Dakota Athletic Conference

The DAC is a member of the NAIA and promotes sportsmanship and well-rounded athletic programs that contribute to the total education process of each athlete.

News Archives 2005-2006

June 28, 2006

(Olathe, KS) -- Blake Tideman from South Dakota Tech has been named a recipient of the Emil S. Liston Award, which is presented annually by Daktronics to recognize a male and female junior basketball player based on scholarship, character and playing ability. Kyle Kattke of South Dakota Tech was selected for the A.O. Duer Award that is presented annually to a junior men’s and women’s student-athlete in any sport who has excelled in character, playing ability and scholarship.

Since 1950, the award honors the memory of the NAIA’s first executive director Emil S. Liston. Mr. Liston was the founder of the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB) and played a principal role in the NAIA men’s basketball tournament.

Tideman, a Civil Engineering scholar from Winner, SD, has earned accolades and respect from his professors, teammates and coaches.

“Blake has been a key player on our basketball team the past three seasons. He works hard every day, is a joy to coach, competes with tenacity and is an outstanding team player,” said South Dakota Tech Director of Athletics Hugh Welsh. “During his years at School of the Mines, Blake has been a consummate student-athlete.”

Kristi Beougher of Cedarville University, OH, was the female recipient of the annual award.

Tideman and Beougher were selected by the NAIA Council of Faculty Athletics Representatives from a field that included nominees from the NAIA’s 289 member institutions. South Dakota Tech and Cedarville University will each receive a $1,000 scholarship award from Daktronics in the name of the winner.

Since 1967, the A.O. Duer Award has been presented in honor of the late former NAIA executive director Al Duer who was responsible for the NAIA’s role as the first collegiate organization to be fully integrated.

Kyle Kattke, from Black Hawk, S.D., is a Mechanical Engineering student-athlete who competes in the Dakota Athletic Conference in the areas of cross country and track and field. He exemplifies his dedication and athleticism by excelling as one of the top runners on the cross county team and was honored as a 2005 NAIA Cross Country All-American Scholar Athlete. Kattke maintains a perfect grade point average and balances a challenging engineering curriculum while successfully competing and training in two sports.

“Kyle is a joy to coach because he has a great work ethic and even more so because he is a student of the sport,” said Kattke’s Head Coach Jerald Schafer. “From the very beginning of his time in the cross county and track and field program he has asked questions about training and racing in an effort to do his best for the team and himself.”

Laura Kot of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, OH, was the female winner of the award.

Kattke and Kot were selected by the NAIA Council of Faculty Athletics Representatives from a field of nominees from NAIA member institutions. Candidates must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.75 on a 4.00 scale. South Dakota Tech and Mount Vernon Nazarene will receive a $1,000 scholarship award from Daktronics in the name of the winner.


June 20, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) – For the second consecutive year, South Dakota Tech is the recipient of the Dakota Athletic Conference Scholars Award.

The award is given annually to the school with the highest percentage of athletes honored as DAC Scholar-Athletes. Forty-three percent of Hardrocker athletes were recognized for their academic achievements.

In order to be honored as a DAC Scholar-Athlete, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or better and have earned twelve or more credit hours for a semester in which he/she participates in a conference sponsored sport.


June 09, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) – The presidents of the Dakota Athletic Conference schools have approved a recommendation from the conference’s athletic directors to seek an opportunity to make a presentation to the University of Minnesota-Crookston regarding a return to the NAIA and joining the DAC.

The DAC is looking to expand after losing two members following the 2004-05 academic year. The conference currently has eight members.

UMC is now a member of NCAA Division II and competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The university recently put together a committee to do a complete review of the athletic department.

Before joining the NSIC in the summer of 1999, UMC competed in the NAIA and the now defunct North Dakota College Athletic Conference. The NDCAC consisted of the current North Dakota schools in the DAC along with the University of Mary and UMC.


June 02, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Eight baseball players and two softball players from the Dakota Athletic Conference have received NAIA Honorable Mention All American recognition, while 27 DAC athletes were accorded NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

Honorable Mention honorees for baseball are first baseman Jacob Bastio of Minot State; infielder Adam Hurlbert of Dickinson State; outfielders Jeremy Burgard of Jamestown College and Ed Warren of Dickinson State; catcher Shea Tonkin of Dakota State; starting pitchers Graham Campbell of Jamestown College and Dustin Ottens of Dakota State and relief pitcher Jeff Kern of Jamestown College.

The two Honorable Mention players for softball are second baseman Leah Glasgow of Dickinson State and pitcher Karalea Morris of Valley City State.

