2006 Dakota State University Athletic Hall of Fame
| Inductee Name |
Title/Award/Honor/Athlete/Coach/Others |
| Danny Barker |
Coaching |
| John Collignon |
Coaching |
| Judy Dittman |
Coaching/Administrator |
| LeMar Nelson |
Men's Basketball |
Danny Barker – Coaching
Danny Barker graduated from General Beadle State Teacher’s College in 1956. He was a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and participated in track & field for three years.
Danny has stayed in Madison for his entire career. From 1957 to 1959, he worked at Lincoln Elementary as a teacher and coach. In 1959, he began working at General Beadle Campus High School as a teacher, head basketball and assistant track coach. From 1964 to 1975, Danny had various jobs in Madison High School. He was sophomore basketball, football, and head track coach. From 1967 until 1990, Danny served as Athletic Director. In 1977, he was named Assistant Principal.
Some honors that Danny had has include SDIAAA Hall of Fame (2003), Madison High School Hall of Fame (1999), SDHSCA Official of the Year (1998-99), Dakota State College Alumni Coach of the Year (1976), SDHSCA 25-Year Coaching Award (1982), Danny Barker Chamber Track Meet Honorary Referee (1981, 1990), SDHSADA Hall of Fame (1990), DSU Outstanding Educator Award (1990), SDHSAA Distinguished Service Award (1991), and SDHSCA Hall of Fame (1994).
Danny Barker lives in Madison, S.D. with his wife Shirley. His first wife, Marjorie, passed away. He is the father of two children, Susan and Steven (deceased 1990). He has six step-children, 20 grandchildren, and step-grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Since retiring, Danny enjoys archery hunting in Africa, Canada, and other states, and fishing on the Missouri River at Whitlock (he has a cabin there). Danny owns and operates an archery business that is located in his home where a large portion of his time is spent with his customers. Danny regularly attends athletic events, like wrestling, since several of his grandsons participated.
Danny attended high school at Thomas High School. He participated in all of the sports offered in high school and lettered in them all.
John Collignon – Coaching
John Collignon graduated from Dakota State College in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in Education with an emphasis on social studies and physical education. He played football and ran track.
After college, John was a teacher and principal in the Tea School district for six years. He taught social studies and physical education. He then moved to the Lake Central School District where he served in various capacities as the High School Assistant Activities Director, Intramural director, Head Wrestling, Football, and Cross Country Coach, and Assistant Football and Track coach from 1977 until 2002.
Some of the honors and activities John has been awarded and involved in include 8-time nominee for South Dakota Coach of the Year, South Dakota Cross Country Coach of the Year, 4 Cross Country Championship titles, 4 Cross Country Combined Championship titles, 6 State Cross Country Runner-Up titles, Dakota State Alumni Coach of the Year, and 5-year member of the South Dakota Wrestling Advisory Board.
John is married to Linda and has one son, Scott, and two daughters, Sara and Susan.
Judy Dittman – Coaching/Administrator
Judy Dittman began teaching and coaching at Dakota State in the fall of 1978 and during her tenure she has taught, coached basketball, softball, and track, was Director of Athletics from 1985 to 1996 and also 1999-2000, Director of Wellness Center and has served and chaired numerous committees.
Her basketball teams won nine SDIC Championships in 12 years (1979-1988, 1990 and 1991) with 8 consecutive conference championships from 1980-87. Her teams still hold SDIC records for most conference wins in a season with perfect 14-0 records in both 1982 and 1983. Her overall coaching record is 185-119 for a 61% winning percentage while her SDIC coaching record is 109-22 for an 83% winning percentage. Included in that domination is a 35-game win streak which extended from February 5, 1981 to January 21, 1984. Her teams still hold a number of records including seven of the ten spots for most consecutive wins including the top three sports and most points per game average in a single season with the top five spots.
In those 12 years, she coached one NAIA All-American, seven All-District players, four SDIC MVP players and 33 All-Conference players. In five of those 12 seasons, three DSU players were named to the 10-player All-Conference teams and in two years (1984 & 1985) four of the 10 players were from DSU. Nine of her players have been inducted into the DSU Athletic Hall of Fame and last year was another first when her 1983-84 team was inducted.
Coach Dittman was named SDIC Coach of the Year five times in seven years (1984-87 and 1990). In 1984, she was named South Dakota Women’s College Coach of the Year by the South Dakota Sportswriters Association.
In addition to basketball, Judy coached softball for three seasons. Her softball teams won two SDIC Conference Championships with a perfect 12-0 record in 1982 and an 8-1 record in 1983. The 1982 team was crowned the SDAIAW State Champions as they came through the loser’s bracket to defeat Mount Marty 5-0 and 8-6. The final highlight of the season came when DSU hosted the Region 6 Championship (teams from South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa) and finished third. Three members of the Lady T’s team were named to the Region 6 All-tournament team that year.
In 1992-93, Judy was chosen NAIA District 12 Athletic Administrator of the Year. As Athletic Director, Judy developed and implemented long-range scholarship fundraising programs with the initiation of endowed scholarships in the following sports: women’s basketball, men’s basketball, football, volleyball and track & field. Judy was inducted into the South Dakota-Iowa Conference Hall of Fame in 1998 and is the only female coach to be inducted. She was inducted into the Black Hills State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.
Judy was instrumental in beginning the DSU Wellness Center and served as the Director for a number of years. She is known for her active participation with committee work on campus and this spring was selected by a committee of her peers as the recipient of the DeWayne Mork Excellence in Service Award.
LeMar Nelson – Men’s Basketball
LeMar Nelson graduated from General Beadle State Teachers’ College in 1954. He was a four-year starter on the basketball team.
LeMar made his mark at General Beadle by setting the most points in a single game at 38 in conference play and 35 in non-conference play; he held these titles for a few years. Throughout his four-year career, LeMar scored a total of 1,004 points with 17.6 points per game average and a career free-throw percentage of 76%. LeMar was the SDIC second leading scorer and All-Conference in 1954.
LeMar was very involved on campus. He was the Student Body President, in several drama productions, editor of both the yearbook and newspaper, a member of Kappa Sigma Iota Honorary fraternity, and Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.
After college, LeMar taught at Chester, S.D. for three years and at Blooming Prairie, Minn. for 35 years. He retired in 1992. Some other things that LeMar has been involved with include playing baseball, choir member at Madison Lutheran Church, North Central Association Accreditation Committee member, community theater actor and director, National Security Seminar at US War College member, reporter for newspaper, and Board of Director for Boys and Girls Club. LeMar has received honors from the Region 1A Athletic Directors Association (Distinguished Service Award), Blooming Prairie Jaycees (2002 Lifetime Achievement), Minnesota High School Journalism Advisor of the Year (1986), and Minnesota Honor Roll Teacher of the Year (1966).
LeMar Nelson now lives in Blooming Prairie, Minn. LeMar and his late wife, Anne, have three daughters, Anne, Teri, and Renee. He also has three grandchildren and one great grandchild. Some of LeMar’s hobbies include coin collecting, music, reading, camping, sports, and movies.
LeMar started his athletic coaching and teaching career at high school in Chester High School in Chester, S.D. He participated in Boys’ State, speech, chorus, and basketball at Strandsburg High School in Strandsburg, S.D.
