Superintendent of Woonsocket School Rod Weber presented Ace’s mother and family with a plaque inducting Greg “Ace” Uken into the 281 Conference Hall of Fame Thursday night during the championship games. Pictured from left to right are Rod Weber, sister-in-law Beth Uken, brother Glen Uken, mother Mardella Uken, sister Gina Trebilcock and sister Gloria Damgaard.

“Woonsocket’s Biggest Fan” was inducted into the 281 Conference Hall of Fame last Thursday during halftime of the Girls 281 Championship game, in which his home team the Sanborn Central/Woonsocket Lady Blackhawks were playing.
Greg “Ace” Uken was an impactful person to the people of his community of Woonsocket. Uken was known for his wholehearted appreciation of sports on every level and for his uncanny knowledge of the games, the teams and the players, at home and throughout South Dakota.
Uken was aptly named “Fan of the Year” by Woonsocket School in the spring of 2014, shortly before his untimely death that summer.
Greg was the son of a superintendent, the late Leo Uken, and Mardella, who now lives in Sioux Falls. He moved around with his family to Colome, Willow Lake, Bridgewater and Highmore, where Greg went to high school, then settled with his parents and sister, Gina, in Woonsocket in 1978, where Leo served as superintendent.
In Woonsocket, Greg found his home, and he became an important part of the community. He was a member of the amateur baseball team and later worked part-time at the grocery store, and did lawn care and snow removal. However, Greg’s true passion and full-time job was following sports.
Greg never missed a game, whether it be football, basketball, volleyball or baseball and he was often found at the statisticians table, managing the scoreboard or keeping stats. He was well-versed in all of the rules and regulations of the games he attended and made a point to get to know all of the area coaches and referees. Everyone in the area knew to bring back a program for Ace to collect and study when attending professional or college games.
As the rest of his family moved on from Woonsocket, the towns and teams of the area became his extended family. Ace always had a smile, wave and friendly comment about an individual’s favorite sports team.
Present to receive a plaque inducting him into the Hall of Fame were his brother and sister-in-law, Glen and Beth Uken, his sisters, Gina Trebilcock and Gloria Damgaard and his mother, Mardella Uken. Woonsocket Superintendent Rod Weber presented Mardella with the honor.