PIERRE — High school girls athletics in South Dakota is getting a new champion.
Jo Auch, assistant executive director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association, is retiring in July after 16 years of serving as the administrator for girls athletics.
Auch’s replacement is former Freeman Public Schools athletic director Kristina Sage who has 35 years of service in Freeman. She has served as the AD there since 2017.
SDHSAA is responsible for state tournaments, the playoffs prior to state tournaments, student-athlete eligibility and the creation of rules and regulations. Auch’s portfolio of sports includes competitive cheer, competitive dance, sideline cheer, boys and girls tennis, volleyball, boys and girls basketball, gymnastics and softball.
Similar backgrounds
Auch grew up in Scotland. She was lucky enough to be a high school freshman in 1974 when Title IX kicked in and opened the door to girls athletics.
“That was when girls’ basketball started in the state of South Dakota,” Auch said. “We played nine games our first year, just on kind of a trial basis.”