South Dakota

South Dakota softball community hopes sport continues fast growth

Published

2 years ago

May 15, 2024

South Dakota softball community hopes sport continues fast growth

MITCHELL — Weekday nights at the Cadwell Sports Complex can get hectic during the spring and summer.

Between adult leagues, and baseball and softball practices or games at the youth levels, the 13 diamonds are all put to use, and people of all ages are scurrying about, bats on shoulders, gloves in hand.

This year, it’s been busier than ever, largely due to the growth of fast-pitch softball in Mitchell.

“Last year, there weren’t fields that were being used every day,” said Alyson Palmer, founder of the Storm softball club. “So we were like ‘oh, okay, well, if we need to have extra practice, we can go here.’

“This year, every field and every time slot was taken up when we had the field meeting.”

The growth of the sport comes at an ideal time, as softball became an SDHSAA sanctioned sport in 2023. Since then, 59 schools in the state have fielded a team.

Hanson’s Karlie Goergen fist-bumps her teammates before a Class B state playoff game in May 2023.

SDPB

Augustana head softball coach Gretta Melsted is a stalwart of the sport in South Dakota, having been the Vikings’ coach for 18 years, guiding the team to 11 Division II NCAA Tournaments and winning the 2019 national championship.

She’s heavily recruited the state, and has relationships with all the prominent club coaches. In fact, her assistant coach, Kelsey Thompson, runs the South Dakota Renegades softball club in Sioux Falls — one of the top clubs in the state.

While Melsted believes the addition of sanctioned softball is good for the state, she isn’t sure if its impact on the sport’s overall popularity is quantifiable yet.

“I still think it’s a little too early to tell,” Melsted said. “Because it’s only been one year. But you will see that growth and you will see that excitement for the sport now that high schools are giving young girls that opportunity. And it’s only going to make softball better in this state. We have a lot of good club teams. And that’s been what’s carried us so far. But adding high school softball makes it much more legitimate in the state.”

What is quantifiable is the number of schools playing softball. In the first year of sanctioned softball in 2023, there were 47 schools participating. That number grew by 12 schools in 2024.

Sanctioned softball has also dispelled an early concern that schools would fail to collaborate with club teams, resulting in the state’s top talent not playing for the school teams during the spring.

“From people that I’ve talked to, they said (the transition) has been pretty seamless,” Mitchell softball coach Kent Van Overschelde said. “A large majority of the girls have jumped on board with their high school teams, and I think that’s evident, especially with the top teams in the program.”

And at least one college coach in the state is in support of kids playing for their school teams in the spring.

“I love seeing kids play for their high school on top of playing club ball because there’s just something special about being able to represent the school that you go to,” Melsted said.

Yankton softball.jpg — The Yankton softball team celebrates a home run during a state playoff game in May 2023 at Northern Staet in Aberdeen.

Rise of the youth leagues

Van Overschelde estimated just 40 percent of the girls on the Kernels’ softball team grew up playing the sport consistently, many from the league that’s run by parks and recreation.

But with the development of more youth clubs in the area, that number may grow in the coming years.

Three years ago, Palmer realized it was difficult for many families to get their kids to the city’s youth softball summer league run by the rec center, because practices were early in the morning.

So she got together with some other parents and formed a private league that would hold practices in the evening. It was immediately popular.

“Our first year we got a hold of a few parents and we thought we’d have like 30 sign up. We had 62 sign up,” Palmer said.

This season, in year three, there are 82 girls in the club, with teams in the under-4 to under-12 divisions.

Last year, some of the older girls scrimmaged the other youth softball team in town, the Sparklers, as well as teams from Letcher, Mount Vernon and Alexandria.

However, the Storm’s main focus isn’t to bounce around from city to city playing games, but instead to become a local entity that teaches girls the fundamentals of the sport and becomes a permanent league.

“I think it’s grown a lot and we’re trying to keep it to not be such a traveling league,” Palmer said. “Our goal is to get enough girls that we can actually have a Mitchell league, like you’re going to have four to six U10 teams and have games every week.”

As a teacher at Mitchell, Palmer knows several of the girls on the Kernels’ varsity team, and is working to connect them with the younger players. These are the types of connectiions that could further bolster the high school team down the line. Several of the players have agreed to come help at practices this summer.

The next step would be building a softball training facility in Mitchell. As things stand, there aren’t any notable in-state facilities outside of Sioux Falls or Rapid City. At least one of Mitchell’s top players, Macey Linke, travels to Tea to train at The Playground, an indoor softball facility run by Tea Area coach Emmie Uitts.

According to Melsted, those types of facilities come after communities build a strong base of youth players.

“I think what you’ll see is the more that kids play softball, the more you’re going to see that happen,” she said.

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South Dakota

How South Dakota officials have reacted to ‘massive’ US attack on Iran

Published

9 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

How South Dakota officials have reacted to ‘massive’ US attack on Iran

South Dakota’s Congressional leaders are praising President Donald Trump for his action of joining Israel for a missile-launched attack this weekend in Iran, with the intent to target and dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities and demand regime change.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said Saturday, Feb. 28, calling the strikes, “a massive and ongoing operation.”

