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Mar. 24—MITCHELL — State champion leaders Pat Ruml, of Howard, and Stephanie McCord, of Kimball/White Lake, have been honored by the South Dakota High School Coaches Association as the coaches of the year in their respective sports.
Ruml has been named the SDHSCA football coach of the year for 2024-25 following Howard's undefeated season and state championship in Class 9A. McCord earned coach of the year honors in girls cross country after KWL won the Class B state championship.
Ruml coached at McCook Central prior to becoming the head coach in Howard in 2008. He also had assistant coaching experience at Dakota Valley, Waverly-South Shore and Stickney/Mount Vernon. Ruml also played for the Stickney/Mount Vernon squad as a player.
Under Ruml's leadership, Howard has played for state championships in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2024, winning titles in 2009, 2014, 2021 and 2024. With three state title game appearances in the last four seasons, the Tigers have had a combined record of 43-3.
McCord, who was also selected as the Class B region coach of the year for 2024, led the Wildkats to the state title in Rapid City, with KWL placing three runners in the top-15 to claim the team title, led by Alli McCord in fourth, Lily Baker in fifth and Autumn Baker in 13th. It was KWL's third Class B girls cross country title in five years, adding to its back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021.
These coaches will be recognized at the annual awards banquet at 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 20, 2025, to be held at the Mitchell High School Performing Arts Center, 821 N. Capital St.
The SDHSCA fall 2025 coach of the year award winners (Other nominees are listed with each winner):
* Competitive cheer: Casie King, Sioux Valley. Nominees: Valerie Ewing, Winner, Brandee Kelsey, Wolsey-Wessington; Bruce Kleinsasser, Aberdeen Central; Eve Langerock, Harrisburg
* Competitive dance: Robyn Murphy, Yankton. Nominees: Ashley Hoffman, Brandon Valley, Thomas Nguyen, Harrisburg; Amanda Stoeser, Pierre
* Girls soccer: Hailee Fischer, Harrisburg. Nominees: Sheila Diercks, O'Gorman; Ethan Poulter, Sioux Falls Christian; Logan Schaefers, Sioux Falls Washington; Luis Usera, Rapid City Stevens
* Boys soccer: Jory Wipf, James Valley Christian. Nominees: Lance Mohr, Aberdeen Central, Alex Nelson, Sioux Falls Lincoln; Curt Nelson, Vermillion, Michael Olson, O'Gorman
* Girls cross country: Stephanie McCord, Kimball/White Lake. Nominees: Kris Boekelheide, Northwestern; Matt Genrich, Harrisburg; Luke Vander Leest-Sioux Falls Christian
* Boys cross country: Ralph Kroetch, Philip. Nominees: Julie Holdeman, Mitchell Christian; Luke Jelen, Sioux Falls Lincoln; Luke Vander Leest, Sioux Falls Christian
* Football: Pat Ruml, Howard. Nominees: Shawn Flanagan, Lennox, Jared Fredenburg, Sioux Falls Lincoln, John Hodorff, Watertown, Tom Moore, Sully Buttes; Jeff Sheehan, Hamlin
* Volleyball: Erica Fersdahl, Dell Rapids. Nominees: Ronette Costain, Harrisburg; Kari Jung, Warner; Erik Krenz, Dakota Valley; Jean O'Hara, Chester Area.
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Ruml has been named the SDHSCA football coach of the year for 2024-25 following Howard's undefeated season and state championship in Class 9A. McCord earned coach of the year honors in girls cross country after KWL won the Class B state championship.
Ruml coached at McCook Central prior to becoming the head coach in Howard in 2008. He also had assistant coaching experience at Dakota Valley, Waverly-South Shore and Stickney/Mount Vernon. Ruml also played for the Stickney/Mount Vernon squad as a player.
Under Ruml's leadership, Howard has played for state championships in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2024, winning titles in 2009, 2014, 2021 and 2024. With three state title game appearances in the last four seasons, the Tigers have had a combined record of 43-3.
McCord, who was also selected as the Class B region coach of the year for 2024, led the Wildkats to the state title in Rapid City, with KWL placing three runners in the top-15 to claim the team title, led by Alli McCord in fourth, Lily Baker in fifth and Autumn Baker in 13th. It was KWL's third Class B girls cross country title in five years, adding to its back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021.
These coaches will be recognized at the annual awards banquet at 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 20, 2025, to be held at the Mitchell High School Performing Arts Center, 821 N. Capital St.
The SDHSCA fall 2025 coach of the year award winners (Other nominees are listed with each winner):
* Competitive cheer: Casie King, Sioux Valley. Nominees: Valerie Ewing, Winner, Brandee Kelsey, Wolsey-Wessington; Bruce Kleinsasser, Aberdeen Central; Eve Langerock, Harrisburg
* Competitive dance: Robyn Murphy, Yankton. Nominees: Ashley Hoffman, Brandon Valley, Thomas Nguyen, Harrisburg; Amanda Stoeser, Pierre
* Girls soccer: Hailee Fischer, Harrisburg. Nominees: Sheila Diercks, O'Gorman; Ethan Poulter, Sioux Falls Christian; Logan Schaefers, Sioux Falls Washington; Luis Usera, Rapid City Stevens
* Boys soccer: Jory Wipf, James Valley Christian. Nominees: Lance Mohr, Aberdeen Central, Alex Nelson, Sioux Falls Lincoln; Curt Nelson, Vermillion, Michael Olson, O'Gorman
* Girls cross country: Stephanie McCord, Kimball/White Lake. Nominees: Kris Boekelheide, Northwestern; Matt Genrich, Harrisburg; Luke Vander Leest-Sioux Falls Christian
* Boys cross country: Ralph Kroetch, Philip. Nominees: Julie Holdeman, Mitchell Christian; Luke Jelen, Sioux Falls Lincoln; Luke Vander Leest, Sioux Falls Christian
* Football: Pat Ruml, Howard. Nominees: Shawn Flanagan, Lennox, Jared Fredenburg, Sioux Falls Lincoln, John Hodorff, Watertown, Tom Moore, Sully Buttes; Jeff Sheehan, Hamlin
* Volleyball: Erica Fersdahl, Dell Rapids. Nominees: Ronette Costain, Harrisburg; Kari Jung, Warner; Erik Krenz, Dakota Valley; Jean O'Hara, Chester Area.
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