BHSU at a Glance: Yellow Jackets overwhelm Fort Lewis on Swarm Days TKTK

SPEARFISH — This past week was Swarm Days at Black Hills State University. The football and volleyball teams enjoyed the comforts of home, while alumni, students and supporters decked themselves out in gold, green and black.

On the gridiron, the Yellow Jackets bounced back with a statement, overwhelming Fort Lewis with a 33-7 final score last Saturday at Lyle Hare Stadium.

Within A2 Arena in the Donald E. Young Center, the BHSU volleyball team came up short against UC-Colorado Springs on last Friday and fell to Regis this past Saturday. The Black Hills State cross country teams had a strong showing this past Saturday in Medora, North Dakota, as both the men and women took top billings at the Blue Hawk Invitational.

The Yellow Jacket women soccer team is still searching for that elusive first victory, dropping to No. 20-ranked Washburn and managing a 2-2 draw with Nebraska-Kearney. Both matches were part of the Nebraska-Kearney Soccer Invite.

The BHSU women's golf team is hosting the Black Hills State Classic on Monday and Tuesday at Spearfish Canyon Golf Course, the first time that the Yellow Jackets have hosted the tournament since 2020. It is the the largest tournament field in a BHSU hosted event, with 39 players from six different teams taking to the links.

Once the results are complete, a recap will be added to BHSU at a Glance.

Here's how the Yellow Jackets fared this past week on the field, on the course and on the court.

In their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener, the Black Hills State football team soundly defeated Fort Lewis with a 33-7 decision this past Saturday at Lyle Hare Stadium.

The Yellow Jacket defense was the collective star of the Swarm Days show, forcing three fumbles and kept the Skyhawks out of the end zone until 1:52 left in the contest. Redshirt junior quarterback Luke Duby had a great game, going 14-of-23 for 165 passing yards and one TD, while rushing for 33 yards and another trip to paydirt.

BHSU improved to 2-1, 1-0 in the RMAC, while the Skyhawks dipped down to 1-2, 0-1 in conference play.

The Yellow Jackets will be in for a huge test this weekend, challenging No. 5-ranked Colorado School of Mines at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Marv Kay Stadium in Golden, Colorado. Last weekend, the Orediggers (3-0, 1-0 RMAC) escaped Chadron State with a 13-12 victory in Chadron, Nebraska.

Following a first quarter where both sides exchanged possessions, the Jackets got rolling in the second quarter. BHSU picked up nice chunk plays, and with 13:11 on the clock, Duby scored from three yards out to provide BHSU with a 6-0 lead.

The momentum really swung toward the home team, as Hawai'i transfer Nasjzaé Bryant-Lelei captured the kickoff for BHSU at the Fort Lewis 23-yard line. Maintaining possession, junior Cameron Goods ran up the middle for a 27-yard touchdown.

With 13:02 until intermission, BHSU gained a 13-point advantage. Moments later, redshirt senior Mylic Ritche forced a Skyhawk fumble, which was recovered by redshirt freshman Rune Tepolt. Freshman Navarre Dixon III picked up his first collegiate touchdown on the Yellow Jackets' second play in the short field possession.

Despite completing the two-point conversion, it was ruled unsuccessful due to an illegal touching call. Redshirt senior Connor Boyd, who reeled in the catch, stepped out of bounds prior to the reception.

Within one minute and eight seconds, the Yellow Jackets built up a 19-0 lead with 12:03 remaining in the first half. That score would hold until halftime, despite the Jackets and Skyhawks recovering fumbles.

BHSU found the endzone once again early in the third quarter, when Dixon III recorded his second touchdown — this time from seven yards out. As redshirt junior Coleman Chapman split the uprights, the Yellow Jackets pushed their lead to 26 points with 8:30 left in the stanza.

BHSU would pick up one more score, as Duby scrambled out of the pocket and fired a pass to freshman wideout Jayden Williams for the 19 yard touchdown. Chapman booted the extra point to extend the Yellow Jacket lead to 33-0 with 10:13 remaining in the game.

Fort Lewis prevented the shutout with 1:52 left, putting together a 13-yard, 80-yard drive. From there, BHSU had the victory all locked up.

Goods had 65 yards rushing with one TD, complemented by Dixon III's 64 yards on the ground and two trips to paydirt. Williams wrangled two catches for 21 yards and one touchdown.

Junior linebacker Sebastian O'Farrell racked up eight tackles, as redshirt junior defensive tackle Kellen Collier totaled eight tackles, two and a half tackles for a loss, one and a half sacks and one quarterback hurry. Ritche produced five tackles, including two and a half for a loss, and two forced fumbles.

