Spearfish, S.D. — Spearfish High School Activities Director Dalton Wademan has announced the hiring of Cody Powers as the new head coach of the Spearfish High School girls wrestling program, pending approval from the Spearfish Board of Education.
Powers succeeds Joel Martin, who retired following the 2025–2026 season after serving as the program’s head coach since its inception in 2022. Martin’s leadership helped establish the foundation of girls wrestling at Spearfish, adding to his nearly 30 years of coaching within the district.
A graduate of Black Hills State University, Powers played college football while earning his degree. During his time at BHSU, he began his coaching career in Spearfish, contributing to the high school football staff while also coaching middle school wrestling and track.
Following graduation, Powers joined Creekside Elementary, where he has spent the past 10 years as a physical education teacher. His involvement with the wrestling program continued to grow, joining the Spearfish High School wrestling staff in 2016. In 2022, he became an assistant coach for the girls wrestling team during its inaugural season and has remained in that role for the past four years.
In addition to his work with the girls program, Powers continues to coach football and middle school track, further demonstrating his commitment to student-athlete development across multiple levels.
“Coach Powers brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the girls wrestling program,” Wademan said. “He has been with them since the start and has created great relationships with the girls in the wrestling room and also future wrestlers all the way down to the elementary age. He is dedicated to Spartan student-athletes’ success on and off the mat. We are excited for him to lead our girls wrestling program and continue to build on the success they have had.”
With deep roots in the Spearfish community and years of experience within the program, Powers steps into the head coaching role with both familiarity and momentum, aiming to continue the program’s growth and success in the years ahead.