We did a special section as a tribute to retiring NSU athletic director Bob Olson.

Bob was the NSU’s men’s basketball coach when NSU went to its only NCAA DII Elite 8 in school history. See the historic 1998 NSU win over Brookings to send the Wolves to the Elite 8. Ryan Miller (older brother of Mike Miller of the Miami Heat) scored 45 to lead the Wolves:

First half of the game:

http://schurz.co/82hwhe

Second half of the game:

http://schurz.co/u2aje3

Ben Gillette and his Redfield-Doland coach Fran Esser. South Dakota Public Broadcasting Photo.

The Class B wrestler of the year from Redfield-Doland is headed to South Dakota State.
Redfield native Ben Gillette is a two-time state champion who went 187-14 during his high school career. He is an academic standout as well as a gifted musician. Gillette also was a rare four-time member of the American News All-Area Wrestling Team.
“It is great to get a top South Dakota kid to stay home,” new SDSU coach Chris Bono said. “I think he is excited to wrestle in front of his home fans.”

Riley Reiff of Parkston/Iowa was taken in the first round of the NFL draft by Detroit with the 23rd pick overall.
Rounds 2-3 are at 6 tonight on ESPN. Rounds 4-7 start at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Possible picks, probably on Saturday, are SDSU wide receiver Dale Moss and USD offensive lineman Tom Compton. Moss played basketball for SDSU for four years and last year played football for the Jacks. He is a former Eastern South Dakota Conference multi-sport standout from Brandon Valley.
Here are the lists of SDSU/USD/NSU players who have played in at least one National Football League regular-season game

SDSU
Former Jackrabbits who played in at least one National Football League regular-season game:

Weldon Erickson (1922, Minneapolis)
John Beasey (1924, Green Bay)
Weert Englemann (1930-33, Green Bay)
Ray Jenison (1931, Green Bay)
Israel Ginsberg (1935, Boston)
Alfred Arndt (1935, Pittsburgh, Boston)
Paul Miller (1936-38, Green Bay)
Mark Barber (1937, Cleveland)
Robert Pylman (1938-39, Philadelphia)
Doug Eggers (1954-57, Baltimore; 1958, Chicago)
Jerry Welch (1955-56, Calgary)
Dominic Klawitter (1956, Chicago)
Ellendale native Pete Retzlaff (1956, Detroit; 1956-66, Philadelphia).
Wayne Rasmussen (1964-74, Detroit)
Ron Meyer (1966, Pittsburgh)
Jim Langer (1970-79, Miami; 1980-81, Minnesota)
Lynn Boden (1975-78, Detroit; 1979, Chicago)
Bill Matthews (1978-81, New England; 82-83, New York Giants)
Chuck Lowen (1980-84, San Diego)
Bruce Klostermann (1986-89, Denver; 1990-91, Los Angeles Raiders)
Mike Busch (1987, New York Giants)
Brian Sisley (1987, New York Giants)
Doug Miller (1993-94, San Diego)
Adam Timmerman (1995-98, Green Bay; 1999-06, St. Louis)
Adam Vinatieri (1996-05, New England; 2006-, Indianapolis)
Steve Heiden (1999-01, San Diego; 2002-09, Cleveland)
Josh Ranek (2002, Dallas)
Scott Connot (2004-06, Kansas City)
Mitch Erickson (2010, Seattle)
Casey Bender (2010, Cleveland)
Danny Batten (2010-, Buffalo)
Colin Cochart (2011, Cincinnati)

USD
Former Coyotes who played in at least one National Football League regular-season game:

Frank McCormick (1920, Akron, 1921, Cincinnati, the first South Dakotan to play professional football)
Gene Vidal (1925, New York Giants, Washington)
Ordell Braase (1957-68, Baltimore, two-time All-Pro)
John Sanders (1974-76, New England; 1977-79, Philadelphia)
Duke Schamel (1985, Los Angeles)
Mike Slaton (1986, Minnesota; 1987, New York Jets)
Aberdeen native Robb White (1988-89, New York Giants; 1990, Tampa Bay)
Jamel White (1999, Indianapolis; 1999, Cleveland; 2004, Tampa Bay; 2005, Detroit)
Matt Chatham (2000-05, New England; 2006-07, New York Jets)
Josh Stamer (2003-07, Buffalo; 2008, Tennessee; 2009, Cleveland, Buffalo)
Filip Filipovic (2002, Dallas; 2003, San Francisco; 2004, Minnesota; 2005, Philadelphia; 2006, Houston; 2007 Chicago)
A.J. Schable (2006, Arizona)
Stefan Logan (2009, Pittsburgh; 2010-, Detroit)

NSU
Former Wolves who played in at least one National Football League regular-season game:

NSU does not have any lists of former NFL players. However, I know Ronnie Cruz played 19 games for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005 and 2006 and became a starting fullback. He also was on the practice squad in 2004. His career ended to injuries in the preseason with Dallas in 2008. I don’t know of any other players out of NSU who played in at least one National Football League regular season game.

