Category Archives: News

The Winner Area High School Trap Club concluded its season on May 27. The team consisting of Winner and Colome students shot on Monday and Wednesday nights starting on April 1 at the Rosebud Arrow Rod and Gun Club trap range.

There is a total of 940 student athletes across the state that competed this season, which is almost double from last year. There are 4 conferences across the state and the Winner Area Club is in conference number 2 that has a total of 135 student athletes.

Luke Hennebold ended up the overall champion shooter for the state combining male and female shooters. He won the overall with an average of 24.3 out of 25. He was also the top male shooter in the state and conference champion.

Katie Welker was conference champion female, she ended up 2nd high female in the state with an average of 22.6. She was also 5th overall in the conference and was tied for 30th overall in the state.

Loren Moeller placed 7th in the conference and tied for 42nd overall in the state. Jude Sargent placed 12th in the conference and finished 61st in the state. George Clark finished 16th in the conference and tied for 84th overall in the state. Tyler Olson finished 16th in the conference and tied for 84th in the state. Tane Pravecek tied for 17th in the conference and 88th in the state. Jack Ducheneaux tied for 19th in the conference and tied for 97th in the state. Caleb Vandenbark placed 27th in the conference and tied for 152nd in the state.

Jack Anderson tied for 52nd in the conference and 292nd in the state. Austin Olson tied for 62nd in the conference and tied for 356th in the state. Jared Amidon tied for 73rd in the conference and tied for 406th in the state. Hunter Osborn tied for 73rd in the conference and tied for 406th in the state. Jesse Larson placed 77th in the conference and tied for 419th in the state. Julie Larson placed 82nd in the conference and tied for 474th in the state.

Josh Musilek placed 107th in the conference and tied for 757th in the state. Megan Brozik placed 110th in the conference and tied for 766th in the state. Melanie Brozik tied for 118th in the conference and 819th in the state.

The season will conclude with the state tournament that will be held in Aberdeen on June 9. The Winner Area team is taking 11 athletes to the state tournament. Coaches for the team are Tim Pravecek, Mike Pravecek and Rod Clark.

Luke Hennebold of Winner/Colome High School took home top individual honors in the South Dakota State High School Clay Target League’s (SDSHSCTL) 2018 spring season, which wrapped up competition on May 26th.

Hennebold led the field to earn the trophy for the highest overall average in the league. He’ll also bring home the award for top male average overall.

Isabel Myren from Pierre T.F. Riggs High School earned top female average honors.

Overall, 30 athletes and 10 teams will take home awards.

“We are proud to congratulate all of the award winners for their success this year.” said Jim Sable, President of the SDSHSCTL, “They have really worked hard to get where they are, and we look forward to seeing them at the state tournament.”

Upon completion of the Spring League, all student athletes are invited to participate in individual and team competitions at the 2018 State Tournament. The event is scheduled for June 9 at the Aberdeen Gun Club.

The South Dakota State High School Clay Target League is an affiliate of the USA High School Clay Target League, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The League is an independent provider of shooting sports as an extracurricular co-ed and adaptive activity for high schools and students in grades 6 through 12. The organization’s priorities are safety, fun, and marksmanship – in that order. Each student is required to pass a comprehensive firearm safety education course prior to participation.

Nationwide, over 26,000 students representing over 800 school-approved teams participated in the League during the 2017-18 school year.

In trap shooting, 25 is a perfect score. It is extremely hard to achieve this goal. The Winner/Colome high school trap team had five individuals that had one or more perfect rounds to send in for a score and some were achieved during practice.

Loren Moeller sent in one 25 round for score, Luke Hennebold sent in five 25s for a score and one 50 straight run.

Katie Welker sent one 25 round for score and had one 25 for practice.

Jude Sargent sent one 25 for score, then had one for practice for a straight 50.

George Clark had one 25 for practice.

Taylor Olson sent one 25 for score and Tane Pravecek had one 25 for practice.

Northern State head men’s basketball coach, Paul Sather announced May 31 that Zach Horstman has been hired on as a full time assistant for the program. Horstman enters his new post after a successful two season stint as the Wolves graduate assistant.
Horseman is a Winner High School graduate where he was a standout basketball player.

“Zach has done a tremendous job these past two years and we’re excited to add him to our basketball staff full-time,” noted Sather. “He has had a huge impact on our program these past two years and has developed terrific relationships with our new and returning players, not to mention the 2019 recruiting class.”