Seventeen track and field athletes, five golfers, one softball player and four baseball players were recognized as NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

The track and field honorees are Crystal Hostetter, Wesleigh Jastorff, Kendra Karst and Elizabeth Woodruff of Black Hills State; Chioko Nakasone, Elizabeth Weis, Nick Burgess, Adrian Griffith and Shane Wittkopp of Dickinson State; Nicole Cuppy, Michel Maurer, Liz McCarty and Marrie Vincent of Jamestown College and from Minot State, Jenny Castro, Laurelle Irvine, George Anderson and Drew Hysjulien.

The golf Scholar-Athletes are Mallory Kludt and Chase Grinsteiner of Jamestown College; Chantel Tester of Minot State and Luke Johnson and Dave Hoffman from South Dakota Tech.

Dana Dunsmore of Dickinson State was the lone DAC player named a Scholar-Athlete for softball, while Jeff Kern of Jamestown College, Drew Calanchie from Valley City State and Wade Reichmann and Clint Panton of Mayville State were the DAC baseball players recognized for their academic achievements.

Complete lists of All Americans and Scholar-Athletes can be found on the NAIA website.


May 31, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University Athletic Director Roger Ternes has been chosen by his peers as the Dakota Athletic Conference Athletic Director of the Year.

During the 2005-06 academic year, Ternes was the Athletic Director in Charge of the football and wrestling portfolios in the conference. He was also the manager of the DAC Final Four Volleyball Tournament and the NAIA Region III Baseball Tournament and currently serves as Vice Chair of NAIA Region III.

Ternes received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Dickinson State in May 1977 and earned his Master’s of Education Degree from Chadron State College, NE in August 1978. He returned to his alma mater in 1999 as Athletic Director and an Assistant Professor of Health and Physical Education.

During the current academic year, Dickinson State captured the DAC Commissioner’s Cup and won six outright conference championships and shared another. The Blue Hawks won DAC titles in volleyball, men’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s golf, softball and baseball and tied for the DAC championship in football with Valley City State.

DSU took part in the NAIA national football playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. The Blue Hawks also went on to win the post-season conference tournaments and qualified for the Region III tournaments in volleyball, baseball and softball, advancing to the championship game in softball.

DSU capped off the year with their third straight national championship in men’s track and field and their coach, Pete Stanton, was named the NAIA Men’s Track and Field Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year.


May 27, 2006

(Fresno, CA) -- Dickinson State held off a late charge from Lindenwood, MO to win their third consecutive men's track championship at the NAIA National Meet in Fresno, CA, becoming just the fifth team in NAIA history to win three straight titles.

The Blue Hawks compiled 102 points to win the national crown with Lindenwood, MO second with 89. Azusa Pacific, CA was third with 77 followed by Oklahoma Baptist in fourth with 63 and Missouri Baptist in fifth with 57.

DSU was led to the championship by Ross Walker, Trevor Barry and Adrian Griffith. Walker won the shot put, was second in the discus and third in the hammer throw. Barry won the long jump for the second time in his career and was the runner up in the high jump. Griffith placed second in the long jump and the 200 meters and finished third in the 100 meters.

Aaron Cleare joined Walker and Barry as individual national champions by winning the 400 meters.

Other place finishers for Dickinson State were John Kungu, second in the 3000 meter steeplechase; Kevin McElvaney, 4th in the decathlon; Francisco Rose fifth in the 100 meters and DSU was second in the 4x100 relay and seventh in the 4x400 relay.

For the fourth consecutive year, Blue Hawks' coach Pete Stanton was named the NAIA National Men's Track and Field Coach of the Year.

The remaining five Dakota Athletic Conference teams all scored at the meet. Jamestown College placed 19th with 12 points (Chris Massey was 4th in the 400 meter hurdles, Curtis Huffman, fifth in the marathon and Jake Morrison placed sixth in the 400 meter hurdles). Black Hills State tied for 42nd with four points (James Hansen, fifth in the 3000 meter steeplechase). South Dakota Tech was in a tie for 49th place with two points (Jake Donnelly, seventh in the 200 meters) and Dakota State was tied for 54th with one point (Chris Heezen, eighth in the marathon).

Missouri Baptist won the women's team title with 126 points. Azusa Pacific, CA was second with 79 followed by Simon Fraser, B.C. with 74, Oklahoma Baptist with 66 and Florida Memorial with 51.

All six DAC schools also scored in the women's competition. Black Hills State was the top DAC team, finishing tenth with 22 points (Kerry Washburn, fifth in the 5000 meters; Crystal Hostetter, fourth in the 3000 meter steeplechase; Lacey Haughian, sixth in the javelin; Amber Broderson, seventh in the shot put; Wesleigh Jastorff, eighth in the 800 meters and the 4x800 relay team was fourth). Dakota State (Laura Tewes, third in the high jump) and Minot State (Jenny Castro, fourth in the javelin and Genevieve Binsfeld, eighth in the 10,000 meters) tied for 33rd with six points. Jamestown College tied for 40th place with five points (Michel Mauer, fourth in the marathon) and South Dakota Tech (Shannon Hellman, fifth in the 100 meter hurdles) and Dickinson State (Chioko Nakasone, seventh in the 400 meter hurdles and Beth Weis, seventh in the hammer throw) tied for 44th with four points.

