Baseball Team Opens Season at Home on March 30

baseball lettermen

Winner/Colome club baseball team will open the season March 30 at home when they host Mission. The junior varsity game will start at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity game.

There are 13 returning lettermen on the team. The lettermen are Holden Thieman, Drew DeMers, Kelly O’Bryan, Ty Bolton, Riley Calhoon, Nick Lantz, Levi McClanahan, Dalton Baker, Carter Brickman, Jeremiah Yeaman, Andrew Laprath, Phillip Jorgensen and Joren Bruun.

There are 35 players on the team which includes 22 high school students and 13 junior high students.

The Royals are the defending Class B state champions and coach Drew Weber says the team is looking to defend its state title. Weber is starting his fourth year as head coach with Jon Hanson going into his fourth year as assistant coach. Helping until May will be J.J. Farner.

The only losses from last season’s state championship team are Reed Harter and Cameron Biggins.

Weber says the team’s biggest strengths are they have a lot of depth in pitching and have a lot of speed.

The main pitcher will be O’Bryan along with Ty Bolton, Carter Brickman, Holden Thieman, Riley Calhoon and Nick Lantz. Lantz will be the main catcher for the team.

“We have a lot of guys who can play a lot of spots and that is going to be a big help,” said the coach.

Weber says the team is able to put the bat on the ball and are really aggressive on the bases.

“We will miss having Reed at the top of the line up because he was so good at getting on base. We have other guys who we will look to and we expect Levi McClanahan to take up a big share along with Joren Bruun, Dalton Baker, Phillip Jorgensen, Jeremiah Yeaman and Andrew Laprath,” said Weber.

The coach added Drew DeMers will be a big key for the team as he is the team’s most consistent hitter and a great outfielder.

In practice the team has been working on a little bit of everything and have been working on a lot of hitting. There have been times they have been able to get outside for practice.

“You can tell we are motivated and excited about this season,” said Weber.

He noted this is a big year for the Winner/Colome team as Winner will be hosting the State B Legion tournament in July.

Weber says the goal is to win the regional and defend their state title.

Warriors Prepare for Opening of Track Season

winner boys track lettermen

Numbers are strong for the Winner High School track teams this year.

The WHS boys and girls team competed in Gregory on Monday but will have their first home meet on Saturday, April 1 when they host the Bill Pistulka Invitational. The field events will start at 11 a.m.

Coach Larry Aaker says there are 14 returning letterwinners for the Lady Warriors. They include: Meagan Blare, Katherine Jankauskas, Saige Schuyler, Samantha Schuyler, Alexis Richey, Aryn Meiners, Charlotte Shopene, Janee Gregg, Morgan Hammerbeck, Gabby Kocer, Chloe Bartels, Kyran Meek, Madison Thieman and Tedra Vrbka.

There are three seniors: Chloe Bartels, Sam Schuyler and Kyran Meek.

Lost from last year’s team are Hayley Halverson and Calah Covey.

Last year at the state track meet the Lady Warriors took 8th place in the medley. Runners were Halverson, Sam Schuyler, Richey and Bartels.

Aaker says of the 14 letterwinners most of them competed at state last year.

Bartels and Sam Schuyler are middle distance runners and Meek will throw the shot put and discus.

“Our strength will be in the middle distance,” said the coach.

He hopes the younger girls can come around and help the team. Hurdlers are Vrbka and Hammerbeck. Hammerbeck qualified for state in the hurdles.

Also in the field events, Hammerbeck qualified for state in the long jump.

Gregg as an 8th grader last year qualified in the discus. “Hopefully she can keep improving,” said Aaker.

Added to the team this year will be 7th grader Sidda Schuyler as a long distance runner along with Aryn Meiners.
“We look for big things from both Sidda and Aryn,” said Aaker.

Also middle schoolers Blare and Jankauskas both qualified for state a year ago.

Aaker says goals for the girls are to win both conference titles (Big Dakota and SESD) and repeat as regional champions.

In practice, the coach says the team has been fighting the weather which has forced them inside more than they have liked. The distance runners have been putting on miles.

On the Winner boys side there are 15 lettermen. They include: Isaac Naasz, John Kludt, Tre Doren, Luke Engel, Phillip Jorgensen, Brady Fritz, Drew DeMers, Riley Calhoon, Izak Moleterno, Casey Stickland, A. J. Roubideaux, Colton Schroeder, Kaleb Brozik, Jayden Schroeder and Cameron Kuil.

There are 10 seniors on this year’s team.

The only loss from a year ago was Jonas Brill, a foreign exchange student from Germany.

Last year at the state track meet Kuil received four medals and is the defending 400 meter champion. He was second in the 200and third in the 100.

The medley relay team took second with runners Calhoon, Kuil, Engel and Kayleb Brozik.

Aaker says senior Brozik is a good half miler and qualified for the open 800 a year ago but did not run the open event at state to put all his energy into helping the Warriors get a second place finish in the medley.

The Warriors have so much depth in the shot put and discus. Jayden Schroeder, John Kludt and Tre Doren all qualified for state. Throw in Krockett Krolikowski, a SDSU football recruit, who will be tossing around the weights this year.

