Jo Auch (Haase) - Inducted 2025

1978 Scotland/1982 USD graduate. JoAnn (Haase) Auch was one of the first women scholarship athletes at USD (basketball and softball) and in South Dakota. Olivet native who was the state’s first Class B three-time, first-team, all-state high school girls’ basketball player. At Scotland, she was a four-year starter who had a career 1,145 points and 940 rebounds as well as being considered one of the best ballhandlers in the state. Also played softball and ran track and cross country in high school. She was such an impressive athlete that when she was a freshman, the Scotland football coach asked her to join his team. At USD, she was a starter in softball and basketball and made the 1981-82 All-North Central Conference Tournament team. Starting in 1982, she taught, coached, officiated and was an administrator while at Menno for 26 years. Coached girls’ basketball (17 years), volleyball (10 years) track (15 years) and softball (six years, winning three state titles). Officiated basketball from 1999-2008. Auch has officiated volleyball since 1999. Also was athletic director for five years at Menno before leaving in 2008 to join joined the South Dakota High School Activities Association as an assistant director. With her retirement in 2024, South Dakota lost a strong voice for athletics. She has done a lot to expand opportunities for sports, especially for women. Auch served as one of 11 members on the National Federation of State High School Associations’ (NFHS) Volleyball Rules Committee for four years before becoming the chair of that prestigious committee (2020-24). Also served on NFHS Spirit of Sport Committee, helping to select sectional and the national Spirit of Sport winners. Auch, her SDHSAA teammates and others have helped expand opportunities for South Dakota youth in recent years by sanctioning boys’ and girls’ soccer, girls’ softball and girls’ wrestling. Auch has earned various coaching honors and in 2004, she was the NFHS girls’ basketball official of the year.