#16 /// MAR. 06, 2025
COYOTE LEGEND
USD’s Larkins stars in senior season
WHAT TO WATCH AT THE SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS HEAT UP HELLMANN’S DRIVE FOR FIVE COMPLETE
SDSU Women are ‘the Goliath’
4 SUMMIT LEAGUE
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EDITOR
MARCUS TRAXLER mtraxler@mitchellrepublic.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SARA LEITHEISER
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
CHRIS JOHNSON
KATIE HASTINGS
the team meet
CONTRIBUTERS
MATT ZIMMER
ADAM THURY
TRENT SINGER
BLAKE DURHAM
LANDON DIERKS
NATHAN SWAFFAR
JUSTIN WICKERSHAM
the contributors
MARCUS TRAXLER
Marcus Traxler is the assistant editor and sports editor for the Mitchell Republic. A past winner of the state’s Outstanding Young Journalist award and the 2023 South Dakota Sportswriter of the Year, he’s worked for the newspaper since 2014 and covers a wide variety of topics.
MATT ZIMMER
Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer.
He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting.
LANDON DIERKS
Dierks covers prep and collegiate athletics across the Mitchell Republic’s coverage region area. He is a Mitchell native who graduated from South Dakota State University with his bachelor’s degree in journalism in May 2020. Dierks joined the Mitchell Republic sports staff in August 2021.
BLAKE DURHAM
Blake Durham is a Sports Reporter for the Mitchell Republic, having joined the newspaper in October of 2023. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in December of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. Durham can be found covering a variety of prep and collegiate sports in the area.
TRENT SINGER
An Iowa native who grew up in the south, Singer is a 2012 graduate of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he received his bachelor of arts degree in photography with a minor in journalism. Singer was most previously the editor of high school sports at Just Women's Sports and, before that, was a sports reporter and editor at the Southeast Missourian and the Kentucky New Era, respectively.
USD’s Grace Larkins puts up a floater against SDSU in a Summit League matchup in Vermillion on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2024. Nathan Swaffar / Mitchell Republic
‘GOLIATH’ OF THE THE THE
CAN ANYONE UPSET SDSU? SUMMIT
From left, South Dakota State coach Aaron Johnston talks with Paige Meyer (21), Emilee Fox (4) and Katie Vasecka (23) during a break in the action in a women’s college basketball game against Duke on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024 at First Bank and Trust Arena in Brookings.
DAVID BORDEWYK / S.D. NEWSMEDIA ASSOCIATION
BY MATT ZIMMER Sioux Falls Live
SIOUX FALLS — Anyone who is aware that the Summit League women’s basketball tournament exists fully expects the South Dakota State Jackrabbits to win it again this week at the Premier Center.
You know it. I know it. The Jackrabbits know it. All eight of their conference rivals know it.
There are no absolutes. Bigger upsets have taken place. But when you’ve gone undefeated against these teams for three years running, with only one loss in the last five years, you’ve earned a certain expectation.
The Jacks, ranked 25th in the nation, went 16-0 against the league this year and 26-3 overall. Their losses were to No. 1 Texas, No. 11 Duke and Georgia Tech, who was ranked 20th last week before dropping from the polls.
SDSU is 81-1, yes, 81-1, against Summit League teams over the last five seasons.
As if all of that were not enough, they will be playing this tournament in front of an overwhelmingly pro-Jackrabbit crowd in Sioux Falls. Few if any women’s college basketball teams enjoy the kind of home court advantage the Jacks do at their conference tournament, and fewer still seem to have mastered the art of playing to that crowd and feeding off of it like Aaron Johnston’s teams have.
That is what the Summit League’s other eight teams are up against this week at the Premier Center.
“They’re the Goliath of the Summit League,” said Kelsi Musick, who led Oral Roberts to 22 wins and a second-place finish in the conference this year but has not beaten the Jacks in her three years as their coach. “They’re at the top for a reason and in order for someone to crack that you’re gonna have to play pretty much flawless to do it.”
“They’re at the top for a reason and in order for someone to crack that you’re gonna have to play pretty much flawless to do it.”
The Jacks ran the table last year despite being ravaged by injuries, so many expected them to coast through the schedule untouched this season since they’re deeper and healthier. But it didn’t play out that way. The Jacks were challenged and threatened a few times. That’s not because they took a step back, it’s because teams like Musick’s and a few others have taken steps to close the gap.
The Jacks have met those challenges, in part because they’re utterly used to this. They’ve known since they reported for their first workout after the end of last season that they’d be anointed 2025 conference champions before a single whistle was blown. And they’ve learned over the years that the hype is meaningless if they don’t put in the work. And that’s what makes them so tough — they keep putting in the work.
“I think if I walked into the locker room and told them they’re just the greatest thing ever they’d look at me like, ‘whatever’,” Johnston said of his players. “They just don’t respond to that stuff. They’re really level-headed, and that’s shown in how we’ve played all year.”
If anyone is going to pull off the impossible it’ll probably be the Golden Eagles (22-7, 12-4) or the North Dakota State Bison (19-10, 11-5). Both teams gave the Jacks one legit scare this year and were semi-competitive in the other meeting. The Jacks will open the tournament against the winner of the play-in game between Denver and Omaha. Assuming they don’t get locked in their hotel rooms
and have to forfeit they’ll then face the winner of St. Thomas and UND in the semifinals.
But give the rest of the league credit. The conference as a whole got better this year. They recognize how far they have to go to catch the Jacks, and they’re trying to do it. If they can’t pull off the shocking upset, at least they’ll go down swinging.
“It’s March,” said USD coach Carrie Eighmey, whose seventh-seeded Coyotes will face Oral Roberts on Thursday. “And anything can happen
in March. You have to have that mindset. It’s a clean slate, it’s a new season and it doesn’t matter what anybody’s done up until now. Everybody is 0-0. You get to out and all you have to do is be the best team that day for that game.”
“Anything can happen in March. You have to have that mindset. It’s a clean slate, it’s a new season and it doesn’t matter what anybody’s done up until now.”
SDSU and Haleigh Timmer beat Rice on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 in Houston.
MEGAN GLOVER/ SDSU ATHLETICS
USD coach Carrie Eighmey watches her team against SDSU on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025 in Brookings.
Kelsi Musick, Oral Roberts Head Coach
Carrie Elghmey, USD Head Coach
MATT ZIMMER
Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting.
