Side by side portraits of Lester Clarke, Chuck Welke and Roger Youngman

ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Northern State University Foundation will honor six Northern alumni and friends of the university at the 2022 NSU Hall of Fame and Distinguished Alumni Banquet.

The event will take place at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, in the Kessler’s Champions Club Room in the Barnett Center.

This year, the NSU Foundation honors the following individuals:

  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Lester Clarke
  • Kretchman Coaching Award: Charles (Chuck) B. Welke
  • Distinguished Alumnus: Roger Youngman
  • Hall of Fame inductees: Doyle Everson, Adam Kampsen and Rachel (Krogman) Rieger

 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

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Lester Clarke sitting at his desk

Lester Clarke is receiving the NSU Lifetime Achievement Award. Clarke was born in 1922 and grew up in Wessington, S.D. He received his B.S. in Teacher Education and Animal Husbandry from SDSU in 1943.

Clarke was called to active duty in the U.S. Navy in 1943 and spent two years in the South Pacific and Pearl Harbor. Upon his return to the United States, he married his wife, the late Charlotte (Wilson) Clarke, in 1945. Clarke left active duty in 1946, but spent nine years in the Reserves. He worked at Sisseton High School from 1946 to 1957, including eight years as teacher and four years as principal. In 1959, Clarke received his doctorate from the University of Wyoming.

His career with Northern began in 1959. Clarke was the face of the NSU School of Education for over 30 years, serving as professor, department chair and Dean of the School of Education. Clarke also served as NSU Vice President of Academics, and interim NSU President twice. Clarke retired in 1984 but continued as a teacher and member of the graduate faculty until 1992.

Clarke was also International Liaison, part of the first U.S. group allowed into China, an Educational Trip to FUDAN University, in 1979. The Clarkes housed international students, including Liane Dzau Shishnia, the first Chinese student at NSU. He also served as Superintendent of the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Longtime friends and supporters of Northern, the Clarkes have generously given many gifts to support the NSU Foundation. Original President Club members in 1972, they also created numerous endowments.

 

KRETCHMAN COACHING AWARD

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Chuck Welke

Charles (Chuck) Welke is the Kretchman Coaching Award recipient. The late Welke earned a B.S. in Secondary Education in 1975 and M.S. in Secondary Education in 1999, both from Northern.

Welke worked at Harrold High School (1975-1977) and Warner High School (1977-2010), teaching social science, health and physical education. He served as Warner’s athletic director for 15 years, and was middle and high school principal for five years.

In his 27 years as a head boys’ basketball coach, Welke’s record was 439 wins and 185 losses. This included numerous Conference, District and Region titles and nine appearances at the State B Basketball tournament. He also coached the Warner girls’ basketball team for four years, with a record of 48 wins and 31 losses.

Welke’s awards and honors include: 1993 S.D. High School Basketball Coach of the Year; 2008 S.D. Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame; 2009 Region 2 Athletic Director of the Year; 2010 S.D. High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame; and 2014 S.D. High School Activities Association Distinguished Service Award.

Welke and his wife, Ellen, have three children, Chuck, Joel and Amber, all of whom played basketball for the Warner Monarchs with Welke as coach. They also have eight grandchildren: Jada, Jasmine, William, Jackson, Preston, Jamison, Brielle and Evan.

Welke retired in 2010, and served as a South Dakota Senator from 2013 to 2014. In 2021, he passed away unexpectedly of cardiac arrest. Welke was passionate about his family, students and community. He strongly believed in serving others. His final act of service was to donate his corneas to Dakota Lions Sight and Health, resulting in two people regaining their sight.

