PHOTO OF THE DAY: BLAST FROM THE PAST
It may seem random for today’s Photo of the Day to be a Courier file photo of Mike Pankratz wrestling for the Freeman Flyers at the 1988 State Wrestling Tournament, but not when considering the honor being bestowed upon him as a member of the Class of 2025 Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame at South Dakota State University. Pankratz is one of six former SDSU standouts inducted into the hall of fame Saturday morning, Sept. 27 and being recognized at halftime of the afternoon football game.
Pankratz, a three-time high school state wrestling champion who helped the Flyers to state titles in both 1987 and 1988, was a red-shirt freshman at SDSU before winning four NCAA Division II All-American titles, as well as back-to-back North Central Conference championships his junior and senior years.
He posted a 108-27-2 record with the Jacks and was just the fourth ever SDSU grappler to reach 100 career wins.
Watch for more on Pankratz in the upcoming issue of The Courier.
