Tanager Runners Return Entire Squad From...
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2409 Broadway, Yankton 605-665-9651 M e a d Mead L u m b e r Lumber 113 W. Main St., Vermillion 605-624-2655 Over 95 Years In Business Vermillion, Yankton, Sioux City and Everywhere In Between Serving... Vermillion: 605.624.5618 • Yankton: 605.665.4348 Sioux City: 712.252.2000 605-624-8643 101 South Plum Street Vermillion, SD 57079 www.yanktonmedicalclinic.com Weekdays: 8am – 5pm No appointments necessary. Weekdays: 5 – 9pm We’re on your team for care. PAGE 12: FALL SPORTS 2017 PRESS & DAKOTAN PLAIN TALK role as the team’s main setter this season. “Lexie Saunders is going to do a good job leading us as our setter on the court,” Taggart said. “She, so far this week, has been very vocal taking on the setter role and, as a sophomore, that’s what I like to see because last year she was kind of shy, so it’s good to see she’s coming out of her shell and taking that leadership role.” To prepare for the season the Tanagers are using the preseason practices to work on basic skills and inter- squad scrimmages. Com- municating on the court is another element the players are trying carrying over from last year. “Having a positive attitude all the time and communica- tion is a big thing in volley- ball, so just continuing with that,” Bye said. “We have done all the basics, passing, setting, hitting and working on our form and how we are supposed to do that cor- rectly.” The season opens with Wagner on August 24 at home in Vermillion. The 12-game season runs through October 20 when the Tanagers close out the regular season against defending state cham- pions Dakota Valley at Dakota Valley High School. “I have told them that they are going to be the under dogs this year,” Tag- gart said. “We don’t have our big hitters. We are going to have big hits, but we have to be smart with it. I just want them to not give up.” VHS VB FROM PAGE 11 ing yards last season with 496 and three touchdowns. The teams’ leading tackler is also returning in Culver, who accumulated 50 tackles including five for loss. This year Vermillion will use him on both sides of the ball. “(Brett Culver) is back, he’s ready to go. He’s already shown us stuff at practice. He’s also going to help us out a lot offensively this year,” Homan said. The Tanagers face up with the likes of some football powerhouse schools, like Madison, Dell Rapids and Sioux Falls Christian, but the mixing of schedules this sea- son allows Vermillion to face some teams that are not con- stantly ranked in the top-tier of the state. Vermillion wants to use the “more favorable” schedule to produce more wins and end the season above .500. Vermillion will see some new teams with Cheyenne- Eagle Butte and St. Francis Indian from the western part of the state and Elk Point- Jefferson, an 11B school. “We just have to watch film on them,” Surrell said. “It’s just like any other game that we have. It doesn’t mat- ter if we are going against Madison or Cheyenne- Eagle Butte, it’s the same team.” The team opens on August 25 in Lennox, the only team Vermillion saw a win against last season. The middle of the season will be a tough stretch with Dell Rapids week two, Tri-Valley week three, Madison week four and Tea Area week five. The second half Vermil- lion hosts Dakota Valley, and then makes the five and a half hour trek to Cheyenne-Eagle Butte. “Five and a half hours is tough,” Homan said. “Your guys just came off a long bus ride and you have to try to figure out how to get them motivated for the game right away. It’s a little bit different, but I don’t think it will be a huge problem just hope- fully we start off strong right away.” Vermillion then travels to Elk Point and hosts St. Fran- cis on senior night to close the season. “Obviously, a team goal is to win every game, but we want to be better than .500, I know I want to be better than .500,” Johnson said. “Ev- erybody needs to learn the offense and everybody knows what’s going on.” VHS FB FROM PAGE 11 BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN [email protected] EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in the Aug. 11 edition of the Press & Dakotan. VERMILLION — Taking the season day to day and learning from one game to the next is the attitude that allowed the Vermillion High School girls’ soccer team to make an appearance in the semifinal of the state tournament last year. With a majority of last season’s young players returning, the Tana- gers hope to carry that outlook into