Younger throwers are Levi McClanahan and A. J. Roubideaux. “They push each other in practice,” said Aaker.
A new comer this year is senior Trace Larson who will also compete in shot put and discus and may long jump.
Junior Calhoon is a strong runner and helped the team a year ago in the medley. He will also run the 4×200 and the 4×400.

Brady Fritz will help the team in field events and sprints. Last year he qualified for state in the long jump and triple jump.

Atlas Willuweit will be an addition to the team as he will be a sprinter and will run the 100, 200 and 400 and be in some relays.

Joren Bruun will be on the team and will help the Warriors in relays.

Kade Watson, a 7th grader, will help in distance races.

Like the girls, the goals for the boys are to win both conferences, repeat as regional champs. And in addition, Aaker would like to see the Warriors be in the top four at state meet. “We have the pieces to do it this year,” he said.

Assistant coaches are Glenn Carlson, Jaime Keiser, Brett Gardner, Lindsey Foster, Robin Curtis and Jayd Schuyler.

The 2017 track schedule includes:
April 1—Bill Pistulka Invitational in Winner
April 6—Todd County Invitational
April 11—Miller Quad
April 13—Corn Palace Relays in Mitchell
April 18—Big Dakota Conference meet in Winner
April 21—Pierre Invitational
April 27–Cecil Johnson Invitational in Presho
May 2—Meet of Legends in Burke
May 5-6—Howard Wood Relays in Sioux Falls
May 9—SESD Conference meet in Mt. Vernon
May 18—Region at Martin
May 26—State meet at Tea
May 27—State meet at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls

Colome Ready to Start Track Season

colome track lettermen

There are 11 returning lettermen on the Colome High School track team.

The letterwinners for the girls are: Abby Kortan, Saydee Heath, Hayley Krumpus, Kaydee Heath, Callie Heath and Jaclyn Laprath.

There are five lettermen on the boys team. They are: Andrew Laprath, Holden Thieman, Kelly O’Bryan, Matt Campbell and Jackson Kinzer.

Others on the girls team are Carleen Burger, Grace Campbell and Matrix Noteboom.

The others on the boys team are Chase Dufek, Calvin Ringing Shield, Beau Bertram, Adam Cole and Layton Thieman.

The Colome team competed in the Gregory meet on Monday.

Colome will compete in the Bill Pistulka Invitational in Winner on April 1.

Patrick Brown, 69

pat brown obit

Patrick Earl Brown was born Sept. 27, 1947 in Presho, SD to Vernon and Esther (Burnham) Brown. He grew up in the Wood area. He attended country school through the 8th grade, White River High School his freshman and sophomore years, and Wood High School his junior and senior years where he graduated in 1965. He attended Southern State College for a year.

Patrick enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 1967. He served in Vietnam from June 1968 to June 1969. He was in the 1st Squadron 11th Armored Calvary Regiment stationed at Bien Hoa.

Pat met his wife Diane Fisher in 1972. They were married on May 31, 1974, and to this union three children were born; Mike, Kip and Teddy.

After his tour in the U.S. Army he was employed by Gerald Moorehead as a carpenter, then went on to do carpenter work with his brother Dale. He was then employed by Whitley Central Distributing for 30 plus years. He finished out his last 8 years of employment with Kucera Electric.

Pat was an avid outdoorsman. He loved to go hunting, fishing, and camping with his family and friends.

Ed Dreyer, 65

ed dreyer obit

Edward Charles Dreyer, born July 10th, 1951 to Kathleen and Harold Dreyer, was raised to be a proper Catholic boy. Unfortunately, it didn’t take.

He had four siblings, Barb Severin, Denny Kidwiler, Rob Dreyer, and Mike Dreyer. Ed was privileged to have eight happy days in his life – four marriages and four divorces. He proudly served his country in Vietnam, until his honorable discharge in 1974. While serving in Vietnam, he received a care package from his aunt Bonnie Dreyer every week. Shortly following his return, he married his first wife, Denise Davis, and fathered two children, Becky Hembrough and Joshua Dreyer.

Finding that married life suited him just fine, Edward went on to marry a second time to Jo Linda Gerhauser, and had his third child, Dakota Joe. Upon the dissolution of that marriage, Edward tried his hand at professional gambling for a while and trained horses in northern Nevada for approximately ten years. He finally returned to his hometown of Winner, South Dakota and worked for the family business, Dreyer Trucking, avoiding the DOT and driving away from the police at every opportunity. Depending on how you count, he then married his third or fourth wife, Shirley Whittaker.

After his final marriage, he began dating his last life partner, Lisa Faldalen, who dodged the bullet of being his fourth or fifth wife. Edward’s door was always open to friends and family. He didn’t always have a lot, but what he had, he was happy to share. In the last years of his life, he was very proud to attend his son Dakota’s college graduation and his marriage to Alana Dreyer.

A lifelong conservative, Edward enjoyed spirited debates with his liberal friends. When Kenny Weiland tried to put a yard sign supporting his Democrat brother in Ed’s yard, he told him if that sign went in his grass, Kenny would be dead to him. He took great pleasure in needling his liberal niece, Cheyenne Leigh, and his cousin, Cliffy Dreyer.