Returning to the court following the Yellow Jacket Classic, the Black Hills State volleyball team opened Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play against UC-Colorado Springs and Regis.

Due to those two setbacks, the Yellow Jackets moved to 4-6 overall and 0-2 within the RMAC.

Facing off with the Mountain Lions, BHSU came up short in a 3-1 (25-22, 24-26, 22-25, 21-25) match last Friday. This past Saturday, the Yellow Jackets battled valiantly, before dropping a 3-1 (25-23, 15-25, 24-26, 15-25) contest with the Rangers. Both matches took place at the Donald E. Young Center.

Against UC-Colorado Springs, graduate student Abigail Renner picked up 14 kills. Junior Sydnie Tuioti-Mariner total 32 assists, alongside junior libero Ellie Thomas' 22 digs and redshirt junior Randi Wellhoefer's six blocks.

Senior Brooke Miller paced BHSU against Regis with 17 kills, as Thomas compiled 21 digs. Tuioti-Mariner accumulated 39 assists, and Junior Emily Freeland reeled in two blocks.

This weekend, the Yellow Jackets will aim to bounce back in Colorado.

At 7 p.m. on Friday, BHSU will face off with CSU-Pueblo at Massari Arena in Pueblo, Colorado. The Thunderwolves (6-3, 1-0 RMAC) swept New Mexico Highlands, 3-0, at home this past Saturday.

At 6 p.m. on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets will met Adams State. The Grizzlies (2-8, 0-2) fell to New Mexico Highlands, 3-2, last Friday at the John A. Wilson Complex in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

It was a good trip to the north for the Black Hills State cross country teams, as the Yellow Jacket men and women earned first place team finishes at the Blue Hawk Invitational, held at the DSU Cross Country Course in Medora, North Dakota.

The BHSU men finished with 19 points, beating out Dickinson State's 72 points. The Yellow Jacket women fared even better, totaling 15 points to beat out MSU-Billings' 66 points.

Senior Sylvia Brown paced the ladies at the meet hosted by Dickinson State, winning the race with a time of 22:37.4. Freshman Emma Hofmeister was right behind, taking second overall with a time of 23:18.2, followed by sophomore Katelyn Krieger's fourth place showing and time of 23:34.3.

Junior Evelyn Boyd went fifth with a time of 23:42.9, as sophomore Alexis Weiers placed sixth with a time of 23:54.7. Sophomore Norah Entzi landed eighth with a time of 24:21.2, followed by sophomore Sierra Hopp's 10th place finish (24:30.8), freshman Alyssa Brandt's 12th place outing (24:42.9) and freshman Brynn Hillman's 16th place finish (24:53).

Freshman Emma Smith took 21st (25:23.5) and teammate Kadence Baun went 36th overall (27:52.6).

The Yellow Jacket had all but two spots in the top 10, led by junior Gavin Kuhlenbeck's victory and time of 25:28.3. Junior Braik Hurm placed third (26:38.8), followed by sophomore Turner Christians's fifth place finish (26:26.5), senior David Standish's sixth place showing (26:51.3) and senior Addison Red Fox's seventh place outing (26:57.3).

Senior Marcos Valerio landed eighth (27:02.3) and senior Justyn France finished 11th (27:09.2). Freshman Landrum Wiley went 14th (27:34.3), sophomore Caden Strasser went 21st (28:33.6) and freshman Alex Truax took 35th overall (29:53.7).

The Yellow Jackets will prepare to travel south, competing at the UAH Chargers Cross Country Invitational, set for 7 a.m. on Oct. 12 at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Black Hills State women's soccer team are still searching for that first win of the autumn campaign.

Victory eluded the Yellow Jackets once more at the Nebraska-Kearney Soccer Invite, held last weekend at Ron and Carol Cop Stadium at Foster Field in Kearney, Nebraska. BHSU dropped a tough 6-0 contest against No. 20-ranked Washburn last Friday, before picking up a 2-2 draw with the hosting Lopers.

These results move BHSU to a 0-3-3 overall record.

Against the Ichabods, senior goalkeeper Makayla Dannelly reeled in 10 saves.

In their Sunday match with the UNK, senior striker Page Hill provided a goal and an assist. Junior forward Anacel Valenzuela-Acosta also tallied a score and an assist for BHSU.

Dannelly had five saves against the Lopers.

The Yellow Jackets will go on a weekend swing through Colorado, opening up Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play against Colorado Christian. The match between BHSU and the Cougars (1-3-1) is slated for 3 p.m. Friday at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood, Colorado.

At 11 a.m. on Sunday, the Yellow Jackets will take on MSU Denver. The bout between BHSU and the Roadrunners (1-4-1) will take place at the Assembly Athletic Complex Soccer Field in Denver.

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