Tom Casey - Inducted 2025
1966 Wasson (Colorado Springs) High School/1970 University of Colorado. Was a high school gymnast (excellent tumbler and on the trampoline) who earned a scholarship to the University of Colorado where he competed in gymnastics. Came to Pine Ridge Reservation in June 1970 while working as a Vista volunteer and on his master’s degree in sociology. Was teaching at Oglala Lakota College when he started his own four-hour show on KILI Radio, a reservation station that was established on Feb. 25, 1983, and one that has been an important lifeline for decades for area residents. The station gave Native Americans a voice and a way to celebrate the Lakota culture. In January 1986, the KILI sports director left and Casey started doing games with the station’s program director. Casey, who had played and followed a variety of sports, was soon on his own. On March 13-15, 1986, he covered his first state tourney as he followed the Pine Ridge to the Class A tourney (Thorpes finished 22-4 and in third-place after 91-73 thriller over Cheyenne-Eagle Butte). The next season in 1986-87, Casey called 21 games in Pine Ridge’s historic 26-0 state championship season led by Willie White and coach Jesse Mendoza. Over the years, Casey has covered numerous girls’ and boys’ Native American teams and teams featuring Native Americans. It is always a special occasion to the various communities when Casey showed up to broadcast a sporting event. Casey has been a mainstay at the Lakota Nation Invitation. At the 45th annual LNI in 2022 at the age of 74, Casey called 20 games over four days. Casey also was a key figure in keeping the station going over the years in running it and raising funds to help keep it on the air. The retired voice of high school sports on the Pine Ridge Reservation also earned the nickname of “Crash” as he hit numerous deer and other animals in his late-night travels across the state covering games.
