Of the 14 former standouts scheduled to be inducted into the South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame on Aug. 24, half have ties to the Watertown and Aberdeen areas.
Former district standouts honored include 1978 Watertown High School graduate Kay (Stormo) Freund, 1954 Lake Norden graduate Dale Jacobsen, 2004 Aberdeen Central graduate Derrick McCauley and 1953 Aberdeen Central graduate Wayne. Fix, including 1994 Hitchcock graduate Joellen (Hofer) Salmen. Dennis Smith, 1967 Glenham graduate, and Tara (Batchelor) Volesky, 1978 Mobridge graduate.
The Hall of Fame induction will take place at the Hall of Fame's 14th Annual Banquet at the Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls.
The 1978 Armor Packers are recognized as an outstanding team. Vernell Glanzer coached Armor to a Class B title and a 26-0 record. This season started the Packers on the road to a boys state record 64 consecutive wins. Greg Despeigler, current principal at Lincoln Elementary School in Watertown, was a freshman on that team.
Ticket information for the banquet will be available soon on the Hall of Fame's website, www.sdbbhof.com.
Hall of Fame Class of 2024:
Area members
Kay (Stormo) Freund, Georgetown, Texas (Watertown, 1978) — Freund was a mainstay at Watertown when the Arrows finished runner-up in the state Class A tournament in 1975 and won the title in 1976. She averaged 17 points per game as a senior. Freund was an elite runner who excelled in track and field and cross country at Watertown and the University of Iowa.
Dale Jacobsen (Lake Norden 1954) — The late Jacobsen was a standout for four years at Lake Norden. He averaged 19 points per game as a senior and led the Blue Jays in rebounds. Jacobsen attracted attention as a tenacious defender who brought out the opponent's top scorers in his defensive duties. Jacobsen played at South Dakota State University. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame along with his brother Don, who held the state's all-time high school basketball scoring record for more than 50 years. Don took office in 2010.
Derrick McCauley, Warbay (Aberdeen Central 2004) — McCauley was Aberdeen Central's best ball handler, scoring 21 points per game during his senior season. As a junior, he averaged 25 points per game at War Bay before transferring. McCauley had a successful career at Sisseton-Wahpeton College.
New employees for 2023:Former Northwestern luminaries and 11 others will be honored at a banquet scheduled for Aug. 26.
Wayne Fix (Aberdeen Central, 1953) — The late Fix was a dominant presence in Aberdeen Central's batting lineup as the Golden Eagles reached Class A state in 1952 and 1953. Fix played in every tournament both years, with Aberdeen Central winning the championship in 1953. Senior. Fix earned three varsity letters at the University of Minnesota.
Joellen (Hofer) Salmen, Tulare (Hitchcock 1994) — A five-year starter at Hitchcock, Salmen totaled 2,564 career points. During her senior season, she averaged 28 points per game for the Blue Jays. Salmen played two seasons at Huron University, then transferred to Hills State University, where she was named MVP of the SDIC in 1997.
Dennis Smith, Tulare (Glenham, 1967) — Smith averaged 25 points per game during his career and finished his four seasons at Glenham with a total of 2,186 points. He scored 32 points per game as a senior for the Eagles. His highest score in a single game was 51 points. Smith earned All-SDIC honors while playing at Northern State.
Tara (The Bachelor) Volesky, Mitchell (Mobridge 1978) — Bolesky was a multi-position player who averaged 24 points per game as a senior. She was also a medalist for Mobridge in the 1977 state Class B golf tournament. Volesky played golf at Brigham Young University and then transferred to Northern State to play basketball for the Wolves.
Other Hall of Fame Inductees
Denny Bush (Huron 1959) — The late Busch was a versatile performer when Huron won the state Class A championship in 1958 and finished 22-0. The following season, Bush became a senior and the Tigers took third place at the state tournament. Bush was a veteran guard on the South Dakota State team in 1963 where he won the NCAA College Division national title.
Jay Elwein, Huron (Huron 1994) — Huron won the Class AA state championship in 1993 as Erwine led the Tigers with 19 points per game. A year later, as a senior, he averaged 24 points per game, finishing his career with 1,383 points and winning the Gatorade Player of the Year Award. Erwein played collegiately at Huron University and Augustana University.
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roger hammerbeck, Hamill (Chamberlain 1966): — Chamberlain was the smallest school in Class A when Hammerbeck led the Cubs to the state tournament as a senior. That season, he averaged 20 points per game. Hammerbeck attended the University of South Dakota and played both basketball and football for the Coyotes.
dick padrnos, Boulder, Colo. (Lake Andes 1951) — Lake Andes first appeared in the state Class B tournament when Padornos was a senior. The Eagles won the third-place game by 31 points over Padronos. He averaged 23 points per game that season and Lake Andes went 30-1. Padornos went on to play at the University of South Dakota.
Jill (Young) Sargent, Waynesville, Ohio (Mitchell Christian, 2007) – Mitchell Christian won the state Class B title in 2006 when Sargent was a junior. Sargent averaged 29 points per game as a senior and was named Miss Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year. Her career total was her 3,317 points, which was her state record. Sargent played at South Dakota State University.
troy shafer, Rapid City (Pierre 1983) — One of the state's best all-around athletes, Schaefer led Pierre to the state Class A title in 1982. When Schaefer was a senior, the Governors finished second in scoring, averaging 19 points per game. He was Mr. Co. In addition to basketball, he also excelled in football and tennis. Schaefer played soccer at Augustana.
brian shanks, Elk Point (Huron 1974) — Shanks led Huron to the state Class A championship in 1973, averaging 22 points per game. The following season, Shanks became a senior and scored 26 points per game. His career total at Lake Preston and then Huron was his 1,800 points. Shanks played at South Dakota State and Northern State.
Follow Watertown Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam at X (formerly Twitter) @PO_Sports or Email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com