News Home

Dakota State Coach, Players Honored by DAC

Dakota State Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jeff Dittman has been named Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) Coach of the Year.  Dittman led the Dakota State Lady T’s the DAC conference title and an automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament. It is the 5th time Dittman has taken the Lady T’s to nationals, which will be played in Sioux City March 7-13.  

Dittman led the Lady T’s to the Elite Eight at the National Tournament in 2006 and was named the South Dakota College Coach of the Year. During the 2006-2007 basketball season, Coach Dittman surpassed former DSU Men’s Head Basketball Coach Ed Harter with his 205 career DSU win.  Dittman has been the Lady T’s head coach since 1993. His record at DSU now stands at 224-189. 

Lady T’s players Jessica VanLoy and Laura Tewes have been named DAC’s 2nd team All-Conference.  Teammate Sara Nelson was named 3rd team All-Conference.  This is the second year Van Loy, a junior exercise science from Wabasso, MN, has been honored as DAC All-Conference 2nd Team.  She averaged 9.4 points per game, 3.8 assists per game, and 3 steals per game.  She is also ranked #10 according to the DakStats NAIA Statistical website for steals per game.  In addition, VanLoy is 3rd in Lady T’s record book for most steals in a single season with 94.

Laura Tewes is a biology for information systems major from Mayer, MN. Tewes averaged 9.5 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, and blocked 23 shots this season.  Sara Nelson is a senior exercise science major from Dell Rapids, SD. She was honored as DAC All-Conference 3rd team.  Earlier in the season Nelson was named DAC Player of the Week.  She led the team with 10.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, and blocked 48 shots.  Nelson joined the 1,000 point club on February 21st, 2007, in the DAC postseason playoff win over Dickinson State.  She is 3rd in career blocks with 151 blocks and 3rd in single season blocks with 48. 

On the men's side, Joe Backus has been named to the Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) 1st Team.  Backus, a junior from Wentworth, SD, led the DAC with a 19.8 points per game average and 7.7 rebounds per game. 

Backus was named DAC player of the week two times during the 2006-2007 season and also was named to Southwest State All-Classic Team.  According to the DakStats NAIA Division II Statistical website, Backus is ranked 23^rd in points per game (19.793), 44th in offensive rebounds per game (2.69), 47th in total rebounds per game (7.69) and in field goal percentage (.538).  He scored his 1,000th career point in a home game versus Valley City State in February.