VERMILLION, S.D. -- The late Ruth Joanne Marske has been named the 2005 recipient of the Dan Lennon Award in a presentation made by USD head track and field coach Dave Gottsleben to the Marske family at the DakotaDome on Monday afternoon. "Ruth was a champion of track and field," said Dean Marske, who with other family members accepted the award. "I think she would have been proud and honored to receive this award. Linda Duba of Sioux Falls, S.D., who was a track and field athlete for Marske at South Dakota State, also addressed the audience at the DakotaDome. "Ruth was a tough competitor," said Duba. "She was a great, great track coach and a great mentor to the student athletes she coached."

Born on Oct. 14, 1933 at Andover, S.D., to Ernest and Louise (Hayenga) Marske, Ruth graduated from Andover High School, and then earned a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education from Northern State in 1955. In 1960, she received her master's degree in physical education from Colorado State College. She received post-master's degree credits at Pepperdine College, Chapman College and Northern Arizona, and she did doctoral work at Utah.

She was employed as a teacher at Wheaton, Minn., from 1955 to 1959, and as an assistant instructor at Northern State from 1957 to 1959. Marske received a graduate teaching assistantship from Colorado State College from 1960 to 1961, and the Garden Grove Unified Schools from 1960 to 1969.

Later, Marske was employed as an in instructor and teacher in the Jefferson County Schools from 1969 to 1970 when she became an assistant professor at South Dakota State University in Brookings. Marske began coaching highly successful teams in the old Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). Her state-title basketball teams during the 1970-71 and 1971-72 season had a combined 32-4 record at SDSU. In 1972, she coached SDSU to a South Dakota title in softball. From 1974-81, SDSU was state champion six times and runner-up twice in volleyball while Marske was head softball coach. She also was an outstanding track and field mentor. Seven times in the AIAW, SDSU was state champions. After the NCC was established, she won the first three outdoor championships and added two indoor titles. She was named NCC Coach of the Year four times. Marske led SDSU to a third place finish at the national outdoor meet in 1982 and her team was third indoors in 1985.

An award, the Ruth Marske Award, is named in memory of Marske, who passed away in 1990. Called the "guru of women's sports in South Dakota", Marske was a lifetime fighter for equal opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics.