Dec. 4—SPEARFISH, S.D. — Mitchell High School product Sawyer Stoebner is quickly emerging as a top player for the Black Hills State University women’s basketball program.
The 5-foot-10 sophomore erupted for a career-high 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field to go with five rebounds and two steals off the bench against Minnesota-Crookston on Nov. 19.
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Two nights later, Stoebner made her first collegiate start for the Yellow Jackets against Northern State, finishing with eight points, six rebounds, two steals and an assist. She added 15 points and eight rebounds, another career-high, the next outing against the University of Sioux Falls on Nov. 22.
“Our coaches work a lot on skills and put a lot of time in developing our personal game,” Stoebner told BHSU Athletics. “Just working on that and how I can contribute and use my skills to help our team, that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Through six games, Stoebner is averaging 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. During her freshman season in 2024-25, Stoebner played a total of 35 minutes across 10 total games, recording eight points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Stoebner is one of seven sophomores on the youthful BHSU roster, which has one senior and one redshirt junior. The remaining seven players are six freshmen and one redshirt freshman.
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“With all the practices and hours we’re spending together on and off the floor, I feel like everyone has risen to the occasion and came together,” Stoebner said. “Chemistry is the biggest, most important piece for us because we haven’t really played with each other. So getting closer as a team and working hard in the gym together has really helped us.”
The Yellow Jackets are 1-5 to start their season, but four of those losses were by a single basket. The fifth was a seven-point defeat.
BHSU plays Chadron State (Neb.) in its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference home opener on Thursday night in Spearfish.
YANKTON — A pair of former Mitchell-area prep volleyball standouts were included on the all-Great Plains Athletic Conference honors list representing Mount Marty University.
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Senior setter/outside hitter Julia Weber, of Emery, was named to the all-GPAC first team. Meanwhile, junior outside hitter Adisyn Indahl, of Burke, was an honorable mention all-conference pick.
One of the most versatile players in the GPAC, Weber facilitated the Lancers’ offense with 757 assists, while also ranking top-three on the roster in kills (194), digs (294) and total blocks (55).
For her collegiate career, Weber was a member of the 1,000 club in kills (1,042) and assists (1,229) and nearly added digs to the list, ending with 955. She was recognized in the GPAC postseason honors all four seasons of her career, earning second-team distinction in 2023 and earning honorable mention nods in 2022 and 2024.
Indahl tallied 178 kills, 305 digs and a team-high 22 service aces this season, which were all individual career highs. The honorable mention selection was her first postseason honor.
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The Lancers finished with an overall record of 12-16.
BROOKINGS — Howard native Jace Sifore has provided key depth along the defensive line for the South Dakota State football team this fall, starting each of the last three games.
Sifore has played in nine games this season, compiling 17 total tackles, including four for loss and three sacks. He also blocked a kick against Illinois State on Nov. 15. Most recently, Sifore matched a career-high with four tackles in the Jackrabbits’ win over New Hampshire in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
As a team, SDSU ranks No. 11 in the FCS for total defense, allowing 301.5 yards per game, and No. 19 for scoring defense, allowing 19.8 points per game.
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Prior to 2025, Sifore had appeared in three total games, all in 2023, during his first three seasons, which included a redshirt freshman year in 2022.
SDSU, the No. 14 seed in the FCS playoffs, plays at No. 3 Montana in the second round on Saturday.
