The last four decades of the South Dakota sports scene has been analyzed, reported and viewed through the eye of a legend.
Ron Lenz, who lost his right eye to a grenade in Vietnam in 1967, has always loved taking the pulse of sports in South Dakota. Even though the South Dakota State sports information director is ready to retire June 30, his heart beats strong and loud for his career.
"I was always blessed to have a job where I thought it was fun to get up and go into work," said Lenz. "I never dreaded coming into the office. When you can get paid to cover sporting events, that is a great deal. You are not going to get rich in this business, but at least I am doing something I enjoy."
Lenz got much of his energy from the athletes with whom he worked. "Ron loves student-athletes," said SDSU athletic director Fred Oien. "Every time he has performed his duties, his focus has always been on what is best for the student-athletes. His dedication to them has been endless."
Oien said Lenz is also an invaluable source of information about SDSU. "Ron probably has the best overall view of our program since he was a student here (in the early 1960s). Some people have said the new (SID) can always go to the file cabinets. But Ron knows a lot more than what is in those file cabinets."
Lenz has viewed sports from some unique perspectives. He was a sports editor at Watertown and is the only person to ever serve as SID at the University of South Dakota and SDSU. Those schools once formed the biggest rivalry in the state before SDSU moved up to Division I two years ago.
Selby native and SDSU head football coach John Stiegelmeier listed several reasons why Lenz was a great sports information director: a servant attitude, a phenomenal work ethic and a passion for SDSU.
"His knowledge of SDSU athletics is amazing," said Stiegelmeier. "Not only did Ron serve all 21 sports, the coaches and the athletes here, he also served and gave back to SDSU. There are a chosen few that can be labeled True Jackrabbits. Ron Lenz is in that group."
Lenz is quick to credit others for his successes and longevity. He has worked with some South Dakota Hall of Famers, including Rube Hoy, Dan Lennon and Dwane Clodfelter at USD, and Stan Marshall. Harry Forsyth and Warren Williamson at SDSU. "I have been blessed to be in the right place at the right time," Lenz said.
His love of journalism began at Sisseton High School in a journalism class taught by Don Miller. His teacher hooked Lenz up with the Sisseton Courier, where he started working part-time for Grace Adams and her son Jack.
That led to a journalism major at SDSU. Which led to a position in the Jackrabbits sports information office.
"As a freshman, a friend asked me if I was looking for a job," Lenz said. "He said there was an opening in the sports information office. I didn't have any idea there was such a thing as a sports information director. But I applied, was hired in the spring of 1963 and have been hooked since."
Lenz recently hooked up with his 1963 boss. Two years ago when the SDSU football team played at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, the 1963 Jackrabbit SID Wayne Shaw drove to the game from his home in Medford, Ore. "Wayne had a picture taken with me, Cal Poly football SID Eric Burdick and George Ramos, head of the Cal Poly journalism department," said Lenz. "All of us had worked for him as a student."
Lenz has seen many changes in his 33 years as a sports information director. Among them:
"Going from long division to computers."
The increase in the "number of events and the overlap of the seasons; more and more Sunday competitions."
Huge coaching staff increases.
The media - "they used to run releases just as we sent them out. Now, releases are designed to provide basic information for their stories."
Lenz won't miss all the hours that it takes to be the legendary sports information director that he has become, but he will miss the people. It will be tough to give up his daily fix of dealing with athletes, the media and his many SDSU friends.
But it is time to go.
"My wife and I have both had health issues in the past year," Lenz said. "While we are currently fine, I just need to free some time for us. But I don't think you can go from working the hours that I have to nothing. That would be a bit extreme. So after a month off, I imagine I'll look for something part-time."
The Ron Lenz File Age: 62.
Family: Wife, Eris. Three grown children, daughter Jackie in Bloomington, Minn.; daughter Jennifer (Cotton) in Volga; and son Greg in Owatonna, Minn. Three grandchildren. Jackie and Greg are SDSU grads; Jennifer graduated from Northern State.
High School: 1962 graduate of Sisseton.
College: Attended SDSU 1962-66, then was drafted into the Army, returned and earned journalism degree in summer of 1970.
Military service: U.S. Army 1967-68. Served with Fourth Infantry Division in Vietnam, wounded Nov. 10, 1967, lost right eye.
Job history: Joined staff at Watertown Public Opinion in March 1968 as a news
Awards: Purple Heart. North Central Conference Meritorious Service Award. Prestigious Warren Berg (for national SID of year) and Lifetime Achievement awards from College Sports Information Directors of America. South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame board of directors and selection committee.
Wish him well: Well wishes can be sent to Lenz at: Ronald Lenz@SDSTATE.EDU or Ron Lenz, South Dakota State University SID, HPER Center 262, Brookings, SD 57007-1497.
Ron Lenz Memories
Lenz made the trip to Cuba with the USD basketball team when the Coyotes played there in the spring of 1977. That fall, Lenz had changed jobs, going to SDSU, and Cuba came to play at SDSU and USD along with a court full of media. "They had the London Times, New York Times, Los Angeles Times and all three major TV networks along with numerous other media types."
"The March 16, 1985, NCAA quarterfinal playoff game with Cal State-Hayward in men's basketball. SDSU won 62-58 and went on to play for the national championship. What made this one special was the line waiting for the Frost Arena doors to open. It wrapped all the way from the east doors around the building into the student union parking lot, and we had 9,339 fans! (second largest crowd in school history)"
"The Move to Division I. As much as I liked the North Central Conference, I don't have a doubt that SDSU made the right decision to move up. Once we get all of our sports into a conference, everything will be fine down the road.
