dick authier

Richard “Milt” Authier, a Woonsocket native, will be inducted into the South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame during a ceremony this Saturday, March 29 at 2 p.m. in the Ramkota Exhibit Hall in Sioux Falls. Authier was a standout basketball player for the Woonsocket Redmen in the 1960s. The 6-foot-4 sophomore began to make a name for himself during the season of 1963-64 when he was named honorable mention on the All-State team. The Redmen went 21-3 that year. The next season Authier and the Redmen went 19-6, falling just short of the State “B” Tournament after a loss to Parkston and fellow inductee, Gerhardt Buenning, in the Region 6 finals. By his senior year in 1967, Authier had grown to 6-foot-7 and 190 pounds and was catching the eyes of college teams. He was chosen First Team All-State in both basketball and football that year and would sign on to play for the University of South Dakota. Authier continued to excel with the Coyotes. In 1972 he was chosen as the North Central Conference Most Valuable Player and named to the small college All-American Team. Authier was born Dec. 18, 1948 in Huron to Moe and Lauretta Authier. His father also played basketball for Woonsocket. He currently lives in St. Paul, Minn., and is the first player to be selected for this honor from Woonsocket High School. Authier will be honored along with 16 other inductees. The program and banquet is open to the public with a ticket. Call 605-270-1262 for more information. The SD High School Basketball Hall of Fame has now moved to the Sanford Sports Complex east of I-29 and Benson Road, inside the new Pentagon facility.