Arlington's Boeck, Watertown's Merriam receive SDHSCA honors

Former Arlington High School volleyball coach Anita Boeck and Public Opinion Sports Editor Roger Merriam each received honors recently during the South Dakota High School Coaches Association's 51st annual awards banquet.

The banquet was held at the Mitchell Highland Conference Center.

Boeck, who accumulated more than 700 wins as Arlington's volleyball coach from 1990 through 2019, was inducted into the SDHSCA Hall of Fame along with Mark Wendelgass of Huron, Bob Sittig of Baltic, Laverne Diede of Freeman, Richard J. "Doc" Michel of Rapid City and Jerry Rhodes Sr. of Philip.

Hall of Fame Inductees

• Boeck compiled a 731-247-10 record at Arlington and led to the Cardinals to 14 conference championships, 14 state tournament appearances, six runner-up finishes and the 2010 state B championship.

She received many coaching awards throughout her career and was inducted into the South Dakota Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015.

• Wendelgass spent his entire 35-year career in Huron as a teacher, coach and athletic-activities director and continues to officiate track and field meets all over South Dakota. He served as the head boys and girls track and field coach at Huron for 15 years and led the Tigers to four Eastern South Dakota Conference championships and four runner-up and five third-place finishes in state Class AA meets.

He has been inducted into the South Dakota Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame, South Dakota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Hall of Fame and Huron High School Athletic Hall of Fame along with receiving numerous other awards.

• Sittig has spent 43 years as a teacher, coach and administrator in Baltic. He coached basketball at some level for 35 years, including a 17-year stint as the head coach of the girls' program that produced a 299-96 record with nine conference, 10 district, seven region and five state Class B championships (1995, 1996, 1998, 2001 and 2003).

Baltic's 1996 team set, and still holds, the national girls basketball record for field-goal shooting percentage in a season. Sittig was named the South Dakota Basketball Coach of the Year in 1995 and 2001 and the Augustana Alumni Coach of the Year in 1996.

• Diede, a Scotland native, was a pioneer in South Dakota high school girls sports and a leader in helping them get established in the 1970s and beyond. She was a teacher, coach and administrator for more than 40 years in Delmont, Marion and Freeman. She was especially involved in girls track and led Freeman's girls to the 1977 state Class A championship and runner-up finishes in 1975 and 1976.

She was recognized as the SDHSCA's Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year in 1976 and is a member of the SDCCTFCA Hall of Fame.

• Michel graduated from Northwestern Lutheran High School in Mobridge in 1957 and served four years in the United States Navy before graduating from Black Hills State University in 1970. That fall he was hired as a business education instructor before being talked into becoming the "sports trainer" by Rapid City Stevens athletic director Carold Heier.

Michel acquired the distinguished nickname "Doc" during a 47-year period in which he was a coach and/or trainer for 51 state high school championship teams. He also received many awards in his career and was inducted into the Rapid City Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

• Rhodes, a 1964 Presho High School graduate, enjoyed a more than 40-year career as a teacher, coach and athletic director in Pine Ridge, Kimball and Philip. He coached football, basketball, cross country and track and field.

One of his biggest highlights came in track when he guided Philip's boys to the 2010 state Class B championship and was named the Boys Track and Field Coach of the Year. He drafted the proposal for state-qualifying track and field meets for individuals and relays.

Other Honorees

Other special award winners included Merriam and Barb Haberling of Miller, Groton native and longtime Mitchell volleyball coach Deb Thill and former Hamlin teacher-coach-athletic director Wayne Carney.

Merriam and Haberling each received 2022 Jerry P. Miller Distinguished Service Awards for outstanding contributions and dedication to the highest and best in high school athletics.

• Merriam, a Huron native, has spent 40 years covering high school as a sports writer in South Dakota including the last 38 at the Watertown Public Opinion.

• Haberling, a Wessington native who played basketball and softball at Northern State University, spent 17 years working with high school activities in Miller and the last 15 working for the South Dakota High School Activities Association.

• Thill received the 2022 Max Hawk Award, which was created to recognize and honor outstanding leadership, contributions and dedication of service to the SDHSCA. She has spent 31 years as the only head coach in the history of Mitchell High School's volleyball program while also serving as a girls basketball and track and field coach.

• Carney earned the Power of Influence Award. The award, in honor of Bryan Brewer, recognizes and honors the positive influence, vision, leadership and dedication to promoting athletics, academics and the arts among South Dakota students of all races.

Carney, who guided Hamlin to the 1983 state B boys basketball title, worked in high school athletics as coach, athletic director and referee for many years and also served as the executive director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association from 2001-2017.

Coaches of the Year

Also honored during the banquet were the fall 2021, winter 2021-22 and spring 2022 state high school coaches of the year.

Fall 2021 coaching winners include Holly Evans of Chamberlain, girls cross country; Tom McGough of Miller, boys cross country; Misty Mousseaux Begay of Lakota Tech, cheer; Ashley Hoffman of Brandon Valley, dance; Cori Bonte of Sioux Falls Roosevelt, girls soccer; Dave Dannenbring of Yankton, boys soccer; Brandon White of Harrisburg, football; and Dennis Northrup of Garretson, volleyball.

Winter 2021-2022 coaching winners include Derek Outland of Brandon Valley, wrestling; Maridee Dossett of Madison, gymnastics; Molly Mason of Viborg-Hurley, girls basketball; Mitch Begeman of Sioux Falls Roosevelt, boys basketball.

Karen Karim of Custer, girls track and field; Misty Larson of Chester Area, boys track and field; Billie Jo Indahl of Burke, girls golf; Brett Sime of Yankton, boys' golf; and Ryan Hage of Yankton, tennis received spring 2022 coaching honors.

Doug Duncan of Ipswich (middle school-junior high), Jeff Schlekeway of Pierre (boys sports) and Darcy Deinert of Mount Vernon-Plankinton (girls sports) each received assistant coach of the year honors along with Julie Eppard of Chester Area (athletic director of the year) and Marc Murren of Sioux Falls (official of the year).

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Coaches group holds annual awards banquet recently in Mitchell.