South Dakota Mines

Jeri Owsley was named the head coach of the women’s basketball program at South Dakota Mines on July 29, 2019. Owsley is the fifth coach in program history.

Owsley has led the program to two RMAC tournament berths.

• On July 29, 2019, Owsley was named the fifth coach in the history of the women’s basketball program at the South Dakota Mines.
• The Hardrockers have made two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) tournament berths during Owsley’s tenure.
• During Owsley’s tenure, she has helped 10 athletes earn All-RMAC honors.
• Ryan Weiss and Piper Bauer have become 1,000-point scorers as Hardrockers during Owsley’s tenure.
• Owsley helped Ryan Weiss (current assistant coach) to be the all-time leading three-point shooter in South Dakota Mines history with 276 makes and the single-season leader with 98 makes in 2019-20.
• Idaho was successful during Owsley’s time on the bench, going 84-51 overall, and making four postseason tournament appearances.

2023-24 Season

• The Hardrockers picked up their play in the RMAC schedule, starting 3-5, including going 2-2 from Dec. 16-Jan. 6.
• As a team, the Hardrockers hit 32.3% from three point range, fourth best in the RMAC and for the second straight year were good on the boards, having a margin of +2.9 for fifth best in the league.
• Piper Bauer was one of the best shooters nationally for the second straight year, ranking 33rd at the Division II level in three point percentage (37.9%), 14th in three pointers made (85) and eight in three pointers made per game (3.04).
• In addition, Bauer was one of the best scorers in the RMAC, finishing in the top 10 in the conference in the following categories: field goal percentage (39.3, 10th), field goals made (168, fifth), points per game (16.1, seventh), three pointers made (second), three pointers made per game (second) and three point percentage (second).
• Owsley helped lead the Hardrockers to a victory over UR/#22 Adams State on 1/6, the program’s first victory over a top 25 team since January 13, 2018 when they defeated the #13 Fort Lewis Skyhawks, the first top 25 victory in Owsley’s tenure.
• Morning Grace Spotted Bear made an immediate difference as a redshirt freshman, becoming one of the best rebounders in the conference, recording two double-doubles, and leading the RMAC in rebounding the weekend of Jan. 5 & Jan. 6.

2022-23 Season

• Rebounding was a strong suit for the Hardrockers this season as they were fifth in the RMAC offensive rebounds per game (11.8) and sixth in total rebounds per game (37.46).
• Three point shooting was also a strong suit as the team hit 33.7% from deep and allowed opponents to hit 29.8%. Those percentages were third and sixth best in the league.
• Piper Bauer emerged as one of the best three point shooters nationally, making 94 threes and hitting 3.36 per game to rank eighth and second at the Division II level.
• Bauer finished in the top 10 in the conference in field goal percentage (36.4, 10th), points per game (14.4, 10th), three pointers made (94, first), three pointers made per game (3.36, first) and three point percentage (37%, second).
• For her efforts, Bauer earned an RMAC All-Conference Honorable Mention selection.
• Sydnee Durtsche ranked near the top of the conference in all rebounding categories, averaging 7.7 rebounds per game, 5.1 defensive and 2.5 offensive to rank sixth, 10th and sixth respectively.
• As has become common in Owsley’s tenure, the Hardrockers finished the season strong, winning their final three games of the season.

2021-22 Season

• The Hardrockers finished the 2021-22 season on a high note, winning seven of the last ten games, and five straight to close the season.
• Ryan Weiss earned her third consecutive All-RMAC honor, being named second team all-conference.
• Weiss had a record setting season, becoming the all-time leader in three-pointers made at South Dakota Mines and moving up to #12 on the all-time scoring list.
• Anna Combalia moved into the top-20 all time in assists, moving into a tie for 16th with 233 for her career.

2020-21 Season

• The Hardrockers finished the 2020-21 season with an 11-9 record, going 11-7 in RMAC play, earning a berth in the RMAC Tournament.
• During the season, a pair of four game winning streaks led the Hardrockers to their successful season.
• The South Dakota Mines win over Westminster on February 6 was the first in program history.
• Ryan Weiss was named to the RMAC All-Conference First Team with Anna Combalia and Michaela Skaklee earning honorable mention honors.