the new year. “We focus on one practice and one game at a time with the goal that we will reach our peak during the playoffs,” said Vermillion head coach Shannon Fitzsimmons. “Our desire is to do what it takes now to give our best effort and reach as far as possible in the playoffs.” Reaching as far as possible into the playoffs is a likely achievement for this season as the Tanagers boast some depth across the field. Madisen Martinez, Kinsey James and Kara Mulheron return as the team’s three seniors and each played nearly all minutes of games last season. “Each heavily contributed to the success of our team last season and have used that experience to serve as leaders in the pre-season this year,” Fitzsimmons said. The rest of the team has had their share of experience at the var- sity level, as well, despite still being considered young. Cami Regnerus earned sig- nificant minutes as a freshman and will return to the midfield for her sophomore year. Lilly Johnson, a freshman, is also vying for a spot on in the midfield after contribut- ing the last season’s success as an eighth grader. “(They) have already shown their knowledge from that experi- ence and can use it to make even more of an impact on our team this season,” Fitzsimmons said. Fitzsimmons is looking for the positive attitudes and commitment to the team to carry the Tanagers to another successful year. “In order to achieve those goals it takes commitment, focus, and a good attitude,” she said. “We believe in making individual choices that are best for the team. Many things can happen early in the sea- son, but being quite a young team still, we will continue to learn, grow, and believe. “ The Tanagers opened the season with a win over Garretson on Aug. 11, then dropped a 2-0 decision to West Central on Aug. 17 before trav- eling to Tea Area on Aug. 22. The season runs through September 19 when Vermillion will host Dakota Valley. Playoffs start on September 26 and conclude with the state championship game on October 7 in Aberdeen. “The best qualities of this team are their positive attitudes and work ethic,” Fitzsimmons said. “It is a joy to work with these girls each day. Without those two things, the success we achieved last year as well as the goals we would like to achieve this year would not be possible.” Tanagers Look To Make Another Deep Playoff Run Vermillion’s Kinsey James, 10, tries to slip past a pair of Tea Area de- fenders during their 2016 Class A girls’ soccer semifinal match. Girls’ Soccer (1-1) 8/11 Garretson W 2-0 8/17 at West Central L 0-2 8/22 at Tea Area (late) 8/26 Groton 2 p.m. 8/29 at S.F. Christian 6 p.m. 8/31 West Central 5 p.m. 9/5 at Dakota Valley 5 p.m. 9/7 S.F. Christian 5 p.m. 9/12 at Garretson 5 p.m. 9/19 Dakota Valley 5 p.m. 9/26 A First Round 9/30 A Semifinals 10/7 A Final (Aberdeen) VERMILLION longer practices to prepare for Saturday’s season opener. They have been working hard on doubles, technique drills and even strength and conditioning. “We are having a little bit longer practices and it started a little bit earlier this year, so I feel like we are getting going a little earlier, so we might have more of a chance,” said senior Brandi Styles. “He’s been teaching us about serving, so we have been really going hard on serving and practicing for that.” Fehr is pleased with the progress being made and considers all the players on the team to have a solid skill base. Rosdail and Styles, the team’s two seniors, will most likely take on the role of the number one doubles team and being lifelong friends will work in their favor as they work together as teammates. “I think we are pretty good at lifting each other up and motivating each other and we just have a good team bond so that allows us to work well together,” Rosdail said. It is still a battleground for singles play, and doubles according to Fehr, as he says all the players are on similar playing levels. He will decide who plays at what spots in a variety of ways. “I use a mixture of chal- lenge matches where they play each other and different drills to see who does well with this person or who does well at certain things,” Fehr said. “If I haven’t come to a really first decision after we play a couple of meets then I will use the meets to deter- mine who goes where.” Vermillion opened the sea- son with road events on Aug. 19 in Yankton and Aug. 22 in Mitchell. The Tanagers play their home opener on August 31 against Harrisburg. Tennis FROM PAGE 11 BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN [email