PAGE 2B: WINTER SPORTS 2017 PRESS & DAKOTAN ? PLAIN TALK Tanager Gymnasts Continue To Build Program BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN GYMNASTICS Elyse.brightman@plaintalk.net It can no longer be said that Vermillion’s gymnastics teams is young and inexperienced. Last year the Tanagers had no seniors on the roster meaning this year the team is coming back with even more experience than it’s seen in years with five upperclassmen competing. Despite last season’s young gymnasts, Tanagers head coach Shannon Fitzsimmons was pleased with the season and only expects to see improved results. “Last year we did not have any seniors on our team and we were a fairly young team, so our goal was to just improve meet by meet and the girls were able to do that resulting in our best meets at the end of the season,” Fitzsimmons said. “I thought we had a very successful season overall last year and we are looking to use that experience to our benefit this year.” The team qualified automatically through the region competition then placed eighth at the Class A state meet, but each meet throughout the season saw improvement in scores until the team put together its highest score at regions. The region meet’s close race between Vermillion, Hot Springs and Chamberlain are fresh in the mind of the Tanagers as they begin this season. Season Schedule 11/28 Washington Tri. 12/9 W-BH Inv. 116.9 noon 12/15 Vermillion Tri. 6 pm (at Wagner) (S.F. Washington, West Central) 12/29 Winter Wonderland 11:30 am (at Vermillion HS) 1/9 1/13 1/16 at Madison 6:30 pm Madison Inv. noon Yankton Quad 6 pm 1/29 W-BH Quad 6 pm 2/2 Region 2A 6 pm (Yankton, Chamberlain, Parkston-EthanHanson) The Vermillion gymnastics team poses for a photo after the awards at the 2017 state meet. The Tanagers placed eighth in the team ranking, and return their entire squad. This year with all those gymnasts returning the expectations of continuing improvements are well within grasp for the Tanagers. “(We) are setting our sights on having our highest scores at the end of the season, but also trying to see if we as a team can maybe surprise some people at regions and even at the state meet, Fitzsimmons said. Among those returning this season is junior Carter Williams who placed in the top five in each individual event including a sixth place medal in the all-around score. Towards the end of last year, Williams was continuing to increase the difficulty in each event and will look to continue that progress along with the rest of the team. “You have to out in a lot of hours and a lot of repetition just to learn one skill in gymnastics,” Fitzsimmons said. “Right now we are just going to try and keep working hard on those skills and when they are ready we will add them to the routines throughout the season.” The two seniors competing for Vermillion are Tomalyn Peckham and Annaliese Taggart, two seasoned veterans who Fitzsimmons is hoping the “energy and wisdom” will show leadership for the team. Other returners for the Tanagers include juniors Kaya Lewis and Peyton Larson, freshmen Elaina Taggart and Emma Dahlhoff and eighth grader Mackenzie Brady. The team has been preparing for nearly a month for the season that began Nov. 28 at a triangular meet with (Parkston-Ethan-Hanson, Wagner-Bon Homme, West Central) (at Wagner HS) 2/9-10 State Tourn. 11/10 am (at Watertown Civic Arena) Sioux Falls Lincoln and Sioux Falls Washington in Sioux Falls. “Heading into this first meet we are going to just try and throw what we have to the best of our ability and as clean of routines as possible knowing that heading into December we would like to add more into our routines,” Fitzsimmons said. Williams captured first in the all-around in the season opening meet with an overall 33.25 score, including first place in the floor exercise (8.8) and the vault (9.0). Williams also placed second on the beam (8.5) and fifth on the bars (6.95). Taggart scored 28.95 in the all-around for fourth place. She had two top-five finished with fourth in the floor exercise (8.0) and fifth Girls’ Basketball Vermillion junior Carter Williams placed sixth in the allaround at the 2017 Class A state meet. on the beam (7.85). Team scores saw Sioux Falls Washington edging out Sioux Falls Lincoln 120.8120.4 for first and second place. Vermillion took third with 116.9. The season continues next Friday at the Wagner Invite then the Tanagers host a trio of meets starting on December 15 with a triangular with Sioux Falls Roosevelt and West Central. Vermillion also hosts the Winter Wonderland on December 28 and a dual meet with Madison on January 9. The season concludes with the state meet February 9-10 in Watertown. Boys’ Basketball Tanagers Aim To Improve New-Look Tanagers Aim To Grow As On Top-Four Finish Season Progresses BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN Elyse.brightman@plaintalk.net To end the 2016-17 season, the Vermillion girls basketball team made a trip to the state tournament for the first time in five years to earn fourth place in Class A, and this year they can only expect to move up from there. The Tanagers upset Hamlin in the opening game of the tournament then lost two straight to finish fourth, the best finish in nearly a decade since Vermillion captured its only girls basketball state championship. “It was good to get to the state tournament and get that experience,” said Vermillion head coach Jon Brooks. “It makes you hungry to get back there and if you are lucky enough to get there, then you want to win more than one game, so that’s kind of the motivation that our team has going for them right now.” According to Brooks the team was most successful at the end of the season because the defense was playing “really good” meaning the team will play the same style as they were down the stretch. “(We played) up tempo,” said senior Haleigh Melstad. “Getting in