Rod's Friday Sports Thoughts

The Pierre Area Coaches Association named Co-Athletes of the Week this week at Riggs High School. Lady Governor junior golfer Paige Erickson and senior tennis player Connor Forney were selected from nominations sent in from the varsity head coaches. Erickson, also known as "Big Paige" by head coach John Knox (there are two girls with the first name of Paige on the team) earned her honor after taking 3rd place at the Mitchell Invitational firing an 82. Forney had runner up finishes at number 1 singles and doubles for the Governor tennis team at the Rapid City Invitational tournament. Forney's efforts helped the Governors to a second place finish in the tournament behind tournament champion Sioux Falls O'Gorman. It was the highest finish the Governors had obtained at that tournament in 10 years according to head coach Jeff Schlekeway.

State Class A 125 lb. wrestling champion Dusty Paulsen will attend Dakota Wesleyan and wrestle collegiately next year. Paulsen was 41-4 this season and had a career record to 85-30 for the Governor wrestling team.

Pierre Lady Governor head basketball coach Lisa Kannegeiter-Bahe has released the dates and times of this summer girls basketball camps in Pierre. The elementary camp for girls entering grades 2 through 5 next school year will be June 20th through the 23rd from 10:30 am to noon all 3 days with a $40 camp fee. The camps for girls who will be entering the 6th through 8th grades is scheduled for June 7 through the 10th and 13th through the 15th. The camps run from 10:30 am to noon those days and has a $55 camp fee. The High School girls camps will be June 7th through the 10th, June 14th and 15th as well as June 21st through the 23rd, June 28th through the 30th and July 5th through the 7th will run from 7:30 am to 8:45 am with a $75 camp fee. Players can register online for the camps at the Pierre Park and Recreation departments website www.pierreparkandrec.com.

Southwest Minnesota State and head basketball coach Allison Krueger will have a Satellite basketball camp for girls at Riggs High Gym June 16th and 17th. There will be 3 different camps with the 3rd through 5th grade camp on June 16th from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. The 6th through 8th grade camp will run from noon to 2 pm on the 16th and 10:30 am to noon on June 17th. The High School camp will run from 8 to 11 am on the 16th and 8 to 10 am on the 17th. Cost is $15 for the 3rd through 5th grade camp and $20 for the other two divisions. There is a June 10th deadline to register for the camp. If there are any questions about any of the camps, you can contact Coach Kannegetier-Bahe had 605-295-1997 or email her at Lisa.Kannegieter@k12.sd.us.

Lady Governor assistant basketball coach Skip Kurth was named the Region 3 Assistant Coach of the Year by the South Dakota High School Basketball Coaches Association.

There will be an informational meeting for all girls who are interested in playing volleyball next fall at Pierre Riggs High School Monday evening at 5:30 in the cafeteria at the high school. Camp information will also be available. Players are encouraged to bring their parents along with them to the meeting.

The Pierre Athletic Development summer workout program is being offered this summer once again at Riggs High School. This program will help to improve strength, agility, flexibility and quickness. Pierre Athletic Development is open to athletes entering grades 8 to 12 & college freshmen in the 2011-2012 school year. Registrations are available now. See Coach Terry Becker, Coach Beata Ferris, or Coach Shawn Schnable for more information.

And the Pierre Governor Wrestling team will be having a fund raising event at the Pizza Ranch in Ft. Pierre Monday evening between 5 and 8 pm. Proceeds made during that 3 hour period will be donated to the Governor wrestling team.