protected] The biggest factor work- ing in favor of the Vermillion High School cross country teams is that not a single runner graduated from last season’s squad. The girls’ team is coming off a sixth place finish at the state while the boys return the only state qualifier in Justin Sorenson. With that to build off of, Tanagers head coach Kelly Fischbach is looking to bring both teams to the state meet, which she feels is a very attainable goal. “Obviously, the goal every year is to qualify both the boys’ and girls’ teams for that state meet,” Fischbach said. “We run in an incredibly tough conference and region, so things have to go right and we have to perform well to make that happen, but that is our goal going into every season.” Sorenson, a junior, will take the reins on leading the boys’ team to a state meet appearance, while the girls will look to senior Maddie Lavin, two runners that are not new to the spotlight. “Both Maddie and Justine really have had to step up and be captains and leaders since they were eighth grad- ers and freshmen,” Fischbach said. Taryn Whisler, a freshman, is another runner for the girls’ who contributed to last season’s team qualifying and will be looked at to continue to lead the pack in the girls’ races. “I’ve really seen a lot of great leadership out of Taryn Whisler as a freshman and if you’ve ever seen her she’s just a little peanut of a thing, but she really steps up and takes charge of things,” Fisch- bach said. Team veteran Landon Smith is also returning for his junior season and Riley Ruhaak, a freshman, is look- ing to make a bigger impact on this year’s team. Melissa Mikkelson and Kate Develder will be some more impact runners for the girls’ squad. “(Develder) had a really strong finish to the cross country season and she ran really well for us in the track season,” Fischbach said. “I hope she can build on that confidence and work her way up to those three at the front of the pack and that’s going to be a big difference maker.” The teams are coming off a slow summer training season and trying to build a solid base with workouts to prepare for the start of the season. Speed work starts off the training to build up to longer distances, then the team will get into interval training with speed work on the track and hill workouts. Going into the “champion- ship season” with the confer- ence, region and state meet, Fischbach will dial it down to ensure fresh legs. “If the girls do well and everybody stays healthy, with them we probably want to have a shot at being in the top five where you get med- als and plaques and trophies at the state meet and I think, if we run well, we have a shot at it,” she said. The season kicks off on August 25 with the Beresford Invitational that starts at 10 a.m. Tanager Runners Return Entire Squad From ‘16 Cross Country 8/25 Beresford Inv. 10 a.m. 9/5 Canton Inv. 4:15 p.m. 9/14 S.F. Christian Inv. 4 p.m. 9/18 Alcester-Hudson Inv. 3:45 p.m. 9/21 Yankton Inv. 4:15 p.m. 9/29 Lennox Inv. 4 p.m. 10/5 Dakota XII Conf. (Canton) 4 p.m. 10/12 Region 3A (Beresford) 3 p.m. 10/21 State A (Rapid City) VERMILLION Maddie Lavin, a former state champion, returns for her fi- nal season with the Tanager cross country team. She leads a squad that finished sixth at state a year ago. Justin Sorenson was the lone state qualifier for the Vermil- lion boys a season ago. He returns for his junior campaign. Tanager Soccer Squad Returns 10 Starters BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN [email protected] EDITOR’S NOTE: This ar- ticle originally appeared in the Aug. 11 edition of the Press & Dakotan. VERMILLION — The potential in undeniable for Vermillion High School boys’ soccer team this season. The Tanagers went win- less in the 2016 season, but dropped many close games with some respected compe- tition and with 10 of the 11 starters returning things are looking up for 2017. “We just didn’t have the experience to get a win last year,” said Vermillion head coach Curt Nelson. “This year everyone is a year older and has another year of ex- perience, so hopefully that is the key to putting a full game together and getting a few Boys’ Soccer (0-1) 8/11 James Valley Christian L 2-4 8/26 Groton 4 p.m. 8/31 at Freeman Academy 5 p.m. 9/5 S.F. Christian 5 p.m. 9/9 at James Valley Christian noon 9/14 at Tea Area 6 p.m. 9/19 at S.F. Christian 6 p.m. 9/21 Freeman Academy 5 p.m. 9/26 A First Round 9/30 A Semifinals 10/7 A Final (Aberdeen) VERMILLION VHS SOC | PAGE 13
Transcript of Tanager Runners Return Entire Squad From...
