SD Sports Hall of Fame Special to the Beacon
1979 Belle Fourche/1983 Northern State graduate. Cathy (Coyle) Grubb said, “My earliest sports memories include trying to keep up with my five brothers and sister in all the neighborhood sports we played from football in the street, softball, basketball and any other game we could invent. We loved to compete. There weren’t many opportunities for girls at that time outside of fastpitch softball and track. Our dad built a backstop and softball field along with three basketball hoops in the vacant lot behind our house.
It was where all the neighborhood kids would gather to play sports. We also had a concrete pad and hoop in the yard behind the garage that Dad eventually put up a light. We have many memories of playing into the night.”
Grubb was a two-time All-District 12 and All-American basketball player at Northern State who led Wolves to a four-year record of 98-15. She scored 1,342 career points and was one of the school’s best-ever free throw shooters (82 percent career average). She led the Wolves to third in the nation in 1981, the women’s first NAIA women’s national tournament. In 1980, Grubb and her teammates lost to South Dakota State for the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women state championship. She also was a college track star whose 4×800 relay team placed fifth in the nation at the 1982 NAIA national outdoor meet. She also was a 400-meter hurdle conference champion who helped the Wolves win state and district team titles. Was the 1982 SD Sportswriters’ Female College Athlete of the Year for all sports and the 1983 NSU Hildred Wolfe Outstanding Female Athlete.
Started playing high school basketball in 1975 on Belle Fourche’s second girls’ team. She spent many hours on the outdoor basketball court behind her garage with her radio and her brother’s “Garage Door Basketball” book, practicing everything in that book over and over again. Four-year all-conference and three-year all-state player in high school who scored a then school record 1,068 career points (Coyle’s niece Jammie Coyle now holds that record). Played in two high school state basketball tourneys, losing to Yankton in the 1978 state championship game despite her 25-point effort (one of three tourney records she broke) with the Broncs finishing with a 22-1 record that season. Her basketball team set a Belle Fourche school record of 23 consecutive wins from 1977-78.
High school track star who was a multiple state meet place-winner and Black Hills Conference champion. Lifetime all-state and all-tourney softball player who helped various teams win numerous championships, including the 1977 Class A fastpitch state title and Northern Regional Softball titles in 1985 and 1987. She played in four national tournaments and was named to all-state tourney teams more than 10 times. Grubb was the Belle Fourche volleyball coach for 17 seasons with a 362-174-34 record. Served on the SD High School Activities Association volleyball advisory committee and is a past president of the SD Volleyball Coaches Association. Served as Belle Fourche assistant coach in track, girls’ basketball and Special Olympics. Was the 2011 Special Olympics South Dakota Coach of the Year. Retired teaching in 2017. Retired in 2017 after 34 years as a teacher/coach at the high school level at Aberdeen Central, Detroit Lakes (MN), Winner and Belle Fourche. Also has experience as a radio sports broadcaster (BFHS girls’ basketball in the mid- 90s). Since 2013, has been working for Special Olympics South Dakota as the sports director for the Black Hills Area.
She is in the NSU Athletics (1998), SD Softball (2005), SD High School Basketball (2011), SD VB Coaches (2012) and Belle Fourche High School Athletic (2016) halls of fame. She has been married to husband Jody Grubb since 1989 with one son, Kyle.
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