Thorson Inducted into Hall of Fame

Thorson graduated from Northern State in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in Composite Health and Physical Education and is the 2025 Kretchman Coaching Award recipient. As a member of the Aberdeen Central and Ipswich School Districts, Thorson has built quite the coaching and teaching resume from 1995 to today. resume from 1995 to today. Thorson currently serves as the head boys' and girls' cross country and track and field coach at Ipswich High School and is the Executive Director of the Aberdeen Aqua Addicts Water Ski Team.
 
He started his career as the Aberdeen Central boys Cross Country and Track and Field and Girls Gymnastics Assistant Coach in 1995. In 1999 he was hired as the Head Boys and Girls Track and Field and basketball assistant coach in Ipswich, SD. He restarted cross country in Ipswich in 2000 and has built his program to be one of the best programs in SD history. The awards list for Thorson over the years is extensive including the SDHSCA Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year (2012), SDHSCA Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year (2017), SDHSCA Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year (2000, 2011, 2013), coach of the SD Sportswriters Association All Sports Girls Team of the Year (2000, 2013, 2016), and a 2-time finalist in 2014 and 2023 of the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year.
 
At the high school level, Thorson has coached 16 South Dakota State Championship teams in cross country and track and field and 9 combined team state championships. His teams have finished as the state runner-up 9 times and won 72 team conference championships. He has coached 285 individual state medalists, including 44 South Dakota State Champions, in cross country and track and field.
 
Thorson is the founder and executive director of the Aberdeen Aqua Addicts Water Ski Team which began in 1995. They are now nationally known for their jumping and barefoot water skiing and have hosted the Midwest Water Ski Show Regional tournament 4 times in 2014, 2017, 2021 and 2024. The team has grown to over 100 members and they put on weekly water ski shows in Aberdeen throughout the summer. He has coached 2 Individual National Freestyle Jump champions and 6 skiers that have water skied professionally in the United States, Germany, China and Australia. He has also coached 2 skiers that participated in the world championships for team USA and their teams have won the world championships 4 different times.
 
Todd has spent his entire career encouraging athletes to work hard to achieve and to always believe in themselves through positive thinking and physical activity. Todd and his wife Crystal, a 1993 and 1999 Northern State alumna and member of the 2025 HOF class with the 1992-93 women's track and field team reside in Ipswich. The pair have a daughter, Ashlee, and son Taylor, who is a current cross country and track and field student-athlete for the Wolves.