Linda
Collignon
(Class of 1978)
2007 DSU Athletic Hall of Fame Recipient
The name of
Linda Collignon is synonymous with gymnastics on the eastern side of
South Dakota. During her years as coach of Madison Bulldogs
Gymnastics, Collignon led the team to the state championship seven
straight years.
Linda
graduated from Dakota State in 1978 with a degree in elementary
education with a middle school endorsement. She is the health
education teacher at Madison Middle School, a position she has held
for nearly five years. Prior to that, Linda taught seventh
grade physical science, as well as sixth grade, second grade, and
junior high. Her entire teaching career has been at Madison.
Linda
enjoys mentoring, education, inspiring, and challenging individuals
and teams to exceed goals and expectations. She has authored
grants to allow expansion of middle school health programs and
coordination of the school district's Health Committee, garnering
well over $7,000.00. Linda unselfishly volunteers her time,
fosters creativity and provides support for many of Madison's youth.
Linda has
been honored as the DSU Alumni Coach of the Year in 1997. In
1994, 1999 and 2000, she was named State Gymnastic Coach of the
Year.
Linda's
family includes her husband John, son Scott, and daughters Susan and
Sarah.
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Gene
Danielsen
(Class
of 1968)
2007 DSU Athletic Hall of Fame Recipient
Gene is the
second of four children of Harland and Geneva Danielsen. He
attended Sunshine School #41, rural Viborg, SD, for eight years.
He graduated from Viborg High School in 1964. He enjoyed
participating in track where he had held school records in the 880
and 440-yard runs, softball where he had an unassisted triple play,
football where he broke his arm, and basketball.
One of his high school teachers,
Gene Iverson, inspired him to be a math teacher and coach of track
and field, so he enrolled at General Beadle State College in the
fall of 1964 to become a teacher/coach. He participated in
track and cross-country at General Beadle. He received a
teaching degree in mathematics and physical education in 1968.
In January of 1968, Gene began teaching math and physical education
at Salem Public School. He continued to teach math there until
2004. He also taught computers and driver's education while at
Salem/McCook Central. He received his Masters Degree in
Mathematics from USD in 1973.
Gene coached track and field from
1968 through 2000. He coached cross-country from 1971 through
1999. His teams won 38 conference championship and another 20
second place finishes. The Salem Booster Club track meet was
renamed the Danielsen Relays in 1989. He was the SDHSCA coach
of the year in cross country in 1993. He was the honorary
referee for the Howard Wood Relays in 2002. He received the
Dan Lennon award in 2003. The school athletic complex as named
the "Gene Danielsen Field" in 2004. Gene was recently inducted
into the South Dakota Coaches Hall of Fame as well as being honored
as one of the outstanding alumni of DSU.
Gene coached grade basketball
from 1969 through 1985. He umpired baseball from 1975 to 2006,
having umpired in various state tournaments. He officiated
basketball from 1975 to 1984. He is currently teaching
mathematics as an adjunct instructor at University Center in Sioux
Falls, where he continues to enjoy working with students.
In 1966, Gene married his high
school and college classmate Karen Gors. Karen was a teacher
at Salem until 2004, as well. Karen and Gene have two children
Jeff and Julie. Jeff and his wife Steph have three children.
Jeff is the Supt. of Schools at Hanson Public School in Alexandria,
SD. Steph is the guidance counselor at Hanson. Julie and
her husband Justin Hinker live in Lennox. They have four
children. Julie is a substitute teacher at Lennox.
Justin is the administrator of the Luther Manor Good Samaritan Home
in Sioux Falls. Gene enjoys golfing and other sporting events.
Gene is a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Salem, where he is a
Sunday school teacher and the church treasurer. Gene is a
member of SDEA and the SDHSCA. Gene and his wife continue to
reside in Salem.
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Fred
Tibbetts
(Class
of 1972)
2007 DSU Athletic Hall of Fame Recipient
Fred Tibbetts
graduated from DeSmet High School in 1967 and from Dakota State in
1972. He began his coaching career at Jefferson High School in
1972 where he started a girls basketball and track program.
His girls track teams at Jefferson were state champs five years in a
row (1981-1985). He led the girls basketball team to a
then-state record win streak of 67 games from 1978-80. His
Jefferson teams were state champs in 1975 (the first year of
sanctioned state tourneys), '78, '79, '80, and '85 and were twice
runners-ups as well.