Edward passed peacefully in his sleep on March 20th, 2017.

Landon Scott Martin, 11

landon martin obit

Landon Scott Martin, son of Colleen Martin, was born June 9, 2005 at Winner, SD. He died of an accident on Sunday, March 19, 2017. Landon attained the age of 11 years, nine months and 11 days.

Landon was baptized by Pastor Phil Lint at the United Methodist Church in Wagner. He was a sixth grader at Wagner Community School. He loved school and was a very bright young man.

Landon will be remembered for his love of football, hunting, fishing and football cards. He loved working cattle with his Grandpa Butch, fishing with his “Grandpa” Bernie, hunting with his “Uncle” Joe and horseback riding Tripper while in Nebraska.

Elmer Isaac Reimer, 94

REimer Photo

Elmer Isaac Reimer, our much loved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, pastor, and friend, passed away peacefully in his son’s home March 19, 2017. He was born in Drake, Saskatchewan, Canada, on May 18, 1922, the third of seven sons and one daughter born to Frank and Gertrude (Boese) Reimer.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Catharina, and brothers Alfred, Harry, Arlie, and Leslie. He is survived by brothers Johnny and Albert, sister Betty, son David (Marilyn), grandchildren Kristen (Sean) Fender and son Nathan; Gregory (Amber) and children Adrianna, Bree, and Cate; and Jeffrey (Jessica) and children Charlie, Lillian, Anna, and Elanor.

He came to faith in Christ during a revival in their church in Dalmeny, Saskatchewan, and was baptized at the age of 14.

The extreme drought of the thirties forced the family to move to Steinbach, Manitoba, to find work when Elmer was a teenager. He worked in a body shop, lumber camp, and as a mechanic in a John Deere dealership.

He met Catharina (Tina) Peters at the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren church in Steinbach. They were married September 26, 1943. Their son, David, was born April 2, 1945.

Elmer felt called to the ministry and the family moved to Omaha, NE, where he enrolled at Grace Bible Institute. Within a few years, he had served as a summer pastor in Michigan and then left school to become the pastor of the EMB church in Jansen, NE. He served there for several years before returning to school in Omaha. In 1957 he moved to South Dakota to pastor the Kingsburg Community Church for several years before accepting the pastorate of the Carter Gospel Fellowship, a rural church near Winner, SD.

After 28 years at Carter, he and Tina moved to Newton in 1991, and Elmer pastored the First Mennonite Church of Burns, KS, for 12 ½ years.

Elmer was heavily involved in evangelistic meetings in churches throughout the Midwest and Canada, and in youth work primarily through Bible camps. Thousands of young people knew and loved him as ‘Uncle Elmer.’

In 2004, at the age of 82, he resigned the pastorate and took on the project of raising missionary support for the task of translating and recording into Low German the entire collection of J. Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible radio teaching series, a five-year daily broadcast consisting of 1,297 individual half-hour programs of study from Genesis to Revelation. He became the world-wide Low German voice of the Thru the Bible series, one of more than a hundred languages into which the program has been translated and recorded. The Low German programs are currently being broadcast regularly to thousands of Low German-speaking Mennonites in Mexico, South America, Northern Germany, and Canada. He also translated the New Testament and portions of the Old Testament into Low German. His ministry impact will continue long into the future.

After completing the translation projects in 2010, he taught Sunday School at Grace Community Church until December of 2015, completing 75 years of continuous ministry. His godly spirit and faithful ministry will be greatly missed by his family and a host of people who have known and loved him.

Betty (Farley) Toman, 80

betty toman obit

Betty was born Sept. 23, 1936, in Winner, SD, to George and Velma (Hisehorte) Farley, the fourth oldest of seven children. She attended grade school at Southwest Hart Country School in Weaver Township. She worked at Joe’s Cafe in Winner for many years where she met her husband Frank C. Toman. Frank and Betty were united in marriage in 1954 and were blessed with three children: Melvin, Tom and Pamela.

After being united in marriage to Frank, she moved to the Toman farm north of Carter, SD, where she lived her entire adult life. Her time on the farm was spent caring for her family, helping around the farm when needed, and raising countless numbers of chickens. She was especially proud of her involvement with the family hog raising operation. She was an incredible cook and baker, and if anyone ever left her house hungry, it was definitely his own fault. In addition to all of her involvement with the family farm, she spent many years as the treasurer of the Tripp County Progressive Township. Some of her most treasured moments on the farm were caring for her flower gardens and visits with her many friends. She enjoyed meeting in person for coffee and chatting on the phone to keep in touch with all of her wonderful neighbors to find out the latest news.

Outside of the farm, Betty had many activities that she truly loved. She spent many years bowling in Winner with some of her dearest friends, and the trips to bowling tournaments – wherever they might be held – were highly anticipated events. However, the activity that she was the most proud of was being a charter member of the Treadle Trippers Club. As a charter member, her involvement with the club lasted over 50 years, and she developed and maintained friendships that lasted a lifetime. The members of the club were very special people in her life.