One reason every Summit men’s team can win the conference tournament One reason every Summit men’s team can win the conference tournament
OMAHA LEADS THE WAY, BUT THERE ARE MULTIPLE CONTENDERS FOR THE NCAA AUTO BERTH
BY MATT ZIMMER
Sioux Falls Live
SIOUX FALLS — For all the hand-wringing about how the transfer portal will (or already has) ruined Summit League men’s basketball, the 2024-25 season was pretty good.
Three teams have at least 20 wins entering the conference tournament. The league champion was not decided until the season’s final day.
One game separated first place from second, second from third, third from fourth, fourth from fifth.
The team that won it, the Omaha Mavericks, was picked to finish 8th (out of 9) in the preseason poll. The team that was picked to win it (Kansas City) finished 8th.
The team with the most wins (St. Thomas, at 22-9), is not eligible to go to the NCAA tournament, but is among the favorites to win the conference tournament. If they do, Omaha would get the NCAA bid as regular season champ.
“It’s (a) ridiculously good (field),” said North Dakota State coach Dave Richman, whose Bison (21-10, 10-6) earned the 4-seed. “There are no off nights. As a competitor, it’s awe some. When you get uncomfortable you get better, and that should make for a very interesting tourna ment in Sioux Falls.”
It starts Wednesday with the ‘playin’ game between 8th-seeded UMKC and 9th-seeded Oral Rob erts. Omaha (19-12, 13-3) and St. Thomas are the top two seeds, with SDSU (20-11, 11-5) coming in as the 3-seed and with a built-in home court advantage.
Omaha’s Josh Streit picks up his dribble while SDSU’s Oscar Cluff defends on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025 at Baxter Arena in Omaha. JENN KENYON/SIOUX FALLS LIVE
USD (18-13, 9-7) is the 5th-seed and will hope for a strong turnout of red. They open against the Bison, in a matchup Coyote coach Eric Peterson deemed “personal.”
“The team that’s going to win the tournament in Sioux Falls is going to be the most connected team,” Peterson said. “The best mentally. The most together team.”
The cool part? That could be anybody. Here’s at least one reason each team can win it.
Team: Omaha
Reason: They’re the best team. Or at least, they were over 16 league games.
UNO went 13-3, beating everyone at home and losing at USD, SDSU and St. Thomas. Marquel Sutton is one of the league’s best, and he has a strong supporting cast of older players that are dying to take the Mavericks to their first NCAA tournament.
Team: St. Thomas
Reason: They’re the most balanced team.
The Tommies are No. 2 in the conference in scoring (83.5) just behind USD. But while the Coyotes
are dead last in the league in scoring defense, St. Thomas brings it on both ends, ranking fourth in scoring defense at 75.1.
They’re No. 1 in shooting percentage, No. 2 in turnover margin, 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage and they’re the best free throw shooting team. And don’t think they aren’t motivated, too. Winning the tournament and not getting to go Dancing would be bittersweet for sure, but it would also be a seemingly fun way to play party pooper.
Team: South Dakota State
Reason: Oscar Cluff
It’s not often a power conference caliber starting center signs on to play in the Summit League, but Cluff came to Brookings following a coaching change at Washington State, and was the most dominant big man in the conference. He leads the nation in rebounding and double doubles, leads the league in field goal percentage, leads the Jacks in assists and has a pretty great Australian accent, too.
St. Thomas’ Miles Barnstable passes the ball while being guarded by South Dakota State’s Kalen Garry on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at First Bank and Trust Arena in Brookings. TRENT SINGER / SIOUX FALLS LIVE
Team: North Dakota State
Reason: Dave Richman
League scoring champion Jacksen Moni would also be an acceptable answer here but we don’t even know how effective he’ll be as he sat out the regular season finale with injury.
Whether he plays or not, the Bison have an ace in the hole in Richman, one of the better Xs and Os coaches in mid-major basketball. Year after year the Bison lose players or start slowly and then find a way to be in the hunt come March. His teams have won three times in Sioux Falls, but not since 2020.
Team: South Dakota
Reason: Every tournament needs a sleeper
At 9-7 the Coyotes finished a ways back of Omaha, but they were one of the three teams to beat the Mavericks, and their offensive pace of
ABOVE: USD’s Chase Forte goes up for a layup against SDSU in a men’s basketball game in Vermillion on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. NATHAN
LEFT: South Dakota Coyotes guard Chase Forte (9) drives against Iowa Hawkeyes guard Brock Harding (2) during the first half on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024 at CarverHawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. JEFFREY BECKER / USA TODAY SPORTS
play and defensive pressure is a thing of beauty when executed properly.
Chase Forte is one of the league’s best two-way players, there’s depth and experience, and there’s momentum. The Yotes were clearly a much improved team by February. They’ll also have at least somewhat of a homecourt advantage.
Looking for a sleeper? Here’s your Huckleberry.
Team: North Dakota
Reason: They almost beat Alabama
OK, that’s just one game, sure, but the Fighting Hawks somehow got the Crimson Tide to travel up to South Canada for a non-conference game and behind 40 points from Treysen Eaglestaff went toe-to-toe with the 6th-ranked Tide in a 97-90 loss.
If they can channel that same kind of performance (especially from Eaglestaff) they’ve got a shot.
Team: Denver
Reason: They’ve got emotions driving them
Head coach Jeff Wulbrun took a leave of absence recently. We don’t know why, but the school has said they expect him back next year. In the meantime, former NBA player Shammond Williams is running the show, and he led the Pioneers to a convincing win over the Jackrabbits on Saturday.
Team: Kansas City
Reason: They were the preseason favorite
Obviously when you’re picked first and finish 8th things haven’t gone according to plan, but there was a reason the league’s coaches favored them back in the fall.
They won their first two league games, but then faltered under what was a pretty brutal schedule — playing five out of seven on the road with the two home games coming against SDSU and St. Thomas. There were three one-score losses and 10 single-digit losses along the way. The Kangaroos may not have been the right choice back in November, but they’re better than their record would indicate.
Team: Oral Roberts
Reason: Isaac McBride
He good. The preseason player of the year, McBride is second in the league with 19.0 points per game. A three-level scorer, he’s among the league leaders in free throws and 3-pointers and is 12th in the Summit in assists and steals. The Eagles are just 7-22, but they have a win over St. Thomas and an overtime loss to NDSU. They’re not pushovers.