Complete results can be found on the NAIA website.


May 13, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- The 2006 NAIA Region III Baseball Championships concluded Saturday in Dickinson with the number three seed Jamestown defeating #4 Sioux Falls 8-2 in the title game. The Jimmies were undefeated in the tournament and will now host the Plains Super Regional next week. Jamestown (37-9) will play Bellevue, NE (38-16), the winner of NAIA Region IV, in a best-of-three series May 18-19, with the winner advancing to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.

Dickinson State hosted the 6-team double-elimination NAIA Region III Tournamentat the Southside Municipal Ballpark.


May 12, 2006

(Sioux City, Iowa) -- The 2006 NAIA Region III Softball Championships concluded with day three action in Sioux City, Iowa, on Friday, May 12.

Seventh seed Valley City State completed an undefeated 4-0 run through the tournament with a 3-1 championship game win over #1 seed Dickinson State . VCSU pitcher Karalea Morris was named the Most Valuable Player after totaling 49 strikeouts for the tournament. She allowed 12 hits in 28 innings of work during the tourney. In the championship game she struck out nine while throwing a four-hitter.
Valley City State (35-16) now advances to the NAIA National Softball Tournament, May 19-24, 2006, at the Wilson Morgan Softball Complex in Decatur , Alabama .


May 12, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Eight softball players and eight baseball players from Dakota Athletic Conference schools have been named to the NAIA All-Region III Teams.

Regular season and post-season DAC champion Dickinson State leads the All Region III Softball Team with five selections. The Blue Hawk all region selections are junior, infielder Leah Glasgow of Santa Cruz, CA; junior, outfielder Tiffany Saatzer from Laurel, MT; junior, pitcher Alyssa Baker from Hollister, CA; freshman, pitcher Mehgan Shaw from Regina, SK and junior, catcher Courtney Blanleil from Kelowna, B.C. The remaining DAC all region honorees are: Jamestown College freshman, outfielder Nicole Maroux from Winnipeg, MB; Minot State's Meagan Paradine, a junior, outfielder from Binscarth, MB and Valley City State senior, pitcher Karalea Morris from White Rock B.C.

Guy Fridley of Dickinson State was named the Region III Coach of the Year. Josie Barrow of Dana, NE, was honored as the Region III Player of the Year and Whitney McElrath of Morningside, IA, was chosen the Region III Pitcher of the Year.

Jamestown College led the DAC with three players on the All Region III Baseball Team. The Jimmies' selections are sophomore, outfielder Jeremy Burgard from Dickinson, ND; sophomore, pitcher Graham Campbell from Victoria B.C. and senior, relief pitcher Jeff Kern from Verndale, MN. The other DAC all region players are Dickinson State's Adam Hurlbert, a junior infielder from Fresno, CAa and Ed Warren, a junior, outfielder from Fairfield, CA; Dakota State's Shea Tonkin, a senior, catcher from Seattle, WA and Dustin Ottens, a junior, pitcher from Maple Ridge, CA and junior, second baseman Jacob Bastio from Victorville, CA.

Dickinson State's Duane Monlux was chosen as the Region III Coach of the Year. Matt Guiliano of Sioux Falls, SD was selected as the Region III Player of the Year and Ben Jukich of Dakota Wesleyan, SD and Nate Bunton of Midland Lutheran, NE shared the Region III Pitcher of the Year award.

For a complete list of the All Region III teams, go to the "Region III Summary" page.


May 08, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State, Minot State and Valley City State have advanced to the NAIA Region III Softball Tournament and Dickinson State, Jamestown College and Mayville State will participate in the NAIA Region III Baseball Tournament.

The eight team double elimination softball tournament will be held at the SYA Softball Complex in Sioux City, IA, Wednesday, May 10-Friday, May 12. Dickinson State (40-5) is the top seed in the tournament and will begin play against Doane, NE (27-27). Minot State (21-20) is seeded sixth and will face Morningside, IA (39-13). Valley City State (31-16) is the number seven seed and will take on Dana, NE (41-8). The other first round matchup has Concordia, NE (26-18) versus Northwestern, IA (35-13). All first round games will be played at 2:00 PM Central.

The six team double elimination baseball tournament will take place Thursday, May 11-Saturday, May 13 at the Southside Municipal Ballpark in Dickinson. First round pairings have Midland Lutheran, NE (42-13) facing Dakota Wesleyan, SD (27-20) at 9:00 AM Mountain, Dickinson State (32-19) goes up against Mayville State (30-19-1) at 3:00 PM and Jamestown College (33-9) goes against Sioux Falls, SD (29-13) at 12 Noon.

