Category Archives: Sports

Harter ‘Stepping Up to the Plate’

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By Colton Hall
Staff writer

Reed Harter is a good baseball player.

In fact, he’s so good that there doesn’t really seem to be a pitcher in South Dakota Amateur baseball that has had an answer for the soon-to-be senior at Dakota Wesleyan University.

Harter has had two performances in which he has had three home runs in a game, and now leads the Winner/Colome Pheasants amateur baseball team with seven home runs on the season.

Harter is proving to be a big reason for the Pheasants 10-2 start on the season. Things just seem to be going right.

“He’s playing on another level,” Winner/Colome head coach Kevin Graesser said. “He puts so much hard work into his game, and he was ready to take off this summer season. He’s all baseball.”

While home runs obviously prove to be a vital stat for success for any team, Harter has proven to come through for his team by tying for the lead in RBI with his brother, Zach Harter.

Not many players in amateur baseball have ’stepped up to the plate’ like Harter has this season.

“He does so much for our team, and it’s not just about his production on the field,” Graesser said. “He’s a leader with how he plays, and acts. As far as our team goes, we expect him to produce like he has done, but two games with three home runs just doesn’t happen.”

It shouldn’t come as a shock that Harter has exploded for Winner/Colome especially considering the strong season that he had for the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers.

For the Tigers, Harter has recorded 62 career RBI, 35 of which came in his junior season. Harter also tied for the team lead with three other Tiger players by hitting two homeruns, bringing his career total to (5).

Success for Harter and the Tigers didn’t start in the beginning. It’s been building for the last three years.

In his freshman year at DWU, Harter and the Tigers went 18-31 and 12-16 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). Things took a turn for the worst in 2019 when the Tigers finished 11-28 (7-19 in GPAC).

It seems that the Tigers found the light at the end of the tunnel in 2019. The Tigers went 23-23 (16-12 in GPAC). Needless to say, Harter is looking forward to his senior season.

“We (the Tigers) really came together last year,” Harter said. “Winning 12 more games was huge for our team. I want to continue to improve on that, and my goal as a team is to make a regional tournament. For us to do that, we have to win the GPAC. I just want to finish strong.”

As far as his senior season goes, Harter’s sets goals like he tries to swing. For the fence.

“I want to be the GPAC Player of the Year next year,” Harter said. “Playing amateur baseball has really given me a great opportunity to continue to sharpen my skills and get better. If you want to be good, you have to set big goals.”

If Harter steps up to the plate in his senior season like he’s stepped up for the Pheasants, that goal won’t seem so lofty.

Pheasants Take Care of Rockets

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By Colton Hall
Staff Writer

The Winner/Colome Pheasants didn’t have the greatest start, but came together to take home a 12-2 win over the Wagner Rockets last Tuesday night at Leahy Bowl.

Wagner jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but the Pheasants answered right back with a pair of runs with Reed Harter being drove in by Austin Calhoon. Austin Richey would tie the game at two when he hit a double that drove in Calhoon.

In the fourth inning, Derek Graesser doubled which sent in one run to give the Pheasants a 3-2. That’s when Winner/Colome put the game away.

The Pheasants combined to score nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings which ended the game because of the 10 run rule.

Harter and Calhoon lead Winner/Colome with three hits. Calhoon and Zach Harter both finished with three RBI.

On the mound, Kelly O’Bryan pitched an impressive game while not allowing a single hit. O’Bryan lasted all eight innings while striking out 14 batters.

Krolikowski “Stirring the ‘Kroc’ Pot”

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By Colton Hall
Staff writer

Krockett Krolikowski is living the dream in Brookings.

The redshirt-sophomore from Winner was a part of a South Dakota State University football team that went undefeated at home (7-0) on its way to finishing 10-3.

Krolikowski proved the be a big reason for the Jackrabbits success while “stirring the pot”, registering four sacks which was good enough for second on the team. Everything was going his way.

That’s when tragedy happened.

Krolikowski suffered a torn ACL which would put him out of the last two games, but that wasn’t enough to keep him down for long.