NDSU men’s basketball coach David Richman has coached the Bison to three Summit League tournament championships in his 11 seasons leading the team . Dave Wallis / The Forum
SWAFFAR / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Larkins cements legacy as USD basketball great
With cheers from Coyotes past and present, senior stands out in Summit
BY NATHAN SWAFFAR Mitchell Republic
VERMILLION — Grace Larkins’ rise to becoming one of the top players in University of South Dakota women’s basketball history is one that even she never saw coming.
This season has seen the USD senior become one of the most prolific scorers in the country, and accomplish multiple achievements including breaking the Summit League single-game scoring mark and the USD singlegame scoring record, twice. On Tuesday, she was named the Summit women’s player of the year.
If somebody had told her that she would have taken such a large step forward in her final collegiate season, she would have brushed them off as out of their mind.
“I honestly would have probably laughed in their face and been like, ‘Yeah, right,’” Larkins said. “I had never touched numbers like that before, so it’s a very surreal feeling.”
The Altoona, Iowa native has been through it all during her time in Vermillion, all leading up to her senior season. Historic team achievements, multiple coaching changes, individual records and it’s all accumulated in one of the most accomplished Coyote careers ever.
From the time she stepped on campus though, she’s been a staple of the program. She was named the Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year following her freshman campaign during the 2021-22 season. On a loaded, veteran roster, she averaged 6.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and one assist per game as the Coyotes made their first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
That offseason though, head coach Dawn Plitzuweit left USD to become the head coach at West Virginia. Under the direction of new head coach Kayla Karius, Larkins’ game went to the next level. In her sophomore season, she averaged 17.5 points, eight rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. She was named first-team all-Summit League as well.
USD’s Grace Larkins puts up a floater against SDSU in a Summit League matchup in Vermillion on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2024. NATHAN SWAFFAR / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
She became the first player in Summit League history to rank in the top-three in points, rebounds, assists and steals. No player had ever ranked in the top-five in all four categories before her sophomore campaign.
Her numbers weren’t quite as impressive during her junior season as she averaged 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. But she was named to the allconference first team for the second straight season.
But before her senior season, Karius departed to become the new women’s head coach at Green Bay. Many college players with her abilities could have used the change for a bigger opportunity. But Larkins didn’t see it that way, in large part because of the way Vermillion and the University have treated her like family.
“It’s really just a testament to the University of South Dakota and how amazing the culture is here,” Larkins said. “It’s a really hard place to leave once you have come and experienced that. I just love every aspect of it, and I love so much more than the basketball part of it. I have built an amazing community outside of basketball. I have friends, I have people that have taken me in and will just make dinner for me and be like a family here for me.”
MAKING HISTORY
Following Karius’ departure, former Idaho women’s head coach Carrie Eighmey was hired to lead USD, and Larkins took her game to the next level with the offense putting a pinpoint on her abilities.
Although the Coyotes struggled during the regular season, finishing with an 11-19 mark, Larkins emerged as one of the best women’s college basketball players in the country. She averaged 24 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game during the regular season, all career highs. Her 24 points-per-game average led the Summit League and was the fourth-highest mark in all of Division I, the only non-Power Four conference player to be in the top-five in scoring average.
She’s made plenty of history along the way. She broke the USD single-game scoring record with a 45-point performance against Omaha on Jan. 11 before she broke it again, along with the conference single-game scoring record at North Dakota State with a 47-point performance on Feb. 8. She became the first USD player to ever record multiple 40-point games.
Her incredible scoring increase came as a result of hours spent perfecting her game over the offseason, but she said those around her have been just as big of a contributing factor in her big season.
“I think [those] that don’t get a ton of credit is just my teammates, and the way that they have a huge part in that as well,” Larkins said. “They are moving without the basketball and occupying space, defenders and shooting it at such a high clip where the defenders can’t help in on them is also a huge part of that scoring record as well.”
Like Larkins, Eighmey never saw this type of production increase coming.
“She’s poured her heart and soul into this program, and for somebody who’s had three coaches over the course of her career, I didn’t see this coming,” Eighmey said. “Mainly just because for a player to learn kind of a new system and understand not only where to get her own shots, but how to make everybody around her better.
She’s picked up on that really, really quickly and has been able to find a ton of success.”
Following the end of the regular season, she also brought in multiple conference awards. For the third straight season, she was named to the all-Summit first team and became only the fourth player in USD history to win the Summit League player of the year award, while being a all-defense league pick, as well.
Her incredible season not only put her in the history books for single-game scoring, but she’s quickly approached the upper echelons of USD’s all-time scoring department. Her 2,065 career points are the secondmost in program history, only 77 points behind Wagner native Mandy Koupal’s all-time record of 2,142.
What’s special for both of the USD all-time performers is that Koupal has been able to be a part of Larkins’ historic season. She was there in Fargo for Larkins’ historic 47-point performance and the two chatted after the game. Koupal has kept an eye on USD and Larkins over the past few years and has nothing but total respect for the Coyote senior.
“What a workhorse. She is in every play, offensively and defensively and I’m just amazed at how she doesn’t come out,” Koupal said of Larkins. “She is a go-getter and what an honor for her to be up here, so close to breaking the [scoring] record and breaking the previous records that she has. It’s so well deserved because I know she works hard, puts the time in and it’s just evident on the court and games just how hard she works.”
Koupal added that the way Larkins handled herself through all the challenges and adversity during her USD career make her accomplishments even more special.
For both, being mentioned together as USD greats is equally gratifying.
“For her to come in, go through everything that she’s had to go through with the coaching changes sticking it through playing Division I and everything like that, it’s awesome,” Koupal said. “I couldn’t be more happy for her. I’m honored to be in this conversation and to be a part of it.”
“I could say the exact same thing. Having my name in the same conversation with her name is something I never thought would happen,” Larkins said. “That feels so great, and I just feel very loved, just very cared for and I think the University of South Dakota allowed for that.”
It seems unlikely that Larkins will unseat Koupal as USD’s all-time points leader. The Coyotes would need to make a run in the Summit League tournament and she would have to average 39 points over two games to break the record. USD would first have to make it past second-seeded Oral Roberts in the conference tournament opener on Thursday, March 6, to get to a second game.
But even without the scoring record, Larkins is more than content with her legacy and career. More than anything, she doesn’t want to be remembered as much for her on-court accomplishments.
