By Bob Bakken
MaxPreps.com
Girls' Basketball: Coaching Legend Tibbetts Dies of Cancer
Former Sioux Falls Roosevelt and Jefferson girls’ basketball coach Fred Tibbetts has died of colon cancer at the age of 48. He was first diagnosed with the disease nearly two years ago.
Tibbetts was the winningest coach in South Dakota girls’ basketball history. He coached Roosevelt to six state Class AA championships and a 111-game winning streak that went for five years from 1997 to 2002.
Before that, he coached Jefferson High School, located just north of Sioux City, Iowa, to five state Class B state championships.
Tibbetts coached teams that were always confident of victory. Roosevelt’s boys’ basketball coach, Bob Wilber, told the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader newspaper, "His girls felt no matter what the situation they'd be able to find a way, because Fred always believed that. He exuded that confidence. Not all coaches have that, Very few do."
Tibbetts began coaching in 1972 at Jefferson (now part of the Elk Point-Jefferson school district). He went on to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where his Coyote womens' teams posted a 66-47 record. Tibbetts then returned to Jefferson for four more years, before taking on the Roosevelt job in 1994, which he held before retiring three years ago.
His overall coaching record in 29 seasons was 551-101 at the high school level. His teams qualified for 19 state tournaments and reached the state finals 15 times. Seven teams were unbeaten.
In addition, Tibbetts also coached girls’ track teams at Jefferson to five straight Class A state championships from 1981-1985.
Gymnastics: Madison Sets National Record in State Meet
Madison won its 14th straight state Class “A” girls’ gymnastics team championship last weekend in Brookings, setting a national record in the process.
The title broke the record for consecutive girls’ gymnastics state championships, previously held by Sehome High School of Bellingham, Wash.
Madison totaled a state record team score of 141.896 to win the title, barely besting the 141.893 score they fashioned in winning their 13th straight title last year.
A youthful statement was made while Madison was setting a national record. Seventh-grader Sam Wiekamp of Deuel swept the Class “A” individual titles, including the all-around championship with a score of 38.099.
Wiekamp won the floor exercise with a score of 9.716, and the balance beam at 9.65. She added a championship in the vault at 9.433.
Meanwhile, the Class AA all-around winner came from Mitchell. Brooke Cersosimo finished her high school career with three individual titles enroute to an all-around crown.
Cersosimo won the balance beam with a score of 9.75, and also scored 9.8 on the floor exercise and uneven bars. Her all-around score of 39.200 fell just short of her record-setting 39.215 score set last year.
Girls' Basketball: Watertown Claims ESD Title
Third-ranked (Class AA) Watertown won its second Eastern South Dakota Conference girls’ basketball title ever in a 59-42 victory over Mitchell Saturday night. Watertown earned the title in combination with Pierre’s win over Brandon Valley.
The last time the Arrows won the conference title came in 1975, when girls’ basketball was played in the fall and not in the winter in South Dakota.
Watertown coach Pat McClemans told the Public Opinion newspaper the difference came down to board play. “For us it really comes down to rebounding. If we rebound well, we have been pretty successful. When we haven’t, we get in trouble.”
Watertown (14-5, 11-2 ESD) had a 34-16 rebound advantage in the game.
Junior Tara Heiser continued to lead Watertown’s offense with 21 points and eight rebounds.
