A four-year letterwinner on the Jackrabbit equestrian team, Lydia Placzek returned to South Dakota State in the fall as a graduate assistant for the equestrian team while she pursues a Master of Education Degree in Instruction and Curriculum.

A native of Kearney, Neb., Placzek moves to the coaching ranks after a standout career, where she advanced to Varsity Equestrian National Championships twice with the Western team in 2009 and 2010 and as an individual qualifier in 2008 as a freshman.

Placzek earned points for the Jackrabbits in every event she rode in as a freshman and took home her first MVP honor in a win over Minnesota-Crookston. She also tied for reserve high-point rider honors that year at a spring show at Nebraska.

The wins increased in her sophomore year, when she won five points in varsity competition, added section titles at IHSA shows and helped lead the Jacks to a sweep of the section titles in a show at UW-River Falls.

Another trip to VENC followed as a junior, when Placzek posted a perfect 6-0 record in head-to-head reining competitions with a pair of MVP rides at Delaware State and Minnesota-Crookston.

In her final season as a Jackrabbit rider before graduating with a degree in agriculture business, Placzek rode in all seven varsity events, posting a 4-3 record in reining. She also competed in horsemanship three times, compiling a 1-1-1 record.