2022 South Dakota sports awards announced: Here’s who won

For the fourth time in her skilled profession, Fast Metropolis native Becky Hammon has been acknowledged as South Dakota’s “Sports activities Movie star of the Yr,” as chosen by the South Dakota Sportswriters Affiliation.

Hammon was beforehand acknowledged because the Sports activities Movie star of the Yr in 2005, 2014 and 2015. She was additionally named the state’s Impartial Feminine Athlete of the Yr in 1996 and 1999.

After changing into the primary feminine performing head coach within the NBA, Hammon accepted a job as the top coach of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, signing the most important WNBA head coach contract in league historical past.

The Fast Metropolis native and Fast Metropolis Stevens graduate guided the Aces to one of the best report within the WNBA this season, a 26-10 mark, and went on the win the WNBA Championship in September, going 8-2 within the postseason.For her efforts, Hammon was named WNBA Coach of the Yr, whereas Aces ahead A’ja Wilson was named MVP.Here’s a have a look at the opposite honorees, as chosen by members of the SDSWA:

Impartial Male Athlete

Shane Van Boening, Fast Metropolis

The Fast Metropolis native rose by way of the ranks {of professional} pool and have become the No. 1 ranked participant on the planet by the World Pool-Billiard Affiliation.

The 39-year-old has gained over 100 titles in his profession, and in April gained the 2022 WPA World 9-ball Championship in England.

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Impartial Feminine Athlete

Reese Jansa, Sioux Falls

In early June, Jansa got here again from 5 pictures all the way down to win the Class AA particular person state championship by three strokes. She owns the South Dakota state match report of minus-8 final 12 months, however even falling wanting that, she completed the season on the high. Her efforts helped the Tigers win a Class AA ladies golf workforce championship.

Individually, it was Jansa’s second-straight Class AA state title. She continued her success within the novice ranks. She turned the primary lady to win each the SDGA Ladies Junior Championship and the SDGA Ladies’s Newbie in the identical 12 months and was second on the state match-play match.

Jansa competes on the College of Toledo, the place she had the four-best end on the workforce with a plus-6 end in her freshman fall season.

Impartial Group

Fast Metropolis Rush Hockey

Below first-year head coach Scott Burt, the Fast Metropolis Rush snapped a seven-year playoff drought by reaching the Kelly Cup Playoffs this spring. They gained their first-round, best-of-seven collection, changing into one of many last eight groups remaining earlier than falling in six video games within the Mountain Division Finals collection.

The Rush, who completed second within the Mountain Division, set a franchise report for single-season ECHL factors with 83, accumulating a report of 36-25-11.

School Male Athlete

Tanner Berg, Northern State

When Tanner Berg confirmed up at Northern State as freshman, he thought a hammer was one thing used to pound nails.

Now, 5 years later, the Watertown native has change into an NCAA Division II nationwide champion within the hammer throw and goes to make a critical run at qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Video games within the occasion.

Berg has been named this 12 months’s School Male Athlete of the Yr by the South Dakota Sportswriters Affiliation.“It’s one thing I by no means would have thought taking place, particularly within the hammer,” Berg mentioned of his nationwide title, “as a result of after I began monitor, I didn’t even know what it was.”