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Spirit of Six and Spirit of Su Awards

Each March, during the state high school basketball championships, revelry and competition pause for more somber moments as the Spirit of Six and Spirit of Su awards are bestowed.

The Spirit of Su is given to an outstanding athlete who exemplifies the achievements of SueAnne Big Crow (Oglala Sioux), a three-time Class A all-stater for the Pine Ridge Lady Thorpes who died in a car accident en route to the Miss Basketball awards.

The Spirit of Six honors six Rapid City High School cheerleaders who died in a plane crash on March 17, 1968, at Rapid City Regional Airport as they returned from leading Cobbler fans at the state championships in Sioux Falls. Jan Glaze, Shirley Landstrom, Laureen “Kay” McNutt, Terry Blanton, Diana McCluskey, and Gail Flohr died, along with pilot Ivan Landstrom, his wife, Mary (Shirley’s parents), and English teacher and cheer adviser Dorothy Lloyd. The South Dakota Peace Officers originated the award to memorialize the girls by recognizing an outstanding cheerleading squad that exemplifies the late leaders’ commitment and dynamism.