SIOUX FALLS – The University of Sioux Falls 1980 and 1982 Volleyball and the 1981 Football teams, which all won South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC) titles, will be inducted as the Class of 2021 into the University of Sioux Falls Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, October 1 at the Orpheum Theater Center (315 N Phillips Ave.) in Sioux Falls.
The three teams will be joined by the Class of 2020 for induction into the USF Athletics Hall of Fame this fall. The combined Hall of Fame event for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 will include induction of four USF Athletics Teams and seven individuals during the Hall of Fame ceremony scheduled to start at 6 pm. The combined Hall of Fame event will begin with a social hour at 6 pm followed by the induction ceremony at 7 pm.
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The 2020 Class is being inducted this fall after the COVID-19 pandemic caused the event to be postponed and rescheduled. Aside from the Friday night ceremony, the two classes will also be recognized at halftime of the USF and Augustana football game on Saturday, October 2 at Bob Young Field. The city rivalry game between USF and Augustana is part of a busy homecoming weekend at USF.
1980/1982 Volleyball and 1981 Football teams make history
The 1980 USF Volleyball team, directed by Head Coach Sherry Halleen, was the first-ever conference champion by a women's program at USF while the 1982 team also won a title with several returning members of that 1980 team.
The 1981 USF Football Team, coached by the late Dave Schroeder, was the school's first-ever conference championship team in football after 79 years of competition.
The 1980 USF Volleyball Team put together a 21-12 record to win the program's first-ever SDIC crown. In 1980, Kathy Hunt and Cindy (Sostrum) Thompson earned All-SDIC honors as the Cougars recorded the most wins in program history to that point and wouldn't be matched until the 1993-94 team also won 21 matches. During that historic conference-winning 1980 season, USF claimed first place finishes at the Mount Marty Invitational, Augustana Invitational and was third place at the state tourney, falling just short of a trip to the regionals. USF defeated the University of South Dakota, Northern, Augustana, Morningside, Black Hills State, among others in that special season.
In 1982, the team won the league with a 12-2 and finished 14-11 overall. Teresa (Deutsch) Johnson and Lisa Brommer earned All-SDIC honors. Julie (Hoag) Griffin, Teresa (Deutsch) Johnson, Lisa Brommer and Debbie O'Dell Smith all were members of both conference championship teams.The two volleyball teams included individuals who have been inducted into the USF Athletics Hall of Fame as individuals. They include: Dr. Sherry Halleen (Class of 2000), Sarah (Kathy) Hunt (Class of 1996), Cindy (Sostrum) Thompson (Class of 2013) and Shelly (Fauth) Skinner (Class of 1993).
As for the 1981 football team, the Cougars finished 6-3-1 and clinched the conference title with a 10-6 win over Huron at Howard Wood Field. The 1981 title was USF's first conference crown in football and set the stage for the 1982 team to go a program-best 9-1, earn the No. 9 ranking in the NAIA national poll and second in the league.
The USF team captains for the 1981 team included second team All-American offensive tackle Steve Leary, running back Joel Blanchard and defensive back John Solberg. USF had several standouts on the team including second team All-American Brian Hansen. A member of the USF Athletics Hall of Fame, Hansen, a three-time All-SDIC selection, led the NAIA in punting in 1981. He was drafted into the NFL in 1984 and had a 16-year career, including a Pro Bowl selection. Selected to the All-SDIC Team was Leary, offensive guard Howard Pindyck, split end Randy Lang, running back Nelson Cumana and Hansen. Cumana had 1,188 rushing yards and ranked in the top-10 nationally. Lang hauled in 23 pass receptions for 363 yards and eight TDs. Quarterback Dan Ellingson, who led the team in total offense with 228 plays for 805 yards, completed 58-of-156 passes for 745 yards. In 1981, USF opened the season with a tie and lost in week two but the Cougars rebounded and won 5-of-6 league games including a 13-0 win against South Dakota Tech.
Class of 2020 – 2003-04 MBB team and 7 individuals to be honored
Seven individuals with ties to USF and the 2003-04 men's basketball team will be inducted into the USF Athletics Hall of Fame, according to an announcement made in summer of 2020. Here is a brief note about the 2020 Class inductees.
~ Two-time national pole vault champion Brigitte (Gross) Valentine, originally of Alexandria, S.D., and now of Sioux Falls, S.D.
~ All-American linebacker Bob Booth, a native of Bozeman, Mont., and now of Snohomish, Wash., helped lead USF Football to its first-ever unbeaten regular season in 1988 and ranks among the career leaders in tackles.
~ Standout wide receiver Jon Ryan, a Watertown, S.D., native now living and working in Rochester, Minn., set receiving marks while leading USF to national titles in 2008 and 2009 and was second nationally in 2010.
~ Dr. Trevor Holleman, originally of New Holland, S.D., and now of Sioux Falls, S.D., was a defensive star on three NAIA national championship football teams at USF in 2006, 2008, and 2009.
~ Amanda Spronk Petz, originally of Edgerton, Minn., and now of Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., ranks among the top women's basketball players in school history as she sits in the top 15 all-time in both points and rebounds at USF.
~ Two-sport (track and football) standout Travis Dumke, a native of Yankton, S.D., and now of Sioux Falls, S.D., was the defensive MVP of the 1996 USF NAIA championship game and also earned national track honors.
~ Special contributor Chuck Hey of Sioux Falls, S.D., who founded School Bus Inc., and has a long-running connection to the USF campus.
~ USF will also honor the 2003-04 Men's Basketball Team, coached by Shane Murphy, which was the first-ever team in program history to reach the NAIA Final Four.
