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Rob Marney, a junior, finished ninth and sophomore Mike McDaniel placed 13th in the men's race. Senior Monica Headlee, a native of Kadoka, crossed in 30th place in the women's run.

"Tim Bishop said it best," said Black Hills State coach Scott Walkinshaw, who was the write-in winner of Men's National Coach of the Year honors following completion of the meet. He said, ‘I don't think anyone in Hollywood could script this better.' "

"I hope I don't wake up and somebody tells me I'm dreaming. This has happened to me two or three times before, but this one is special because I know what we've done all year long. We haven't faced a lot of adversity, but we've put the work in."

The No. 4-ranked Yellow Jacket men, with 137 points, finished second to Life (Ga.) University, which came in with 99 points to claim the men's team championship.

The Black Hills State women, who came in ranked 16th nationally, totaled 239 points to place ninth overall. Concordia of Irvine, Calif., won the women's national title with 133 points.
"After both races, we felt like we ran well," Walkinshaw said by telephone interview. "Place was important, but we were going to be happy no matter what place we got."

Conditions at race time played a factor in the race. Cloudy and windy conditions with a race-time temperature of 32 degrees and a wind chill near zero chilled runners. Walkinshaw also said the course itself was muddy and slippery.
"The conditions were favorable to a team like us," he said. "It might have affected some teams, but I never felt like the course or weather would be a factor for us."

The Black Hills State women got the day off on a high note with their top 10 finish in the team standings.

"It's important on a championship day to do what you're capable of doing," Walkinshaw said. "When Monica, as well as the others, had typical races that day, we knew that's what it would take."

The Yellow Jacket men followed up with a stellar performance in the men's race.

Marney bolted out and he, along with Minot State's Brad Tighe, led the pack of 245 runners up the hill at the start of the course. McDaniel and Dennis Newell also went out quickly, which Walkinshaw felt set the tone for the day for his team.

"It was important for Rob, Mike and Dennis to go out fast," he said. "Rob is the type of runner who has to go out hard. Mike went out fast and, about three-quarters of a mile into the race he was in the low 20s. He's got a devastating kick, and that got him 13th."

Much like the women's team, the BHSU men crossed the line packed closely together.

Marney finished in 25:39 with McDaniel following 15 seconds later with a time of 25:54. Newell was next in 26:22 for 39th place. Bishop followed in 26:31 for 53rd place. Paul Hamilton finished in 26:56 for 78th. Anthony Kitchens was 136th with a time of 27:42 followed closely by Stephen Hayes, who had a time of 27:46 and placed 142nd.

"After we talked a bit, I thought we might get into the top five," Walkinshaw said. "I figured our team score would be around 150. It never entered my mind that we would get into the top two or three.

"The big factor was where our fifth guy was. Paul really came back and ran well after a not-so-good conference meet."

Walkinshaw was quick to credit the efforts of Marney and Bishop, who came to Black Hills State from Butler County (Kan.) Community College, for helping build the Black Hills State's men's team into a contender just two seasons after the team fielded only two runners for races.

National Results - NAIA Cross-Country Championships - Top

Coach Majeski to build on work ethic and positive attitude - Top

"We came a long way as a very young football team," said the coach. "We made some youthful mistakes, but we continued to learn throughout the season. Our attitude was tremendous."
With the departure of Russ Martin as head coach last spring, Majeski, the team's defensive coordinator, was chosen to direct the football program. It wasn't until late in the summer that the new coach was able to hire assistant coaches and initiate a new game plan. As a result, the Jackets got off to a rough start losing their first five games before knocking off perennial power Dickinson State, 35-28.

"With a new offense and defense and a more balanced attack, it took time for the players and coaches to get comfortable with the system and the different schemes," said Majeski. "As the season progressed, a good team attitude and a very unselfish approach by the players worked to our advantage."

It was maturity and the unselfish nature of the team that got them going mid season with a three-game winning streak over Dickinson, 35-28, Mayville, 28-14, and South Dakota Tech, 23-6. A close game with Jamestown, 29-32 and a loss to league champion Huron, 40-0, closed the 2000 season.

