Welcome to the on-line home of the
2008 South Dakota American
Legion
State 'A' Tournament
|
Player of the Year
This award was
first given out in 1951 by the American Legion to the best player in the
three-game championship series. Since 1971, the Legion has bestowed this
honor on the best player in each State Tournament, as voted on by the
State Athletic Commission.
Below are the award winners, as well as their home town.
| YEAR | CLASS A PLAYER OF THE YEAR | CLASS B PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
| 2007 | Trey Krier - Sioux Falls West | Tom Murtha - Parkston |
| 2006 | Josh Nolan - IF - Rapid City Post 22 | Jared Donahue - P/OF - Winner/Colome |
| 2005 | Chris Kessinger - IF/P - Sioux Falls East | Jeremy Wermers - IF/P - Parkston |
| 2004 | Chris Kessinger - OF/P - Sioux Falls East | Brock Kreutzfeldt - P/3B - Madison |
| 2003 | Corey Benson - P/IF - Sioux Falls West | Travis Lester - IF - Milbank |
| 2002 | Andrew Shepherd - IF - Rapid City Post 22 | Pat Krause - IF - Milbank |
| 2001 | Greg Geary - 1B - Rapid City Post 22 | Trey Flicks - OF - Groton |
| 2000 | Brad Hunt - P/IF - Rapid City Post 22 | Jay Merrigan - CF - Vermillion |
| 1999 | Josh DeJong - P/2B - Mitchell | James Gordon - UTILITY - Scotland |
| 1998 | Rusty Remmers - OF - Watertown | Jay Merrigan - CF - Vermillion |
| 1997 | Kris Garry - CF - Sioux Falls | Landon Jacobsen - P/SS - Brandon |
| 1996 | Luke Wheeler - 3B - Rapid City | Dallas Schneiderman - P/SS - Brandon |
| 1995 | Mark Ellis - SS - Rapid City | Scott Johnson - P/1B - Flandreau |
| 1994 | Mark Ellis - SS - Rapid City | Ryan Gordon - P/C - Salem |
| 1993 | Ryan Merritt - LF - Rapid City | Jeremy Hinker - P/1B/OF - Howard |
| 1992 | Dan Conrad - C - Sioux Falls | Lee Fischer - P/OF - Wessington Springs |
| 1991 | Kyla Yamada - SS - Rapid City | Nick Johannsen - P/OF - Miller |
| 1990 | Ryan Krogman - P/SS - Brookings | Peter Wilson - P/IF - Canton |
| 1989 | Mike Lorang - P/CF - Sioux Falls | Doug Sehr - P - Canton |
| 1988 | John Legel - SS - Sioux Falls | Donny Godel - SS - Winner |
| 1987 | Shawn Muffat - OF - Rapid City | Gary Kortan - P/SS - Tabor |
| 1986 | Marty Andrews - C/P - Rapid City | Rob Stack - P/SS - Tabor |
| 1985 | Steve Ramharter - CF/P - Sioux Falls | Steve Fejar - C/P - Tabor |
| 1984 | Todd Miller - 2B - Aberdeen | Eric Larson - OF - Groton |
| 1983 | Mike Erbele - C - Rapid City | Dennis Putzier - C - Colton |
| 1982 | Burt Beattie - P/SS - Aberdeen | Gene Lorenz - P/SS - Clark |
| 1981 | Kent Torve - P/3B - Rapid City | Bruce Mogen - P/1B - Mobridge |
| 1980 | Roger Lewis - P - Rapid City | Kevin Hofer - C - Scotland |
| 1979 | Steve Wolff - SS - Rapid City | Brett Neuman - C - Groton |
| 1978 | Bud Bartholow - OF/C/P - Rapid City | Rich Zimney - P/OF - Groton |
| 1977 | Jim Hendrickson - OF - Rapid City | Brooks Gehring - P/1B - Parkston |
| 1976 | Rich Downs - C - Rapid City | Ron Westby - P/SS - Groton |
| 1975 | LeRoy Weimer - C - Rapid City | Ron Hoffman - P/1B - Colton |
| 1974 | Craig Soderquist - 1B - Rapid City | Krik Carr - SS/P - Orient/Faulkton |
| 1973 | Joe Ewing - OF/P - Rapid City | Joe Walter - OF/P - Howard |
| 1972 | Bill Ewing - 2B/P - Rapid City | Tom Maxwell - P/IF - Parkston |
| 1971 | Dave Collins - 1B - Rapid City | Ron Weidler - P/OF - Howard |
| 1970 | Terry Danielson - C - Rapid City | Larry Keeton - P/OF - Wessington Springs |
One class system:
| YEAR | PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
| 1969 | Cliff Anderson - P/C/1B - Dell Rapids |
| 1968 | Greg Stanczyk - OF - Rapid City |
| 1967 | David Lee Bauer - P/SS - Eureka |
| 1966 | Raymond L. Johnson - P/SS - Canton |
| 1965 | James Moreland - 3B - Sioux Falls |
| 1964 | James Geaghan - SS - Gregory |
| 1963 | Erin Peterson - 2B - Rapid City |
| 1962 | Robert Dorn - C - Chamberlain |
| 1961 | Gene Thedorff - P - Huron |
| 1960 | Wally Johnson - SS/P - Aberdeen |
| 1959 | Jerry Crider - P - Sioux Falls |
| 1958 | John Beisner - C - Rapid City |
| 1957 | Lew Mavity - SS - Sioux Falls |
| 1956 | Roger Hackett - P - Aberdeen |
| 1955 | Kermit Kidner - P/1B - Rapid City |
| 1954 | Mike Braun - P - Flandreau |
| 1953 | Marvin "Mike" Poppens - P - Lennox |
| 1952 |
Ronald Peterson - C - Sioux
Falls Lyle Dahme - P - Aberdeen |
| 1951 | Joe Belak - P - Gregory |