Complete pairings and schedules can be found on the "Softball" and "Baseball" pages of the DAC website.


May 08, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University is the winner of the 2005-06 Dakota Athletic Conference Commissioner's Cup.

The Blue Hawks compiled 116 points to earn the honor. Jamestown College finished second with 98.5 points followed by Minot State with 97.5, Black Hills State with 91, Dakota State with 69, South Dakota Tech with 49, Valley City State with 45 and Mayville State with 36.

Dickinson State finished the 2005-06 school year with six outright conference titles (volleyball, men's indoor and outdoor track and field, women's golf, baseball and softball) and one shared championship (football with Valley City State). Black Hills State had the second most conference championships with four (men's and women's cross country and women's indoor and outdoor track).

Points are awarded based on the place of each school finishes in conference sponsored sports.


May 08, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) - Conference champions Jamestown College and Dickinson State dominate the All DAC golf teams and the Post-Season Awards.

The All DAC men's golf team includes Chase Grinsteiner, Chris Nogosek and Ryan Opdahl of Jamestown and Hank Tannner and Brad Schaak from South Dakota Tech. Grinsteiner was also named the conference Most Valuable Player. Robert Walz of Jamestown was chosen Most Valuable Graduating Senior and Jason McCloud of Jamestown received Coach of the Year honors.

The All DAC women's golf team consists of Jaime Bentley of Black Hills State; Megan Fisher, Karly Wormworth and Lyndsey Kent of Dickinson State and Gretchen Bietz of Jamestown College. Bentley also earned the Most Valuable Player award, while Mandie Wellenstein of Dickinson State was named the Most Valuable Graduating Senior and Dickinson State's Tim Daniel was awarded Coach of the Year honors.


May, 05, 2006

(Spearfish, SD) -- Black Hills State won the women's team title and Dickinson State the men's championship at the Dakota Athletic Conference Track and Field Meet at Lyle Hare Stadium on the campus of Black Hills State.

BHSU scored 220 points to win the women's conference crown. Dickinson State placed second with 182 points followed by Jamestown with 152, Dakota State with 73, Minot State with 61 and South Dakota Tech with 32.

The Yellowjackets were led to the team title by Wesleigh Jastorff, Kerry Washburn, Crystal Hostetter and Amber Broderson. Jastorff won the 800 meters and 1500 meters and placed fifth in the 5000 meters. Washburn was first in the 5000 meters and second in the 1500 meters. Hostetter won the 3000 meter steeplechase, was third in the 5000 meters and fourth in the 800 meters and 1500 meters. And Broderson was a double champion, capturing the conference title in both the shot put and discus.

The Post-Season Award winners were: Scott Walkinshaw of Black Hills State was named Coach of the Year, Jamestown College's Liz McCarty won the Outstanding Field Athlete of the Meet and Chioko Nakasone of Dickinson State garnered the Most Valuable Graduating Senior award along with the Outstanding Track Athlete of the Meet and Most Valuable Performer of the Meet honors.

Dickinson State ran away with the men's conference crown, compiling 261.5 points. Jamestown College placed second with 168. Black Hills State was third with 111.5 followed by South Dakota Tech with 95, Dakota State with 68 and Minot State with 45.

The Blue Hawks top performers were Adrian Griffith, John Kungu, Trevor Barry and Ross Walker. Griffith raced to wins in the 100 meters and 200 meters and placed second in the long jump. Kungu captured the conference titles in the 5000 meters and 3000 meter steeplechase. Trevor Barry won both the high jump and long jump. And Walker tossed the shot put and discus to conference titles.

The Post-Season Award winners were: Pete Stanton of Dickinson State was the Coach of the Year award winner; Dickinson State's Ross Walker was named the Most Valuable Graduating Senior; Walker shared Outstanding Field Athlete of the Meet honors with teammate Trevor Barry; Jake Morrison of Jamestown grabbed the Outstanding Track Athlete of the Meet award and Adrian Griffith of Dickinson State was honored as the Most Valuable Performer of the Meet.

Complete results of the meet can be found on the "Track Results" page of the DAC website.


May 02, 2006

(Elkhorn, NE) -- Jamestown College and Dickinson State completed their 2005-06 golf seasons at the NAIA Region III Tournament in Elkhorn, NE.

In the men's competition, Jamestown placed sixth with a two-day, 36-hole total of 663, while Dickinson State finished seventh with a 685. Midland Lutheran, NE, won the team championship with a 608.

Ryan Opdahl led JC with a 158. Chris Nogosek carded a 163, Chase Grinsteiner shot 169, Robert Walz had a 173 and Ryan Marchus finished with a 175 for the Jimmies.

Rodney Hofstad was the top golfer for DSU with a 170. Carter Hilkewich and Ryan McGinnis both shot 171, Craig Gaube shot a 173 and Dillon Brandt ended up with a 183.

