South Dakota State University Men's Soccer

Wedemeyer has become synonymous with womens soccer at South Dakota State. Entering his 17th year at the helm of the program he built, Wedemeyer will try to guide his talented, veteran team to a third-straight Summit League Tournament championship.        Last season, the Jackrabbits collected nine shutouts en route to their third consecutive winning season. Along the way they captured their second-straight 2015 Summit League Tournament title and appearance in the NCAA College Cup. Finishing the regular season 12-6-3 overall and 5-1-2 in the league, SDSU entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed, but proceeded to knock out Oral Roberts and shut out top-seeded North Dakota State for the title. Wedemeyer earned his 150th career win in the semifinal match.     In 2014, SDSU captured its second Summit League Tournament Championship crown in dramatic fashion, topping Denver, 5-4, in penalty kicks. Tori Poole, who became the first freshman to be named Tournament MVP in Summit League history, sealed the victory for the Jackrabbits, sending them to their second NCAA College Cup. South Dakota State also won its fourth regular-season title, posting a 5-2-1 record. Against Oral Roberts Oct. 12, Wedemeyer secured his 100th career Division I victory as the Jackrabbits blanked the Golden Eagles, 3-0.      Building a Winning Tradition     SDSU did not have to wait long for its womens soccer team to start racking up wins, titles and honors under Wedemeyers watch.     In just 17 years, Wedemeyer built a Division II soccer program from scratch and led his team through its transition to Division I play. In their fifth season at the DI level, the Jackrabbits earned their first trip to the NCAA tournament. There, they recorded their first NCAA postseason victory, a 1-0 win over then-No. 14 Colorado. SDSU has since reached the double digits in wins seven of the past eight seasons and missed the postseason just once.  From The Ground Up     In 2000, Wedemeyer launched a Division II womens soccer program at SDSU with a roster of 19 players, just 6 of whom had previous collegiate experience. The roster also included six freshmen and four women who had played club soccer at SDSU in 1999. The roster was put together in just six months.  SDSU posted a 5-12-0 record in its inaugural season. The team went 1-8-0 in the North Central Conference. Youth Lead SDSU to Postseason Berth     The following season, Wedemeyer welcomed a freshman class of 14 to SDSU. Even though they were young and relatively inexperienced, the Jackrabbits posted their first winning season en route to earning their first berth in the NCCs four-team tournament. For his efforts, Wedemeyer was named the 2001 NCC Coach of the Year.     In 2003, Wedemeyer had his first player earn all-American honors. Senior Erin Miller posted a .915 save percentage and a 0.51 GAA, program records that still stand to this day. For her efforts, Miller was named the NCC Player of the Year and was honored as a second-team all-American. SDSU Makes Transition to Division I     When South Dakota State decided to move its athletic department to the Division I level, Wedemeyer was left with the unenviable task of recruiting players into a program that was not eligible for the NCAA postseason and did not have a conference affiliation.     Wedemeyer accepted the challenge even though it came with low points. The program returned to where it was three years earlier, posting a 5-11-1 record during its first season at the DI level in 2004.  That season, the Jackrabbits faced 11 DI opponents. On Sept. 12, they earned their first DI win, defeating Western Illinois, 2-0, at the Diadora Classic in Omaha, Neb. In 2005, the Jackrabbits endured another five-win season but made positive strides, recording wins over DI foes Northern Iowa, Montana and Murray State and holding Big Ten member Minnesota scoreless Sept. 11. Wedemeyer Leads Jacks to First Title     SDSU joined the United Soccer Conference for its 2006 campaign. Through their first five games, the Jackrabbits posted a 3-1-1 record. But the team went 0-7-1 in its next eight games, scoring just one goal over that stretch. Four of those losses were by scores of 1-0. The Jackrabbits did not lose confidence in themselves and ran off a 5-1-1 record to close the season. In the USC tournament, goalkeepers Nicole Lograsso and Jenn Davis combined for three-straight shutouts to lead the Jackrabbits to their first conference tournament title at any level.      NCAA College Cup Contender     The 2007 season marked the first year for SDSU as a member of The Summit League. In 2008, the Jackrabbits became a full Division I member, meaning they were finally eligible for NCAA postseason competition.     And, in its first season of eligibility, Wedemeyer put his team in position to earn its first NCAA tournament berth. After winning The Summit League regular-season title with a 7-1-0 record, the Jackrabbits won the conference tournament, earning a trip to the NCAA College Cup.     In the first round, Wedemeyers team pulled off its biggest upset in program history, taking down No. 14, fourth-seeded Colorado, 1-0.  The win generated national attention and buzz throughout South Dakota, culminating in Wedemeyer being tabbed as the Soccerbuzz.com runner-up coach of the year and the South Dakota Sportswriters Womens College Coach of the Year.     That season, Wedemeyer coached six Summit League all-conference selections, two all-newcomer team members, the Summit Leagues Defensive Player of the Year and a CoSIDA Academic All-American. Outside of South Dakota State                  Wedemeyers involvement in soccer is not limited to SDSU. He serves as a National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Staff Coach and has traveled the country conducting coaching certification and running clinics over the past 20 years.     In the summer of 2002, Wedemeyer added another title to his list of coaching credentials. He served as a coach for the Olympic Development Program Region II teams in the 1987, 1990 and 1993 age groups, taking them on trips to Germany and Holland. In March 2010, he took the 1993 team to the Womens International Algarve Tournament in Portugal. The team beat Irelands U17 National team, Sevillas womens professional team and the womens professional team from Benfica, Portugal. This team also beat Costa Ricas U20 National team, which played in the U20 2010 World Cup in Germany.    Before SDSU       Before taking his current post, Wedemeyer was the director of coaching and womens coordinator for the Roanoke  Valley  Youth Soccer Club. During his three-year tenure as the clubs assistant executive director, he oversaw all 28 teams and their coaches.     One of the youngest coaches in America to obtain all levels of coaching certification, he holds nine professional soccer coaching licenses, including a United States Soccer Federation A license and the NSCAA Premier diploma.     While working on his masters degree at Old Dominion, he served as an assistant coach for the mens soccer team. Playing Career     Wedemeyer began his collegiate career at Virginia Tech University, where he was voted as the Hokies best defensive player for two years in a row. He later transferred to Old Dominion University (Va.), where he captained the team and earned second-team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in 1994.     Wedemeyer also has extensive professional experience in the United Soccer League. He played three years for his hometown Roanoke Wrath before joining the Sioux Falls Spitfire at the beginning of the teams first season in 2001.  

