DSU’s Stevenson to be honored

Dakota State University track & field and cross country coach, Buzz Stevenson, will be honored this Saturday at the Howard Wood Relays as an honoree referee. Stevenson has been involved in sports since his high school days in Ipswich, SD and has been a coach and teacher for 32 years, 16 at Dakota State. Stevenson will be honored at 3pm during the meet along with long time rival, Dave Little of Black Hills State.

A 1961 graduate of Ipswich High School, Stevenson was an All-State running back, track & field athlete and basketball player. He placed in the 100 yard and 220 yard events at the state track meet his junior and senior years, and helped his team win the Howard Wood Dakota Relay Sprint Medley Relay in 1960, a big event for a team from Ipswich, said Stevenson

Buzz started his college career at Yankton College. He was an all-conference wide receiver and a member of a track & field team that won two conference championships from 1964-65. He also ran in the Howard Wood Relays while at Yankton.

After graduating from Yankton in 1965, Buzz received his Master of Education degree from South Dakota State University in 1973. He coached at the high school level for 14 years, including 10 at Huron High School. While there he led the boys track and field team to their first ever ESD Conference championship in 1976. He then guided them to two more conference championships in 1977 and 1978. In 1977 his boy’s team was the state runner up, and his girl’s cross-country team finished as state champions. In 1978 he was named South Dakota boys track coach of the year.

Before coming to Dakota State, Buzz coached at his alma mater for two years and has spent the past 16 years as head coach at DSU. While at Dakota State Buzz’s teams have accumulated 14 South Dakota Iowa Conference championships and his athletes have produced 29 All-American honors, including six-time All-American Tard Smith, who holds the Collegiate men’s 100m dash record at the Howard Wood Relays.

While at DSU, Buzz has garnered 14 SDIC coach of the year titles and two NAIA Great Plains regional cross-country coach of the year awards.

Stevenson lives in Madison with his wife Diane of 15 years.