RAPID CITY - The search for a new activities director at Rapid City Stevens is moving along slowly but surely.

"There isn't really much to say about it right now," Rapid City assistant superintendent Katie Bray said of the search. "The interview process is still under way and it's against our personnel regulations to say who those interviewees are. But we are in the process of finding a new activities director at Stevens and are trying to fill the position as soon as possible."

The position opened up earlier this year when former activities director Paul Sterling announced that this year would be his last in the position at the school. Sterling has worked at Stevens since 1998, when he took over for longtime activities director Duane Whalen.

Sterling has overseen numerous state championship-winning programs in his tenure at the school in boys cross country, track and field, golf, tennis and wrestling and girls' track and field, cross country, volleyball, golf, tennis and gymnastics. The Raiders won 2008 state championships in girls track and field - their 13th straight title, which tied a national record - wrestling, boys tennis and volleyball. Sports Illustrated called Stevens the No. 1 high school sports program in South Dakota in a 2005 article.

The search for a new AD is currently in the hands of Stevens principal John Julius and a seven-member search committee. The committee is conducting interviews for the position and will turn over its recommendation for the job to the superintendent Peter Wharton's office for review.

Wharton will then review the committee's recommendation and possibly conduct another interview of the candidate or candidates before submitting his recommendation to the school board for a vote. The school board will actually make the hire.

"We're still in the process of interviewing candidates," Bray said. "Then there will be reference checks and possibly another interview before the board has final approval. It's quite a process but the position carries a great deal of responsibility. Once Mr. Julius completes his team they'll get right into things, but it's a huge job and they need to find the right candidate."

Telephone calls to Julius and Sterling were not returned.