Three South Dakota Tech individuals qualified for the tournament. Luke Johnson shot 167, Hank Tanner had a 168 and Brad Schaak carded a 171.

In the women's tournament, Dickinson State finished in fifth place with a 741 and Jamestown placed seventh with a 746. Dakota Wesleyan, SD, captured the team crown with a 717.

Karly Wormworth placed sixth for Dickinson State with a 175. DSU's Megan Fisher also placed in the top ten, tying for eighth with a 177. The remaining DSU golfers were Mandy Wellenstein with a 194, Lyndsey Kent with a 195 and Megan Johns with a 199.

Gretchen Bitz led the Lady Jimmies shot a 174 for a fifth place finish. The rest of the JC roster were Kelsey Horntvedt had a 187, Cierra Mehloff shot a 190, Daniall Deiss carded a 196 and Megan Lawrence finished with a 203.

Two other golfers from the DAC qualified for the regional tourney. Jaime Bentley of Black Hills State was the top placer from the conference, placing fourth with a 170. Lisa Steever of South Dakota Tech shot a 184.


May 02, 2006

(Story courtesy of Padraic Duffy, Rapid City Journal) (Spearfish, SD) -- Former Black Hills State tight end Zac Alcorn is heading to the National Football League. Alcorn, 25, agreed to terms on a free agent contract with the Green Bay Packers before the seventh and final round of the draft wrapped up Sunday, solidifying his future plans for the first time in months. "It's awesome and it's just a huge, huge relief," Alcorn said of finding a professional football home. "I've been waiting for a few months for this, so it's nice to have it done with." Alcorn and his agent had been in contact with several other NFL teams as the draft concluded, but it was in Green Bay that the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder saw the best opportunity to make a roster. "I talked to the (Indianapolis) Colts here not too long ago but I had to tell them no," Alcorn said, just minutes after his signing had become official. "A lot of teams had called my agent but he had evaluated the tight end position around the league and he thought that (Green Bay) was the optimal spot for me. I'm the only rookie tight end that they're bringing into camp." Alcorn will head to Wisconsin to take part in the team's mini-camp within the next week or two before spending about a month with rookies and other free agents after that. He'll then get a month off before starting training camp at the end of the summer. Besides the obvious excitement for Alcorn and his family, there was plenty of relief and joy in the Yellow Jacket program as well. Head coach John Scott was excited when reached by phone on Sunday afternoon. "I'm just really thrilled for Zac, just as I would be for any of the guys that come out of the program and hit their goals or their dreams." Scott, a lifelong Green Bay fan, will now have even more reason to cheer for the Pack. "He's going to keep Brett Favre very happy," Scott said of Alcorn, who caught 43 balls for 588 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns last year. That thought alone was enough to make Alcorn wonder. "I was just wondering about that, actually," Alcorn admitted. "What's it going to be like catching passes from Brett Favre?" Scott says that he had a feeling Alcorn might become a "cheesehead" all along. "They (Green Bay) sent a couple of different scouts up here a couple of different times and they sent two scouts to his pro day in Vermillion," Scott said. "We had a lot of teams that had single visits, but they came back a few times. I kind of had a feeling because they did show a lot of interest." Scott thinks Alcorn has a bright future in front of him, particularly after some specialized individual instruction from Packers' tight ends coach Ben McAdoo, something that is lacking at the lower levels of college football. "They were really impressed with his ability to catch the football and his athleticism," Scott said of the Packers' scouts. "They made it clear that they were looking for somebody that could catch the ball, whereas some of the other teams were looking for more of a prototypical tight end, a blocker. "Once Zac gets a full-time coach that can work with him on all the intricacies of the position he's going to pick it up very quickly. Like they said, you can always teach somebody blocking, but you can't teach good hands."


April 25, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Jamestown College men and Dickinson State women have captured the 2005-06 Dakota Athletic Conference golf team championships.

For the first time, the conference team champion was determined from all five conference tournaments played. A point system was used to determine the conference champion along with the top two teams and top ten indivduals that qualify for the Region III Tournament.

With extensive snow in Spearfish, SD, the Black Hills State Tournament, which was scheduled for April 23-24, was cancelled so the conference title was determined by the points awarded in the other four tournaments.

In the men's division, Jamestown College won the title with 13.5 points, Dickinson State was second with 11.5, South Dakota Tech placed fourth with ten points and Minot State fourth with five points.

In addition to the JC and DSU players, Luke Dailey of Minot State and Hank Tanner, Brad Schaak and Luke Johnson of South Dakota Tech will compete at the regional tournament as top ten finishers in conference competition.

In the women's division, Dickinson State took the championship with 11 points, Jamestown was second with seven and Black Hills State with three points placed third.

Joining the DSU and JC players at the regional tournament with their top ten individual finish are Jaime Bently of Black Hills State and Lisa Steever of South Dakota Tech.