Rather, she wants to be known first and foremost as a great teammate and person to those around her and in the community that gave her so much.
South Dakota’s Grace Larkins puts up a 3-pointer during an NCAA Wichita Regional semifinal at Intrust Bank Arena on Saturday, March 26, 2022 in Wichita, Kansas. MARCUS TRAXLER / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
South Dakota’s Grace Larkins calls out a play in a NCAA women’s basketball game between South Dakota and Northern Arizona in Vermillion on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. Nathan Swaffar / Mitchell Republic
South Dakota’s Grace Larkins, center, attempts a layup against the defense of St. Thomas’ Jo Langbehn, left, during a women’s quarterfinal game on Sunday, March 10, 2024 at the Summit League Basketball Championship at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Richard Carlson / Inertia
Grace Larkins and Mandy Koupal pictured together after Larkins’ 47-point performance against North Dakota State in Fargo on Feb. 8, 2025. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA PHOTO
Will the weekend finish be a winner at the Summit tournament?
Title games moved to Sunday this year
BY MARCUS TRAXLER
Mitchell Republic
SIOUX FALLS — Tuesday’s gone and Sunday is in for the Summit League basketball tournament in 2025 at the Premier Center.
For the first time in 30 years, the Summit League basketball tournament isn’t ending on a Tuesday, with conference leaders changing it to a Wednesday to Sunday format, moving the biggest games of the event to the weekend.
The emphasis was on making the weekend even better, Summit League commissioner Josh Fenton said, with the games on Saturday and Sunday building up to the championship, moving away from the demands that games on Monday and Tuesday put on fans. The change was made after making up a committee of conference leaders and getting fan feedback during past tournaments.
“There were a lot of local people that we talked to that said, ‘We got to Monday and it was tough to come back for another few days of basketball games,’” Fenton said at Summit League basketball media day. “We really
thought about the quality of the experience. We thought we could make it more of a long weekend, with the semifinals on Saturday and championships on Sunday.”
Fenton said the change could be made because they had many of the necessary entities on board, ranging from the Premier Center, to the schools, to the Sioux Falls Sports Authority and their television broadcasters with Midco Sports and CBS Sports Network.
For many years, the championship was played on Tuesday, in part because that’s where it fit in ESPN’s schedule. The conference started a new TV deal ahead of the 2024 tournament, moving to CBS Sports for the title games, and Fenton said there was a little more flexibility with CBS Sports to make the move.
“How can we deliver a better experience for everyone that participates in the conference tournament, student-athletes and fans,” Fenton said. “The Wednesday night or Thursday to Sunday felt better as a long-term approach as opposed to Saturday to Tuesday structure.”
No other team has helped the Summit League tournament’s success in Sioux Falls than the
South Dakota State women, winners of 11 tournaments in the past 16 years. Since moving into the Premier Center in 2015, the women’s tournament has averaged more than 6,300 fans per session, and the sessions including South Dakota State games have averaged more than 7,500 fans in that time.
“Whichever team plays in that championship game on Sunday is going to have a chance for more fans there because it’s a Sunday. It’s got to be easier to get there,” SDSU coach Aaron Johnston said. “We might be able to gain fans there, but hopefully we don’t lose fans on the front end. That’s the one part we don’t know. … I hope we’re not just trading one day’s fans for another day.”
USD men’s coach Eric Peterson said earlier this season that he didn’t have a strong feeling one way or the other on the dates of the tournament. He said he understands the business aspect in that the tournament is a money-maker for the conference and feels strongly that the tournament includes all teams in one place. He said the conference considered playing the opening-round play-in game on campus sites before the main bracket, something he opposed.
South Dakota State guard Ellie Colbeck (5) defends South Dakota guard Olivia Kieffer, right, on Monday, March 11, 2024, during the women’s semifinals at the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
RICHARD CARLSON/INERTIA
“We’re just happy to be part of it,” Peterson said. “For the student-athlete experience, it’s important that it’s here and that we do it right.”
Peterson said one other benefit of the tournament changing dates to start on a Wednesday and Thursday is it’s more in line with what the league does during the regular season, with games on those dates in standard conference play.
In 2019 and 2020, the women’s tournament outdrew the men’s tournament, when the SDSU and USD women’s teams played in the championship games and their men’s teams were one-and-done.
“Most of the teams that played in the tournament in those first-round games had pretty good crowds,” Johnston said. “Even if it wasn’t an SDSU game, there were people there. I hope people are still able to make it and make it a priority to be there on Thursday and Friday.”
There are some potential pitfalls for the new format. Because of television, the men’s semifinals
on Saturday night won’t start until 7 p.m., meaning a potential semifinal with SDSU won’t begin until 9:30 p.m. at the earliest. The tradeoff is those games won’t have as much competition for television attention, with only a few other college games on at that time of night this weekend.
“We get a pretty bright, shiny light over us early in the conference tournament schedule. We had that a little bit before but we will have it even more so now,” Fenton said.
Of the men’s NCAA qualifiers, the Summit League will be the fifth conference out of 31 to hand out its automatic bid around 10 p.m. Sunday night. The women’s championship will be one of eight handed out on Sunday, with some other pretty big conferences also playing that day, including the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC all handing out their trophies.
One has to go back a long way to find the last time the men’s tournament championship wasn’t played on a Tuesday. That was 30 years ago, in 1995, and that tournament was essentially unrecognizable to what is being played this year.
South Dakota State celebrates winning the women’s basketball championship game against North Dakota State Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at the Summit League tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. RICHARD CARLSON/INERTIA
There were hardly any television considerations, it was a six-team, three-day event played on Valparaiso’s home campus, and the Mid-Continent Conference, as the Summit was known then, included Youngstown State, Buffalo, Troy and Eastern Illinois. The winner of that tournament didn’t go to the NCAA tournament either, as not every small league had automatic bids every year in the mid-1990s.
The next season, in 1996, the conference went to a neutral site in Moline, Illinois, and they’ve stayed with a single-site tournament ever since then. And at that time, the tournament started on a Sunday and ended on a Tuesday, something the conference hung onto for three decades.
Could the tournament use a jolt of energy? The 2023 tournament, which only featured the SDSU women for local teams in the championship games, was the lowest-attended tournament on a per-session basis since the event moved into the Premier Center at 5,717 fans per session. Last season’s tournament was a bounce back, thanks to SDSU winning both titles, at 7,329 fans per session.
