Pekarek, who is 5-foot-8, will come into the ’Rocker program as an outside hitter. She was co-captain of her high school volleyball team as a senior, was a two-time  all- conference selection, earned academic all-state honors, was the team leader in aces and digs as a senior and was the kill leader her junior season.

Baseball games to be held in late December

SIOUX FALLS — The Sioux Empire Baseball Association invites players from the Upper Midwest to attend its annual winter baseball camps at the Avera Sports Institute in Sioux Falls.

A session for infielders and outfielders will be Dec. 27 and Dec. 28, and another session for pitchers and catchers will be Dec. 29 and Dec. 30. Players attending both sessions will receive a reduced registration rate.

Participants are required to bring a glove, bat, catching gear, turf shoes and an appropriate baseball uniform or workout gear. Overnight participants will be lodged at the Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls and will receive two lunches, one dinner and one breakfast. All commuters will receive lunch daily.

As a part of SEBA’s larger Instructional Program, the Winter Baseball Camp will provide participants an opportunity to improve their skills in a positive instructional environment.  The camp stresses mechanics, offensive and defensive training, mechanical training and individualized instruction.

For a registration form or a detailed schedule for the winter baseball camp or for more information about SEBA, go to www.siouxempirebaseball.org or call 605-336-3462.

Sisseton QB named

football player of the year

Sisseton High School quarterback Dustin Lotzer was named the 2008-2009 Gatorade South Dakota football player of the year on Thursday. Lotzer is the first player from Sisseton to be chosen for this award. 

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Lotzer as South Dakota’s best high school football player. Lotzer is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in December.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior quarterback shattered state records for touchdown passes in a game and in a season, leading the Redmen (7-2 overall) to the Class 11A quarterfinals, where they fell to eventual state champion Dell Rapids. Lotzer completed

19-of-21 passes for a record nine TDs and 492 yards — second in state history — in a win over Redfield. He completed 148-of-218 passes for 68 percent on the season for 2,791 yards — also second in state history — and 35 touchdowns against eight interceptions. Lotzer also rushed for 602 yards and six touchdowns on 108 carries.

Midco to televise USD basketball games

VERMILLION — The University of South Dakota and Midcontinent Communications are teaming up to televise Coyote basketball games live for the 2008-09 season.

USD Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen announced the agreement with Midcontinent Communications, which will televise seven Coyote home basketball games live in 2008-2009. It will mark the first time that Midcontinent will broadcast USD basketball games. The games will be televised on Midcontinent channel 23, (MC23).

The live television broadcasts will include the following games: Saturday, Dec. 20 vs. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire at 1 p.m. (women); Sunday, Dec. 21 vs. University of Northern Iowa at 1 p.m. (women); vs. Midland Lutheran College at 3 p.m. (men); Saturday, Jan. 31 vs. University of North Dakota at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (women and men); Saturday, Feb. 28 vs. Seattle University at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. (women and men).

Midcontinent Communications the Upper Midwest’s leading provider of cable television, local and long distance telephone service, broadband Internet access, and cable advertising services to communities in North and South Dakota, and Minnesota. Midcontinent’s service area includes over 200 communities serving over 200,000 customers. For more information, please visit the Midcontinent company website at www.midcocomm.com.