In his first two seasons on staff, NSU went 58-12 overall and 37-7 in the Northern Sun. Horstman played a crucial part in the Wolves NCAA Elite 8 run this past season, as the team set a school record with 36 wins. Horstman worked primarily with the Wolves ‘bigs’, Carter Evans and Logan Doyle, who both ranked in the top-10 all-time in single season field goal percentage. Doyle was named to the NSIC All-Conference second team, NCAA Central Region All-Tournament team, and NCAA Elite 8 All-Tournament team.

“I want to thank President Dr. Tim Downs, Josh Moon, and Coach Sather for giving me an unbelievable opportunity to stay on staff here at Northern State,” explained Horstman. “To say that I’m excited is an understatement; I can’t wait to get to work and build on all the exciting things happening here at NSU.”

Horstman was involved in game prep and opponent scouting throughout the regular and post-season, as well as the recruiting efforts for the four incoming freshman in 2018-19. He planned and implemented team travel arrangements, in addition to academic hours and team study.

“I’ve learned so much in my two years under Coach Sather and am looking forward to continuing my development as a coach under him and Coach Jamie Stevens,” added Horstman. “Being able to learn from two coaches with a ton of success in coaching is a phenomenal opportunity.”

The Winner native began his coaching career on staff at the Sanford Pentagon working with a middle school team, as well as on-site and satellite camps through the venue.

“His experience with our recruiting, system of play, scouting, and game preparation will be invaluable for this upcoming season,” added Sather.

Horstman is a graduate of South Dakota State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in physical education. As a member of the Jackrabbit basketball squad, he appeared in 106 games. Horstman tallied 347 career points, while shooting 42.6 percent from the floor, 31.4 percent from the arch, and 68.4 percent from the foul line. He is also a 2018 graduate of Northern State with a master’s degree in sport performance and leadership.

Horstman continued, “Northern State and Aberdeen is a special place full of great people from our administration to our student-athletes to our unbelievable fan and community support. I’m very grateful to have an opportunity to serve this university and this community. Go Wolves!”

Horstman was a 4-year All-Big Dakota Conference selection and the 2011 South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year. He was also honored as the co-Mr. Basketball and the Argus Leader Player of the Year.

John Little, formerly of Winner, is the recipient of the 2018 Cobell summer graduate research fellowship.

Little is attending the University of Minnesota where he is a doctoral student in American History.

Little says: “Investing and empowering Native youth is central to my future career goals. As an aspiring college professor, I want to ensure that Native American students have opportunities to exist, succeed and feel safe in higher education spaces. My personal research will center on Indigenous storytelling, survival and resistance thus preserving Lakota and Dakota songs, languages and traditions for future generations. By foregrounding native stories, traditions and language, I hope to inspire generations of native youth to challenge the ways non-native people have written and documented native peoples. Like Elouise Cobell, I hope to challenge these systems which limit how native people are seen in the present to promote and inspire change.

“In addition, I believe that highlighting indigenous voices and histories will create new collaborations between native and non-native communities.”

Little says the award will allow him “to begin additional research and conduct interviews with Lakota and Dakota Vietnam veterans. My dissertation examines Native American military service during the Vietnam War. More specifically, I analyze Lakota and Dakota motivations for military service as well as their experiences during and after Vietnam. I also examine how native veterans confronted, challenged and sometimes embraced ideas about race, masculinity, warrior culture and stereotypically assumptions about Indian-ness.”

Sally Kingsbury named Hospital Volunteer of the Year. Sally, a member of the Winner VFW Auxiliary #4674, was recently named Hospital Volunteer of the Year. Making the presentation of a plaque. pin and certificate is the local Hospital chairman, Connie Heggestad.

Sally has given of her time and efforts to accumulate over 1500 hours of volunteer service to the local veterans in the Winner Nursing Home, Golden Prairie Manor and Elder Inn. She also includes visits to the auxiliary members who reside in the facilities.
Her plaque reads: “Winner VFW Auxiliary #4674 is proud to present the 2017-2018’Outstanding Hospital Volunteer Of the Year’ award to Sally Kingsbury. Thank you for your Acts of Patriotism, ability to listen and bring smiles to our veterans. May, 2018.”

Her name has been submitted to the State VFW Auxiliary for consideration as the state winner of this award.

Winner area students have been named to the spring semester dean’s list at the University of South Dakota.

Named to the dean’s list are: Mariah Kinzer and Sarah Shippy, both of Colome; Natalie Gronlund, Dacey Kocer, Molly Sperlich, Cohl Turnquist, Bailey Volmer and Chase Watson, all of Winner.