The tournament has been a great success in Sioux Falls because of SDSU and USD teams and their fans and because it’s gotten strong corporate support.
Time and matchups will tell how the latest change will go but putting more emphasis on a weekend finish could be a positive jolt of energy for the Summit League and an event that has become a Sioux Falls staple every March.
MARCUS TRAXLER
South Dakota men’s basketball coach Eric Peterson coaches his team from the sidelines on March 8, 2024 at the Summit League basketball championships at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. MIRANDA SAMPSON / INERTIA
FIRST TO FIVE
Hellmann becomes SD’s first five-time girls wrestling champion
BY LANDON DIERKS
Mitchell Republic
RAPID CITY — Peyton Hellmann is one of one.
With a fifth state title in as many years as girls wrestling has been sanctioned in South Dakota, no one else in the Rushmore State can match what the Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon senior has accomplished during her prep career.
“This is just honestly everything I could ever dream of,” Hellmann said. “I’ve worked so hard the last five years for this, and I’m just super excited about it.”
Putting the finishing touches on a 45-0 season, a second-straight unbeaten campaign, Hellmann went out on top with a 15-4 major decision over Pierre’s Ireland Templeton in the 145-pound championship bout on Saturday at the Summit Arena.
Bon Homme/ Scotland/Avon’s Peyton Hellmann wrestles Pierre’s Ireland Templeton during the girls 145-pound championship match at the South Dakota high school wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Summit Arena in Rapid City. LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon’s Peyton Hellmann has her arm raised after winning the girls 145-pound championship match at the South Dakota high school wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Summit Arena in Rapid City. LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
In her typical dominant fashion, Hellmann was in control practically from the first whistle. She recorded the first takedown less than 30 seconds into the match and led 6-2 after the first period en route to her 128th consecutive victory dating back to December 2022.
“She’s just really disciplined, mentally tough and always sticks to a gameplan,” said BHSA coach Darren Kriz of Hellmann’s dominance. “Her motivation, discipline and work ethic, it’s next to none.”
With a title match that went the distance, Hellmann still spent less than 10 total minutes on the mat over three days at the state tournament, cruising through the first three rounds with three pinfalls in a total of 3 minutes and 48 seconds. For her performance, she was named the most outstanding girls wrestler of the tournament.
In celebration of her historic final victory, Hellmann produced a large sign with five checkmarks, one for each of her state championships, which she brought onto the mat and signed. Below them, the poster read, ‘Continuing at... Fort Hays State University,’ indicating Hellmann’s college wrestling commitment.
With Hellmann leading the way as a champion, BHSA put four more girls wrestlers on the topeight podium in their respective weight classes. That helped BHSA secure a fifth-place team finish, checking off another big goal Hellmann and company have been chasing.
On top of all that, Hellmann overcame a torn ACL from April 2024 in order to make sure her last chapter of high school wrestling was a triumphant one.
“This one is a lot different for me. First, just coming back sooner than I could have ever expected from such a severe injury, I had so much support from everyone,” Hellmann said. “Then I finally got to make my decision for college, and to be able to announce that in front of my home state has truly meant so much.”
Hellmann said the only thing that could’ve made Saturday night any sweeter was if teammate Britney Rueb, another multi-time state champion and girls wrestling pioneer from the BHSA program, could’ve been competing, too. Rueb suffered a season-ending injury this season, preventing her from defending her 2024 state title alongside Hellmann.
Even then, Saturday was a deeply satisfying conclusion to Hellmann’s high school wrestling journey, and she got her sendoff in the standalone featured match at the end of the night.
“I just wanted to take this one all in and not take anything for granted,” Hellmann said of her last state tournament. “Just to be able to showcase who I am and what I’m about in front of the entire state, honestly, I can’t express how much it means to me.”
Bon Homme/Scotland/ Avon’s Peyton Hellmann
wrestles Pierre’s Ireland Templeton during the girls 145-pound championship match at the South Dakota high school wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Summit Arena in Rapid City. LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon’s Peyton Hellmann holds up a sign as she walks off the mat for the last time after winning the girls 145-pound championship match at the South Dakota high school wrestling tournament on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Summit Arena in Rapid City.
LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
THE NUMBERS
Takeaways from simulating the South Dakota high school boys basketball postseason
BY LANDON DIERKS
Mitchell Republic
March is officially upon us, and madness is set to ensue.
Last week, we used the Massey Ratings to simulate the entire girls basketball postseason. This week, we decided to take a more broad strokes approach to the exercise, highlighting some of the main takeaways.
Let’s take a deeper look at the South Dakota high school boys basketball postseason.
Trending up, trending down
Here are a few teams from the top of each class with the biggest differences in how the seed-point standings and Massey Ratings.
CLASS AA
Though both under a .500 win percentage on the season, Metro Conference rivals Sioux Falls Jefferson and Sioux Falls Roosevelt are both top-eight teams in Class AA entering the postseason according to the Massey power rating.
Jefferson is seventh and Roosevelt is eighth, putting both teams three slots ahead of their seeding in the SoDak 16. A big reason for the discrepancy is a recent run of form by both the Cavaliers, who have won four in a row and six of eight games leading into the postseason, while the Rough Riders have won five of their last seven contests.
So despite carrying double-digit seeds next to their names, Jefferson and Roosevelt are among the favorites to play spoiler in state tournament qualifying.
With Jefferson set to battle cross-town rival Washington in the SoDak 16, Massey gives the Warriors a one-point edge over the Cavs, but the win probability is split right down the middle at 50% apiece. During the regular season, Washington went 2-0 against Jefferson, though those wins came by a combined 11 points prior to the Cavaliers getting a couple of key players back from injury.
In a SoDak 16 rubber match between Roosevelt and O’Gorman, the Knights have a two-point edge and a 55% win probability. O’Gorman won the first meeting between the two schools by 14 points in December, but the Riders responded with a 13-point win in late January.
One team the Massey Ratings are not high on at this stage is No. 5 seed Huron, which checks in as the 10th-best Class AA team, according to Massey. This is
curious, considering that the Tigers, at 14-6 on the year, had won six games in a row and eight of nine prior to a season-ending loss to Brandon Valley.
Even still, Huron is a strong favorite against SoDak 16 foe Sturgis. Massey has the Tigers with a 12-point advantage and an 81% win probability.