AUGIE

My friend,  former American News teammate and Bristol native Todd Anderson has sent me the Augie list so here it is. Thanks Todd:

Les Josephson (1964-1974, Los Angeles Rams)
Karl Mecklenburg (1983-1994, Denver)
Tom Brown (1987, Cincinnati)
Corbin Lacina (1994-97, Buffalo; 1998, Carolina; 1999-02, Minnesota; 2003, Chicago)
Miller native Bryan Schwartz (1995-1999, Jacksonville)
Kevin Kaesviharn (2001-2006, Cincinnati; 2007-08, New Orleans; 2009, Tennessee)

Am I missing anyone from any of the colleges?

Selby native and South Dakota State football coach John Stiegelmeier told Brookings radio sports director Dellas Cole that he’s heard that former SDSU wide receiver Dale Moss of Brandon could be as high as a fifth-round pick, or could wind up with a free-agent deal.
Moss is the nephew of 1972 Nebraska Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers. Don Banks of SI.com picked Moss on Tuesday as one of 10 little-known prospects who have a shot to make it in the NFL.
The 2012 NFL Draft will be on ESPN at 7 p.m. Thursday (Round 1); 6 p.m. Friday (Rounds 2-3) and 11 a.m. Saturday (Rounds 4-7). Numerous draft experts expect that Parkston native and University of Iowa 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive tackle Riley Reiff will be taken in the first 10 picks of Round 1.
In today’s Scoreboard, see the lists of South Dakotans with NFL ties (high school or college) who have been selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft and the list of South Dakota-born players who have played in NFL regular-season games.