The Region III Tournament will be held May 1-2 in Elkhorn, NE. Final team and individual standings are available on the "Golf Results" page.


April 12, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Jamestown College softball player Danielle Yunto has been named the NAIA National Pitcher of the Week for her performance the week of April 3-9.

Yunto, a 5-foot-6-inch junior right-handed pitcher from Menomonee Falls , Wis. , led the Jimmies to 4-2 on the week. She had 11 strikeouts in an 8-1 win against Northern State,SD and then set a school record for the longest no hitter (8 innings) in a 1-0 victory against Valley City State. Yunto's season ERA is 0.32 while the Jimmies are 16-8 overall.


April 07, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University has announced the hiring of Guy Fridley as head coach of the Blue Hawk women's basketball team.

Fridley, a native of Watford City, ND, graduated from Dickinson State in the fall of 2001 with a baccalaureate degree in Composite Social Science and Physical Education. He is currently enrolled at Nova Southeastern University, FL, where he is projected to finish his Master’s in Sports Management in the summer of 2006.

Fridley's collegiate basketball career started at Williston State College, ND, where he was named All MonDak Conference as a sophore. He continued his playing career at Dickinson State and was an All NDCAC player in 1999-2000 season as he helped the Blue Hawks to their first trip to the NAIA National Tournament since 1968, advancing to the Elite Eight.

Fridley began his coaching career the following season and has been an assistant in the men's program since the 2000-01 season. In that time, DSU has advanced to the national tournament twice (2000-01 and 2003-04). He is currently in his fourth year as the head coach of the Blue Hawks' women's softball team.

Fridley replaces Tara Kreklau, whose contract is not being renewed.


March 14, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dakota Athletic conference had two men's and two women's players named NAIA Division II Basketball All-Americans and eight others received honorable mention recognition. Twenty-eight conference players were named NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Senior forward Hallard Jackson of Black Hills State and junior forward Monty Rogers of Mayville State were selected as Third Team All-Americans. Receiving Honorable Mentions in men's hoops were Donny English of Dickinson State, Courtney Haley of Minot State, Kyle Iverson of Jamestown College and Mayville State's Archie Weatherspoon, IV.

Thirteen DAC men's players were recipients of NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition. They were Jacob Deines, Timothy Doolan and Andre Goldberg of Black Hills State; Jamestown College's Elie Jermanous; Reid Flaagen and Archie Weatherspoon of Mayville State; Drew Hyjulien of Minot State; Brandon Fredrickson, Dave Lainhart, Matt Lyndoe, Blake Tideman and Casey Schmitz of South Dakota Tech and from Valley City State, Brandon Bata.

The women's All-Americans were sophomore guard Melanie Vedvei of South Dakota Tech on the Second Team and Jamestown College senior guard Brietta Bowerman on the Third Team. Women's Honorable Mention selections were Loni Hall of Valley City State, Cassie Leraas from Mayville State, Jennifer Sundahl of Minot State and Dakota State's Jessica VanLoy.

Fifteen DAC women's players also earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. They were Lael McVea and Becca Walters of Black Hills State; Sara Nelson from Dakota State; Sarah Long of Dickinson State; Jenn Maus from Jamestown College; Michelle Halvorson and Steph Meggers of Mayville State; Jenny Castro, Hillary DeMers and Betsy Vig of Minot State and from Valley City State, Darcie Engelby, Loni Hall, Janae Larson, Molly Schultz and Mallory Undlin.

A complete list of All-Americans and Scholar-Athletes can be found on the NAIA website.


March 14, 2006

(Tuscon, AZ) -- Mother Nature wasn’t on the side of the Dickinson State University Blue Hawk baseball team on Sunday, but luck was.

The Hawks were looking like they were going to have their second consecutive day of their spring break cancelled due to poor field conditions. Luckily for DSU, Oney Guillen, son of Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen, played for North Park University, IL. Weather was not cooperating in Phoenix so North Park, with the help of Ozzie Guillen, got DSU scheduled for a nine inning game at the World Series Champion's spring training home in Tucson.

The Hawks took total advantage of the opportunity as the Blue Hawk bats came alive for the first time this season. DSU pounded out 15 hits enroute to a 13-3 victory. The game was called in the bottom of the 8th because of the 10-run mercy rule. Todd Houston, Oliver Jones, and Ed Warren led the Hawks at the plate. Houston and Jones were perfect at the plate going a combined 7 for 7. Houston was 4 for 4 with two doubles and scored three runs. Jones was 3 for 3 with three RBI. Warren was 2 for 4 with three RBI, including a two RBI triple.

Jonathan Dacanay continued his impressive pitching, improving to 1-0 on the season. He tossed 5.0 innings, allowing five hits, no earned runs, while striking out four. Darcy Sidhoo spelled relief for Dacanay and was equaled impressive, allowing no runs on four hits while striking out two.

