Sheena Dauer named to S.D.S.U. Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame
Springfield High School alumns, Sheena Dauer, was named to the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame at South Dakota State University this pastweekend.
Dauer attended SDSU from 2000-05. She continued the Jackrabbit tradition of championship distance running by winning six conference titles in cross country and track and field during a career that spanned both NCAA Division II and Division I competition.
She became only the third female runner to win three consecutive North Central Conference individual cross country championships, joining fellow SDSU runners and Hall of Fame inductees Kristin Asp (1981-83) and Kiri Johnson (1990-92) by claiming titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Dauer went on to earn NCAA Division II All-America honors with a 14th-place individual finish at the 2002 national cross country meet.
Dauer carried the momentum from her 2002 cross country season into the 2003 indoor track and field campaign as she was crowned NCC champion in the 5,000 meters and recorded a runner-up finish in the event at the NCAA Division II Championships.
With SDSU moving to Division I competition as her collegiate career wound down, Dauer capped her Jackrabbit tenure by winning both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs at the 2005 Division I Independent Outdoor Track and Field Championships and shared the Women’s Athlete of the Meet Award.
Dauer has continued her excellence in sports, working as a strength coach and sports trainer at Springfield Public Schools and as owner/operation of Springfield Physical Therapy.
“We, at Springfield, are very proud of the accomplishment of former Tiger, Sheena Dauer! Sheena was a three-sport athlete at Springfield,” stated Paul Arnoldi, Springfield High School Activities Director adding, “She was an athlete that had tremendous work ethic, and was a great teammate! We are now very grateful that she is able to work with our athletes as our strength coach and sports trainer.”
“We’re thrilled to learn that our strength coach and sports trainer has been inducted into the SDSU Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame,” stated Springfield Schools Superintendent Keith Kottke.
“Sheena demonstrates an exceptional commitment and influence on our high school athletes. Sheena has unwavering support for our school programs and transforms potential into performance, shaping the physical, personal growth, and self-confidence of our students. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor—your impact continues to inspire and elevate us all!”
During the induction ceremonies, longtime Madison coach and educator Tom Osterberg was honored as the 2024 recipient of the Ralph Ginn Award for Coaching Excellence at South Dakota State University.
The 2024 induction class also includes Ryan Berry, football; Charlie Clarksean, football; Cole Irish, baseball; Melissa (Peter) Curry, softball; and Mary (Wirth) Jorgenson, women’s track and field. The class will bring the roster of Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame inductees to 124 since its inception in 1967.