Rod's Friday Sports Post

Pierre Governor junior Zach Hanson has been selected as the Gatorade South Dakota Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Hanson averaged 17.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for the Governors who finished 18-8 on the season and a third place finish at last weekend's State Class AA Boys Basketball Tournament. A second team All State selection as a sophomore, he has been a two time All ESD selection where he has been a first team pick both seasons. Hanson has maintained a 3.9 Grade Point Average in the classroom and has voluntered locally on behalf of a youth mentoring program.

The ESD Conference Athletic Directors issued a full invitation to Harrisburg to join the conference at the ESD Conference meetings on Wednesday in Mitchell. Harrisburg had previously only been invited to join the conference as a football member only. The Daily Average Membership of Harrisburg is expected to move the school to the Class AA ranks in the 2013-14 school year. The South Dakota High School Activites Association on Monday raised the ADM for schools to become Class AA at 450 or higher and Harrisburg is expected to be at 460. The Harrisburg school board will discuss the invitation at it's meeting on Monday. If Harrisburg joins the Conference, it will make it a 9 team league.

The Pierre Governor and Lady Governor track and field team opened their season yesterday in Aberdeen at the John Huth Indoor meet and the two teams combined for 7 first place finishes. Joe Snyder had the best day of any of the competitors as his leap of 42 feet 3 inches in the triple jump set a new meet record. Steven Gordon won the 1500 meter run in a time of 4:30.8 and Roman Spaid ran a winning time of 10:27.0 to win the 3,000 meter run. And the Governor 1600 meter relay team crossed the finish line first in a time of 3:52.0. The 3 first place finishes for the Lady Govs came from Kelsey Schmitz in the 200 meter dash with a time of 3:52.0. Rachel Probst won the 3000 meter run in a time of 11:29.9 and Sydney Palmer threw the shot put 34 feet 7 inches to win that event. The Govs and Lady Govs will return to Aberdeen a week from tomorrow to compete in the Al Sahli Indoor Meet.

The Pierre Women's Softball Association will be meeting this evening at the Pierre Post 8 Legion Cabin. The meeting will be at 6 pm. All teams must have a representative at the meeting.