Trump has since faced scrutiny for a lack of clarity about the timeline and overall goals of the war, and acting without the direct approval of Congress, which has the power to officially declare war for the U.S. Lawmakers are also in heated debate about whether the Trump’s decision may violate the Constitution, with Democrats calling for a war powers resolution vote to stop the effort, according to multiple military outlets.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was directly targeted, a Middle Eastern official told USA TODAY. Khamenei was killed in the attacks on Feb. 28, according to Israeli sources who told USA TODAY, CNN and Reuters. He was 86 and had led Iran since 1989.

Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes, hitting American and Israeli targets, including a U.S. Naval base in Bahrain. Iran said its enemies would be “decisively defeated.”

At least four Americans and an estimated 200 other individuals have been killed, and an estimated 700 injured as of March 2.

President Trump said he expects more to come.

Here’s what South Dakota Congressional leaders, along with former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who now sits at the helm of the Department of Homeland Security as secretary, have to say about what has been named by the administration as Operation Epic Fury.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune

“For years, Iran’s relentless nuclear ambitions, its expanded ballistic missile inventory and its unwavering support for terror groups in the region have posed a clear and unacceptable threat to U.S. servicemembers, citizens in the region, and many of our allies,” said Thune, a Republican, the morning of Feb. 28 in a comment from his office.

“Despite the dogged efforts of the president and his administration, the Iranian regime has refused the diplomatic off-ramps that would peacefully resolve these national security concerns. I commend President Trump for taking action to thwart these threats,” Thune said, thanking Secretary Rubio for providing updates on these issues throughout the week.

“I look forward to administration officials briefing all senators about these military operations,” he said. “I commend the bravery of the servicemembers carrying out these operations and pray for the safety of those in harm’s way.”

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds

Rounds, a Republican, said Trump took “the right course of action” when handling the strike.

Rounds later congratulated the United States military and Trump on the death of the Iranian leader, stating the moment “offers a path for a more peaceful Middle East.”

U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson

Johnson, a Republican and the lone U.S. representative for South Dakota, stated the Iranian regime “is full of theocratic thugs and is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror.” He said Trump had given multiple opportunities to change direction.

“I’m praying for the safety of America’s servicemembers, and our allies involved in Operation Epic Fury,” Johnson stated on social media.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

Noem, who left her governorship after she was appointed secretary at the beginning of Trump’s current term, took to social media as well, stating she was actively monitoring any potential threats against America.

“I am in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners,” she said.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 1, 2026

Published

21 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 1, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

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.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

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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South Dakota

South Dakota High School Students Showcase Culinary Skills – Harrisburg Today

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

South Dakota High School Students Showcase Culinary Skills – Harrisburg Today

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The South Dakota ProStart® Invitational is an annual culinary competition where high school students from across the state showcase their cooking and restaurant management skills. This year, 12 schools will send a total of 60 talented students to Pierre to compete in events like cake decorating, culinary arts, and restaurant management. Winners will receive scholarships and the opportunity to advance to the National ProStart® Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland.

Why it matters

The ProStart® program is an important investment in developing South Dakota’s future culinary and hospitality industry leaders. By providing high school students with hands-on experience and the chance to compete at the state and national levels, the program helps cultivate the next generation of skilled chefs, restaurateurs, and food service professionals.

The details

The South Dakota ProStart® Invitational will take place on March 9-10, 2026 in Pierre. The competition kicks off on Monday, March 9th at 2:00 PM with a cake decorating contest. The more intense culinary arts and restaurant management competitions will be held on Tuesday, March 10th starting at 8:45 AM. Students will be judged on their technical skills, creativity, and business acumen as they compete for scholarships and a spot at the national competition.

The South Dakota ProStart® Invitational will take place on March 9-10, 2026.
The cake decorating competition will be held on Monday, March 9th at 2:00 PM.
The culinary arts and restaurant management competitions will take place on Tuesday, March 10th starting at 8:45 AM.

The players

Nathan Sanderson

Executive Director of the South Dakota Retailers Association, which administers the ProStart® program.

Florence

One of the 12 high schools sending students to compete in the South Dakota ProStart® Invitational.

Harrisburg

One of the 12 high schools sending students to compete in the South Dakota ProStart® Invitational.

Huron

One of the 12 high schools sending students to compete in the South Dakota ProStart® Invitational.

Mitchell CTE

One of the 12 high schools sending students to compete in the South Dakota ProStart® Invitational.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“ProStart® is an excellent way for us to invest in South Dakota’s future industry leaders. Our students are highly skilled and graduate workplace ready.”

— Nathan Sanderson, Executive Director of the South Dakota Retailers Association (b1027.com)

What’s next

The winners of the South Dakota ProStart® Invitational will advance to the National ProStart® Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland, where they will represent the state on a national stage.

The takeaway

The South Dakota ProStart® Invitational is a valuable program that helps cultivate the next generation of culinary and hospitality professionals in the state, providing high school students with hands-on experience, scholarships, and the opportunity to showcase their skills at the national level.

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