South Dakota-born players who have played or are playing in the NFL with player name, birth city, years played, position, games played (databasefootball.com):
Mark Barber, Alpena, 1937, FB, 5.
Frank Bausch, Marion, 1934-1941, C, 77.
James Bausch, Marion, 1933, FB-HB, 7.
Christian Bentz, Artas, 1920, T, 1.
David Bernard, Jefferson, 1944-1945, FB-QB, 13.
Erwin Bishop, Winner, 1962-1969, G-OG-OT, 110.
Ordell Braase, Mitchell, 1957-1968, DE, 156.
Michael Busch, Huron, 1987, QB, 2.
Ryan Christopherson, Sioux Falls, 1995-1996, FB-RB, 19.
Joseph Crakes, Platte, 1932-1933, E, 9.
Benjamin Derr, Turton, 1920-1921, HB, 6.
John Dutton, Rapid City, 1974-1987, DE-DT, 185.
Douglas Eggers, Wagner, 1954-1958, LB, 54.
Wuert Engelmann, Miller, 1930-1933, FB-HB-QB, 44.
Barry French, Chamberlain, 1947-1951, G-T, 25.
Neil Graff, Sioux Falls, 1974-1977, QB, 29.
Chad Greenway, Mount Vernon, 2007-Present, LB.
Carroll Hardy, Sturgis, 1955, HB, 8.
Larry Jacobson, Sioux Falls, 1972-1974, DE-DT, 34.
Raymond Jenison, Avon, 1931, T, 2.
Frank Kelley, Tyndall, 1927, HB, 8.
Robert Kennedy, Sandpoint, 1946-1950, B-FB-HB-LB, 53.
Paul Laaveg, Sioux Falls, 1970-1975, G-OG-T, 72.
Ben Leber, Vermillion, 2002-Present, LB.
Roy Longstreet, Sioux Falls, 1926, C, 1.
Clarence Manders, Milbank, 1939-1947, B-FB-HB, 74.
John Manders, Milbank, 1933-1940, E-FB-HB-T, 93.
Brady McDonnel, Rapid City, 2002, TE, 5.
Taylor Mehlhaff, Aberdeen, 2008, K, 3 (scored 18 points with New Orleans Saints).
Paul Miller, Platte, 1936-1938, HB-QB, 32.
Maurice Nipp, Yankton, 1952-1956, G-OG, 25.
Jay Novacek, Martin, 1985-1995, TE-WR, 158.
Urban Odson, Clark, 1946-1949, T, 44.
Forrest Olson, Vermillion, 1927, FB-G, 3.
Craig Puki, Deadwood, 1980-1982, LB, 39.
Duane Putnam, Pollock, 1952-1962, G-OG, 121.
Robert Robertson, Pine Ridge, 1942, HB, 11.
Robert Scholtz, Watertown, 1960-1966, C-OT-T, 81.
Bryan Schwartz, Miller, 1995-1999, LB, 55.
George Slagle, Canton, 1926, G, 1.
Ernest Smith, Spearfish, 1935-1939, G-T, 41.
Michael Steponovoch, Lead, 1933, E, 1.
Robert Stransky, Yankton, 1960, OHB, 14.
Charles Tollefson, Elk Point, 1944-1946, C-G, 16.
Rodney Tweet, Madison, 1987, WR, 2.
Norman Van Brocklin, Eagle Butte, 1949-1960, P-QB, 140.
Eugene Vidal, Madison, 1921, FB, 1.
Adam Vinatieri, Yankton (Rapid City Central graduate), 1996-Present, K.
Harry Webber, Elk Point, 1920-1923, E, 2.
Thomas Welter, Yankton, 1987, OG-OT, 3.
Robb White, Aberdeen, 1988-1990, DE, 23.
Richard Wildung, Scotland, 1946-1953, G-T, 74.
William Winter, Milbank, 1962-1964, LB, 33.
|DRAFTED IN TOP 3 ROUNDS|
A list of South Dakotans with NFL ties (high school or college) who have been selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft (Argus Leader):
John Dutton (Rapid City), DL, Nebraska, 1st round (fifth overall), 1974, Baltimore Colts.
Urban Odso n (Clark), OT, Minnesota, 1st (ninth overall), 1942, Green Bay Packers.
George Amundson (Aberdeen, born in Pendleton, Ore.), RB, Iowa St., 1st (14th overall), 1973, Houston Oilers.
Chad Greenway (Mount Vernon), LB, Iowa, 1st (17th overall), 2006, Minnesota Vikings.
Larry Jacobson (Sioux Falls), DT, Nebraska, 1st (24th overall), 1972, N.Y. Giants.
Lynn Boden (Osceola, Neb.), OG, SDSU, 1st (13th overall), 1975, Detroit Lions.
Bryan Schwartz (Miller), LB, Augustana, 2nd, 1995, Jacksonville Jaguars.
Dan Dworsky (Sioux Falls), C-LB, Michigan, 2nd (15th overall), 1949, Green Bay Packers (Dworsky also was a 1949 first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference — a shortlived rival pro league to the NFL).
Clarence “Pug” Manders (Milbank), RB, Drake, 2nd, 1939, Brooklyn Dodgers.
Bob Stransky (Yankton), RB, Colorado, 2nd, 1958, Baltimore Colts.
Ben Leber (Vermillion), LB, Kansas St., 3rd, 2002, San Diego Chargers.
Carroll Hardy (Sturgis), RB, Colorado, 3rd, 1955, San Francisco 49ers.
Les Goodman (Port Jefferson, N.Y.), RB, Yankton College, 3rd, 1972, Atlanta Falcons.
Steve Heiden (Rushford, Minn.), TE, SDSU, 3rd, 1999, San Diego Chargers.
John Kohler (Boston), OT, USD, 3rd, 1969, Denver Broncos.