According to Krolikowski, he’s scheduled to be back in time for fall camp, and he’s looking to pick up where he left off.

“Rehab’s going good,” Krolikowski said in a phone interview. “I’ll be back in time for fall camp, and I’m going to be excited to be back with the boys. I just want to get back, be to do what I love.”

Krolikowski, a construction management major, burst onto the college football scene after recording a career high seven tackles, while mustering one and half sacks against Easton Stick and North Dakota State Bison in week three.

Before Krolikowski’s injury, he even blocked kicks in back-to-back games against The University of South Dakota and Duquesne. Krolikowski was heating up.

“It felt good to get in a groove,” Krolikowski said. “It takes a little bit of time to get stuff clicking. I just want to keep playing better, and continue to improve. You work so hard to get to a certain point, and it’s amazing when everything pays off. Now it’s all about building off of last year.”

While a horrific injury like an ACL tear might be enough for some athletes to call it quits, Krolikowski seems to be shaped by the injury. He’s not letting it slow him down, and it all starts with a different mindset.

“There’s going to be adversity in everything,” Krolikowski said. “You can run with it, or you can crumble. One day, you’ll tear your ACL, that can be career ending. It’s different things everyday. You have to push yourself everyday. You have to have the mindset to get through. I’m going to take it one step at a time, and have playing the sport I love.”

His love and work ethic for football is a major reason for his success, but Krolikowski doesn’t forget the people that helped him out along the way. In fact, those people are another reason he plays as hard as he does.

“My favorite part is the guys that I’m around,” Krolikowski said. “I’m not playing for me anymore, its for the guys. I play for the guys right beside me and my family who have continued to push me to get here. I continue to want more, and my desire to continue to get better is what’s going to help me get better. With my faith, and the way that coach Stiegelmeier runs the program , and I like how our team is based around faith.”

In college football, the little things can make the difference between a good or great player. Krolikowski wants to put more of an emphasis on the little things. He just wants to keep getting better.

“It’s the little tendencies,” Krolikowski said. “Learning more mentally from the game can only help you get better. The smarter you get, the better you get with your hands, and I”m learning how to watch film better. I’m paying attention to all the details that can help me be successful. I’m looking at things from a different perspective, and I’m able to pick on the little things better. Our team is more competitive. We’ve been getting better and better, and we’re close. It’s time for the glass to break.”

Make no mistake. Krolikowski wants to get better, but his team is on the verge of being one of the better teams in the country. At some point, all the hard work and dedication will pay off. Something will give.

“We want to win the national championship,” Krolikowski said. “We’ve got to close it out. We’re changing up and things are looking different. We’re more competitive. We’re getting better. It’s time for the glass to break.”

Duffy Tradition Ends

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By Colton Hall
Staff writer

There’s a country song by Brad Paisley called “last time for everything”.

If you haven’t listened to it, it’s about the fact that the best things in life don’t last forever. That’s why it’s important to remember those times and cherish them while you’re in them.

For the rest of the story, pick up this week’s edition of the Winner Advocate or subscribe to the Winner Advocate at 1-605-842-1481!

For The Love of Racing

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By Colton Hall
staff writer

If you were to walk in to Central Auto Body, all you would see is copious amounts of trophies.

For a racing career that started in 2003, Broc Stout has certainly made a name for himself in the Wissota Street Stock Racing Circuit. The barrage of trophies certainly speak volumes for the success that Stout has sustained.

“I started racing because of my dad,” Stout said. “I started pretty young, and it’s been really fun since. I just love racing.”

Winning is something that drivers or spectators might be worried about, but with Stout, who has won three of his last four races, it’s just another part of the sport that he loves. Stout won first place in Miller at Miller Central Speedway on Saturday, June 22.

“Everything went fine,” Stout said of his victory. “It was just another great day to race, and nothing bad happened. I was just out there to have fun, and that’s what I did.”

