2003 Dakota State University Athletic Hall of Fame
| Inductee Name |
Title/Award/Honor/Athlete/Coach/Others |
| Suzanne (Allard) LaMaack |
Women's Basketball |
| John 'Cal' Mathison (posthumously) |
Football, Men's Basketball |
| Maury Poppen |
Men's Basketball |
| Rick Fisher |
Men's Basketball |
| 1966-67 DSC Trojan Men's Basketball Team |
SDIC Championship Team |
Suzanne (Allard) LaMaack – Women’s Basketball
Suzanne (Allard) LaMaack lives in Windom, Minn. with her husband, Michel and children Maggie and Jesse. She has been a second-grade teacher at Highland Elementary School in Windom since 1981.
Suzanne started her outstanding athletic career at Jefferson High School in Jefferson, S.D. where she was a member of the first South Dakota State Girls’ Basketball championship team in 1975. Suzanne also placed in the mile run at the South Dakota State Track Meet in 1976. She received a basketball scholarship from Dakota State and arrived on campus in 1976.
Suzanne played volleyball for Dakota State, being named Best Offensive Player her senior year, but found her real niche on the basketball court. She was named to the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference in 1976 and received an award for scoring over 1,000 college career points. The Trojanettes, as they were known then, finished 17-8 in Suzanne’s senior year, capturing a share of the SDIC championship title, and placing second in the state tournament behind SD Tech. Suzanne was named Best All-Around Player of the 1975-76 team.
Suzanne cites her high school track and basketball coach Fred Tibbetts, DSC class of 1972, the summer basketball clinics of Bill Musselman, and Dakota State coach Judy Dittman, as influencing her in athletics. After her graduations from Dakota State, Suzanne went on to coach basketball, tennis, softball, and track & field at various times throughout her career.
Away from the classroom, Suzanne is a member of the Windom Park and Recreation Board, plays volleyball, golf, tennis, bow hunts, pheasant hunts, plays the harmonica and fishes, and finds time to support her children’s athletic events and activities.
John ‘Cal’ Mathison (posthumously) – Football, Men’s Basketball
John ‘Cal’ Mathison is remembered as a man who made the most of what he had with a lot of hard work and no excuses. He attended high school in Madison, where he lettered in football and basketball.
In 1945, when Cal was a senior and playing center for the basketball team, Madison took the State ‘B’ Boys’ Basketball title from Webster.
Cal went on to serve in the armed forces in Germany where he continued playing football and basketball. He attended General Beadle from 1947-51, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in education.
While at General Beadle, Cal lettered all four years in football and basketball. In 1952, Cal accepted a position at Franklin school as a teach and coach. Under his tutelage, the Franklin boys’ basketball team won three district championships, one regional championship and took fourth place in the State ‘B’ basketball tournament. His team of 1953 was known as the ‘Cinderella Team.’
He moved from the Franklin school district in 1957 to Madison Central School to take the position of head basketball and track coach, along with duties as athletic director and assistant football coach. Cal completed his master’s degree in education and physical education from SDSU in 1959.
Over the years, Cal dedication to sports and student-athletes has been recognized in various ways. In 1970, he served as the honorary referee for the Madison Invitational Track Meet (Barker Relays). In 2001, he was inducted into the Madison High School Athletic Hall of Fame. His friend Ray Thomas established an annual scholarship at the high school in Cal’s name. The scholarship is given to a student who is active in sports, has compassion for people, and has enthusiasm for life; traits Cal Mathison displayed in both his personal life and professional career.
Cal’s enthusiasm for athletics didn’t stop at the doors of the local high school. He played for several years on a local independent basketball team. He also supervised the first summer city recreation program for the boys in the 1950’s and managed Junior Legion Baseball.
Cal married Colleen Kaiser in 1954. They had seven children. Cal passed away in 1988.
Maury Poppen – Men’s Basketball
Maury Poppen graduated from Madison High School and went on to the University of South Dakota, but transferred to General Beadle State Teacher’s College in 1955. During the three years Maury was at GBSTC, he led the men’s basketball team in rebounding and averaged nearly 20 points a game. He was named to the SDIC All-Conference Basketball team in 1956 and 1957 and was SDIC Honorable Mention in 1958. He graduated from GBSTC in 1959.
Maury went on to earn his master’s degree in secondary education and psychology from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff in 1970.
Following college, Maury took a job at Carthage High School where he coached all sports. Under his leadership, Carthage was named as the top six-man football team in the state in 1959. In 1962, Maury moved to Orange City, Iowa where he was an assistant coach in all sports.
In 1965, he moved to Las Vegas, Nev. where he coached and taught at Valley High School until his retirement in 1991. He began his coaching at Valley High School as the head junior varsity football coach and assistant baseball coach.
In 1969, he was named head baseball coach and his Valley High School Vikings went on to win the Nevada State Baseball Championship in 1970. He retired from coaching in 1973, but continued as a teacher of Psychology and Personality Development.