In 1986,
Tibbetts took over as women's coach at the University of South
Dakota for four years (1986-90). At USD, he was 66-47.
He was named S.D. College Women's Coach of the Year in 1989, when
the Coyotes were 22-7 and reached the NCAA Division II playoffs.
He returned
to Jefferson in 1990 and stayed through 1994 when he moved on to
Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School. Tibbetts guided Roosevelt
girls basketball team to a state-record win streak of 111 games and
six Class AA Titles, including five in a row (1997-01). The
win streak included four wins at an out-of-season tourney in Oregon
that featured nationally ranked teams. Roosevelt beat
11th-ranked Buena High of Ventura, Calif. , in the finals.
Roosevelt was 227-28 in 11 seasons under Tibbetts. Before he
arrived there, a Sioux Falls public school had not won the state
title since 1981. The Rough Riders were 4-16 in 1993, the year
before he took over. Tibbetts retired after winning the 2005
state title.
As a coach,
he compiled a record of 551 wins and 11 state titles - both state
girls basketball coaching records. He was 551-101 in 29 season
at the high school level (18 at Jefferson, 11 at Roosevelt).
His teams qualified for the stat tourney 19 times and reached the
state finals an astounding 15 times. Seven times he had
unbeaten seasons. In all, Tibbetts coached teams to 16 state
titles. He is the only coach to win state basketball titles in
all three classes (Class B and A at Jefferson and AA at Roosevelt).
In 1999,
Tibbetts was named National Coach of the Year in girls basketball.
He was inducted into the South Dakota High School Coaches
Association Hall of Fame in 2000, the South Dakota High School
Coaches Association Hall of Excellence in 1999, and to the South
Dakota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1985.
Tibbetts was also inducted in to the South Dakota Sports Hall of
Fame in 2007.
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1977 DSU Football Team
2007 DSU Athletic Hall of Fame Team Recipient
The 1977
Football team had the best season record in Dakota State University
football history with a 10-0 mark. This has proven to be the
only undefeated football team in our history.
The 1977 football team will be
the 5th team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
-
10-0
record
-
First
unbeaten team in school's history
-
Ranked
sixth in final NAIA Division II Poll
-
Won fourth
SDIC title in five years.
-
Named
South Dakota Collegiate Team of the Year by the state's
sportswriters
-
NAIA Point
Defense Champs, allowing only 4.2 per game
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Holly
Lynch
(Class of
2000)
2007 DSU Alumni Coach of the Year
Holly Gill
Lynch graduated from Dakota State University in 2000 with a degree
in elementary and special education.
Holly played four years of
volleyball at Dakota State University. She was the starter for
the Trojans from 1995-1999 in the position of right side
hitter/setter. Holly was also a member of the Trojan women's
fast pitch softball team in 1996.
After graduating from Dakota
State, Holly taught special education at Canistota for six years
from 2000-2006. In 2002, she took the position of head
volleyball coach. In her first year as head coach, she took
the Class B Canistota volleyball team to their first state
tournament appearance since 1958 and placed sixth. In
2004-2005, the team made their second appearance at state and
finished third. Holly had a career coaching record of 84-32 at
Canistota before leaving to take similar position at Sioux Falls
Roosevelt High School. In her first year coaching at Sioux
Falls Roosevelt, the volleyball team placed first in the Class AA
state volleyball tournament with a 20-4 record.
During her five years leading
volleyball, Holly has coached four all-state players, six
all-tournament players, and her 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 Canistota
volleyball teams received the Academic Team Award. She guided
Canistota to a Cornbelt Conference Volleyball Tournament Champions
in 2002-2003, Cornbelt Conference Volleyball Regular Season
Champions in 2004-2005. In 2005, Holly was named Region
Volleyball Coach of the Year. In her first year with Sioux
Falls Roosevelt, she coached the team to a 2006 Greater Dakota
Conference Championship. Three players on that team were named
to the All-City team and that team earned an Academic Team Award.
She also notched her 100th career coaching victory while at Sioux
Falls Roosevelt this past season.
Holly and husband Brady live in
Sioux Falls. She is a native of Lakeville, MN.
