Six selected for Jackrabbit Hall of Fame

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Record-setting performers in football, All-Americans in volleyball, basketball and distance running, and a two-time national champion in wrestling make up the 2019 class of the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame at South Dakota State University.

The six inductees represent the largest class in the 53-year history of the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame and bring the roster of honorees to 95. Induction ceremonies will be held during a brunch Nov. 9 at Club 71 of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on the SDSU campus in Brookings.

Tickets for the induction ceremony are available to the general public through the SDSU Alumni Association. Cost is $25 per person.

The inductees include:

 Paul Konechne, wrestling

• Brad Lowery, cross country/track and field

• Melissa Pater, women's basketball

• Roxie Rath, volleyball

• Les Tuma, football

• Ted Wahl, football.

PAUL KONECHNE

(graduated in 2002)

Konechne won back-to-back NCAA Division II individual wrestling titles at 141 pounds en route to becoming the SDSU career leader in victories, compiling a 137-30 record from 1998-2001.

A Kimball native, Konechne was a four-time All-American, placing sixth at 134 pounds in 1998 before finishing as national runner-up at 141 pounds a year later. He won the first of his two national titles on his home mat at Frost Arena in 2000, pinning Nebraska-Kearney's Kurt Karjalainen early in the second period of the championship bout.

Konechne repeated as national champion his senior season, turning in his second 40-win campaign in a row while finishing with a 40-3 mark. He went undefeated in duals (15-0) during the 2000-01 season and also won his second consecutive North Central Conference title.

In addition, Konechne was a CoSIDA Academic All-America selection in both 2000 and 2001, and was a three-time member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team.

Konechne was inducted into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.

BRAD LOWERY

(graduated in 2005)

Lowery won a combined six individual North Central Conference titles and helped lead the Jackrabbit men's cross country program through a successful transition into Division I during a standout career from 2001-05.

On the track, the Pierre native claimed the mile run at the NCC Indoor Track and Field Championships three consecutive years from 2002-04 and set the league record in the event in 2004 with a time of 4 minutes, 6.53 seconds, while going on to earn All-America honors with a fifth-place finish. He added another league title in the 3,000-meter run at the 2004 indoor meet and won the 5,000-meter run at the 2003 NCC outdoor championships.

Lowery continues to hold the SDSU indoor record for the 3,000-meter run (8:05.04) and held the outdoor record in the 5,000 meters (14:00.24) from 2005-17. He placed eighth in the indoor mile run at the 2005 USA Indoor Championships and later won both the 1,500- and 5,000-meter runs outdoors at the Drake Relays that same year.

In cross country, Lowery ran his way to the 2003 NCC individual title as the Jackrabbits ended their conference affiliation at the Division II level with their third consecutive team title. He would go on to earn All-America honors for the second year in a row with a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships, following a 15th-place effort in 2002.

After taking a redshirt year, Lowery marked his return to the cross country lineup in 2005 by winning the individual title at the 2005 Division I Independent Cross Country Championships as the Jackrabbits earned the team title.

Lowery also was honored for his work in the classroom by earning CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition two times and by receiving an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

MELISSA PATER

(graduated in 2003)

Pater led the charge for a Jackrabbit women's basketball program that won the 2003 NCAA Division II national championship.

A forward from Holland, Minnesota, Pater set a Jackrabbit single-season record with 681 points (19.5 points per game), en route to being named to the Daktronics Division II All-America First Team. She led all divisions of women's college basketball by shooting 65 percent (267-of-411) from the field during the 2002-03 season and finished with an SDSU-record .572 field goal percentage for her career.

Pater helped lead SDSU to its first NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance during the 2001-02 season as she averaged a team-high 15.3 points per game.

During the run to the national title in 2003, Pater averaged 21.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in three games as she was named the tournament's most outstanding player. She scored a career-high 31 points in an overtime victory over Bentley in the national semifinals, then tallied a game-high 22 points in a 65-50 win over Northern Kentucky in the championship game.

The Jackrabbits finished their championship season with a 32-3 overall record and claimed a share of the North Central Conference title for the first time.

A two-time all-North Central Conference selection, Pater ended her career with a then-SDSU-record 1,747 points. That total currently ranks fifth in program history.

ROXIE RATH

(graduated in 2000)

Rath was the first Jackrabbit volleyball player to earn first-team All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association, receiving the honor during her senior season in 1998.

The Doniphan, Nebraska, native also was the first SDSU volleyball player to be named North Central Conference Most Valuable Player after recording 417 kills, 240 digs, 113 blocks and a .343 hitting percentage as a senior.

A two-time all-region selection as a middle hitter, Rath helped lead the Jackrabbits to the first two NCAA Division II postseason appearances in program history in 1997 and 1998. She ended her career as the SDSU career leader in block assists with 301, while also ranking second in service aces (173), third in kills (1,230), third in hitting percentage (.278) and sixth in solo blocks (117).

LES TUMA

(graduated in 1974)

Tuma led South Dakota State in rushing three consecutive years from 1971-73 and finished as the Jackrabbits' career rushing leader with 3,018 yards - a total that still ranks sixth in program history.

Originally from Mahaska, Kansas, Tuma became the third SDSU back to post consecutive 1,000-yard seasons for rushing, tallying 1,061 in 1972 and 1,052 in 1973. His 1,061 yards in 1972 stood as a Jackrabbit single-season school record for 12 years.

An all-North Central Conference honoree and a team captain in 1973, Tuma scored 26 career touchdowns - 20 rushing, five receiving and one on a kickoff return.

TED WAHL

(graduated in 1989)

Wahl was a dual threat at quarterback for the Jackrabbits from 1985-88, setting a dozen school records in the process.

A native of Jamestown, North Dakota, Wahl led the North Central Conference in total offense in 1986 with an average of 278.8 yards per game in league play and established a school record that stood for 30 years with an average of 269.5 yards for the entire season.

Wahl completed his playing career in 1988 by being named the NCC Most Valuable Back. He finished his playing days with six career school records, four single-season marks and single-game records for completions (32) and total offense (439).

Although all of Wahl's school records have been surpassed, he still ranks third on the SDSU career charts for total offense (7,245 yards), fourth in passing yards (6,016) and fifth in touchdown passes (43).