MITCHELL, S.D. – A topography unique and unprecedented to any other state in the Midwest, South Dakota offers a myriad of natural features, sights and landscapes. From the fertile flood plains of the Missouri River to the east, to the grander of the hills out west and everything in between; South Dakota's landscape offers a glimpse of natural beauty in every direction.
And thanks to the majestic and picturesque Black Hills, the state is no stranger to the resourceful process of mining, or the extraction of minerals, metals and fossil fuels from the surface of the earth. Once removed from the ground, such resources can be honed and crafted into to the jewelry, emeralds, rubies or other reserves like oil, currency, diamonds and even gold and silver.
Honing and crafting their own respective skills through hard work, dedication and training; a trio of athletes at Dakota Wesleyan University glistened and shimmered on the national stage at both the NAIA National Wrestling Championships and the NAIA National Indoor Track and Field Championships earlier this month.
On the mats, senior wrestler Marcus Urban (Plankinton, S.D.) culminated his illustrious career with a seventh-place finish at the wrestling national championships held on March 4-6 in Park City, Kan. Urban became the 20th NAIA All-American in Dakota Wesleyan wrestling program history and the first since 2016 after a 4-2 finish at the national championships.
"It means to me that when you put in enough time and have an end goal, you will achieve it," commented the two-time national qualifier on what this milestone achievement means in his final season with the Tigers. "I say this because this is the first big goal I have achieved in my life and it was not easy for me as it took time, resiliency and self-growth on and off the mat. It essentially showed myself that if I focus on a goal, I can reach it no matter the circumstances or excuses."
For it is only through intense heat and pressure over time, diamonds slowly begin to crystalize and minerals like gold and silver are purified of any impurities after they have been mined from the surface of the earth. Hence, with his mind set on a goal and destined to achieve it, Urban set out on a rigorous and disciplined training plan during the offseason after receiving a wild-card nomination to the 2020 NAIA National Championships a season ago.
"He (Marcus) works at a high intensity and doesn't slow down when he gets uncomfortable," iterated head coach Casey Muow when asked about the senior grappler's approach, training and dedication to the sport of wrestling. "On top of being very consistent, there were so many days where we would have the room open in the offseason to get some work in, and he was the only guy to show up. With that extra mat time, wrestling becomes simpler and things slow down, so making adjustments to his techniques became easier and easier."
Meanwhile, a day before the two-time All-GPAC Second Team wrestler stepped on the podium to receive his All-American honors, senior Lydia Gerber (Canton, S.D.) earned a seventh-place finish in the triple jump at the national track and field meet held in Yankton, S.D. The seventh Tiger female in DWU track and field program history to earn All-American status, Gerber recorded a personal best of 38 feet (11.58m) just two weeks after sweeping the field in the triple jump at the conference championships. Therefore, similar to Urban's training and dedication, time proved to be more precious than gold for the senior jumps specialist after qualifying for the NAIA indoor championships in 2019 and 2020.
"I had come pretty close to placing at last year's national meet, and with so much time in quarantine and nothing better to do, I would go down to the track and focus on triple jump and developing speed. I function best keeping myself level-headed and I didn't want to get too worked up about having to qualify for nationals coming into this season. But after I qualified for nationals as a sophomore and junior, it really lit a fire in me to work and train harder by really dedicating myself to the sport of track to see if I could reach that All-American level."
"Being able to mentally take a few steps back instead of always trying to push forward and observing the technical aspects of her approach was key," added DWU track and field assistant coach Matt Johnson on Lydia's training and approach. "My background is in the sprints so our approach both this year and last season was to see how quickly we can get Lydia on the track with the hopes that her speed will translate to her approach in the triple jump."
Though, before the process of extraction or mining can occur, prospectors must actively search and scour for possible leads on the presence of certain materials in a given area known as mineralization. In years past, prospectors in the state hunted and scoured the area in search of blue, green and even rusty stains within the hills. These colorful signs translated to the possible presence of metals like iron, lead, quartz, granite copper, nickel and even silver and gold much in the same way speed, coordination and athleticism renders strength and power.
And while very humbled and reserved when asked about competing so well on the national stage, it was this same training, dedication and approach that helped junior Caden Milmine (Buffalo, Wyo.) become the 12th Tiger male to earn All-American accolades in DWU track and field program history. With a toss of 55-1.5 feet (16.8m), the DWU football defensive lineman and track and field throws specialist earned a personal best and fifth-place finish in the shot put at the national meet.
"At the end of the day it is just trying to be a better athlete," iterated the 6-foot senior on how being a two-sport athlete benefited his training in the throwing ring. "Track is such a team sport, so this accomplishment is a lot bigger than me with our coaches constantly setting us up for success, especially their knowledge to get us to the national meet. I mean this obviously feels great, but it is truly a testament to our coaches and our program."
"He has definitely dedicated his time to both sports and it is really great to see him so committed to the process of getting better," added former two-sport athlete and DWU track and field assistant coach Chris Aschemann, who assists and develops the Tiger throwers. "Caden comes in and does a lot of work, training and drills on his own which helps us as a program as we try to instill all of our athletes with a greater sense of athleticism and an overall sense of coordination. This type of cross-communication also helps us as coaches build more trust into the program."
As a whole, South Dakota and the surrounding area covets a rich history of athletic talent leaving coaches scouring the area for the best in-state and out-of-state products with the hopes of striking it rich. Not keeping their eyes open for gold, granite or quartz materials, these recruiters and coaches are rather interested in dedication, hard work and commitment.
"It goes to show that if our athletes continue to work, they have the opportunity to be successful in their careers," conveyed Jamen Helton, the head coach of both the cross-country and track and field programs at Dakota Wesleyan. "It also helps with recruiting, when you can point to the development of athletes who have been here for four years and have trusted the process."
As Stephen King once said, talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work, training and dedication. So, to these All-American finishers, their coaches and all of the athletes at DWU who continue to hone, craft and chip away at their respective sport; you continue to define what it means to earn your stripes.