“It was great to finally get to play. Our guys were very excited to get back into action,” says DSU head coach Duane Monlux. “Luck happened to be on our side with the Guillen connection. We are very grateful that Coach Guillen and the White Sox organization were willing to get the field ready for us. As far as the game went, I was most pleased with our timely hitting. We had a number of big two out hits that extended innings. That is an area that we had been lacking in.”


March 13, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dakota Athletic Conference continued to show its ability to compete on the national level with outstanding performances in post-season competition during the winter sports season.

Dickinson State started the national post-season showing of the DAC with a fourth place finish at the NAIA National Wrestling Tournament in Sioux City, IA. Dana, NE won the team title with 193 points followed by Lindenwood, MO with 164, Cumberlands, KY with 105 points and DSU with 95.5 points.

The Blue Hawks crowned five All-Americans at the national championships, led by 197 pound national champion Justin Schlecht. Other Blue Hawk All-Americans were Tyson Springer, 2nd at 165; Elijah Simburger, 3rd at 184; Micah Mathiason, 5th at 141 and Mark Johnston, 6th at 125.

Jamestown College 285-pound grappler Sam Sand also earned All-American honors with a 5th place finish as the Jimmies tied for 18th place with 27 points in the 26-team national tourney field.

Dickinson State capped off the indoor track season with a third place finish in the men’s division at the national meet in Johnson City, TN. Lindenwood, MO won the men's national crown with 94.5 points followed by Virginia Intermont with 81 and DSU with 68.

The Blue Hawks, the two time defending national outdoor champions, were led to their best ever team finish at the national indoor meet by Trevor Barry, who was named the Outstanding Male Athlete of the Meet. Barry won national titles in the high jump (7' 03.75") and the long jump (25' 03.25"). He was also a member of the national championship 4x400 relay team, winning the event in a meet record 3:11.99, breaking the previous record of 3:12.34 set by MidAmerica Nazarene in 2002. Francisco Rose, Ramon Miller and Aaron Cleare joined Barry on the record setting relay team.

The DAC also saw good performances at the NAIA Division II Basketball Tournaments with one team advancing to the quarterfinals of both the men's and women's tournaments.

Mayville State, who won both the regular season and post-season tournament conference titles, advanced to the men’s national tournament quarterfinals in Point Lookout, MO. The Comets, seeded fifth in the tournament, defeated Daemen, NY, 82-56 and Montreat, NC, 99-92 before being knocked out of the tournament by the fourth seed, College of the Ozarks, MO, 80-61 in the quarterfinals.

First Team All DAC forward Monty Rogers averaged 12.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Third Team All DAC guard Gilby Sanchez chipped in 14.7 points and guard John Feggo IV averaged 13.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest.

Dakota State received an at-large berth and knocked off two higher seeded teams en route to the quarterfinals at the women's national tournament in Sioux City, IA. The Lady Trojans were the sixth seeded team in their bracket and knocked off the number three seed, Shawnee State, OH, 59-55 in the opening round and second seed, Tabor, KS, 77-58 in round two. DSU saw their season end in the quarterfinals with a 55-41 setback to the top seed in the bracket, Hastings, NE.

The Trojans continued their defensive prowess at the national tourney. After allowing just 59.2 points per game on 38.4 percent shooting in the regular season, DSU allowed only 56.0 points per game on 32.7 percent shooting in the three contests. Forward Laura Tewes led the Trojans at the national tourney by averaging a double-double with 13.7 points and 11 rebounds per game. Second Team All DAC forward Jessica VanLoy averaged 6.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per outing.

Minot State qualified for the national women's tourney by winning the DAC post-season tournament. The Beavers were the seven seed in their bracket and battled the second seed from St. Francis, IN, before falling 71-63 in the opening round.


March 11, 2006

(Point Lookout, MO) -- Mayville State's history making season concluded with an 80-61 loss to the College of the Ozarks, MO at the National NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament.

The Comets shot just 28 percent in the first half as Ozarks built a 34-23 lead at half and the spread remained double-digits throughout the second half.

John Feggo had team highs for points with 11 and rebounds with eight. Monty Rogers added ten points and five boards and Gilby Sanchez tossed in ten points.

The Comets end their season with a school record 26 wins with just seven losses. MSU also won their first DAC regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the national quarterfinals for the second time in school history.


(Sioux City, IA) -- Dakota State saw their season come to an end with a 55-41 setback to Hastings, NE in quarterfinal round play of the National NAIA Women's Basketball Tournament.

For the third straight game, the Lady Trojans held their opponents to less than 35 percent shooting from the field, but connected on only 28.8 percent themselves in the loss.

Laura Tewes was the lone DSU player in double figures with 19 points to go along with a team high ten rebounds.

DSU ends the season with a 22-11 record.


