Derek Paulsen was a member of the 1998 & 1999 Dakota Schooler teams. He was an outstanding athlete and was one of the top basketball players in the state of South Dakota. A few days after the 1999 Schooler season, Derek and his girlfriend Eva Wahlstrom were tragically killed in a head on car accident.
Prior to the accident Derek attended the Nike All-American Camp in Indianapolis, IN. He played very well there and was receiving interest from many Division I schools including Northerwestern, Marquette, Princeton, Miami, Penn State, Kansas State and Michigan State.
One week before the accident Derek competed with the Schoolers in the Adidas Big Time Tournament and the Pump N Run Best of the Summer Tournament. Derek helped lead the Schoolers to the third round of the Open Division Tournament at the Big Time where the Schoolers lost to Alabama Ice.
Derek was a leader on and off the court. He was a quiet kid who had a great sense of humor and was loved by all of his teammates. Sports Illustrated wrote an article about Derek entitled "Custer's Fallen Warrior" (February 21, 2000) stating, "Fourteen hundred people attended the memorial service. Derek and Eva, the best and the brightest, were laid to rest side by side in a small cemetery in Hermosa, her hometown, on a slope overlooking the Black Hills. She'd taken Derek there the day before the accident to show him the view from the plot she wanted to be buried. Now it was their view, forever."
Since 2001 the Dakota Schoolers Basketball Club has awarded the Derek Paulsen Inspiration Award. The award is presented to the Dakota Schooler, who through the eyes of his teammates, displays character, leadership, dedication and team play both on and off the court. It is awarded in memory of Derek Paulsen, to recognize the outstanding qualities that make this Dakota Schooler special.
In additional to the award the Schooler have retired the jersey number 25. Derek wore #25 for two summers and no future Schooler could ever fill the void left by Dereks tragic accident.
|
