South Dakota State University Athletics
SIX TO BE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME
8/22/2023 4:06:00 PM | General
Individual national champions in wrestling and track and field, three other student-athletes who earned All-America recognition in their respective sports and the career kills leader in volleyball make up the six-member 2023 induction class for the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame at South Dakota State University.
On-campus induction ceremonies will be held Sept. 30. For information regarding tickets to the event, contact the SDSU Athletic Development Office at JackrabbitClub@sdstate.edu.
The 2023 class includes:
- Danny Batten – football;
- Karla (Brotherton) Dralle – women's track and field;
- Nick Burrow – men's cross country/track and field;
- Brian Loeffler – wrestling;
- Tina (Martin) Hartwick – volleyball, and
- Mary (Wirth) Jorgenson – women's track and field.
The 2023 class will bring the roster of Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame inductees to 120 since its inception in 1967.
DANNY BATTEN (2006-09)
Batten helped lead the Jackrabbits through a successful transition into Division I competition as a four-year starter at defensive end. A three-time all-conference honoree, Batten was an all-Great West Football Conference pick in 2007, when the Jackrabbits captured the league title, and earned all-Missouri Valley Football Conference recognition in both 2008 and 2009.
Honored as the Co-MVFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, Batten was a first-team All-America selection by the Sports Network and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, while earning second-team recognition from The Associated Press. He also finished third in the balloting for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision after tallying 85 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss and 9 sacks.
SDSU made its first appearance in the FCS playoffs in 2009.
Batten continues to hold the Jackrabbit career record with 52.5 tackles for loss and ranks third with 23 career sacks.
A native of Gilbert, Arizona, Batten was selected in the sixth round of the 2010 National Football League Draft by Buffalo and played two seasons with the Bills.
KARLA (BROTHERTON) DRALLE (1982-85)
Brotherton won six North Central Conference titles in the throwing events and was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American.
Four of Brotherton's NCC titles came in the shot put, winning indoor and outdoor championships in both 1982 and 1985. Her 1985 outdoor mark of 48 feet, 5.5 inches set a school record that stood for 24 years and was the NCC meet standard until 2003.
The Dubuque, Iowa, native also held the program's indoor shot put record for 12 years at 47-5.5. In addition, Brotherton claimed NCC discus titles in 1983 and 1985.
In national competition, Brotherton finished as NCAA Division II runner-up in the shot put in 1985. That came after a sixth-place finish outdoors in 1984.
NICK BURROW (1996-2001)
Burrow racked up six All-America honors and won national championships both individually and as part of a team during his Jackrabbit career.
A New Zealand native, Burrow began his Jackrabbit career as a member of the 1996 SDSU cross country squad that captured the NCAA Division II team title. Individually, Burrow excelled in the middle distance events, including winning an indoor track national title in the mile run in 1999.
Burrow repeated as an All-American in the indoor mile with a fifth-place finish in 2001, after first reaching the awards stand with a sixth-place finish in the 800-meter run in 1998. During outdoor competition, he garnered three All-America awards in the 1,500 meters with respective finishes of seventh in 1998, third in 1999 and fifth in 2000.
In addition, Burrow claimed four individual North Central Conference titles — two each in the indoor mile (1998, 2001) and 1,500 meters outdoors (1999, 2000).
BRIAN LOEFFLER (1990-93)
Loeffler (pronounced LEFF-ler) became one of the first Jackrabbit wrestlers to earn All-America honors four times, capping his collegiate career with an NCAA Division II national title in 1993.
After earning All-America honors three times in the 177-pound division, Loeffler moved up to 190 pounds for his senior campaign and won the NCAA Division II crown at Frost Arena with a 4-2, overtime decision to cap a 21-5 season. Loeffler's previous NCAA placings were fifth in 1991 and sixth in both 1990 and 1992.
Overall, Loeffler, who grew up outside of Mankato, Minnesota, compiled an 85-27-4 career record. Teammate Mike Pankratz joined Loeffler in becoming the first four-time All-Americans in program history at the 1993 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships.
Loeffler also was honored extensively for his work in the classroom, highlighted by being the first Jackrabbit wrestler to be named to the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team, as well as receiving an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. He was selected as an NCC Honor Athlete and was a three-time member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team.
TINA (MARTIN) HARTWICK (2004-07)
Martin eclipsed the 1,000 mark in both kills and digs during a standout volleyball career.
An outside hitter from Hubertus, Wisconsin, Martin began her Jackrabbit career by being named the 2004 Division I Independent Newcomer of the Year, while also earning second-team all-Independent honors.
She tallied more than 400 kills each of the next three seasons en route to a school-record 1,765 — a mark that stands today. Martin was a first-team all-Independent selection in both 2005 (career-high 490 kills) and 2006 (446 kills) as South Dakota State completed the transition to full Division I status.
With the Jackrabbits moving to The Summit League in 2007, Martin helped lead the team to both regular season and tournament conference titles. With its five-set victory at host Fort Wayne in the tournament championship match, the Jackrabbit volleyball team became the first SDSU squad to qualify for an NCAA tournament at the Division I level.
Martin finished her senior season with 478 kills in earning first-team all-Summit League and being named to the all-tournament team at the league championship. Her other career totals include 1,074 digs, a .283 hitting percentage and 294 blocks.
MARY (WIRTH) JORGENSON (2011-15)
Wirth excelled in the high jump, earning a pair of All-America honors to go along with five Summit League titles.
A Sioux Falls native, Wirth was an all-Summit League performer all four seasons she competed — both indoors and outdoors. She claimed three Summit League titles outdoors (2011, 2012, 2014) and two during the indoor season (2012, 2015).
Wirth earned All-America honors for the first time at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, bringing home second-team honors following a 12th-place finish in Eugene, Oregon. Another second-team All-America honor came the following winter with a 15th-place finish at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
For her career, Wirth won the high jump title in 26 collegiate meets. She continues to hold school records both indoors (6 feet) and outdoors (5 feet, 10.75 inches).
Wirth was further honored as the recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
The recipient of the 2023 Ralph Ginn Award for Coaching Excellence will be announced Wednesday.
-GoJacks.com-
