DSU to Induct Seven Individuals and One Team into Athletics Hall of Fame

Seven individuals and one team will be honored in the 27th Annual Dakota State University Athletics Hall of Fame that will be held on Saturday, June 3rd at the Dakota Prairie Playhouse. The 2023 induction will have a social starting at 5:30pm, followed by a dinner at 6:15pm. The ceremony takes place at 7pm and is open to the public.

The 2023 Hall of Fame Class features members of the Trojan track & field and cross-country teams in 2000’s and early 2010’s. Individual inductees included Kristie (VandenHoek) Ogle, Laura (Tewes) Schaefer, Andy Coy, Anthony Drealan, Matt Fideler, Chris Heezen, and Tyler Van Peursem.

The 2009 Dakota Athletic Conference Men’s Cross-Country Team will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

VandenHoek became the first 400-meter dash All-America runner at the 2002 NAIA Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships. Tewes became the second women’s high jumper to be named All-America in the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships in 2006 and 2007.

Coy had a storied running career at Dakota State that included the NAIA national champion in the 1000-meter run at the 2012 indoor meet. He accumulated six All-America accolades combined in both indoor and outdoor track.

Drealan, current DSU cross country and track & field head coach, was an All-American in cross country and distance medley relay.

Fideler collected four NAIA All-America honors during his career at Dakota State, with three All-America coming from the relay events. He still holds the top two times in the 3000-meter steeplechase in school history, as well as numerous records in the track & field record book.

Heezen was the first Trojan men’s marathon runner to be named an NAIA All-America in DSU men’s track & field program history, earning the distinction twice in 2007 and 2008.  He was also an NAIA All-America Men’s Cross-Country runner in 2007.

Van Peursem was named NAIA All-America athlete four times during his time at DSU.  He received All-American status in three different relay events.

Drealan, Fideler, and Van Peursem were part of the 2009 Dakota Athletic Conference Men’s Cross-Country Championship team, winning the first and only DAC men’s cross-country title under head coach Trent Mack, and assistant coaches Buzz Stevenson and Michael Nekuda.

It was their fifth overall men’s cross country conference title in program history.  

The Trojans snapped Black Hills State’s streak of six consecutive DAC men’s cross-country team titles, by posting a low score of 22 points to Yellowjackets’ 51 points. Van Peursem captured the individual title with a time of 27 minutes, 28.09 seconds.

Team members on the 2009 Dakota Athletic Conference men’s cross-country team title included:  Devon Berkness, John Bintliff, Drealan, Fideler, Cody Foreman, Ben Harrison, Michael Hoffman, Keith Huffman, Andrew Manning, Kyle Sanderson, Jeff Sawatzy, Van Peursem, and Andy Quenzer. Tyler Lutmer was the student manager on the team.

For further information on the Hall of Fame event or to RVSP for the June 3rd banquet, contact the DSU Athletics Department at 605-256-5229 or e-mail administrative assistant Jennifer Walz at [email protected] or athletics’ event manager McKenna Rudebusch at [email protected].