CLASS A
Among the teams Massey likes the most in Class A, Dakota Valley is fourth, up from 13th in the seed-point standings, while Custer is 10th, up from 15th.
However, it must be pointed out that in the case of both the Panthers and Wildcats, a trip to the SoDak 16 would require an upset of the top team from their respective regions. Both No. 4 seeds within the regional tournament brackets, Dakota Valley’s path would likely have to go through Sioux Falls Christian, while Rapid City Christian likely stands in Custer’s way. In both cases, Massey gives win probabilities upward of 70% to the higher seeds.
On the other end of the spectrum, three top-10 squads by seed points were given a much lower position by Massey. Current No. 6 seed Clark/Willow Lake is 14th among Class A teams in the Massey Ratings, while No. 8 Hill City is 18th and No. 10 Winner is 17th.
Despite the steep differences in the ratings for all three programs, CWL and Winner would still be favorites to reach the SoDak 16 as the second-place qualifiers from
their respective regions. Massey favors St. Thomas More to get Region 8A’s second qualifying spot over Hill City.
CLASS B
The largest discrepancy highlighted in this analysis, the Massey Ratings have De Smet, which has played in five straight state title games, as the No. 4 team in all of Class B. Meanwhile, based on seed points, the Bulldogs are 17th and the fifth-best team in their own region.
Much like Dakota Valley and Custer in Class A, De Smet’s path back to the state tournament is far from a cakewalk. As the No. 5 seed in Region 2B, the Bulldogs would have to defeat 4-seed Estelline/Hendricks and the likely No. 1 overall seed Castlewood just to make the SoDak 16.
Elsewhere, in the Class B hierarchy, Massey has Howard, Wolsey-Wessington and Aberdeen Christian each five slots higher than their seed points.
Opposite, Wessington Springs is eighth among Class B programs in the Massey Ratings, down four positions from No. 4 in seed points. Leola/Frederick Area is 11th, down five spots from No. 6. For Springs, that means Massey prefers rival Wolsey-Wessington to represent Region 2B in the SoDak 16. However, Leola/Frederick would still be a favorite to make it out of Region 1B.
NO. 1 VERSUS THE FIELD
Here is a look at how the No. 1 team in each class compares to it’s top challenger, including a Massey Ratings simulation of the matchup.
Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Sam Ericsson (11) delivers a pass along the baseline as Mitchell’s Sutton Thompson (24) defends during a high school boys basketball on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls. LANDON DIERKS / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
CLASS AA: SIOUX FALLS LINCOLN VS. HARRISBURG
Though Brandon Valley earned the No. 2 seed in Class AA boys basketball based on see points, the Massey Ratings have No. 3 Harrisburg as the biggest threat to the top-seeded Patriots of Sioux Falls Lincoln.
According to the simulation tool included within the Massey Ratings website, Lincoln has a 59% chance to win a head-to-head matchup with Harrisburg on a neutral court, with the most likely final score of 56-52. The Patriots and Tigers met all the way back on Dec. 17, with Lincoln winning 65-41.
By comparison, Massey has Lincoln as a 62% favorite over Brandon Valley. The Pats and Lynx have played much more recently, as Lincoln won 69-58 on Feb. 14. Mitchell, the lone team to defeat Lincoln this season, also slots in just ahead of BV in the Massey Ratings, which indicate that the Patriots would have a 61% win probability in a rematch with the Kernels.
CLASS A: SIOUX FALLS CHRISTIAN VS. HAMLIN
The Massey Ratings regard Class A No. 1 seed Sioux Falls Christian as the top team in the state regardless of class, while No. 2 seed Hamlin is the third-best team, with only Lincoln between them.
In the battle of the Chargers, SFC defeated Hamlin 7560 on Jan. 11. Massey predicts a 66% win probability for SFC in a neutral-site rematch with a most likely final score of 65-59. Rapid City Christian is the No. 3 seed in
FAR LEFT: Dakota
Valley’s Logan Collette (3) dribbles down the court during the 43rd Hanson Boys Classic on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, at the Corn Palace.
BLAKE DURHAM / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
LEFT: Howard players Luke Koepsell (left) and Colby Claussen (right) react to defeating De Smet in the Class B state championship game on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen.
Class A, but SFC would be a 77% favorite over the Comets. SFC also defeated RCC 71-62 on Jan. 18.
CLASS B: CASTLEWOOD VS. VIBORG-HURLEY
Though Castlewood is the No. 1-seeded team in Class B boys basketball and the Massey Ratings agree, they once again differ on what program is the top challenger. Dell Rapids St. Mary is the No. 2 seed, while Massey has No. 3 seed Viborg-Hurley higher in its power rankings.
Head-to-head, Massey gives Castlewood a 59% chance to win against Viborg-Hurley, with a most likely final score of 54-51. Earlier in the season at the Hanson Classic, the Cougars defeated the Warriors 49-44 at the Corn Palace.
Looking at Castlewood against St. Mary, the Warriors are 60% favorites, according to Massey. In their earlier meeting, Castlewood knocked off the Cardinals on their home floor 63-59.
WHAT
MIGHT THE SODAK 16 ROUND LOOK LIKE?
Here’s a peek ahead at the potential SoDak 16 qualifiers for Class A and Class B, according to the Massey Ratings. Class AA’s SoDak 16 pairings were already announced and will be played on Saturday, March 8.
CLASS A
As top-two seeds in their respective regions to start the playoffs, here are some notable omissions from Massey’s projected Class A SoDak 16: Aberdeen Roncalli in Region 1A; Wagner in Region 5A; Cheyenne-Eagle Butte and Stanley County in Region 6A; and Hill City in Region 8A.
Once at the SoDak 16, the Massey Ratings don’t see much room for upsets. St. Thomas More, seeded ninth based on the Massey projection, is the lone lowerseeded team from the SoDak 16 to advance to the state tournament.
Projected SoDak 16, using the Massey Ratings
SF Christian vs. McCook Central/Montrose
Hamlin vs. Milbank
RC Christian vs. Dell Rapids
West Central vs. Hanson
Lennox vs. Platte-Geddes
Clark/Willow Lake vs. Mobridge-Pollock
Groton Area vs. Pine Ridge
Winner vs. St. Thomas More
Projected state tournament field by top seeds
SF Christian vs. St. Thomas More
Hamlin vs. Groton Area
RC Christian vs. Clark/Willow Lake
West Central vs. Lennox
CLASS B
As top-two seeds in their respective regions to start the playoffs, here are some notable omissions from Massey’s projected Class B SoDak 16: Wessington Springs in Region 2B; Lyman in Region 5B; and Crazy Horse in Region 7B.
