Bob Bennett, a
graduate of Arlington Public School in 1970, attended Dakota State
University from 170-72 and 1976-77. He is presently doing graduate
work at Augustana College and South Dakota University.
As a student athlete,
Bob was the high school state champion in the 100 yard dash, tying
the state record of 9.8. Bob was a high school letter winner in
basketball, football and track. During his time at Dakota State,
Bob was four-time SDIC 100 yard dash champion, NAIA District 12,
100 yeard dash champion, set DSU records in the 100, 200 and 400
yards dahes and tied the all-time state collegiate 100 yard dash
record of 9.5. Bob was named DSU "Most Valuable Runner" in both
1971 and 1977. He was voted captain of the track team in 1976 and
1977, received the Karl Mundt Scholarship and graduated with a
3.25 grade point average.
Bennett
also served in the Military as Intelligence Analyst, United States
Army Europe and Seventh Army Headquarters, Heidelberg, Germany,
serving from 1972-1975.
His teaching experience
includes junior high U.S. history and geography at Andes Center
Public School from 1977-80. While at Andes Central, he also
coached boys and girls basketball and track. From 1980 to the
present, Bennett has taught junior and senior high U.S. history,
English, reading, geography and computer at Garretson Public
School. He has coached track and for the past 7 years girls
basketball.
His coaching
achievements include: in 1980 he took the girls basketball team to
the state tournament; in 1987 the girls track finished fourth at
the state meet; in 1996 the girls track team finished third at the
state meet; and in 1997 Coach Bennett was nominated as "South
Dakota Girls Track Coach of the Year." In 1997, Bob was named
Garretson's "Outstanding Teacher."
Bob and his wife Liz
have two children, Bobbie 17 and Mychal 15.
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LeRoy DeBeer played
his high school athletics for White High School in White, SD. During
high school, LeRoy participated in football and basketball and was a
three year starter in football being selected an All-State player
his senior year. In basketball, LeRoy was a four year starter, was
named to the Upper Sioux All-Conference team three out of four
years, and was also selected as an All-State player his sophomore,
junior, and senior years. Additionally, LeRoy broke the White High
School basketball all-time scoring record with 1,781 career points.
Under the direction of Coach Homer Englehorn, LeRoy became a starter
as a freshman and remained a starter all four years of his
collegiate basketball career. He was a Second Team SDIC
All-Conference selectee his junior year.
As a
senior, LeRoy led the S.D.I.C. in field goals and was second in
total points scored with an overall season average of 20.3 points
per game. He also ranked second in the S.D.I.C. in rebounding with
136 total rebounds that season. LeRoy led the Trojans in season
scoring that same year with an 18.2 points per game average. He
broke the school's all-time scoring record previously held by Gene
Applewick with 1,383 points scored in four years of varsity
competition. During his collegiate career, LeRoy missed only seven
games due to injury. While at Dakota State, LeRoy also participated
in baseball and track.
In addition to his
athletic accomplishments, in 1963 LeRoy was chosen "Man of the
Year" by the student body and served on the athletic committee for
two years. He graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science degree
in Secondary Education.
After graduation, LeRoy taught school and coached for ten years at
various high schools including Rutland, Tri-Valley, Centerville
and Howard. LeRoy cites his most memorable coaching moment when
his Tri-Valley team beat Dell Rapids (ranked fifth in the
Associated Press poll) in five overtimes in the District 1B
championship game. One of the Dell Rapids' standouts was Cliff
Anderson who would also play his collegiate career at Dakota
State.
For the past twenty-four
years, LeRoy has been in the retail business. He has been at his
present position for eighteen years as the manager of Prairie
Lanes in Brookings, SD.
LeRoy has been married
to his wife Dianne (class of 1964) for thirty-five years. They
currently live in Volga, SD and have two married sons, Todd of
Sioux Falls and Brad of Volga. LeRoy spends his free time bowling,
golfing, fishing, hunting and woodworking.
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Donna Kruggel Matti -A
1971 Graduate of Winthrop High School, Winthrop, Minnesota, Donna
attended Dakota State from 1971-1975
As a freshman at Dakota State, Donna participated in field hockey,
volleyball, basketball, track, and softball. In field hockey she
played the left win position, while in track she ran the 100, 200,
440 relay and threw the discus.
During her sophomore year, the volleyball team finished third in the
state tournament and Donna again participated in basketball and
softball. During the state softball tourney, Donna had an out of the
park homerun. For her accomplishments, she was named "Outstanding
College Athlete of America" during her sophomore year.
Donna's teammates
selected her co-captain of the volleyball, basketball, and
softball teams her junior year. Under Donna's leadership the
softball team finished in second place at the state tournament.
Her senior year, Donna
was chosen captain of both the volleyball and softball teams and
was selected as a tri-captain of the basketball team. She scored
44 points in one basketball game and was chosen "Most Valuable" in
volleyball, basketball and softball.
For her
athletic achievements, Donna was named the 1974 and 1975 Dakota
State "Athlete of the Year."
After
graduating from Dakota State, Donna taught physical education and
coached volleyball, basketball, and track at Martin Luther Academy
in New Ulm, Minnesota. In 1979 she moved to Martin Luther Prep
School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin where she taught physical
education and again coached volleyball, basketball, and track. Donna
taught and coached at Martin Luther from 1979-87.
Donna married Sherwood
Matti in 1986 and has a 10 year old son Thomas. Donna and her
family presently live on a dairy farm in Eastman, Wisconsin and
enjoy farm life, golf, gardening, fishing, and bowling.
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Lee Stoddard
graduated from Parker High School in 1964 and from Dakota State in
1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education. While
at DSU, Lee was a four year-two sport letter-winner in basketball
and baseball. He was a member of the 1967 SDIC basketball
championship team and the 1968 SDIC baseball championship team. IN
1968 Lee was the leading hitter in the SDIC in baseball. Lee
received a Master of Education degree from SDSU in 1972.
Lee taught and coached for 10 years, taking the Madison Bulldogs to
the State AA basketball tournament in 1975. For his coaching
accomplishments, Lee was named Dakota State "Alumni Coach of the
Year."
Stoddard also played on
the 1974 state amateur basketball championship team from Madison
and that same year, on the state amateur baseball championship
team, also from Madison. He managed and played on the 1978 state
amateur baseball championship team and was voted to the
"All-Tourney Team." Lee had five hits in a single game in both the
1977 and 1979 State Tournaments.
Currently Lee is
District Manager for Aid Association for Lutherans, has served as
President of Our Savior Lutheran Church, Madison Kiwanis,
Brookings Area Life Underwriters, South Dakota Fraternal Congress
and the South Dakota Association of Life Underwriters. Lee
presently serves on the DSU Foundation and Chair of the Investment
and Finance Committee.
Lee and
his wife Betty (1969 graduate of Dakota State) have two daughters,
Shauna and Katelyn. Shauna and her husband Jason Domagalski have a
daughter Hailee Marie. Katelyn is a sophomore at Madison High
School.