"Molding the coaches and all the players into one cohesive unit was the biggest challenge," said the coach regarding his first season at the helm. With much of that completed this season; he expects to hit the ground running next fall.

With 45 to 50 players returning, Majeski plans to bring in 30 to 35 freshmen to begin the rebuilding task. The coach plans to recruit throughout the local region. He will focus on new freshmen, not junior college transfers. 

His primary recruiting efforts will be directed to finding offensive linemen. He will also be looking for defensive tackles, linebackers, and a corner back. Even though the entire defensive line returns, he wants to have quality backups who will eventually become starters in a year or two.
On the offensive side of the ball, offensive coach Darin Hahne expects to recruit some new running backs and receivers in addition to beefing up the offensive line.

Photo by Antonia Kucera Michael Lichtenecker runs for tough yardage against the Jamestown Jimmies. Lichtenecker’s two-yard touchdown run culminated a nine-play 51-yard march, but the Jackets came up short in the final score 29-32.

In the Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC-10), Majeski expects this year's conference leaders, Huron University and the University of Mary, to be the teams to beat in 2001. 

"It was a great conference from top to bottom," said Majeski regarding the DAC-10 inaugural season. "With three teams in the national playoffs, that speaks for itself."

During the post season, the coaches will be focused on recruiting efforts and the returning players will concentrate on three areas: weight training, establishing a sound work ethic, and building their academic base by attending study sessions.

The Yellow Jackets lost five seniors to graduation: Burke Binning, WR, Torrington, Wyo.; Shawn Dowdy, LB, Moorcroft, Wyo.; Kevin Moore, DL, Casper, Wyo.; Mike Speidel, OL Torrington, Wyo.; and Tyrone Thomas, WR, Hyrum, Utah.

A veteran coaching staff, a solid corps of returning players, and a good recruiting class all ads up to an improved season next fall. 
"We'll bring a balanced offensive attack and an aggressive defense coupled with a good work ethic" to the gridiron next season, says the BH head coach.

Four BH players named All-Conference in DAC-10 - Top

• Jeff Kelly, LB, 1st team defense
• Freddie Maseman, WR, 2nd team offense

• Shawn Dowdy, LB, 2nd team defense
• Tyrone Thomas, WR, 2nd team at large

Volleyball team finds competition tough - Top

by Antonia Kucera
media relations student intern

Head volleyball coach Jhett Albers' second year directing the Lady Yellow Jackets volleyball team proved challenging as the team ended the season with a 5-19 overall record.

After finishing the 1999 season at 14-11 and placing second in the South Dakota Iowa Conference (SDIC), Albers came into the 2000 season with high expectations for a strong finish. The team was in a rebuilding stage, with seven freshmen and five returning players, making the Yellow Jackets one of the youngest teams in the Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC-10). An early season injury to team leader and senior Heather Usera slowed the team's progress.

Coach Albers said, "At the college level there is no substitute for experience."

The strength of the team lay in veteran players junior Blakelee Binning and sophomore Shana Moffet. Moffet's coverage of the outside hitting position was a force to reckon with and Binning's aggressive play led her to be named all-conference for the third-consecutive year. 
This was the Lady Jacket's first season in the new DAC-10, a conference Albers believes is stronger than the old SDIC. The Jackets faced highly competitive and very experienced opposition, finishing 7th overall with a 4-10 record.

Next season, Albers hopes to keep and recruit players willing to commit both academically and athletically; so far all but one team member plan to return. Courtney Berry will graduate this spring and forgo another year of eligibility.

"If everyone commits in the off-season, we should be vastly improved," said Albers.
The Jackets will still be a young team next year, but the BH coach believes they will have gained more experience as a team and more confidence in their abilities. He also hopes to add depth to the team by having more players available to support playing positions in case of injury. With dedication, these goals can be reached and bring about a successful season in 2001. 

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