State, athletic bloodlines run deep for Benson

For Ellie Benson, there was only one choice for where she wanted to go to college. That choice was South Dakota State University.

Following in the footsteps of her dad, Chuck ’79, and mom, JoElle ’86, and older brother, Austin, it was an easy decision but not one that was forced upon her.

Like the other family members, Ellie is a student-athlete at State. Chuck was a captain of the 1978 football squad and led the 1977 squad in rushing. JoElle averaged 16.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per game for the 1985-86 women’s basketball team while also leading in field-goal percentage and blocked shots. Austin was a walk-on football player for two years before deciding to concentrate on his premed major this fall. Ellie spent the 2014 volleyball season as a redshirt and is looking to see what she can do on the court this season.

“I always felt comfortable coming here. It felt like home. When I came here on a recruiting trip for volleyball, I just knew coming here was what I wanted to do.

That visit solidified my feelings,” Ellie said. “I’ve always loved SDSU. People think it’s because my parents went here. That’s partially a reason but they didn’t pressure us to come here. They wanted us to look at other places. I was so set on coming to SDSU since I was little. I never really thought of going anywhere else.”

Like her choice of where to go to college, picking a major was easy.

“Nursing. I’ve always been set on it. I never went through the stage of picking a major,” Ellie said. “My aunt (Lynette Richardson) is a nurse anesthetist in Denver and would always tell stories, which were always interesting to me. I just knew I wanted to be in the medical field. I’m a people person, so I figured that’d be a great major for me. I will apply to the College of Nursing next semester.”

Volleyball is the option

However, which sport to play in college took some time. After earning all-state honors twice in both volleyball and basketball at Sioux Falls Washington, the 5-foot-7 Ellie chose volleyball.

“I thought volleyball was the best option for me in college. I played basketball my whole life and I loved it but toward the end of my senior year I was ready to be done with it. Maybe guarding Macy Miller all those games played a part in that,” she said, breaking into a laugh. Miller and Benson are roommates at State. “I think it took me to step away from basketball to really know how much I love it as a sport. I miss it a lot but I’m happy to be playing volleyball in college.”

That chance will start this fall. Ellie is one of several candidates to be a defensive specialist for the Jacks.

“She’s definitely a hard worker and one of the more upbeat players in the gym,” said first-year head coach Nicole Cirillo, adding Ellie also knows when to pick up a teammate with an encouraging word. “Moving forward, the potential is definitely there for her to play some sort of role on the court.”

Volleyball and basketball

Finding a role wasn’t a problem for JoElle, who also played volleyball as a freshman but gave up that sport after suffering her first knee injury during that season’s basketball campaign. Knee injuries forced her to give up her final season of eligibility.

“What I first remember about JoElle was when she was playing at Sioux Falls Washington and I was coaching at Mitchell High School,” recalled Nancy Neiber, who coached JoElle during her run as the Jackrabbits’ women’s basketball coach from 1984 to 2000. “I went and watched her play a game at that time against Jefferson. It was a great game. She was an elite athlete. JoElle was really the premier high school girls player at the time. And then a few years later, I’m coaching her here.

“Unfortunately, at the college level, she had injuries,” Neiber continued. “When I was here, JoElle was really playing on one leg. A lot of times we weren’t sure if she was going to be able to play the next game. But when she could, she could it do it all. She rebounded, defended and had better offensive statistics her last year and all while not knowing if she’d able to play the next game.”

Times are different

Despite the injuries, JoElle loved her time at State.

“It was a wonderful opportunity as a student-athlete. You don’t necessarily remember the classes as much as you remember the people,” said JoElle, who taught and coached at Washington High School and is now self-employed. “I know things are so different now but our biggest trip at the time was flying to Colorado. I hadn’t been to Colorado before, and we got to do some fun things on the trip.

“It has always been Ellie’s dream to play at SDSU so we are very happy for her. It’s fun to see our children chase their dreams here,” she continued, adding Cole, the couple’s third child, will be a freshman at State this fall but is not pursuing an athletic career. The couple’s fourth child, Seth, is a sophomore at Sioux Falls Washington and is undecided about college. “It’s hard to explain the feelings, hard to put into words the special feelings we have about this place.”

However, Ellie has heard her mother recall various moments.

“Yes, Mom and Dad talk about their times here. They definitely have told their share of stories,” Ellie said. “I hope that at the end of my time here that I have as many good stories and memories as they had and that I can tell my kids stories one day like they do.”

Matt Schmidt