Rod's Tuesday Take N Things

A long time teacher and coach at Riggs High School will be retiring after this school year. Jon Gonsor has been in Pierre for a number of years, first at the middle school and then at Riggs. Jon has been an assistant football coach for the Governors for most if not all of that time span coaching at the freshman and sophomore level. A number of students and players have gone through his classroom and most of them that I know, from the athletic standpoint anyway will have more good things to say about John than the other. He worked hard and was a dedicated assistant coach and the program will miss his expertise. And Stanley County Athletic Director Scott Vandenhemel submitted his resignation last night after 1 year on the job. I haven't visited with Scott but I am sure he would tell you that being a part time AD, cause he has another full time job, isn't easy in this day and age. Even at a school the size of Stanley County, the rigors and demands in this day and age of being an Athletic Director, is time consuming and very demanding. We wish him well.

And just looking out the window and have read weather forcast a couple of times this morning, I don't think there will be much outdoor work for any of the spring sports athletes getting ready for the upcoming season, although track and field distance athletes are a pretty hardy bunch and run in most anything. I hope to find out later today if we have any former track and field athletes from around here earn at large berths to the NCAA Indoor Track and Field championships. Good luck to Steph Paluch and Katie Lingle and their SDSU women's basketball teammates this afternoon as they play for the Summit League championship and a return trip to the NCAA tournament (KGFX at 3 p.m.) and Sam Willard and Pacific open up Big West Conference tournament play later this week. The Big West champions earns an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Pacific is the 2nd seed in their tournament. Sam has had some big games as of late scoring in high double figures and coming off back to back doubles doubles in their last two games. He has hit the 20 point or more scored mark in his last two games and had double doubles with double digit points and rebounds as well. Sam was named a Big West Conference Honorable Mention yesterday by the Big West Conference, and is one of five Pacific Players who earned a spot on the All Conference teams and he was named the Big West Conference Player of the Week yesterday. Way to go Sammy!!!!!!!!