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Quote from Jeanne and Dennis Unkenholz

Beacoms' Gift Encourages Jackrabbits to Be the Spark

Amid the clamor and occasional roar of hundreds of collegiate track athletes from 25 teams competing, the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex suddenly fell largely silent.


Staff rolled out a podium, and dozens of people lined up behind it. Many of them were wearing T-shirts that read, “Be The Spark.”


At that moment, the annual Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational on January 21, 2023, became the backdrop to honor one of SDSU’s former student-athletes and dedicate the Mark Steinborn Memorial Track. Steinborn, known affectionately as “Sparky” to friends for his optimistic and upbeat demeanor, died in April 2021. 

Friends of the 1981 nursing graduate and former student-athlete rallied to honor Steinborn through track and field scholarships.


Within months, a childhood friend stepped forward with a $1 million gift in his memory. Miles Beacom grew up with Steinborn in the Hilltop area of Sioux Falls. Beacom and his wife, Lisa, wanted to honor Steinborn’s memory with the gift. 


"I am a better person for having Sparky as a friend," Beacom said. "He was a quiet leader that led by example, and his work ethic was amazing. He treated everyone with respect, he truly cared about everyone, and that was evident when you were able to watch him interact with others. 


"SDSU was very important to Sparky. Not only for all the friends that he met while competing in track and cross country, or his love for SDSU, but it is where he met the love of his life, his bride Carolyn. The two of them built an incredible family of four kids that is continuing their legacy today."


While the gift will provide scholarships, Steinborn’s name is imprinted on the 300-meter track and on the wall of the expansive indoor facilities. Justin Sell, Director of Athletics, acknowledged the tight-knit members that form the track-and-field fraternity. Sell told those gathered at the dedication that every student-athlete that steps into the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex going forward will know the Steinborn name.  

"When I heard the news about the naming of the track and the gift, I was shocked, surprised, humbled, and proud," said Steinborn’s wife, Carolyn, also a track standout at SDSU. "It brought me to tears.


"Even after 40 years, some of our best friends today are teammates we met at SDSU. Mark and I could travel to Brookings at the last minute to a sporting event and always knew there would be an old teammate we could catch up with. The teammates have supported each other well beyond the days on the track. The fund created by re-naming the track for Mark could be life-changing for many of the student-athletes that come through the program."

The SDSU program brought the Steinborns to South Dakota State, where, as a distance runner, Mark eventually met his wife, Carolyn. His time in Brookings set up the start of his successful career caring for patients and mentoring anesthesia students. 


"The gift that Miles and Lisa Beacom have provided in the name of Mark Steinborn is absolutely incredible," said Rod DeHaven, SDSU's Director of Track and Field and Cross Country. "We cannot thank them enough for their generosity.” 


"This gift will be a lasting reminder of the truly impactful life of Mark Steinborn. He embodied the qualities that we hope that our student-athletes will emulate. His warm personality, combined with his humor and unselfishness, had a positive impact on so many that he encountered in his personal and professional life. We all miss Sparky, but thanks to the Beacoms, his legacy will have an impact for generations of Jackrabbits."


"I hope anyone who participates on that track (at South Dakota State) gives the sport and their life their best,” said Lisa Beacom. “This is what Mark did in his life."
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