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South Dakota

Lincoln's Madison Evans wins inaugural Gatorade softball player of the year honor in South Dakota

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Lincoln's Madison Evans wins inaugural Gatorade softball player of the year honor in South Dakota


SIOUX FALLS — Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Madison Evans became the inaugural winner of the South Dakota Gatorade softball player of the year award, which was announced on Friday.

Evans, a senior right-handed pitcher, blitzed through the competition throughout the season, which included a 22-0 undefeated record for the Patriots and a second consecutive Class AA championship.

Evans had a 19-0 record in the circle, with an 0.87 earned-run average and a 0.67 WHIP, striking out 217 batters in 97 innings of work. She allowed only four hits and one run with 44 strikeouts in three state tournament games. At the plate, the 5-foot-5 Evans batted. .605 with five home runs, 39 RBIs and 31 runs scored, posing an OPS of 1.775.

“Madison Evans is one of the most dominant softball players in South Dakota history,” Jefferson coach Ed Whiting said. “Her command and ability to paint the plate make her untouchable at times. She can locate multiple pitches, but asserts her dominance with a riseball that seems to defy the laws of physics. Although she is known for her supremacy in the circle, she’s also an outstanding hitter.”

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Evans will play college softball at the University of South Dakota. Off the field, she’s member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta national mathematics honor society. Evans has volunteered locally on behalf of the Sioux Falls Marathon, the Special Olympics and as a youth softball mentor and instructor.

It was the first time Gatorade has awarded a softball player of the year in South Dakota, as the state recently completed its second season of sanctioned softball.

Marcus Traxler is the assistant editor and sports editor for the Mitchell Republic. A past winner of the state’s Outstanding Young Journalist award and the 2023 South Dakota Sportswriter of the Year, he’s worked for the newspaper since 2014 and covers a wide variety of topics. A Minnesota native, Traxler can be reached at mtraxler@mitchellrepublic.com.

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South Dakota

UND depth shines in fending off South Dakota State in OT

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UND depth shines in fending off South Dakota State in OT


GRAND FORKS — UND senior guard Garrett Anderson had shot 1-for-7 from the field before he pulled up for a deep 3-pointer in overtime.

It was a make-or-break shot for the Fighting Hawks, who trailed South Dakota State by two points with 20 seconds remaining.

Anderson’s triple fell. On a Saturday afternoon at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center where several Hawks provided clutch shots late, it was his 3-pointer that iced the victory.

UND senior guard Garrett Anderson dribbles up the court against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

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“That was a huge three by Garrett,” UND head coach Paul Sather said. “Happy for him, because you feel it with him — when that floodgate opens a little bit of confidence, and not just as a scorer but just as a player, he keeps fighting for it, keeps working for it, keeps keeping the right mindset.”

UND won 90-87, earning its third-straight win over the Jackrabbits and improving to 2-0 (8-10 overall) in Summit League play.

South Dakota State, hot off the heels of a commanding New Year’s Day win over Omaha, fell to 1-1 in conference (8-9 overall).

“These two first league games, you need to protect your home court if you want any chance to be in play at the end of this year,” Sather said. “It’s a great way to start. But you also need to go on the road and win some games. And as I tell the guys, it’s not who, when or where, it’s how you show up to play. And having that mentality, it’s not home and road, it’s ‘Are you ready to go today?’”

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The Hawks needed just about everyone to stave off SDSU.

Redshirt sophomore guard Zach Kraft and freshman guard Anthony Smith III led the way with double-digit point totals in a first half that was a high-scoring, fast-paced affair.

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UND redshirt sophomore Zach Kraft shoots a 3-pointer against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

UND shot 64.3%, South Dakota State 55.6%. By halftime, the Hawks had a slight 50-45 lead.

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The shooting cooled down in the second half and in overtime. In those final two frames, the Hawks turned to a variety of players, from the starting lineup to the bench, to keep up with the Jackrabbits.

“It’s hard to sustain that for 40 minutes, but we were able to kind of get ourselves back,” Sather said. “Our bench was fantastic in that first half. … We sustained it, we got back in, we stayed there within distance of it, and guys made plays. We had opportunities to make plays and close the game, but we had plays that were made to get us into overtime and win in overtime.”

Redshirt freshman Greyson Uelmen finished with a team-high 17 points and nailed the final two free throws in overtime to seal the win.

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UND freshman guard Anthony Smith III stands on the court while playing South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

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Kraft, who ended with 14 points, splashed a 3-pointer with 47 seconds left in regulation to take a 79-77 lead.

Junior forward George Natsvlishvili came off the bench and tied up the game just minutes earlier with a clutch second-chance layup. He also nabbed a key basket with 1 minute, 56 seconds left in overtime.

Before South Dakota State managed to rally back for its first lead of the second half, a free throw and a layup from Smith kept the Hawks’ offense on pace with the visitors. He finished with 16 points.

UND’s bench contributed 39 points.

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UND redshirt freshman guard Greyson Uelmen drives to the rim for a layup against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

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“I felt like our bench won the game today,” Kraft said. “In the first half, (Smith) came into the game, knocked down that three at the end of the half, and then Wylee (Delorme) in the second half, five rebounds, scoring off the offensive rebounds, it’s huge for us.”

Delorme put together his best game as a Hawk in the win. The sophomore guard from Devils Lake constantly attacked the offensive glass, flexing some creativity with slick drives to the rim.

He earned a season-high 12 points.

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UND sophomore guard Wylee Delorme releases a shot against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

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“We’ve seen him more of a shooter (in practice), I haven’t really seen the behind-the-back, step-through and float,” Anderson said. “That was kind of new, that was a tough move. But he’s gotten to it in practice for sure.”

Kraft, Uelmen, Smith, Delorme and senior guard Eli King all finished with 12 or more points.

“We just relied on our guys that make those tough shots and are built for those moments,” Delorme said. “Seventh, eighth man off the bench — like Marley (Curtis), Marley can have a double-digit day too. All of us can go for 10 points, but it’s just a matter of making the easy plays and just using each other.”

UND will face its first road test of the conference slate this Thursday, when it travels to Omaha.

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UND senior guard Eli King walks up the court against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald





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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 3, 2026

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The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 3, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

18-21-40-53-60, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

01-02-28-30-43, Lucky Ball: 07

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Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

03-04-05-25-42, Star Ball: 03, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Dakota Cash numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

07-13-17-28-30

Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
  • Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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SD Lottery Lucky For Life winning numbers for Dec. 28, 2025

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The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 28, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

12-17-25-34-42, Lucky Ball: 09

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
  • Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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