NORTHERN TODAY 13 SPRING 2022 NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSI TY | News ATE THOMPSON definitely considers himself Northern State University’s number one fan. He likes the people of Northern, and especially NSU Athletics, including football, basketball and soccer. “A lot of coaches like me,” Thompson said. Thompson’s love of Northern and the NSU Wolves spurred him to start the Nate Thompson Scholarship for studentathletes. Recently, he held a successful fundraiser for his scholarship fund, in partnership with local business Lager’s Inn. Thompson and Lager’s owner Lowell Punt sold commemorative NSU mugs, with proceeds going toward the scholarship. Punt said he was asked about the idea by NSU Director of Athletic Development and Revenue Generation Laci Hettick. “Laci asked about us being involved in the GiveNDay this year and wondered if we would like to have Nate’s Scholarship as the focus of it,” he said. “We have done a Lager’s Mug promotion in March in the past and thought it would be fun to make it a community effort and something Nate would be involved in.” And it was a success: The sale ended April 9, and Punt said 500 mugs were sold, raising over $5,000. He thanked everyone for supporting Nate and his scholarship. “The response was amazing and shows just how much the Aberdeen community loves Nate Thompson,” he said. Thompson’s scholarship was established in 2008, Hettick said, and each year since 2009, a $500 scholarship has been awarded to a senior athlete in their last year of eligibility at Northern. “It has benefited athletes in a variety of sports over the years,” she said. “Since it is a named scholarship, Nate is invited to the NSU Foundation’s annual scholarship luncheon where attendees are able to sit with the recipients of their scholarship and have lunch. Nate enjoys this each year!” Thompson is proud of his scholarship and a proud supporter of NSU. He’s also proud of Lager’s, where he has worked for 17 years. “People treat me nice here,” he said. Punt said Nate is a fun person to be around. “He believes everyone should be nice to people, and that’s just the kind of person he is,” he said. “It is amazing the number of people he knows, the names he remembers and from all different activities he knows them from. If you go somewhere with Nate, you can’t be in a hurry. He has lots of hands to shake and people to say hello to.” NSU’s No. 1 fan holds fundraiser with local business to raise scholarship funds N Koehler Hall of Fame Field – The Facility Koehler Hall of Fame Field is the preeminent softball stadium in the Upper Midwest and one of the finest NCAA Division II facilities in the entire country. Named in honor of a generous lead gift from NSU alumnus Jim Koehler, the field consists of an all-synthetic turf field, in-ground dugouts, bullpens and batting cages, chair back seating, multiple berms surrounding the stadium, and a media/suite area directly behind home plate. Sports Complex Timeline The Regional Sports Complex was the final project of the Educational Impact Campaign, which also included a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and the Athletic and Recreation Fields project. Below is a timeline of the campaign: 2017: The collaborative NSUSDSBVI Educational Impact Campaign kicked off in November. 2018: Jerde Hall was razed in July to make room for the new SDSBVI. The Athletic and Recreation Fields opened in August, with the pavilion opening shortly thereafter. The project provided a new competition field for Wolves Soccer, new practice field for Wolves Football, and recreation space for NSU Intramurals and SDSBVI students. 2020: SDSBVI opened its brand new school in January. Located at the former site of Jerde Hall, the two-story facility includes bigger classrooms and modern technology. 2021: The Regional Sports Complex opened in September with the inaugural football game at Dacotah Bank Stadium. 2022: In March, the inaugural game was held at Koehler Hall of Fame Softball Field, also part of the Regional Sports Complex.
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