Ryan Bozer:
Here to talk the latest sports happenings in the state and bring Your Morning In Play SDPB's Ryan Bozer. Joining me as always is our sports and recreation reporter, Nate Wek.
Nate, how are you hanging in there? I know it's been an athletic whirlwind for you the past, I don't know, week?
Nate Wek:
Right. I think last week we talked about what happened with state track and within the last week here a lot's happened. We had the state softball championships, so we crowned three new champions in softball for the year. And then we also piggybacked right off of that right into the spring state golf championships, which included four state tournaments with all three girls classes and the Class B boys. So it's been definitely a busy week, but it's also part of what makes it fun as well.
Ryan Bozer:
Yeah, absolutely. So let's start with softball since I think that's the one that occurred first. Tell us about those softball championships.
Nate Wek:
Yep. So Sioux Falls Lincoln, I believe they last loss was May 9th, 2023. They've completed the perfect season this year. They won in Class AA. Tea Area, they were actually down in the seventh inning with two outs. They were down five three and came back to win nine to five. So with one out to go, they ended up beating West Central with a massive seventh inning rally.
And then Chester took down the defending champion Castlewood in Class B. So a lot happening in softball. It was a lot of fun. One name I want you to remember, Ryan, from today's conversation is the name Madison Evans. She was the starting pitcher for Sioux Falls Lincoln. And if you want to talk about making a splash to start the state tournament, in the very first games, the quarterfinal round of the AA softball tournament, she threw 15 strikeouts in a no hitter.
Ryan Bozer:
Wow.
Nate Wek:
What makes it even more impressive is that it was only a five inning game. So every single out that Sioux Falls Lincoln had in the quarterfinals was a strikeout by Madison Evans. One walk is what separated her from not having a perfect game. So just to let you know that she's the real deal. Talking to her head coach, Trent, great guy up there in Sioux Falls Lincoln, talking with Trent afterwards, he thought that Madison Evans was probably one of the best softball players that he's ever seen. So high praise on Madison Evans from the Lincoln skipper. And yeah, she also threw 15 strikeouts in the championship game as well. So I mean, she was dominating there too. Now that one did go seven innings. I think she gave up a couple hits, so a little off day for her. But no, she was absolutely dominant throughout the state tournament and she is a very big key component to what Sioux Falls Lincoln was able to do this year. So phenomenal athlete. She's actually going to the University of South Dakota to continue her collegiate career with softball next year. So it'll be fun getting the opportunity to see what she does at that college level right here in the state down at USD. So that's really cool.
And then Chester, I don't want to forget about Chester either because Chester, I believe they finished their season with 9, 10 straight wins. And really what was a big component to them as well was that Lauren Roberts, their pitcher, she kind of got healthy near the final stretch of the season. And by the way, she also tied for 13th on Tuesday in the State B Girls Golf Tournament. So Lauren Roberts, the multi sport athlete for Chester and yeah, Chester's team, first year fielding a varsity softball team, and they take down the defending champs in Castlewood.
So lots of great stuff happening with softball. It was a phenomenal three days. There was some talks about the weather, there was a little bit of a weather delay that first day, but for the most part everything held and it was just a fabulous three days for state softball this year.
Ryan Bozer:
Nice.
Nate Wek:
Well done to all the teams, lots and lots of fun. Some great memories were made and it makes me excited to see what next year will bring as far as softball goes.
Ryan Bozer:
Yeah, I'm just still trying to wrap my head around 15 strikeouts in five innings. Right?
Nate Wek:
You do the math. You go, well, let's see, three times five, that's 15. Whoa, she got all the outs basically.
Ryan Bozer:
Right. That's a level of consistency in your pitch, that's being able to read your bats, that's being able to paint the box well, that's having a catcher that's receiving everything so nicely for you.
Nate Wek:
Exactly.
Ryan Bozer:
Wow. That's a perfect storm.
Nate Wek:
And we didn't even talk about the offense that Lincoln has because honest to God, you go through them one to nine in their lineup and every one of those kids can hit. So they don't have to try to force anything because if one can't do it or one gets an out, the next one up can do it. Coming into a year and you have a perfect season and everybody knows that they should win this year, there's pressure that comes with it. But to be able to live up to the hype and actually finish, it's a whole different thing. So very, very strong mentality from the upperclassmen with Sioux Falls Lincoln.
Ryan Bozer:
Yeah, wow. Just being able to go out on the field and know, yeah, all of us are here play and we're going to play well. Right?
Nate Wek:
Absolutely.
Ryan Bozer:
Super impressive. So that was one of the sports you got to partake in this past weekend, and then it sounds like you were off then at golf championships after. So how was it hitting the greens?
Nate Wek:
Yeah, so I was actually at up in Brookings where Brookings was hosting both the B Girls and the B Boys. I spent most of my time at Edgebrook, which was hosting the B Girls tournament. Brynn Roehrich of Clark/Willow Lake was the individual state champion there. Chester, who we just talked about with softball, well, they won two state titles in three days because they also won the B Girls State Golf Championship. And then in Class A Sioux Falls' Christian won the team title. Kaitlin Strain of St. Thomas More won the individual title. AA Watertown won the team title. Allison Meyerink of Mitchell won the individual. Westing Springs won the B Boys State Championship for team. And Gavin Colson of Sully Buttes won the B individual boys state golf title. So lots happening there.
We had a couple hole in ones. We'll talk about one of those hole in ones next week because I do want to talk a little bit more about that. But yeah, it was just a really good couple days for golf as well. I know that Monday, the weather was fabulous. Tuesday, a lot of the top groups ran into rain on the back nine. So that obviously made some challenges for some of the kids.
Ryan Bozer:
For sure.
Nate Wek:
Yeah, I mean, very good. And by the way, Brynn Roehrich of Clark/Willow Lake, she's just a freshman and last year as an eighth grader finished runner up. So I'm excited to see what she can do here for the next three years as well.
Ryan Bozer:
Wow. Yeah, I feel like a lot of times where we talk about some of these really exceptional athletes, you then share with me, oh yeah, by the way, they're just entering high school or they've just finished their first year of high school, which is I hear and I go, cool, that means we get here more about their achievements and stuff for at least three, four more years. Right?
Nate Wek:
Absolutely. Yeah. Buckle up and get ready to watch them because, yeah, you're probably going to hear some of these names again.
Ryan Bozer:
Right. Wow. So I guess I go back to my starting question for you, Nate, though. Are you winded? That sounds like you've been keeping up with a lot.
Nate Wek:
Well, let me put it this way to you, Ryan. I don't have to worry about not having a farmer's tan. I've got one. If anybody wants to know how to do a farmer's tan, you just check in with good old Nate Wek and he'll show you how to do it.
Ryan Bozer:
I love that. So looking ahead, sounds like we'll talk some more golf next week. That'll be super cool. And then we're also gearing up for rodeo, yeah?
Nate Wek:
Yeah. This is a big year for Rodeo. It's going to be the 75th year anniversary of the High School Rodeo Finals in South Dakota. We're going to have extended coverage of the event this year, so we'll talk about all of that next week.
Ryan Bozer:
Awesome. I look forward to getting all the details on that. Well, I'll let you go rest up again. I know you got your farmer's tan. Hopefully it just stays a farmer's tan and sunburn.
Nate Wek:
I might have to mow the yard here in the next couple days so I don't lose this farmer's tan. I got to keep it around.
Ryan Bozer:
You got to maintain it at this point, right? It's part of the look now. All right, Nate, we'll catch up again next week.
Nate Wek:
All right, cool. Thanks, Ryan.