people’s business, not letting them do what they want to do. That’s kind of how we upset Hamlin.” Next, Vermillion wants to focus on cleaning up their transition game. “I think there are some things offensively that we want to do a little bit better,” Brooks said. “Our transition game is something that we Vermillion’s Kasey Jensen goes up for a layup during a game against Lennox at last are really focusing on, runyear’s Class A girls’ state tournament. Jensen is returning for her senior season as one VHS GIRLS | PAGE 3B A.J. FROM PAGE 1B Plitzuweit’s high basketball IQ can be associated with living in a house hold that revolves around the sport. He moved to Vermillion last year from Kentucky when his mother, Dawn, took the head coaching job for the women’s basketball of the Tanagers top scorers. team at the University of South Dakota after coaching at Northern Kentucky University. His father, Jay, has also coached and his sister earned a considerable about of minutes last season for the Vermillion girls’ varsity team as an eighth grader. When he came to South Dakota he did notice something about the difference in play. “It’s kind of funny,” he said. “It’s a lot slower and Let us “Brighten” your way! WELFL Construction Co. 665-3258 800 W. 23rd St. B E Yankton rightway lectric LLC Locally owned * Proudly Serving South Dakota and Nebraska. Licensed Insured Warrantied Work Residential Commercial Service *Bucket Truck Available* Mike Suing • 605-760-3505 Rod McNatt • 605-661-9594 there are a lot more athletes in Kentucky, but it was a good transition.” Heading into his senior season, Plitzuweit has already made a decision for his plans after high school. He will head to Sioux Falls to attend Augustana University and join the men’s basketball team. “It just felt like the right fit, a beautiful campus, close to home and I love the coaching staff,” he said. 605-624-2655 2409 Broadway, Yankton 605-665-9651 This year is expecting to be a “slow process” for the boys’ basketball team at Vermillion with only one returning player from last year’s rotation returning and only a few players with a limited amount of varsity playing experience. Among the shortage of experienced players, the Tanagers have already lost a starting player due to an injury sustained during the offseason. “We only played about six guys in our rotation last year and four of them were seniors and with Rylan’s injury now we are basically playing one guy that has experience from last year,” said head coach Jay Drake. That one returning player is senior point guard AJ Plitzuweit, who will have to take on some bigger roles and help guide the less experienced players on the court, but after an impressive season last year that poses a problem from a team aspect. “We know he’s a very good basketball player, but the trick is everyone we’ve played and everyone in the state knows he’s a very good basketball player,” Drake said. Now that opponents have seen Plitzuweit in act, the Tanagers are prepared to deal with double and triple teaming from other defenses. That means other players will be unmarked and teammates will need to step up and knock down the perimeter shots and look for penetration lanes to the hoop. Along with players getting used to playing at the varsity level, Drake is also looking for someone to fill a post po- Season Schedule 12/8 at Bon Homme 8 pm 12/12 vs. Fland. Indian 7:30 pm 12/14 at Irene-Wak. 7:45 pm 12/19 12/29 1/5 1/11 1/13 1/16 1/18 1/19 1/23 1/25 1/27 (at Wakonda) vs. Tri-Valley 8 pm vs. Tea Area 7 pm at Parkston 8 pm at Lennox 8 pm vs. Murray Co. Cent. 2 pm (Garretson Border Clash) vs. Elk Point-Jeff. 8 pm at S.F. Christian 7:30 pm vs. Garretson 8 pm at West Central 8 pm at Dell Rapids 8 pm Dak. XII/NEC Clash TBA (At Madison) 1/30 vs. Beresford 8 pm 2/6 at Dakota Valley 8 pm 2/9 vs. LeMars 8 pm 2/12 vs. Madison 7:30 pm 2/13 at Wagner 8 pm 2/23 at Canton 7:30 pm 2/27 Region 4A 7 pm 3/2 Region 4A 7 pm 3/6 State Quali?er TBD 3/15-17 State A Rapid City sition, and with a team that may not be the biggest in size that may take some time. “We’re not a really big team and it’s going to take us a while to try and figure out our identity,” he said. Seniors Josh Prescott, Rylie Johnson, Nate Brady and Carter Larson averaged 4.83 minutes per game between the four them last season, but his year can expect to see that number sky rocket. They have all been main-stays on the junior varsity team the last few years, but will need to adjust to the up-tempo playing of the varsity level. Brady and Larson gained experience at the post position for JV, but may be outsized by varsity level players from opposing teams, that may find a need for VermilVHS BOYS | PAGE 3B Our Team is Here for You. 900 Ferdig St. Yankton, SD 665-6500 Mead Lumber 113 W. Main St., Vermillion BOYS’ BASKETBALL Elyse.Brightman@plaintalk.net PEDIATRICS Matthew D. Krell, MD, FAAP BOARD CERTIFIED FAMILY MEDICINE FAMILY MEDICINE BOARD CERTIFIED BOARD CERTIFIED William J. Dedinger, MD Catherine Mitchel, MD FAMILY MEDICINE Charlies C. Yelverton, MD BOARD CERTIFIED Visiting Specialists Audiology Jason R. Howe, MS, FAAA, CCC-A Dermatology James W. Young, D.O., FAOCD* General Surgery Jesse L. Kampshoff, MD* Nephrology FAMILY MEDICINE Michelle Chausee, MPAS, PA-C FAMILY MEDICINE Amy Fluit, MPAS, PA-C * BOARD CERTIFIED Pulmonology Byron S. Nielsen, MD* Lori A. Hansen, MD, FACP, FACCP* OB/GYN Rheumatology Orthopedic Surgery George Fournier, Jr., MD, FACS* Curtis M. Adams, MD* Jill F. Sternquist, MD* Jeremy Kudera, MD, ABOS* (605)665-8073 2507 Fox Run Parkway Yankton Call today to schedule an appointment! www.firstchiropracticcenter.com www.vermillionmedicalclinic.com 605-624-8643 101 S. Plum Street, Vermillion, SD 57069 Leann Bassing, MD* Urology Regular Clinic Hours MONDAY - FRIDAY 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ConvenientCare Hours MONDAY - FRIDAY 5 - 9 p.m.