 

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS

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Photo of Roger Youngman

Roger Youngman, NSU Distinguished Alumnus, graduated with a B.S. in math and physical science from Northern State Teacher’s College in 1963. He received an M.A. in math from Central Michigan in 1968, with three sequential summers at the National Science Institute. He is a founding member of the International Chapter of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (Military Schools, Germany, 1980). He served as ICONASSP President in 1983 and 1984. His community involvement includes: Lutheran Church, Bowdle; Protestant Church Military Communities, Japan, Azores and Germany; and basketball official, high school and military leagues, Japan, Azores, Germany. Youngman retired from the Department of Defense in 2000, and retired from the Conde School District in 2006. He lives in Aberdeen with his wife, Karen Kay (Dinger) Youngman. They have three children: James (Marisa), Scott (Myrl) and Todd (Lisa); and six grandchildren: Tyler, Mackenzie, Trace, Riley, Jackson and Elizabeth.

 

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

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Photo of Doyle Everson

Doyle Everson earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Northern. He in lives in Rapid City, working for Knecht Home Center. Everson and his wife, Margaret, together have six children, Erica, Francis, Donnie, Christopher, Harold and Jeremy; and 14 grandchildren. Everson had over 100 career wins, a 30-win season and was a two-time National qualifier. In 1985, he won second place in the NAIA National Championships; the Wolves finished third as a team that year. He is also a four-time NAIA National Qualifier and a 1987 NSFC Conference Champion. Everson holds the school record for most career points (600). He is a member of the S.D. Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2013) and Mitchell High School Hall of Fame (2009). In 1992, he coached the Miller High School Wrestling Team to a third place state tournament finish. He has volunteered as a South Dakota High School Activities Association Wrestling official for 30 years. At Mitchell High School, he was a three-time State Champion and one-time Runner-up, as well as a High School All-American with a 109-4 record.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Photo of Adam Kampsen

Adam Kampsen graduated in 2008 with a B.S. in Physiology. Kampsen played baseball for the Wolves from 2005 to 2008, ending with a career .391 batting average, .731 slugging percentage and 45 homeruns. He was a 2-time NSIC Batting Champion, the 2008 NSIC Player of the Year, 3-time NSIC All-Conference honoree, 2-time ABCA All-Region selection, 2-time NSIC Preseason Player of the Year, a 2008 ABCA All-America third team member, and the 2008 Top Slugger in the Country. Kampsen is the Northern State school record holder for single season on-base percentage (.544), and slugging percentage (.968), achieving both in the 2008 season. In addition, he ranks top-10 in career at-bats, batting average, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, triples, homeruns, runs batted in, stolen bases, runs scored, and walks. In his career, he has been named President’s Club Winner (top salesman) three times. He now works as a Medical Device Rep for Medtronic in Louisville, Ky. He and his wife, Erica, have two children: Jones and Lenny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Photo of Rachel Rieger, her husband, son and dog

Rachel (Krogman) Rieger graduated from NSU with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 2015, and a Master of Science in Education in 2018. She lives in Aberdeen, where she works as a teacher at Holgate Middle School but is transitioning to a position at Huff Construction in June. She and her husband, Jeff, have one son, Mason. Rieger played basketball for the Wolves 2010-2015, ending with 1,440 Career Points (7th all-time) and 980 Career Rebounds (3rd all-time). She is the school record-holder averaging 8.8 rebounds per game in her career. She is a single season school record-holder with 356 rebounds; a two-time NSIC All-Conference; CoSIDA Academic All-American; and NSU Hildred Wolfe Award winner.

Rieger is pictured with her husband, Jeff; son, Mason; and dog, Gunner.

 

About Northern State University

Northern State University is a student-centered institution that provides an outstanding educational experience, preparing students through the liberal arts and professional education for their future endeavors. A regional university, Northern offers rigorous academics; diverse civic, social and cultural opportunities; and a commitment to building an inclusive environment for all points of view. Northern also offers a broad-based athletics program, sponsoring 15 NCAA Division II intercollegiate varsity sports that compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC). The university strives to enrich the community through partnerships such as its Educational Impact Campaign, which opened a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; new athletic and recreation fields; and an on-campus regional sports complex. With the $55 million campaign, NSU has been the recipient of more than $150 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.

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