Winning just seems to be a regular thing for the quiet Stout. He’s not flashy, but he loves what he does and that’s what might make him most successful. You won’t find him gloating about how many trophies he’s won, or about the people that he’s come in contact with.

“One of the best things about racing is the people you meet,” Stout said. “With the environment, and all the good people you meet, it just makes the sport of racing that much more fun.”

Stout also placed ninth in national points in Wissota Street Stock racing, and third at the Leonard Ferguson Memorial race.

While some would think that the grind would be the hardest part of racing or the pressure of winning, there’s a lot more that makes the sport so pressure packed. Something as simple as travel proves to be difficult as Stout will travel to Rapid City to race at the Black Hills Speedway on Friday.

Despite the pressure and travel, Stout just continues to do what the thing he loves most.

“The travel is difficult,” Stout said. “But, I love what I do and it’s all worth it in the end.

Stout’s father, Dave, helps with repairs and gives advice to his son. After all, it was Dave who got his son interested in racing.

“I think that the most important thing that I’ve learned is to take care of your equipment,” Dave Stout said. “You’re always going to find something, and you have to keep checking on everything to make sure that everything runs properly. Anything you can get to, you better check.”

Winning isn’t everything, and that’s something that people will be able to infer when meeting the Stouts.

“I’ve really enjoyed the experience,” Stout said. “All of my sponsors have made it really fun to represent them, and I love racing. I’m grateful for all the people that have helped me along the way.”

Cowboys Have New Football Coach

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By Colton Hall
Staff writer

One year removed from a state championship in 2018, the Cowboys were looking for a new head football coach.

They got one.

Gene Bertram will be the new head football coach for the Colome Cowboys.

For the rest of the story, pick up this week’s edition of the Winner Advocate or subscribe to the Winner Advocate at 1-605-842-1481!

No Shortcuts for Sacred Hoops

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By Colton Hall
Staff writer

Winner legend Frank Leahy once said, “There are no shortcuts in life, only those we imagine.”

It’s a pretty straightforward saying. Basically if you want to get somewhere, shortcuts aren’t the answer. It’s going to take hard work to get where you want.

For the rest of the story, pick up this week’s edition of the Winner Advocate or subscribe to the Winner Advocate at 1-605-842-1481!

Winner/Colome Legion takes Down Chamberlain

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By Colton Hall, Staff Writer

Winner/Colome pitcher, Carter Brickman unleashes a pitch against Chamberlain.

It wasn’t mistake free, but the Winner/Colome Legion baseball team churned out a 6-2 victory over Chamberlain on Wednesday night at Leahy Bowl.

For the rest of the story, pick up this week’s edition of the Winner Advocate or subscribe to the Winner Advocate at 1-605-842-1481!

Aaker Elected to SDHSAA Board of Directors

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By Colton Hall

Dan Aaker is one of the best football coaches in the state.

Aaker has a career winning record of 149-38, and has lead the Winner Warriors to four state championship titles in 2009,2012,2015, and 2016. Aaker finished with back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2015 and 2016.

At one point, Winner hadn’t lose a game in two years.

Winning championships garners some major things. Things like respect, and a reputation.

Because of his excellent coaching career and reputation, Aaker will be the voice for the West River as a part of the South Dakota High School Activities Association Board of Directors. Aaker will be the “West River at Large Representative” on the board.

“It’s nice to be able to represent our school district,” Aaker said in a phone interview. “I’m looking forward to representing the entire west river as a voice. Its a guaranteed position that will give the board another voice to consider.”

Assuming that Aaker would voice his opinions on sports is an accurate presumption, but Aaker wants to voice his opinion on other activities.

“I just want to make the best decisions for student athletes and students that are involved in the fine arts as well,” Aaker said. “Students that are involved in the fine arts are just as important, and they deserve a voice”.

Aside from begin a winner in Winner, Aaker, who is from Bison, knows what it’s like to be around a small town.

“I was born and raised in small town,” Aaker said. “I know the impact that these decisions can have on the kids, and I’m here to be an advocate for them. I’ve worked as an administrator for a while, and I feel like I have a good perspective.”