Rich Winter

605 Sports

PINE RIDGE — When the Class A girls state basketball tournament tips off Thursday, three more Carlow’s will be making an appearance at the state tournament. 

Cousins Olowan Carlow, Maikole Carlow and Ashlan Carlow-Blount are following in the footsteps of a family tradition started by their grandfather Mike Carlow when he helped lead the Pine Ridge boys to a state tournament appearance in 1968. The cousins are playing for Red Cloud at the 2023 state tournament in Watertown.

“Having the Carlow name on my back means a lot,” senior Maikole Carlow said. “Being able to have that legacy behind me and being able to carry it on makes me feel like I’ve done my part.” 

Grandfather Mike Carlow was part of the Pine Ridge boys teams that qualified for back-to-back state tournaments in 1968 and ‘69. 

Mike Carlow was part of Pine Ridge boys teams that qualified for the state tournament in 1968 and 1969 - Photo courtesy of Carlow family

Just over 20 years later his son Mike Carlow Jr. was part of a Red Cloud team that finished as runner-ups in the 1991 state tournament. Carlow Jr. was also part of a Red Cloud team that finished in third place in 1993. Carlow Jr. was an Academic All-State selection for Red Cloud. 

Mike Carlow's daughter Olowan Carlow is a junior on the 2023 Red Cloud team that plays Lakota Tech in the first round of the Class A state tournament Thursday. 

“Everyone in my family has accomplished things and I feel like we are all hard workers,” Olowan Carlow said. “Me and my cousins like making a name for ourselves too and like all having the same name and going out and using it in a good way.” 

Mike’s sister Michelle Carlow, Maikole Carlow’s mother was part of Red Cloud’s runner-up finish in the 1992 Class A girls state tournament. In 1993, Carlow was an all-state player and helped the Crusaders back to the state tournament where they nabbed a third-place finish. 

Sibling Artie Carlow Sr. helped lead Pine Ridge to a fifth-place finish at the 1998 Class A boys state tournament. His son, Rayhan Carlow was part of the Red Cloud boys team that finished fifth in the Class A boys state tournament in 2018. Artie’s daughter Tobi Carlow was a standout on the 2022 Lakota Tech team that qualified for the Class A state tournament. 

Sibling Mikki Carlow was on the 1993 Red Cloud girls team that finished in third place. She was also an Academic All-State selection. 

Sibling Amanda Carlow, Ashlan Carlow-Blount’s mother, helped lead Red Cloud to a fifth-place finish at the Class A state tournament in 1995. In 1998, she was part of a Rapid City Central team that finished seventh in the Class AA state tournament. 

Ashlan, who is Red Cloud’s top scorer at 15.6 ppg, said she’s ready to add her name to the list of family state tourney participants.  

“Being able to add my name to this list is really exciting,” she said. “It is a family tradition so I’m excited to add my name to that list of awesome family members.”

The last time the Red Cloud girls played in Watertown (2015), site of the 2023 Class A state tournament, Amanda Carlow was coaching the Red Cloud girls. Ashlan’s brother and Amanda’s son Riyen Carlow was an Academic All-State player on the Red Cloud boys team that finished fifth in the 2018 Class A boys state tournament. 

This is the first state tournament appearance for Olowan Carlow. Maikole was part of the Red Cloud team that qualified for the 2020 state tournament (COVID-19 year). She was also on Red Cloud’s fifth-place team at the 2022 Class A state tournament. 

Ashlan Carlow-Blount was a reserve on the 2022 state qualifying Red Cloud team that graduated just about every significant player. She said it is a blessing to be part of the continued pipeline of talent that comes through Red Cloud. 

“With so many good seniors last year I was a practice player that helped them get ready,” she said. “This year I’m one of the players that helped us get to state. It’s fun because the younger girls helped prepare us this year and the girls last year prepared us for this year.” 

Red Cloud (20-2) will play Lakota Tech (18-4) at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday at the Class A state tournament in Watertown.