Based on matchups in its projected SoDak 16 round, the Massey Ratings would fancy No. 10 seed Wall and No. 12 seed Aberdeen Christian to make their way to the state tournament.
Projected SoDak 16, using the Massey Ratings
Castlewood vs. Ipswich
Dell Rapids St. Mary vs. Kadoka Area
Viborg-Hurley vs. Lower Brule
Gregory vs. Timber Lake
Leola/Frederick Area vs. Aberdeen Christian Parkston vs. Sully Buttes
Lemmon vs. Wall
Howard vs. Wolsey-Wessington
Projected state tournament field by top seeds
Castlewood vs. Aberdeen Christian
Dell Rapids St. Mary vs. Wall
Viborg-Hurley vs. Howard
Gregory vs. Parkston
LEFT: Sioux Falls Jefferson’s Jase Unzen drives to the basket against the defense of Mitchell’s Landen Soulek in a high school boys basketball game on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, at the Corn Palace. ADAM THURY / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
MIDDLE: Sioux Falls Christian’s Brant Wassenaar drives to the basket while being guarded by Hamlin’s Boden Stevenson on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Sioux Falls Christian School. TRENT SINGER / SIOUX FALLS LIVE
RIGHT: Viborg-Hurley’s Brady Schroedermeier gets his layup attempt blocked by Castlewood’s Kamden Keszler (0) during the 43rd Hanson Boys Classic on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2024, at the Corn Palace. BLAKE DURHAM / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Herd rising
Playoff-bound Stampede enjoying turnaround season under new coach
BY TRENT SINGER | SIOUX FALLS LIVE
ABOVE: Sioux Falls’ Javon Moore is introduced prior to the start of a USHL game against Sioux City on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. TRENT SINGER / SIOUX FALLS LIVE
RIGHT: Sioux Falls coach Ryan Cruthers looks over his notes during a USHL game against Lincoln on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. ADAM THURY / SIOUX FALLS STAMPEDE
SIOUX FALLS — When Ryan Cruthers was named head coach of the Sioux Falls Stampede last spring, there was a vision in his mind of what he wanted the experience to look like.
Now, a little more than a month remains in Cruthers’ first regular season at the helm, and the results have exceeded any reverie that had consumed him before he and his family arrived in Sioux Falls.
On Saturday night, the Herd defeated their nearby United States Hockey League rivals, the Sioux City Musketeers, in a 5-3 decision at the Denny Sanford Premier Center, and with that win, they secured a spot in the 2025 Clark Cup Playoffs.
It’s early March, and the Stampede (31-13-4) still have 14 games to play before the playoffs arrive, but their transformation into becoming a contender in the U-Show appears to have been expedited.
STAMPEDE
But Cruthers hasn’t lost sight of the significance of the early rewards, all of which have materialized in a short period of time.
“Winning is really hard to do at any level, especially in this league,” Cruthers said. “I’ve got a great, dedicated staff. My assistant coaches are great, but it’s the players. They make it so much fun to come here every day. This city is unbelievable with the fan support we get. The front office with the Stampede has become part of our hockey family, which is something I don’t think has really been there in the past. We’ve built this family.
“We take culture serious, but our players play for the front office and the city. And the city supports us, and the front office supports us. I’m just really happy to be a part of it. … We’re not done yet, but we’re definitely going to reflect and be happy about the way we’ve started this journey.”
ASSEMBLING THE PIECES
Before Cruthers arrived in Sioux Falls, the foundation of the Herd’s resurgence was already being constructed by Tony Gasparini.
In the Stampede’s first two seasons as an organization, Gasparani served as assistant coach under Bob Motzko. Eventually, he was promoted to head coach after Motzko left to become assistant coach at the University of Minnesota, and for two years, Gasparini held that title.
While the injury may have derailed Wyttenbach’s chances of being named USHL Rookie of the Year, Cruthers expects his star forward to be ready to take the ice again just before the start of the Clark Cup Playoffs.
“You can just see if you look at our chances for and against with him in and out of the lineup, it’s dropped drastically because he’s such an offensive threat,” Cruthers said about Wyttenbach, a Quinnipiac commit.
“I think the cool thing about him is he’s really rounded out his game. He’s good on the defensive side of the puck. Before he got hurt, he ended up being on our penalty kill as well.
“It’s unfortunate to lose a guy like that. We’re going to be excited when we get him back.”
A rash of injuries have made Cruthers’ job a bit challenging as of late. Anthony Bongo, who has 13 points on the season, has been kept out of the lineup since mid-February, and Erik Kald, who the Herd recently acquired in a trade with Cedar Rapids, is also sidelined with an injury but is expected to make his debut with the Stampede very soon.
The imminent return of both players will certainly help solidify Sioux Falls’ blue line.
“We’ve seemed to have injuries all year,” Cruthers said. “It’s just been a bug that’s going through our team, but we’re excited to get those guys back.
As it stands, the 2024-25 campaign is already the winningest season the organization has seen since 2018-19 when the Herd won their third and most recent Clark Cup. Sioux Falls currently sits in second place in the Western Conference standings behind Anderson Cup frontrunner Lincoln, and with 66 points, the Stampede have the third most points in the 16-team league.
As of now, the Herd are amid the grind of the USHL regular season, which doesn’t offer much time for them to reflect on what they’ve already accomplished to this point.
Following a 17-year stint in which he served as an amateur scout for the Los Angeles Kings, Gasparini made his way back to Sioux Falls in 2022 to take over as vice president of hockey operations and general manager for the Stampede.
This offseason, Gasparini and his scouting staff added some crucial pieces to the fold, beginning with rookie forward Ethan Wyttenbach, who was acquired by the Herd in a trade with the Chicago Steel just before Phase I of the 2024 USHL Draft in early May.
A native of Roslyn, New York, Wyttenbach has been nothing short of stellar in his debut season. He currently leads the team in points (45), goals (21) and assists (24) despite a recent injury that has kept him out of the lineup since Feb. 8.
“They should jump in seamlessly to the culture we’ve built. They’re around it every day, so if we get healthy, we’ll get better.”
