Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 6 Washington on March 20, 2026 , Loss , 54, to, 72
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FINAL
Women's Basketball
54
vs No. 6 Washington
72
South Dakota State University Athletics
Catching Up with Laurie Kruse
2/22/2016 9:13:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Former Jackrabbits standout Laurie Kruse took time from her busy schedule as a breast cancer advocate, wife, mom and coach to visit with GoJacks.com
What have you been doing since graduating in 1992?
Since graduating with my Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, my career has focused on women's health. I initially worked as a nurse on the Labor and Delivery Unit at Sanford Health and also taught a variety of childbirth classes. Through those years, I also had the opportunity to work as a community health nurse educator, visiting different high school and middle school classrooms where I educated teens on the choices and consequences of their sexual health decisions.
A few years into my career, I was able to use my NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship to obtain a master's degree in health care administration, which allowed me to move into a nurse leadership position. I'm currently a clinical nurse supervisor at Edith Sanford Breast Health. I also coordinate the oncology nurse navigator program and direct the Sanford cancer survivorship educational programming, including the annual Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Survivor Retreat.
On a personal note, my husband, Paul, and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in August. We have four wonderful children: Christopher (23), Kayla (20), Jordanna (17), and Matthew (13). Chris recently graduated from college with a degree in conservation biology and works for the Game, Fish and Parks Department in Pierre. Kayla is attending college to obtain a degree in graphic design. Jordan is a junior at Lennox High School and is involved in volleyball, basketball, and track and field. She is also a percussionist in the band. Matt is a seventh-grader and enjoys football and basketball and also plays percussion.
I would be amiss not to mention that since graduating from college, I have had the opportunity to coach basketball at the high school level, and I also coached my daughter Jordan's basketball team. Coaching gave me the chance to share my love for the game with other young female athletes. I made it my goal to help each player discover her strengths and to find the passion to use those strengths to make a difference in this world. I am also proud to boast back-to-back titles at the Youth BSYBL Harrisburg League during my daughter's fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade years. We had an out-of-bounds play called “Jackrabbit” that was second to none!
How did SDSU prepare you for all of that?
The SDSU nursing program thoroughly prepared me to enter the health care field. I will always be appreciative of how well the College of Nursing and the SDSU Athletic Department worked together to allow me to schedule my clinical hours around basketball road trips. Trust me, there were no shortcuts, and for that I am also appreciative. The discipline it took to play college basketball and graduate with academic honors helped prepare me for the rigor of having a career and raising a family.
In addition, I cannot thank my coach, Nancy Neiber, enough for her amazing leadership in preparing me for “life.” She always helped her players find the best inside themselves and inspired us to set our goals high and strive with everything possible to reach them!
The Jackrabbits are having their Pink Game today. What made you decide to work at the Edith Sanford Breast Center?
First of all, let me say how appreciative I am of your Pink Game and how you are helping to promote awareness of breast cancer and the quest for a cure!
When the vice president of Sanford Cancer Services recruited me for my current position at Edith Sanford Breast Health, she explained the commitment Sanford Health has made to finding a cure and eliminating this disease that has claimed so many lives. Once I heard their vision, there was no hesitation in my decision to join this team. The dedication and knowledge of our fellowship-trained breast radiologists, surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, plastic surgeons, genetic counselors, and so on, is beyond words.
Some of the programs I have helped initiate include the Athena Breast Health Questionnaires (within which, answers provided by the patient help to create a personalized breast cancer risk profile); the development of a Breast Multidisciplinary Clinic; and new documentation for use at our Breast Multidisciplinary Cancer Conference, which ensures that all members of the cancer care team have access to important communications. I also work side-by-side with our oncology breast nurse navigators to help breast cancer patients live their best life through and after their treatment journey.
I firmly believe in the mission of the Edith Sanford Breast Foundation, which is to unlock each woman's genetic code, advance today's prevention and treatment, and end breast cancer for future generations. Our commitment is to conduct groundbreaking research to find cures faster. If you would like to join us and help create a tomorrow where no more of our loved ones are lost to this disease, please visit www.edithsanford.org.
What are some of the gameday traditions you enjoyed and miss when you played for the Jackrabbits?
How does the saying go? “Oh, if only I could go back and do it all over again, I would” … and in a heartbeat! My memories of gameday traditions include road trips, eating meals as a team, scouting reports and other pregame preparations. For example, I remember how the whole team would cram into a motel room to review game film on the small TV. Oh, how times have changed.
My favorite gameday memory came back to me as I stood with former teammates at the entrance to Frost Arena during the recognition event for the 50th anniversary celebration of women's collegiate athletics:
The anticipation of entering the arena … ball in hand ... just you and your teammates … nothing to focus on but the game ahead … the fans ... the cowbells ... what a priceless moment!
With the Lisa Leslies and Brittany Griners more common in women's basketball, what were some of the challenges or benefits from being one of the tallest Jackrabbits in the last 50 years? Is there something in the water in Lennox?
I'm not sure about the water in Lennox, but I am sure about my genes! My dad stands 6-foot-6 and my mom 5-foot-10. Playing “one-on-one” against my tall dad helped advance my basketball skills.
I would say the greatest benefit of being tall came during my freshman year of high school. Keep in mind that I was on the “B” team during my seventh- and eighth-grade years, which meant we got to play during halftime of the “A” game. Although I had “grown into” my tall frame and gained some coordination over the summer months, the biggest worry I had going into my freshman year was that I would be cut from the team. Instead, my opportunity came. West Central was part of the Big 8 Conference, so we played them twice a year. There was a post player by the name of Chris Deters on the West Central team who stood 6-foot-4. My coach, Rich Luther, came to me with a varsity jersey a week prior to the scheduled game and explained my “role” in the upcoming game. I ended up having a good defensive game against her, and, with my offensive game improving, was able to keep my varsity jersey! So much for being cut! Thus, I inspire all youth who have a passion for something to never, ever give up.
I went against a couple of other tall women through my college years. St. Cloud State's Simona Samuelson (6-foot-6) and North Dakota's Colleen Chaske (6-foot-5) are two players who, for one of the first times in my life, made me feel short. To my advantage, Coach Neiber, in anticipation of these games, had me stay after practice and play one-on-one against the post players on the men's basketball team.
I do have to add one “challenge” of being one of the tallest Jackrabbits in the last 50 years. Back when I played, the women's basketball team was expected to “double up” on the bus for road trips, while the men's basketball players each got their own seat. I remember looking at one of the shorter point guards on the men's team as he stretched out across his two seats and having an ounce of jealousy.
Thank you for this opportunity to share my story! Thanks also to all of you who voted for me to be selected as one of the 50 greatest female athletes in Jackrabbit history. I was truly honored. Go Jacks!
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