The State Historical Society of South Dakota had a sports theme for its annual history conference last weekend in Pierre.
It was a fun two days filled with great information. It had been about 20 years since I last went to that conference, where I presented a paper I had done on the history of the State B boys’ basketball tourney.
This year, I was on a panel on covering high school and college sports in South Dakota with friends Mike Henrikson of Dell Rapids and Lake Norden native Mel Antonen. Mike and I talk often, and it was good to see Mel again.
Mike — the current South Dakota sports broadcaster of the year — co-hosts statewide daily (Calling All Sports along with KDLT sports director Mark Ovenden) and weekly (Sportsmax) radio sports talk shows, and is a regular announcer for South Dakota Public Broadcasting during state tournaments. Mel is a former Argus Leader sports writer and USA Today baseball writer who now writes for SI.com, broadcasts for the Sirius-XM Radio Network and does baseball analysis of the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles for MASN-TV.
In his spare time, Mel helps his family with the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in Lake Norden. Mel has covered every World Series since 1980.
It was great to hear Mike and Mel’s stories of covering sports and how the business has changed over the years. They are talented, award-winning veteran journalists who continue to ooze the passion of rookies. It was fun to be a part of such a lively panel.
It is like when my wife and I are out riding our scooters — I like to tell people we are a couple of Shriners short of a parade.
There were many other interesting speakers on the agenda such as Hecla-raised Marc Rasmussen of Bellevue, Wash., B. Byron Price of the University of Oklahoma and Wade Davies of the University of Montana.
Davies spoke on early Native American basketball in South Dakota and the tremendous teams from that era. One of his focuses was the team from St. Francis, which was a regular and one of the most successful and popular teams at the National Interscholastic Catholic Basketball Tournament in Chicago  during the 1920s and 1930s.
Rasmussen talked about his book “Six” (local bookstores or sdshspress.com), where he told the story of the national record-setting six-man football teams of Claremont which won 61 games in a row. In nine seasons from 1947-55, Aberdeen Central graduate and Claremont coach Bill Welsh’s six-man football teams lost only one game. Rasmussen’s state sports Hall of Fame dad, Marv, played on some of those teams and went on to star in basketball at Northern State.
Price talked about the early days of rodeo in South Dakota, including the exploits of Bart Clennon, who was born Nov. 5, 1910, in Aberdeen. Hall of Fame cowboy Clennon started rodeoing in the 1920s and quit in the 1950s due to a broken neck. Price said when doctors told Clennon that his neck was broken, Clennon in true cowboy fashion refused to the let the doctors put any kind of brace or cast on him because he felt it would interfere with a haying job he had been hired to do.
During his career, Clennon won rodeo events at the Boston Garden and Madison Square Garden in New York. Price also talked about one of South Dakota’s most famous rodeo horses, Tipperary, who was raised near Camp Crook in Harding County. The dark bay gelding Hall of Fame saddle bronc earned the title of “World’s Greatest Bucking Horse” in his 20-some year career that ended in 1928. Only four cowboys were said to have successfully ridden Tipperary five times — Yakima Canutt did it twice.
There were other fascinating stories shared. I did not hear Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s talk on pheasant hunting, but I read and heard it was very entertaining. Good job, governor.
The South Dakota State Historical Society keeps history alive in South Dakota, and its staff does a great job. To donate, become a member or more details: history.sd.gov.

READY TO RACE
The South Dakota horse racing season will start at 1 this afternoon (Saturday) at the Stanley County Fairgrounds in Fort Pierre.
Races there will continue at the same time Sunday, April 28-29 and May 5-6. Races then will move and continue at 1:30 p.m. at the Brown County Fairgrounds May 12-13, May 19-20 and May 27-28 in Aberdeen.

YANKTON COACHING CHANGE
Randy Gross has resigned after 10 years as head coach and 27 years with the Yankton High School boys’ basketball program.
“The responsibility of a head coach will wear you down,” Gross told Veblen native and Yankton Press & Dakotan sports editor James D. Cimburek. “After 10 years, I felt it was necessary to step aside and recharge my batteries.”
Gross will remain as a teacher and will serve as seventh-grade boys’ basketball coach. Yankton sophomore coach Chris Haynes will replace Gross. Haynes is a 2002 graduate of Winner High School and 2006 graduate of Dakota Wesleyan University.

HURON OPENER
Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron will host its season opening auto races at 7 tonight (Saturday). Kent Arment, who won his 500th career feature race last season, of Aberdeen is the defending champion in the Late Model and Modified divisions. Details: dakotapromotions.com.

OAHE SPEEDWAY
The quarter-mile National Hot Rod Association drag strip Oahe Speedway will kick off its 2012 season Sunday with its Shootout Races.
The speedway is 14 miles north of Pierre on South Dakota Highway 1804. Details: oahespeedway.com.
Winning class championships at the speedway in 2011 were Duane Soper (Street Trophy class) of Gettysburg; Jonathan Huse (Jr. Dragster Minor) of Onida; the Rapid City duo of Rick Meier (Super Pro) and Carly Ellingson (Jr. Dragster Major); and Pierre residents Randy Hirsch (Pro), Chris Boom (Motorcycle/Snowmobile), Travis Falcon (Sportsman) and Stephanie Holm (High School).

FREE USD FOOTBALL
The free University of South Dakota spring football game will begin at 1 this afternoon (Saturday) in the DakotaDome at Vermillion.

John Papendick is the managing news-sports editor for the American News. Readers tell and email him with stuff plus he reads all the daily newspapers in South Dakota on a daily basis. Reach him at jpapendick@aberdeennews.com. Blog: aberdeensports.net/inthehuddle.