A key contributor selected by the Herd in Phase I of the 2024 USHL Draft has been Russian forward Alexei Vlasov, a UConn commit who has 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in his rookie campaign. Meanwhile, Gasparini also recently completed a trade with Dubuque to acquire forward Ritter Coombs, a rookie who also has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists).
St. Cloud State commit Noah Urness ranks second on the team with 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists), and Javon Moore, a Minnesota recruit, is third on the team with 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists).
ABOVE: Sioux Falls’ Ethan Wyttenbach and Brock James take the ice prior to the start of a USHL game against Lincoln on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. ADAM THURY / SIOUX FALLS
LEFT: Sioux Falls’ Anthony Bongo skates with the puck against Lincoln during a USHL game Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. ADAM THURY / SIOUX FALLS STAMPEDE
Cruthers says there was a “feeling-out” process with Gasparini in the early stages of the offseason, but over time, familiarity between the coaching staff and front office has created a breeding ground for success on the ice.
“It hasn’t always been pretty, and with any championship-caliber teams or organizations, it’s not pretty every single day,” Cruthers said. “We worked through a lot of things, and I give him a lot of credit. He brought in a lot of the pieces we wanted here. … There’s just a lot that’s gone into it that has allowed us to keep our culture strong and enhance it even more and find ways to win games.”
Other midseason acquisitions for the Stampede are forwards Ben Wilmott (26 points), who was acquired through a trade with Chicago in September, J.J. Monteiro (24 points), who was obtained via a trade with Waterloo in January, and Jake Merens (16 points), who was acquired in a trade with Muskegon in October.
That’s a lot of wheeling and dealing, but there are also some mainstays on the roster who have returned to play their part.
Gennadi Chaly, a Russia native, is in his second season with the Stampede and currently leads the blue line with 29 points on nine goals and 20 assists, while Aleksandr Rybakov, who is in his third year with the Stampede, is enjoying his best junior hockey campaign with 13 points on four goals and nine assists.
Cruthers believes depth has been a strength for his team this season, but beyond that, his players have bought in to the style he and his staff want them to play.
“We had our first hat trick earlier this week. We haven’t had many of those,” Cruthers said. “We’ve scored a lot of goals, but it’s been all the way through our lineup. I think we’re four lines deep, which makes it hard for teams to match up against us as well.
“We’ve gotten some favorable matchups, but we’re really just bought into the structure, and our structure enhances offense. It’s what we believe in, and our guys have done a good job of that, as well as defending quite well for what we thought it was going to be.”
As a team, Sioux Falls ranks third in the league in scoring offense, averaging 4.0 goals per game, and seventh in scoring defense, allowing an average of 3.0 goals per contest.
Between the pipes, the Stampede have dealt with some shuffling as well. During the holiday break, goalie Ryan Manzella opted to start his college career early at Michigan Tech, but Gasparini was able to fill Manzella’s spot with the addition of Waylon Esche, who had previously played for Corpus Christi in the North American Hockey League.
Meanwhile, Aiden Wright has carried the load for the Herd for the majority of the season, logging a 19-7-3 record in 30 appearances with a 2.61 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.
“For us, it’s about the culture we’ve built,” Cruthers said. “The type of person that fits in the room is more important than talent, and I think Tony’s done a really good job of helping us find the right pieces for that.”
Sioux Falls’ Alexei Vlasov skates with the puck against Tri-City during a USHL game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. PHOTOS BY ADAM THURY / SIOUX FALLS STAMPEDE
Sioux Falls’ Ethan Wyttenbach skates with the puck ahead of Fargo’s Elias Zimmerman during a USHL game Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.
CULTURE SHIFT
In his second season with Sioux Falls, defenseman Matthew Grimes has gotten a first-hand look at the changing of the guard.
A year ago, the Stampede were ousted by Tri-City in the first round of the Clark Cup Playoffs after going 28-28-6 in the regular season. That prompted ownership not to renew the contract for head coach Eric Rud, opting instead to head in a different direction.
On April 30, Cruthers was named the 10th head coach in the history of the organization and the third since 2020. From there, Cruthers quickly went to work to establish a renewed culture in the locker room.
“I think we’re a lot closer this year,” said Grimes, a Golden Gophers recruit. “We just do a lot of stuff together. We bond. I feel like we’re brothers this year.
“There’s not a guy that every kid doesn’t love on the team, and I think it’s just the details. It starts with the little details, and then it trickles into our play every game.”
Grimes says the team’s early practices made it readily apparent that the culture in the locker room was about to be reconstructed. With systems eventually in place, execution of the finer details then became a priority.
“He’s a lot harder on us, which is good,” Grimes said. “He doesn’t let us take shortcuts, which is obviously going to help us in the long run.
“Our goal is to win the Clark Cup, and you can’t take any shortcuts to win the Clark Cup.”
In January, Wyttenbach was joined by teammate Sam Spehar, a Denver commit, as participants in the 2025 Chipotle All-American Game. Meanwhile, Cruthers was selected as head coach for Team White in the game.
Then, in February, Spehar joined Team USA’s roster for the Five Nations Tournament in Sweden.
The talent on this year’s Stampede roster is apparent, but there’s also a cohesiveness among the players that appears to be the driving force behind the ongoing success.
“Off the ice, we’re a super tight, super close group,” said Herd alternate captain Austin Baker, a Michigan State commit. “There’s no drama or anything, so I think just being close as a group really helps us on the ice.”
Cruthers’ guiding hand has certainly been a catalyst for that success. However, that can only take a team so far for so long. The first-year Stampede coach credits the work of his leadership group, which is led by captain Brock James, for leading the way internally.
Big games still lie ahead for the Herd this season, but the recipe for success is translating to favorable results for an organization that is once again the USHL’s leader in attendance, averaging a whopping 4,718 fans per home game.
“They’ve kept these guys on the right path,” Cruthers said about the team’s leadership group, “and each night, you don’t know who’s going to step up. I think this is a full team effort each and every night, and they’re dedicated to it.
“It’s a very committed group.”
Sioux Falls players stand on the ice prior to the start of a USHL game against Fargo on Wiener Dog Races night Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. With 11,029 fans in attendance, it was the largest crowd for a hockey game in the history of the state.
Sioux Falls’ Javon Moore skates to the bench after scoring a goal against Chicago in a USHL game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.
Sioux Falls’ Gennadi Chaly controls the puck against Tri-City during a USHL game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.