PIERRE, S.D. – Student athletes from 47 South Dakota high schools and eight universities will benefit from the Build Your Base sports nutrition program for the 2025-26 school year.
The comprehensive sports nutrition program utilizes beef as its premier protein to prepare athletes and their families for a successful sports season through ready-to-use materials, best-in-class sports nutrition education and high-quality protein to support optimal performance.
Build Your Base is part of Beef Logic, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, that works to strengthen families, communities and ensure the positive benefits of beef for the future.
“We are excited to be working alongside our partners to deliver the program to students and their families across South Dakota as we show them how beef can be a premier part of their training program,” said Suzanne Geppert, Executive Director, Beef Logic Inc. “Our program Build Your Base makes nutrition approachable and practical, helping people build healthy habits that fuel performance on the field and well-being beyond it.”
Partners participating in the program include: South Dakota Beef Industry Council, Sanford Health, Jorgensen Land and Cattle, Monument Health, Faith Booster Club, MML Cattlemens, Prime CattleWomen, Southern Belle CattleWomen, Dakota Land Feeds, as well as multiple individual beef producers, drive the success and direction of this community-based initiative, added Geppert.
Each participating school receives ready-to-use materials and resources that lead to overall success on and off the playing field. The Build Your Base program strives to ensure student-athletes are hydrated, replenished, and live a healthy lifestyle.
“Spearfish School District has been involved with the Build Your Base program for six years, and it continues to amaze us. This program teaches our student athletes not just about nutrition but also sportsmanship,” said Dalton Wademan, Spearfish Activities Director. “The night before all home football games, we feed the team a steak dinner. We help prepare our student athletes for the game through nutrition and continue to build on team camaraderie.”
High Schools and Universities Participating Include:
High Schools:
Alcester-Hudson
Baltic
Bon Homme
Brandon Valley
Bridgewater-Emery
Britton-Hecla
Brookings
Chamberlain
Clark
Colome
Custer
Dell Rapids St. Mary’s
Douglas *
Elkton
Eureka
Faith
Gayville-Volin
Harding County
Herreid *
Hitchcock-Tulare
Howard
Huron
Ipswich
Irene-Wakonda
Iroquois-Lake Preston
Jones County
Kimball
Lemmon
Leola
McCook Central
Mount Vernon
New Underwood
Northwestern
Philip
RC Central
RC Christian *
SF Christian
SF Jefferson
SF Lincoln
SF Roosevelt
Spearfish
Timber Lake
Webster *
Wessington Springs *
White River
Winner
Wolsey-Wessington
*Awaiting Final Paperwork
Universities: Augustana, Black Hills State, Dakota Wesleyan, Mt. Marty, Northern State, South Dakota Mines, South Dakota State