2019-20 Season

• In Owsley's first year, the team finished with a 15-12 overall record, going 13-9 in conference play, earning a trip to the RMAC Tournament.
• Three student-athletes earned All-RMAC accolades with Anna Haugen and Ryan being named RMAC All-Conference First Team and Sami Steffeck earning honorable mention honors.
• Haugen as a senior broke the 1,000-point mark, finish her career 5th in rebounds (919), 17th in assists (212), and 27th in scoring (1,008).
• Weiss finished second in the RMAC for scoring, averaging 17.2 ppg, ranked second in field goal percentage (46.4), first in free throw percentage (91.3), first in three-pointers made (96), and first in three-pointer percentage (48.2) and broke the single-season three-pointer made record in school history, canning 96.
• Steffeck also broke the 1.000-point mark in her career, scoring 1,104 points.

• Student-athletes have received RMAC All-Academic Honors 18 times during Owsley’s tenure, with four earning All-Academic First Team honors.
• In 2022-23 and 2023-24, seven student-athletes earned Academic All-District from College Sports Communicators (CSC).
• Since 2022-23, four student-athletes have had semesters with a 4.0 GPA.
• The women’s basketball team has ended the last two academic years with cumulative GPAs of above 3.2.
• In 2021-22 Ryan Weiss was named the RMAC Women’s Basketball Academic Player of the Year.
• Also in 2021-22 six women were named RMAC All-Academic with Weiss being named to the first team, and the others being honor roll nominee’s.
• As a team, the Hardrockers earned recognition as a 2021-22 Special Mention by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
• Ryan Weiss was named RMAC All-Academic First Team in 2020-21, while Michaela Shaklee, Melissa Johnstone, and Francesca Facchini were named to the honor roll.
• In Owsley’s first year, Anna Haugen and Ryan Weiss earned All-Academic First Team honors with Michaela Shaklee, Melissa Johnstone, and Sami Steffeck earning honor roll spots.

• Owsley began her coaching career in the same place she ended her playing career, at Upper Iowa University as a graduate assistant from 2012-2014.
• While at Upper Iowa University she helped coach six women to All-NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) honors, including a freshman of the year and an all-conference defensive team member twice.
• Following her stint in the Northern Sun, Owsley made her way to the Division I level, first at the University of North Dakota for one season (2014-15) as the Director of Basketball Operations prior to making her way to the University of Idaho for four seasons (2015-19).
• While at North Dakota, Owsley was involved in an array of day-to-day operations of the program. She organized team travel and summer camps as well as maintained the yearly budget. She also oversaw the team’s community service and was the marketing liaison. 
• At the University of Idaho, success was a plenty as she helped coached the team to an 84-51 overall record, including an NCAA tournament appearance, a WBI appearance, and two WNIT appearances.
• Owsley work with the guards at Idaho produced two of Idaho's most prolific shooters, the Splash Sisters, Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce. In their careers, both rose to the top of the national charts as the top three three-point shooters in women's basketball with over 400 made three's each. Ferenz holds the record for all-time leading scoring for both the BIg Sky Conference and Idaho with 2,466 career points. Pierce hold the NCAA record for threes made per game with 4.53, while draining a career and Idaho best 472 triples.
• On the academic side, the Vandals were named the number six team in the nation in the 2018 WBCA Top 25 Academic Honor Roll under her oversight. Also under her supervision, Ferenz became the 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for Division I Women's Basketball, a first in the program.

• Owsley started her collegiate career at Central Wyoming College, playing two seasons, being named to the All-Wyoming Community College Athletic Conference Team and leading them to a 20-10 record and a semifinal berth in the Region 9 tournament as a sophomore.
• Transferring to Upper Iowa University, Owsley finished her career there, where she was named to the NSIC All-Academic Team both years.

• Owsley graduated from Upper Iowa University (2012) with a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry before moving on to earn her master’s degree in higher education administration from Upper Iowa University in 2015.
• Owsley is married to her husband, Reese and has three step children: Trae, Tenley, and Teige.

2019-pres. – South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (Head Coach)
2015-2019 – University of Idaho (Assistant Coach)
2014-2015 – University of North Dakota (Director of Basketball Operations)
2012-2014 – Upper Iowa University (Graduate Assistant)

Year	School	Record	Postseason
2019-20	South Dakota Mines	15-12	0-1
2020-21	South Dakota Mines	11-9	0-1
2021-22	South Dakota Mines	8-20
2022-23	South Dakota Mines	6-22
2023-24	South Dakota Mines	7-21
	Career Record:	40-62	0-2