By Rich Winter

605 Sports 

An outstanding year for the Jones County girls athletic programs who dazzled their fans, made it to state tournaments and set records that girls in Murdo will be staring at for the next twenty years.

When it was time for postseason awards from the Western Great Plains Conference, in which the Jones County girls compete, the Lady Coyotes were recognized. Of the five sports contested in the conference, Jones County girls were named MVP of all five sports. 

2023 Western Great Plains Conference MVP’s for athletics

• Jolie Dugan: Conference MVP in cross-country and track

• Mallory Valburg: Conference MVP in volleyball

• Jadyn Jensen: Conference MVP in basketball

• Kamri Kittelson: Conference MVP in golf

Jones County senior Jolie Dugan ran the last races of a decorated Jones County running career at the Class B state track meet - Photo courtesy of Barbara Hockenbary.

Recapping the 2022-23 Jones County girls sports seasons

• In the fall the volleyball team began their season on a 27-game winning streak. The girls reached the So Dak 16 before falling to Freeman, coming up just one game short of the state tournament. 

• In October, Jones County senior Jolie Dugan wrapped up a brilliant cross-country career for the Lady Coyotes. The 2018 Class B state cross country champion finished seventh at the Class B state cross country meet in 2023.

• The Jones County girls basketball team, led by a group of mostly seniors qualified for the state tournament when they defeated Centerville 54-37 in the So Dak 16. The Lady Coyotes finished their season 19-6 coming home with a sixth place finish from the Class B state tournament. 

• At the 2022 Class B state golf tournament then Jones County sophomore Kamri Kittelson shot rounds of 82/86 to tie for third place. 

Jones County junior golfer Kamri Kittelson was named the Western Great Plains Golfer of the year while finishing third in the 2022 South Dakota Class B girls state golf tournament - Photo courtesy of Barbara Hockenbary.

• At the 2023 Class B state track meet Jolie Dugan etched her name further into the Jones County record books. Dugan, who already held the 3,200-meter run for her school (12:05.87) dug deep in her final individual race, the 1600-meter run, finishing in seventh place (5:24.95). That effort broke the school record of Kelly Greve (5:28, 1997). In her final race as a Jones County prep athlete Dugan teamed with fellow seniors Emma Hunt, Jadyn Jensen and seventh grader BreAna Aske to finish fourth in the Class B 1,600-meter relay (4:11.49). That time slashed almost three seconds off the 1992 record (4:14.21) held by Carrie Kinsley, Kara Kinsley, Vicki Fedderson and Amy Brost. Earlier this season the medley relay team of Kendal Kinsley, Jadyn Jensen, BreAna Aske and Jolie Dugan set a school record in the medley relay (4;23.09). That effort broke the 2022 record of Madelyn Host, Kendal Kinsley, Mallory Valburg and Jolie Dugan. One final track note, senior Emma Hunt who already holds the school record in the 300-meter hurdles (:48.94) also broke the school record in the 100-meter hurdles this spring (:17.08). 

Jones County senior Mallory Vallburg was the Western Great Plains Conference volleyball player of the year. Vallburg will be taking her volleyball talents to Dakota Wesleyan this fall - Photo courtesy of Barbara Hockenbary

While these Jones County girls got it done on all athletic surfaces this season they also got it done in the classroom. 

Jadyn Jensen (4.0), Mallory Valburg (3.97) and Jolie Dugan (3.95) were the top-three students in the Jones County graduating class of 2023. 

Class B schools the size of Jones County don’t send athletes to play collegiate sports every year. The class of 2023 will be sending four student athletes to the next level. 

• Emma Hunt:  Northern State, track and field

• Jolie Dugan: Northern State, cross country and track

• Mallory Valburg: Dakota Wesleyan, volleyball

• Jadyn Jensen: Mount Marty, basketball.