NSU football player shined on field, in classroom

Northern State football standout Lincoln Smith has a lot to be proud of, and NSU has a lot to be proud of in Smith.

He has been one of the most sturdy crewmates on a ship that has sailed in some stormy seas during his time in Aberdeen. But Smith, his teammates and coaches seem to have that ship headed in the right direction.

In his first three seasons, Smith and his Wolves were 5-28. This season, however, was a breakout year with a 5-6 record. NSU won its last three games, lost two of its six games by a total of five points, and were competitive in almost all of its games.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Smith was in the middle of it all. The former multi-sport standout from Philip - where he was an all-state football player and state champion wrestler - played in 40 games over his NSU career with 28 starts, 113 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Smith had a great season this fall on the field and in the classroom. He was not only a first-team all-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference player, he was recently named to the Capital One Academic All-American Team. Smith carried a 3.97 grade point average in business management.

Schmidt update

Kicker Foley Schmidt recently capped off his senior football season at Dartmouth College, making the all-Ivy League team for the third straight season.

He is the grandson of Ilene and the late Stan Schmidt of Aberdeen.

Foley made 11 of his 14 field goal attempts this season for the Big Green (5-5, 4-3 Ivy), including all five attempts over 40 yards. He started all 40 games of his career and leaves the school as its fifth all-time leading scorer in Darmouth football history, which dates back to 1881.

Foley, who will be working for Lazard Ltd. in the investment banking industry when he graduates in June, scored 186 points in his career. Myles Lane, a 1928 Darmouth graduate, holds the school record with 307 points followed by Al Marsters (212 points, 1930 graduate), Dennis Durkin (204, 1993) and Dave Regula (202, 1998). At Dartmouth, Foley played with the sons of Pittsburg Steelers owner Dan Rooney and former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula. He also has worked with former Aberdeen standout and Wisconsin All-American kicker Taylor Mehlhaff.

Foley's brother, Wyatt Schmidt, recently completed his junior high school season at St. Thomas Academy in the Twin Cities, Also a kicker, Wyatt already is being heavily recruited by Division I schools.

Career record in

only 40 games

In 40 games over less than two seasons, University of South Dakota senior basketball player Jodie Boss set a school record for career blocks.

The 6-foot-4 Columbus, Neb., native blocked seven Saturday night in Vermillion in USD's 73-48 win over Northern Colorado. She now has 136 blocks at USD. Jean Misterek had 134 for the Coyotes from 1983-87.

Boss spent her first two seasons at Wayne State College, where she is also that school's all-time leader with 168 blocks. So her college total so far is an amazing 304 blocks.

The Coyotes are off to a 6-2 start and also were helped Saturday night by Onida native and USD junior Alexis Yackley who had 11 points and 11 assists.

Swimming Coyote

University of South Dakota senior Elizabeth Hoffman is tearing it up in the pool.

The swimmer from Eureka has 25 wins (22 individual) this season. That makes an incredible 85 career wins. College swimming records in the state are shaky at best.

However, I am not sure any college swimmer has reached 85 career wins. Hoffman's sister, Alexandra Hoffman, finished her career at South Dakota State last season with 53 career wins, and Alexandra was thought to have been the most decorated swimmer in SDSU history.

John Papendick is the managing news-sports editor for the American News. Readers tell and email him with stuff plus he reads all the daily newspapers in South Dakota on a daily basis. Reach him at jpapendick@aberdeennews.com. Blog: aberdeensports.net/inthehuddle.