"And what a great win when SDSU rallied from an early 21-0 deficit to defeat Southern 31-24 in Baton Rouge in 2004 for the first ever victory over a Division 1AA football opponent."
In Mark Ekeland's first season as head baseball coach in 1984, SDSU won the North Central Conference playoffs at Mankato, then was awarded and won the regional for SDSU's only trip to the national championship tournament in that sport.
The 1985 Hobo Day football game when SDSU defeated No. 1 and unbeaten USD 24-12 in front of 16,193 fans at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
The ABC-TV regional game of the week at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium in 1981. ABC had exclusive rights to televise NCAA football and part of the contract dictated that the network had to do a number of non-Division I games. "They picked UND at SDSU on Oct. 24 (SDSU won 28-16). The ABC affiliate at the time, KORN in Mitchell, didn't have a production crew capable of doing the game so ABC sent a Monday Night Football crew to Brookings. Chris Lincoln did play-by-play and Rick Forzano did color."
"When I was at USD, we beat NDSU 9-7 in football in Fargo in 1976. We led 3-0 most of the game. In the fourth quarter, NDSU returned a punt for a touchdown to take the lead. The Coyotes scored on a touchdown pass on the last play of the game."
There were some times to forget as well, like the March night in 1998 when Northern State's Ryan Miller exploded for 45 points in the North Central Region Men's Basketball Championship to lead the Wolves past SDSU 88-82 in Frost Arena in Brookings.
The loss that hurt Lenz the most was the 1985 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship game. SDSU lost 74-73 to an Alabama school. Unlike the Northern game, said Lenz, "we had the lead most of the game against Jacksonville. That was the most difficult loss to take."
Legend's retirement leaves void in South Dakota sports
The last four decades of the South Dakota sports scene has been analyzed, reported and viewed through the eye of a legend.
Ron Lenz, who lost his right eye to a grenade in Vietnam in 1967, has always loved taking the pulse of sports in South Dakota. Even though the South Dakota State sports information director is ready to retire June 30, his heart beats strong and loud for his career.
"I was always blessed to have a job where I thought it was fun to get up and go into work," said Lenz. "I never dreaded coming into the office. When you can get paid to cover sporting events, that is a great deal. You are not going to get rich in this business, but at least I am doing something I enjoy."
Lenz got much of his energy from the athletes with whom he worked. "Ron loves student-athletes," said SDSU athletic director Fred Oien. "Every time he has performed his duties, his focus has always been on what is best for the student-athletes. His dedication to them has been endless."
Oien said Lenz is also an invaluable source of information about SDSU. "Ron probably has the best overall view of our program since he was a student here (in the early 1960s). Some people have said the new (SID) can always go to the file cabinets. But Ron knows a lot more than what is in those file cabinets."
Lenz has viewed sports from some unique perspectives. He was a sports editor at Watertown and is the only person to ever serve as SID at the University of South Dakota and SDSU. Those schools once formed the biggest rivalry in the state before SDSU moved up to Division I two years ago.
Selby native and SDSU head football coach John Stiegelmeier listed several reasons why Lenz was a great sports information director: a servant attitude, a phenomenal work ethic and a passion for SDSU.
"His knowledge of SDSU athletics is amazing," said Stiegelmeier. "Not only did Ron serve all 21 sports, the coaches and the athletes here, he also served and gave back to SDSU. There are a chosen few that can be labeled True Jackrabbits. Ron Lenz is in that group."
Lenz is quick to credit others for his successes and longevity. He has worked with some South Dakota Hall of Famers, including Rube Hoy, Dan Lennon and Dwane Clodfelter at USD, and Stan Marshall. Harry Forsyth and Warren Williamson at SDSU. "I have been blessed to be in the right place at the right time," Lenz said.
His love of journalism began at Sisseton High School in a journalism class taught by Don Miller. His teacher hooked Lenz up with the Sisseton Courier, where he started working part-time for Grace Adams and her son Jack.
That led to a journalism major at SDSU. Which led to a position in the Jackrabbits sports information office.
"As a freshman, a friend asked me if I was looking for a job," Lenz said. "He said there was an opening in the sports information office. I didn't have any idea there was such a thing as a sports information director. But I applied, was hired in the spring of 1963 and have been hooked since."
Lenz recently hooked up with his 1963 boss. Two years ago when the SDSU football team played at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, the 1963 Jackrabbit SID Wayne Shaw drove to the game from his home in Medford, Ore. "Wayne had a picture taken with me, Cal Poly football SID Eric Burdick and George Ramos, head of the Cal Poly journalism department," said Lenz. "All of us had worked for him as a student."
Lenz has seen many changes in his 33 years as a sports information director. Among them:
"Going from long division to computers."
The increase in the "number of events and the overlap of the seasons; more and more Sunday competitions."
Huge coaching staff increases.
The media - "they used to run releases just as we sent them out. Now, releases are designed to provide basic information for their stories."
Lenz won't miss all the hours that it takes to be the legendary sports information director that he has become, but he will miss the people. It will be tough to give up his daily fix of dealing with athletes, the media and his many SDSU friends.
But it is time to go.
"My wife and I have both had health issues in the past year," Lenz said. "While we are currently fine, I just need to free some time for us. But I don't think you can go from working the hours that I have to nothing. That would be a bit extreme. So after a month off, I imagine I'll look for something part-time."