South Dakota State University Athletics
A Day to Remember
11/16/2015 2:43:00 PM | General
By Matt Schmidt, University Marketing and Communications
Memories and laughter filled the packed McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor Center's Great Hall as South Dakota State University celebrated its 50 Years of Women's Athletics luncheon Friday.
Approximately 35 of the top 50 selections were in attendance along with nearly 20 individuals from the 1960s and 1970s receiving letters for participation.
"It was absolutely stunning. It was amazing," said Diana (Meyer) Pollari '68 when asked what her reactions were when the event was announced. She was one of the individuals to receive a letter. "It was hard to believe it's been 50 years. I'm grateful to have been right at the time to have the chance to come to college and play even though we didn't have it in high school. Looking back at it, it was really fun."
A self-proclaimed sports nut, she played volleyball, basketball and field hockey during her time at State. After graduation, she taught physical education and coached track and field, basketball and cross country at Glendive (Montana) High School. She led Glendive to a state basketball title early in her career before being a school counselor. Her love of sports carried over to her son, Brent, who is in his first year as the head women's basketball coach at Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota.
"It's an emotional time thinking back on all of the times," Pollari said. "I'm grateful and thankful I had the opportunities I did and to have gone to such a quality institution then and now to come back as part of this celebration. Playing sports here was a real fun time in my life. I'm grateful to have been a part of it."
Being part of something is what kept Carolyn Fiscus '71/'74 involved during her time at State. Fiscus not only received a letter but also was named among the top 50 student-athletes for her performances in basketball, field hockey, golf, volleyball and track and field. Not one to take a break in the summer, she also played softball for town teams in Madison and Huron.
"I coached for 10 years so that varsity letter means a lot to me," she said. "I have a varsity letter from high school (in Iowa) but when it came to college, I was missing one. It's really nice (to be honored) and I'm humbled by it.
"I haven't seen some of these people since my playing days or after I got my master's degree here," she continued. "It was great to see those people, exchange addresses and catch up. We talked about some fun times. We shared some good memories."
Like Pollari, Fiscus enjoyed the fact one could play multiple sports but also keep playing with friends.
"It was a lot of fun. You just played because you wanted to play," Fiscus said. "I guess you could compare it to a sorority or a club. Once I got to the place where I was able to see I could have all of these opportunities, there was nowhere else I wanted to be."
Fiscus almost played tennis, too.
"I was going to go out for tennis but it wasn't violent enough for me. When I played, I was a real aggressive player, especially in basketball. I would box out and rebound, set picks and throw an occasional elbow, and they'd tell me that wasn't ladylike and to calm down," said Fiscus, breaking into a laugh. "I can't explain how great today was, seeing all of those people and coach Norma Boetel. I can't tell you how much she and the other coaches who were here mean to me."
What it means to be a student-athlete still rings true for Liz (Archer) Schwebach '03/'06. When she left the volleyball court after the 2002 season, Archer was the program's all-time leader in digs and had been twice named the North Central Conference's Defensive Specialist of the Year and to the Daktronics Division II All-America teams. Those accomplishments placed her alongside Fiscus and others on the top 50 listing.
"When I got contacted, I recognized and appreciated the opportunities I was given and some of those might be due to others on this team," said Archer. "When you're a young athlete, you most likely don't even realize the impact athletics is going to have on your life or the lives of others or have an understanding of how much being an athlete is going to impact the decisions you're going to make. Athletics teaches you a number of things on and off the court and to be known as someone who could be successful while doing all of those things, it's a great honor."
Like Schwebach, Kris Nelson's career at State is full of accomplishments. Nelson, who played basketball and softball from 1973 to 1976, is the career leader in batting average. On the hardcourt, she led SDSU in scoring and rebounding and to a pair of AIAW state titles.
"It was an honor to be a pioneer of women's athletics at SDSU—I basically was a "walk-on" as recruiting was not even a practice yet," Nelson said. "When I walked into the athletic department (in The Barn) to register for classes I was asked if I knew how to play volleyball, basketball or softball. I said yes to all three and my life as a Jackrabbit student-athlete started. My years at SDSU were some of the best years of my life. It is an honor to be surrounded by 49 other great student-athletes and friends."