2409 Broadway, Yankton
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PAGE 12: FALL SPORTS 2017 PRESS & DAKOTAN PLAIN TALK
role as the team’s main setter this season.
“Lexie Saunders is going to do a good job leading us as our setter on the court,” Taggart said. “She, so far this week, has been very vocal taking on the setter role and, as a sophomore, that’s what I like to see because last year she was kind of shy, so it’s good to see she’s coming out of her shell and taking that leadership role.”
To prepare for the season the Tanagers are using the preseason practices to work on basic skills and inter-
squad scrimmages. Com-municating on the court is another element the players are trying carrying over from last year.
“Having a positive attitude all the time and communica-tion is a big thing in volley-ball, so just continuing with that,” Bye said. “We have done all the basics, passing, setting, hitting and working on our form and how we are supposed to do that cor-rectly.”
The season opens with
Wagner on August 24 at home in Vermillion. The 12-game season runs through October 20 when the Tanagers close out the regular season against defending state cham-pions Dakota Valley at Dakota Valley High School.
“I have told them that they are going to be the under dogs this year,” Tag-gart said. “We don’t have our big hitters. We are going to have big hits, but we have to be smart with it. I just want them to not give up.”
VHS VBFROM PAGE 11
ing yards last season with 496 and three touchdowns. The teams’ leading tackler is also returning in Culver, who accumulated 50 tackles including � ve for loss. This year Vermillion will use him on both sides of the ball.
“(Brett Culver) is back, he’s ready to go. He’s already shown us stuff at practice. He’s also going to help us out a lot offensively this year,” Homan said.
The Tanagers face up with the likes of some football powerhouse schools, like Madison, Dell Rapids and Sioux Falls Christian, but the mixing of schedules this sea-son allows Vermillion to face some teams that are not con-stantly ranked in the top-tier of the state. Vermillion wants to use the “more favorable”
schedule to produce more wins and end the season above .500.
Vermillion will see some new teams with Cheyenne-Eagle Butte and St. Francis Indian from the western part of the state and Elk Point-Jefferson, an 11B school.
“We just have to watch � lm on them,” Surrell said. “It’s just like any other game that we have. It doesn’t mat-ter if we are going against Madison or Cheyenne- Eagle Butte, it’s the same team.”
The team opens on August 25 in Lennox, the only team Vermillion saw a win against last season. The middle of the season will be a tough stretch with Dell Rapids week two, Tri-Valley week three, Madison week four and Tea Area week � ve.
The second half Vermil-lion hosts Dakota Valley, and then makes the � ve and a half hour trek to Cheyenne-Eagle Butte.
“Five and a half hours is tough,” Homan said. “Your guys just came off a long bus ride and you have to try to � gure out how to get them motivated for the game right away. It’s a little bit different, but I don’t think it will be a huge problem just hope-fully we start off strong right away.”
Vermillion then travels to Elk Point and hosts St. Fran-cis on senior night to close the season.
“Obviously, a team goal is to win every game, but we want to be better than .500, I know I want to be better than .500,” Johnson said. “Ev-erybody needs to learn the offense and everybody knows what’s going on.”
VHS FBFROM PAGE 11
BY ELYSE [email protected]
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in the Aug. 11 edition of the Press & Dakotan.
VERMILLION — Taking the season day to day and learning from one game to the next is the attitude that allowed the Vermillion High School girls’ soccer team to make an appearance in the semi� nal of the state tournament last year.
With a majority of last season’s young players returning, the Tana-gers hope to carry that outlook into the new year.
“We focus on one practice and one game at a time with the goal that we will reach our peak during the playoffs,” said Vermillion head coach Shannon Fitzsimmons. “Our desire is to do what it takes now to give our best effort and reach as far as possible in the playoffs.”
