Aug. 27—EMERY, S.D. — Once rivals and now consolidated school partners, the communities of Bridgewater and Emery each have longstanding traditions of athletic excellence.
With the introduction of a Bridgewater-Emery Athletics Hall of Fame, the past, present and future generations of greats will be preserved and promoted for the enjoyment of all.
The inaugural Bridgewater-Emery Hall of Fame induction banquet is set for Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Emery Auditorium. A social hour begins at 5 p.m. with the banquet at 6 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40, and the event will also serve as a fundraiser for Bridgewater-Emery athletics.
The inaugural class of inductees includes Brian Aamlid, Harold Koch and John Rinehart, all of Bridgewater, along with Lee Ibis, Terry Janssen and Steve Arend, all of Emery, plus Heather Wollman, the first inductee representing the Bridgewater-Emery teams. Two teams — Bridgewater 1961 boys basketball and Emery 1950 boys basketball — will also be honored. Individual bios for all inductees can be found at
"Seeing both communities and the school come together for such a great event is probably the biggest piece in my heart," said Brad Bartscher, who is a founding member of the hall of fame committee. "It used to be a huge rivalry, so to keep bringing everyone together is what I'm really looking forward to on Saturday night."
Founding an athletic hall of fame shared by the neighboring communities, separated by just seven miles, was an idea that Bartscher — who grew up between the two towns and attended school in Emery — had pondered for four or five years. In January, it quickly went from dream to reality with the formation of a 12-person committee that began laying the foundation to get the project up and rolling in time for the first class to be inducted this year.
"There are great people involved in all of this. Putting it all together in six or seven months wouldn't be done without the entire committee," Bartscher said. "I hope people can recognize how organized this project really is, and I'm looking forward to seeing our hard work all pay off."
Members of the hall of fame committee include Kevin Anderson, Todd Anderson, Brad Bartscher, Heather Bartscher, Mary Ernster, Steven Ernster, Mike Heiberger, Jerry Hofer, Christena Schultz, Scott Schultz, Doug Weber and Brian Weber.
Per the bylaws established by the committee, future classes of inductees, which could include athletes, coaches, teams and supporters, are set to include two individuals from each community and two individuals from the Bridgewater-Emery school. Athletes are not eligible for nomination until 10 years after their high school graduation.
Given the history Bridgewater and Emery have, both separately and since coming together as one school in 2010, Bartscher and company believe the Bridgewater-Emery Athletics Hall of Fame will soon boast a robust collection of memorable individuals and teams.
"One of the main reasons why I wanted to help get this going is because of the rich history of athletics in these communities. It's really second to none," Bartscher said. "To celebrate that together, it's going to be really enjoyable going forward. This is our way of giving back to the athletes of both communities, past, present and future."
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