By Rich Winter

605 Sports

WALL — Entering her eighth-grade year, Wall’s Nora Dinger had a tough decision on her hands. 

Dinger had to decide whether she would continue in gymnastics, a sport where she made the state tournament with her team as a seventh grader, or to play varsity basketball for the Wall Eagles. 

“It was a hard decision to know that I would never compete in gymnastics again,” Dinger said. “I really stopped and thought about college and my future and at that point I felt stronger and more competitive in basketball.”

Dinger began doing gymnastics and playing basketball in the second grade. Dinger said she and several friends would go to ‘Just Gymnastics’ in Rapid City several times a week and then have practice in Wall with a team that was composed of Wall, Philip and Kadoka athletes. 

Dinger practiced with the varsity gymnastics team from fifth-grade through her seventh-grade year. 

“We went to state as a team,” she said. “I didn’t have the experience to be really successful at that time but we did make it as a team.” 

A naturally gifted and strong athlete Dinger said gymnastics helped her overall fitness. 

“I liked gymnastics because it helps with mental toughness and strength and coordination,” she said. “ I liked the team bonding aspect of it and it was something I liked to do for fun at the time.”

The Wall High School senior said bars were her favorite apparatus because of her upper body strength. The dancing part of the floor exercise was Dinger’s least favorite apparatus. 

Wall's Nora Dinger competes on the balance beam - Courtesy Photo

Strength has always been one of Dinger’s biggest assets. On the basketball court Dinger is only 5-foot-5 but that strength helps her shake off defenders and absorb contact on her way to the rim. 

“I’ve always been strong,” she said. “I’ve been doing some hard corp weight lifting and I lift every morning, Monday through Thursday.” 

Dinger was the first player off the bench her eighth-grade year and has started every game from ninth grade until now. In 2023, she helped lead the Eagles to the Class B state championship game with a win over top-seeded Wolsey-Wessington in the semifinals. 

“I never expected that but we started playing and the momentum just kept building,” she said. “It was a really good time and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. 

Entering Thursday’s SoDak 16 game against Colman-Egan, Dinger is averaging 12.4 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, 5.1 assists per game and 2.8 steals per game. Earlier this season, she scored her 1,000th career point at the Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City. 

For the past four seasons, the Wall girls have been the toast of the town and Dinger paid tribute to the people that come to support the girls. 

“Just the fans and everyone has been supportive,” she said. “The success we’ve had and all of these people continue to support us and it’s just amazing that everyone takes the time to come support us in a sporting activity.”

A school record-holder in the 400-meter relay and 800-meter relay, Dinger plans to continue her basketball career at Dakota Wesleyan University.