Reaching as far as possible into the playoffs is a likely achievement for this season as the Tanagers boast some depth across the � eld. Madisen Martinez, Kinsey James and Kara Mulheron return as the team’s three seniors and each
played nearly all minutes of games last season.
“Each heavily contributed to the success of our team last season and
have used that experience to serve as leaders in the pre-season this year,” Fitzsimmons said.
The rest of the team has had
their share of experience at the var-sity level, as well, despite still being considered young.
Cami Regnerus earned sig-ni� cant minutes as a freshman and will return to the mid� eld for her sophomore year. Lilly Johnson, a freshman, is also vying for a spot on in the mid� eld after contribut-ing the last season’s success as an eighth grader.
“(They) have already shown their knowledge from that experi-ence and can use it to make even more of an impact on our team this season,” Fitzsimmons said.
Fitzsimmons is looking for the positive attitudes and commitment to the team to carry the Tanagers to another successful year.
“In order to achieve those goals it takes commitment, focus, and a good attitude,” she said. “We believe in making individual choices that are best for the team. Many things can happen early in the sea-son, but being quite a young team still, we will continue to learn, grow, and believe. “
The Tanagers opened the season with a win over Garretson on Aug. 11, then dropped a 2-0 decision to West Central on Aug. 17 before trav-
eling to Tea Area on Aug. 22.The season runs through
September 19 when Vermillion will host Dakota Valley. Playoffs start on September 26 and conclude with the state championship game on October 7 in Aberdeen.
“The best qualities of this team are their positive attitudes and work ethic,” Fitzsimmons said. “It is a joy to work with these girls each day. Without those two things, the success we achieved last year as well as the goals we would like to achieve this year would not be possible.”
Tanagers Look To Make Another Deep Playoff Run
Vermillion’s Kinsey James, 10, tries to slip past a pair of Tea Area de-fenders during their 2016 Class A girls’ soccer semifinal match.
Girls’ Soccer (1-1)8/11 Garretson W 2-08/17 at West Central L 0-28/22 at Tea Area (late)8/26 Groton 2 p.m.8/29 at S.F. Christian 6 p.m.8/31 West Central 5 p.m.9/5 at Dakota Valley 5 p.m.9/7 S.F. Christian 5 p.m.9/12 at Garretson 5 p.m.9/19 Dakota Valley 5 p.m.9/26 A First Round9/30 A Semifi nals10/7 A Final (Aberdeen)
VERMILLION
longer practices to prepare for Saturday’s season opener. They have been working hard on doubles, technique drills and even strength and conditioning.
“We are having a little bit longer practices and it started a little bit earlier this year, so I feel like we are getting going a little earlier, so we might have more of a chance,” said senior Brandi Styles. “He’s been teaching us about serving, so we have been really going hard on
serving and practicing for that.”
Fehr is pleased with the progress being made and considers all the players on the team to have a solid skill base. Rosdail and Styles, the team’s two seniors, will most likely take on the role of the number one doubles team and being lifelong friends will work in their favor as they work together as teammates.
“I think we are pretty good at lifting each other up and motivating each other and we just have a good team bond so that allows us to work well together,” Rosdail said.
It is still a battleground for singles play, and doubles according to Fehr, as he says
all the players are on similar playing levels. He will decide who plays at what spots in a variety of ways.
“I use a mixture of chal-lenge matches where they play each other and different drills to see who does well with this person or who does well at certain things,” Fehr said. “If I haven’t come to a really � rst decision after we play a couple of meets then I will use the meets to deter-mine who goes where.”
Vermillion opened the sea-son with road events on Aug. 19 in Yankton and Aug. 22 in Mitchell. The Tanagers play their home opener on August 31 against Harrisburg.
TennisFROM PAGE 11
BY ELYSE [email protected]
The biggest factor work-ing in favor of the Vermillion High School cross country teams is that not a single runner graduated from last season’s squad.
The girls’ team is coming off a sixth place � nish at the state while the boys return the only state quali� er in Justin Sorenson. With that to build off of, Tanagers head coach Kelly Fischbach is looking to bring both teams to the state meet, which she feels is a very attainable goal.
