VERMILLION, S.D.–The University of South Dakota will host a pair of annual high school track meets on the Hillenbrand Track inside the DakotaDome in the next two weeks.
 
The opening meet, the Bob Prince Invitational, starts at 4 p.m. March 14. The prestigious Dan Lennon Invitational is split between Class A competition on Monday, March 20, and Class B competition on Tuesday, March 21. The Dan Lennon is slated to begin at 11:30 a.m. both days.
 
A schedule of each meet's events can be found here. Live results will be available on the day of the event here.

Carney, Stevenson to receive 2017 Dan Lennon Award

Buzz Stevenson
Former Dakota State University men's head track and field/cross country coach Buzz Stevenson has been involved in sports since his high school days in Ipswich, S.D., and served as both a coach and teacher for more than 46 years.
 
Stevenson, who retired from Dakota State following the 2014 season, was named the South Dakota-Iowa Conference Coach of the Year 14 times and twice named the Great Plains Cross Country Coach of the Year. Under Stevenson, the Trojans have accumulated 14 SDIC team championships. He coached a pair of Trojans to NAIA national titles and more than 60 NAIA All-Americans during 29 seasons as head coach at Dakota State.
 
Prior to Dakota State, Stevenson spent two years at his alma mater, Yankton College, and 14 years at the high school level. In 10 seasons at Huron High School, Stevenson led the boy's track and field team to the program's first ESD Conference title in 1976. He then guided them to two more in the following years. He also led Huron's girls cross country team to a state title in 1977 as the boy's team finished runner-up. Stevenson was named the South Dakota Boy's Track Coach of the Year in 1978.
 
A 1961 graduate of Ipswich High School, Stevenson was an all-state running back, track and field athlete, and basketball player. He placed in both the 100-yard and 220-yard dash at the South Dakota Championships in his junior and senior seasons.
 
Stevenson attended Yankton College, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1965. He was an all-conference wide receiver for the Greyhounds and a member of a pair of conference championship track and field teams. He received his master's degree in education from South Dakota State in 1973.
 
Stevenson has been inducted to the Dakota State Hall of Fame, Yankton College Hall of Fame and Huron High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He has also been an honorary referee at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays.
 
Stevenson and his wife of 30 years, Diane, reside in Sioux Falls, S.D.
 
Wayne Carney
Wayne Carney has held the post of Executive Director for the South Dakota High School Activities Association since 2001. In addition to his time as SDHSAA's executive director, Carney spent 31 years in athletics administration and 24 years as a coach.
 
Carney spent more than two decades between Agar High School and Hamlin High School as a social studies teacher, basketball and track and field coach, and athletic director. He also served as an Assistant Principal at Washington High School in Sioux Falls, S.D., from 1994-2001.
 
A member of the South Dakota High School Coaches Association (SDHSCA) since 1970, Carney was inducted into the SDHSCA Hall of Fame in 1993. He was also named the SDHSCA Athletic Director of the Year in both 1986 and 1993. He has served on the SDHSCA Board of Directors since 1980 and was the organization's president in 1986-87. Carney also spent five years with the SDHSAA Board of Directors and was the chairman from 1998-2000. Carney became a member of the South Dakota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association in 1973 as well.
 
On the national stage, Carney has belonged to the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) since 1985. He served as the president from 1996-97. Carney received Distinguished Service Awards from NHSACA in 1999 and 2011. He was inducted to its Hall of Fame in 2004. As a clinic speaker, Carney has addressed coaches throughout the region at numerous association meetings. He has also spoken at the NHSACA convention.
 
Carney graduated from the University of South Dakota with a bachelor's in education in 1970. He earned his master's degree in secondary education administration from South Dakota State in 1995.
 
Carney and his wife, Carol, reside in Ft. Pierre, S.D. They have three adult children, Julie, Shari and Shad. 
 
Former Dan Lennon Recipients
1991 - Dan Lennon of Vermillion, S.D.
1992 - Howard Conners of Vermillion, S.D.
1993 - Dwight Hauff of Sioux City, Iowa
1994 - Hod Nielsen of Yankton, S.D.
1995 - Dean Mann of Sioux Falls, S.D.
1996 - Dave Adam of Sioux City, Iowa
1997 - William Hillenbrand of Tucson, Ariz.
1998 - Jack Doyle of Vermillion, S.D.
1999 - Rich Greeno of Sioux Falls, S.D.
2000 - Bob Prince of Sioux City, Iowa
2001 - Greg Merrigan of Vermillion, S.D.
2002 - Jim Miner of Yankton, S.D.
2003 - Gene Danielson of Salem, S.D.
2004 - Mark Ovenden of Sioux Falls, S.D.
2005 - Ruth Joanne Marske of Brookings, S.D.
2006 - Rich Hanson of Sioux Falls, S.D. and Glen Nelson of Elk Point, S.D.
2007 - Derek Miles of Tea, S.D.
2008 - Dave Lorenz of Vermillion, S.D.
2009 - Volunteer workers of Vermillion, S.D.
2010 - Bob Winter of Yankton, S.D.
2011 - Ken Beringer of Vermillion, S.D.
2012 - Victor Godfrey of Watertown, S.D.
2013 - Jay Dirksen of Lincoln, Neb.
2014 - Bob Lowery of Pierre, S.D.
2015 - Mike Mahon of Des Moines, Iowa
2016 - Keith Joy of Vermillion, S.D. and Rod Knutson of Elk Point, S.D.