Thompson joined the SDSU staff in 2008 and has helped build a program that has captured three regular-season Summit League titles, three league tournament titles and made two trips to the NCAA College Cup. Thompson and the Jackrabbits have 10-or-more wins in seven of the last eight seasons, including a program-best 15-5-1 in his first season. In 2008, Thompson helped SDSU captured its first Summit League regular-season and conference tournament championships and made its first appearance in the NCAA tournament. SDSU upset fourth-seeded, No. 14 Colorado, 1-0. Thompson joined the SDSU staff after compiling a 61-36-7 record over three seasons as head coach at Mary (2001-03) and three at North Dakota (2005-07). He led Mary to the NAIA Region III championship in 2002 and 2003, each time earning the Marauders a berth in the NAIA National Tournament. At North Dakota, Thompson was named the North Central Conference Coach of the Year after leading his squad to a 12-5-1 record and a berth in the 2005 NCAA Division II Tournament. He stepped down from his coaching post after the 2007 season to become UNDs director of compliance. A native of Blair, Neb., Thompson was a three-time team most valuable player for the Mary mens soccer team and earned honorable mention all-America accolades as a senior. He was later inducted into the Mary Hall of Fame. After graduation, he became an assistant mens soccer coach and served in that position until he was named the womens soccer head coach in 2001. During his head coaching career at Mary, Thompson captured the 2002 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Midwest Senior College Coach of the Year Award. He left his alma mater in 2004 to become an assistant coach at Indiana State, where he earned a masters degree in sport management. Thompson also has extensive coaching experience at the club and high school level. He won three state titles as the head girls soccer coach at Century High School in Bismarck, N.D., from 2000-04 and was the director of coaching for North Dakota Youth Soccer from 2002-04. He served as a regional staff coach for the Region II Olympic Development Program from 2003-05 and 2009-12. He is active in the local soccer community, serving as the technical director for Brookings FC. He also holds as a United States Soccer Federation B license and National Soccer Coaches Association of America Premeir Dipoma.

Costello began her tenure as the womens soccer graduate assistant in 2015. She helps with coaching, recruiting, equipment and academic development of the Jackrabbits. Additionally, Costello obtained her National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Dipoma and Coerver Youth Diploma in 2013. A Sioux Falls, S.D. native, Costello also coaches club soccer for Brookings FC. She is the head coach for the U17 team and assistant coach for the U15 squad.      Costello was a four-year letterwinner at South Dakota State, starting every game her junior and senior years at defensive midfield. During her senior year, she was named first-team All-Summit League and was one of the first two Jackrabbit soccer players to be named to The Summit League All-Academic Team. She also served as a volunteer coach for South Dakota State in 2014. Before becoming a Jackrabbit, Costello was a six-time state champion as a member of the Dakota Alliance and was a four-time all-state selection for Washington High School.