Dan Johnson

Johnson, who graduated from MHS in 1977, really came alive in football, wrestling and track in his junior and senior campaigns in both sports. On the area gridirons, Johnson earned All-State honors in both his junior and senior years. He took charge in his senior year, becoming the Eastern South Dakota Conference's leading ground-gainer when it came to yards per carry. "He ran very, very hard in football," adds Collignon, who was on Dean Koster's coaching staff during Johnson's football career. Johnson was a stranger to the area's wrestling mats his freshman and sophomore years. The next two years, however, he took to the mats, earning a hard-won fifth-place finish in his weight class his senior season. "He was a darn good wrestler, especially when you consider that he collected his fifth place as just a second-year wrestler his senior year," says Collignon, who was Madison's head wrestling coach at the time. In track, Johnson excelled to the point where he and three other tracksters earned third-place State AA honors in the 800-meter relays in 1977. "He always worked hard and seemed to come through for us in the 800- and 400-meter relays, running the anchor legs in both events," says Jim Cordts, who coached Johnson in track. Johnson went on to attend South Dakota State University and play football for the Jackrabbits. He was the Rabbits' starting fullback in his junior and senior seasons, leading the North Central Conference in rushing as a junior. He was an All-NCC player both as a junior and a senior.