“Obviously, the goal every year is to qualify both the boys’ and girls’ teams for that state meet,” Fischbach said. “We run in an incredibly tough conference and region, so things have to go right and we have to perform well to make that happen, but that is our goal going into every season.”
Sorenson, a junior, will take the reins on leading the boys’ team to a state meet appearance, while the girls will look to senior Maddie Lavin, two runners that are not new to the spotlight.
“Both Maddie and Justine really have had to step up and be captains and leaders since they were eighth grad-ers and freshmen,” Fischbach said.
Taryn Whisler, a freshman, is another runner for the girls’ who contributed to last season’s team qualifying and will be looked at to continue to lead the pack in the girls’ races.
“I’ve really seen a lot of great leadership out of Taryn Whisler as a freshman and if you’ve ever seen her she’s
just a little peanut of a thing, but she really steps up and takes charge of things,” Fisch-bach said.
Team veteran Landon Smith is also returning for his junior season and Riley Ruhaak, a freshman, is look-ing to make a bigger impact on this year’s team.
Melissa Mikkelson and
Kate Develder will be some more impact runners for the girls’ squad.
“(Develder) had a really strong � nish to the cross country season and she ran really well for us in the track season,” Fischbach said. “I hope she can build on that con� dence and work her way up to those three at the front of the pack and that’s going to be a big difference maker.”
The teams are coming off a slow summer training season and trying to build a solid base with workouts to prepare for the start of the season. Speed work starts off the training to build up to longer distances, then the team will get into interval training with speed work on the track and hill workouts. Going into the “champion-ship season” with the confer-
ence, region and state meet, Fischbach will dial it down to ensure fresh legs.
“If the girls do well and everybody stays healthy, with them we probably want to have a shot at being in the top � ve where you get med-als and plaques and trophies
at the state meet and I think, if we run well, we have a shot at it,” she said.
The season kicks off on August 25 with the Beresford Invitational that starts at 10 a.m.
Tanager Runners Return Entire Squad From ‘16Cross Country
8/25 Beresford Inv. 10 a.m.9/5 Canton Inv. 4:15 p.m.9/14 S.F. Christian Inv. 4 p.m.9/18 Alcester-Hudson Inv. 3:45 p.m.9/21 Yankton Inv. 4:15 p.m.9/29 Lennox Inv. 4 p.m.10/5 Dakota XII Conf. (Canton) 4 p.m.10/12 Region 3A (Beresford) 3 p.m.10/21 State A (Rapid City)
VERMILLION
Maddie Lavin, a former state champion, returns for her fi-nal season with the Tanager cross country team. She leads a squad that finished sixth at state a year ago.
Justin Sorenson was the lone state qualifier for the Vermil-lion boys a season ago. He returns for his junior campaign.
Tanager Soccer Squad Returns 10 StartersBY ELYSE [email protected]
EDITOR’S NOTE: This ar-ticle originally appeared in the Aug. 11 edition of the Press & Dakotan.
VERMILLION — The potential in undeniable for Vermillion High School boys’ soccer team this season.
The Tanagers went win-less in the 2016 season, but dropped many close games
with some respected compe-tition and with 10 of the 11 starters returning things are looking up for 2017.
“We just didn’t have the experience to get a win last year,” said Vermillion head coach Curt Nelson. “This year everyone is a year older and has another year of ex-perience, so hopefully that is the key to putting a full game together and getting a few
Boys’ Soccer (0-1)8/11 James Valley Christian L 2-48/26 Groton 4 p.m.8/31 at Freeman Academy 5 p.m.9/5 S.F. Christian 5 p.m.9/9 at James Valley Christian noon9/14 at Tea Area 6 p.m.9/19 at S.F. Christian 6 p.m.9/21 Freeman Academy 5 p.m.9/26 A First Round9/30 A Semifi nals10/7 A Final (Aberdeen)
VERMILLION
VHS SOC | PAGE 13
