2017 was another very strong year for sports around the Sioux Empire that included some records breaking and great moments.

Each year the sports scene across Sioux Falls continues to grow. From The Summit League Tournament in March at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, to the continued dominance of the Sioux Falls Storm, there is always an opportunity to catch a fun game around town.

The Sioux Falls Skyforce and Stampede continued their seasons from the 2016 calendar year. The Skyforce would go on to finish 29-21 and would miss the playoffs following their championship season one year prior. As for the Stampede, they opened 2017 on a bit of a slide also. They finished the 2016-2017 campaign 21-30-3-6 (W-L-Overtime Loss-Shootout Loss) and failed to reach the USHL Playoffs.

Currently, in the 2017-18 season, the Sioux Falls Skyforce are 8-12 while the Stampede are 12-7-4-2 (W-L-OTL-SOL).

Augustana had a great basketball season with the men's team coming up just short against Southwest Minnesota State in 2OT at the Sanford Pentagon. The women's basketball team finished the season 23-8 with a loss at the NSIC Tournament. On the turf, Augie went 4-7 during the 2017 season.

USF was strong again during the football season under first year head coach Jon Anderson. The Cougars went 9-3 and lost a close game to Midwestern State in the DII playoffs. The USF men's basketball team finished 15-18 and had their season end with a loss to Southwest Minnesota State. USF women finished 22-8 during their 2016-17 campaign.

Sioux Falls O'Gorman captured championships in both high school girls and boys basketball out in Rapid City in March. The Knights were the top seed heading into the tournament, while the Lady Knights won it as the 7th seed.

The Denny Sanford PREMIER Center and The Summit League broke records during 2017 including highest men's tournament attendance and also the single session attendance record. South Dakota State secured their second consecutive Summit League men's championships with a 79-77 win over Omaha.

Speaking of tournaments, the Sioux Falls Sports Authority was busy again in 2017 hosting the NCAA DII Men's Elite Eight at the Sanford Pentagon and also the annual Sioux Falls Marathon.

Championship appearances continued for the Sioux Falls Storm as they went for their 11th title during the 2017 season. The team hosted United Bowl again but fell short to Arizona 50-41. Then there was a press conference shortly after the championship loss in which the team was leaving the Indoor Football League for the Champions Indoor Football League. That didn't last very long as the Storm then reverted back to the Indoor Football League. Sioux Falls begins their 2018 season in February.

As for the Sioux Falls Canaries...it was essentially the same story. The Canaries finished 45-55 and last in the American Association's North Division.

Sioux Falls Washington continued their dominate streak winning their third championship in a row in 2017. The Warriors ended the season on a 34-game winning streak and held on to defeat Roosevelt 20-19.

Finally the Sanford Pentagon was on fire during another high level NCAA Division-I basketball game in December as they hosted Iowa and Colorado. The Hawkeyes would defeat the Buffalos 80-73 in front of a sold out crowd.

2017 was a fun year for sports around Sioux Falls, but it's only getting bigger and better in 2018. So many great events are upcoming in 2018, especially during the basketball post season.

Enjoy the season that was in 2017, but let's gear up for a great 2018!



 

More From Hot 104.7 - KKLS-FM