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605 Sports
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St. Francis Indian School's Lema Leader Charge receives Distinguished Service Award
St. Francis track and field coach Lema Leader Charge was presented a Distinguished Service Award from SDHSAA President, Dan Swartos
Photo courtesy of South Dakota Public Broadcasting
Jun 2, 2023
 

By Rich Winter

605 Sports

SIOUX FALLS — For St. Francis Indian School track and field coach, Lema Leader Charger,  her career came full circle Saturday when she was awarded the Distinguished Service Award at the 2023 South Dakota state track meet. 

Lema (LaPointe) Leader Charge took her formative steps in athletics as a student at St. Francis Indian School. While there Leader Charge was a four-sport athlete competing in cross country, track and field, volleyball and basketball.

Leader Charge won Class A titles in the discus in 1981 and 1983. She also placed in the shot put and she placed sixth at the National Junior Olympics in the javelin. Leader Charge was named the SDIC athlete of the year in 1981 and 1983, 

Leader Charge attended the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. where she received a B.S. degree in Education. Leader Charge was a four sport athlete at Mary and a two-year discus finalist. She also earned NAIA All-American honors in the javelin while in college. 

Leader Charge has spent the last 35 years teaching and coaching at St. Francis Indian School, Todd County, White River and Red Cloud. Leader Charge’s Distinguished Service Award introduction said she was inspired by many wonderful coaches but her mentor was the great Galen Busch (Hall-of–Fame volleyball coach at Todd County high school). 

Among her coaching accolades Leader Charge was the 2005, Area Seven Assistant track coach of the year from the South Dakota High School Coaches Association. Leader Charge was recognized for 25 years of coaching in 2013/2014. Leader Charge has been part of teams that have won District and Regional titles and in 1993 she was an assistant coach on the 1993 Todd County state volleyball championship team. 

She has coached teams that have won Lakota Nation Invitationals and she has coached teams that have gone to the state cross country meet and teams that have competed in the state track meet.

Lema is married to Jim Leader Charge and they have four children, James, Russel, Nellie and Frederick.