LOCAL SPORTS 3-30-23

South Dakota’s U14 boys hockey team are in Denver, Colorado as they begin pool play in the USA Hockey Tier II National Tournament, and one member of the squad is Yankton’s Luke Moeller.

            Moeller wears the #30 for Team SD, as their first game is set for 6:15 PM central time tonight against the Rhode Island Saints, they will play again tomorrow at 2:15 against the Carolina Jr Hurricanes, with their last game of pool play on Saturday against Valley Thunder (AK) at 4:15.

            The Yankton Bucks tennis team is (5-2) on the year as they return to the court today for a duel with Mitchell. The duel will take place inside the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center with first serve set for 2:00 PM.

            The Yankton Bucks baseball team are set to open their 2023 season this weekend with three home games over the span of two days.

            Yankton will meet Brookings at noon on Saturday to open the year, and play a double header against Huron on Sunday beginning at 2:00 PM. All games will be played at Riverside Park in Yankton.

            The Yankton Bucks and Gazelles track and field team will be in action on Saturday, as they travel to Brookings to compete in the ESD Indoor meet. Events will begin at 1:00 PM Saturday afternoon.

            The Mount Marty Lancers men’s and women’s track and field squad are in Wichita, Kansas, as today is the opening day of the Friends University Open. Events are set to begin at 11:00 AM.

            The Mount Marty Lancers men’s and women’s tennis teams will be on the road tomorrow, as they will travel to Fremont, Nebraska for a duel with Midland University. First serve is set for 3:00 PM.

The Mount Marty Lancers baseball team will be in Sioux City, Iowa this weekend for a 4-game series with the Morningside Mustangs.

The Lancers are (24-5) overall and (7-1) in GPAC play as they currently sit atop the conference standings. Morningside, (18-7) overall and (4-2) in the GPAC, are 5th in the conference. First pitch of game one on Saturday is set for 1:00 PM.

Gayville-Volin boys track coach Larry Buffington was honored recently as the recipient of the 2023 Dan Lennon Award presented by the University of South Dakota to recognize an individual for their contribution to the sport of track and field.

Buffington, a Gayville-Volin alum, has been coaching at his alma mater since 2000, was named South Dakota boys tack coach of the year in 2009 following Gayville-Volin’s state title winning season, has coached four girls’ cross country runners to seven individual state titles, and was the first inductee into the Gayville-Volin Hall of Fame in 2006. Buffington plans to retire from teaching and coaching following the end of the school year.