Maury and his wife Alice were married in September of 2000. They continue to live in Las Vegas as well as maintaining a home in Madison, where Maury can indulge his favorite pastime since retiring—golf.
In 2002, Maury and Alice established the Maury and Alice Poppen Endowed Scholarship at DSU. This scholarship will award $1,000 per year for four years to a freshman men’s basketball player who is in good standing academically.
Maury and Alice continue to show their support for the local teams, by attending sporting events at Madison High School and Dakota State.
Rick Fisher – Men’s Basketball
Rick graduated from Pontiac Northern High School in Pontiac, Mich. where he was a standout in football, basketball and track. He was selected to the All-Oakland Country football team as a quarterback his senior year. Rick was recruited by Coach Ed Harter to play basketball for General Beadle in the fall of 1964.
At General Beadle, Rick played basketball for four years, ran track for two years and was on the baseball team for one season. But it was on the basketball court where Rick displayed his quickness, hustle, and determination, which more than made up for his height (5-10 in the programs, but more accurately 5-7 or 8).
During his four seasons, the Trojans overall record was 61-34. Rick started as a sophomore, averaging 13 points per game and shooting 53% from the floor. The Trojans won their first SDIC Championship, finishing the season at 20-6 when Rick was a junior. As a senior, the team challenged for the SDIC lead all season, with Rick averaging 11 points per game, 54% shooting from the floor and scoring 27 points against NSU in the season opener.
Rick began his coaching career at Frost, Minn. in 1968. Under his guidance, his teams captured three Border League team titles, two District V Championships, and compiled a record of 91-37.
In 1974, Rick replaced the legendary coach Lloyd Stussy at Wells-Eaton. During his subsequent 21 years at Wells-Easton, Rick’s Wildcats appeared in nine District V finals, winning championships in ’79, ’84, and ’88. His ’84 team won the South Central Conference, District V, Region II, and the Minnesota State Basketball Consolation Championship.
Fisher coached his entire career at schools that were the smallest in their conference. His lifetime coaching record is 324-222 and he was selected as District V Coach of the Year five times and Region II Coach of the Year in 1984.
Rick retired from teaching and coaching in 1998. He is currently working as an Account Executive for Promotions 2000 and supervises student teachers for Minnesota State University at Mankato.
Rick and his wife Sharon live in Mankato and have three sons, Brad, Ryan and Dustin.
1966-67 General Beadle State College Trojan Men’s Basketball SDIC Championship Team
Under Coach Ed Harter, the 1966-67 Trojan men’s basketball team compiled the best record in the school’s history at 20-6. In addition to winning more games than any previous Beadle effort, the team earned their first conference championship, sharing the honor with DWU. The Dakota Wesleyan Tigers won the game that decided who would represent the SDIC in the District 12 NAIA playoffs with a last second tip-in shot.
The Trojans started the year with a five-game win streak before dropping a close game to the Westmar Eagles. In the conference play that followed, the team beat defending SDIC champs Northern on their court by a score of 78-73. More victories were in store for the Trojans, including a win against the Braves of Sioux Falls College. This particular victory, on the Braves’ home court, snapped a four-game losing streak in basketball and football to the Sioux Falls team.
Most of the games during the 1966-67 season were played before a packed house at the Fieldhouse. There was standing room only for the game between the Trojans and Dakota Wesleyan, won by the Trojans and ensuring them at least a share in the SDIC crown.
1996-67 General Beadle State COllege Men's Basketball Schedule
20-6 overall record; 10-2 SDIC conference record |
| Opponent |
Result/Score |
| Mayville State (N.D.) |
W, 97-80 |
| Northwestern (Iowa) |
W, 76-76 |
| Minot State (N.D.) |
W, 85-73 |
| Ellendale (N.D.) |
W, 96-73 |
| Dordt (Iowa) |
W, 91-59 |
| Westmar (Iowa) |
L, 78-81 |
| Northern State (S.D.)* |
W, 78-73 |
| Peru (Neb.) |
W, 71-61 |
| Yankton (S.D.) |
W, 90-86 |
| Yankton (S.D.) $ |
W, 90-87 |
| Sioux Falls (S.D.) $ |
L, 80-91 |
| Huron (S.D.)* |
W, 77-69 |
| South Dakota Tech* |
W, 79-64 |
| Black Hills State (S.D.)* |
W, 93-78 |
| Sioux Falls (S.D.)* |
W, 80-78 |
| Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)* |
L, 76-119 |
| Dordt (Iowa) |
W, 87-71 |
| Southern (S.D.)* |
W, 60-52 |
| Black Hills State (S.D.)* |
L, 64-72 |
| South Dakota Tech* |
W, 76-56 |
| Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)* |
W, 88-74 |
| Southern (S.D.)* |
W, 61-50 |
| Northwestern (Iowa) |
L, 63-84 |
| Huron (S.D.)* |
W, 79-65 |
| Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) # |
L, 69-70 |
$ - Huron Daily Plainsman Tournament
*SDIC Conference Contest
# - SDIC Conference Playoff Game (for SDIC representative to NAIA District 12 playoffs |