March 11, 2006

(Johnson City, TN) -- Dickinson State placed third in the men's team race at the NAIA National Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The Blue Hawks scored 68 points, trailing champion Lindenwood, MO with 94.5 and Virginia Intermont with 81 points. Jamestown College was the only other DAC school to score, finishing in a tie for 31st place with two points.

DSU had three national championship performances. Trevor Barry won the national title in both the high jump (7' 03.75") and the long jump (25' 03.25"). The Blue Hawks' other national championship event was in the 4x400 relay, winning the event in a meet record 3:11.99, breaking the previous record of 3:12.34 set by MidAmerica Nazarene in 2002.. The 4x400 team consisted of Francisco Rose, Ramon Miller, Trevor Barry and Aaron Cleare.

Barry was named the Male Outstanding Performer of the Meet after winning two individual national titles and was part of the record breaking national championship 4x400 relay team.

DSU also got runner-up performances from Adrian Griffith in the 60 meter dash (:06.83) and the long jump (25' 0.5") and Ross Walker in the shot put (57' 07") and weight throw (61' 07.5").

In the women's standings, Black Hills State placed 14th with ten points, Minot State tied for 17th with six points and South Dakota Tech and Dickinson State scored one point each for a tie for 35th placce.

Click here for complete meet results.


March 10, 2006

(Point Lookout, MO) -- Fifth seeded Mayville State moved into the quarterfinals of the National NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament as they defeated Montreat, NC, 99-92.

Mayville State jumped out to a 13-4 lead early in the contest before Montreat rallied to tie the ball game at 32 late in the half. The Comets responded by outscoring their North Carolina opponents 17-to-10 to take a 49-42 lead into the locker-room at half.

The Cavaliers got to within one early in the second half but MSU responded with an 11-to-2 run to open the margin back to double-figures and maintained the lead to the final buzzer.

Six Comets were in double-figures, led by Ronald Howard's 18 points. Gilby Sanchez and John Feggo tallied 15 points apiece, Archie Weatherspoon had 13 points and a team high seven rebounds. Matthew Stenhjem and Monty Rogers also reached double digits in points with 12 and 11, respectively.

The win improves the Comets' season mark to 27-5 as they move to the quarterfinals for the second time in school history. MSU will match up with the host school, fourth seeded College of the Ozarks, MO (26-6), at 6:00 Saturday evening.


(Sioux City, IA) -- Dakota State has moved into the "Elite Eight" of the National NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament with a 77-58 victory over Tabor, KS.

Two days after shooting just 26.9 percent in an opening round win over Shawnee State, OH, the Lady Trojans lit up the Tyson Events Center with a 55.2 shooting percentage in the second round triumph. DSU connected on 48.4 percent from the field in the first half to build a 39-31 lead at the break, but then warmed to 63.0 percent in the second half in outscoring their Kansas oppenents 38-27 to post the 19 point win.

For the second straight game, DSU held their oppenents to less than 35 percent from the field. Tabor connected on only32.9 percent of their field goal attempts, two days after the Lady T's held Shawnee State to 31.9 percent.

Sara Nelson led three DSU players in double digits scoring with 14 points and five rebounds. Maria Gengler added 12 points and six boards and Laura Tewes had ten points and team high eight rebounds.

With the victory, DSU improves to 22-10 and will face Hastings, NE (28-6) at 1:00 PM on Saturday in the tournament quarterfinals.


March 09, 2006

(Sioux City, IA) -- Minot State saw their season come to an end with a 71-63 setback to St. Francis, IN in first round play at the National NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament.

The Beavers, who qualified for the tournament by winning the Dakota Athletic Conference tournament, shot just 39 percent in the first half as St. Francis built the lead to 41-26. The lead grew to as much as 23 in the second half before MSU rallied to pull to within eight, but St. Francis held them off to post the first round victory.

Kendra Meyer led four Beavers in double figures with 21 points. Andrea Brodina added 13 points and five rebounds and Jennifer Sundahl and Jenny Castro each had ten points and five boards.

The Beavers end the season with a 19-12 record.


March 08, 2006

(Point Lookout,.MO) -- Mayville State added to their school record for wins in a season with an 82-56 triumph over Daeman, NY in the opening round of the National NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament.

The Comets jumped out to a 38-23 lead at half and then outscored Daemen 44-to-33 to post the opening round win. MSU shot well from the field, connecting on 53.4 percent of their shots, including 8 of 17 (47.1 percent) from beyond the three-point stripe.

Gilby Sanchez led three Comet players in double figures with 19 points. Monty Rogers added 17 and John Feggo chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds to help the Comets to their school record 26th win of the season.

MSU (26-5) will take on Montreat, NC (21-9) in the second round at 4:00 PM on Friday, March 10. Montreat knocked off 12th seeded Sioux Falls, SD, 93-83 to advance to the matchup with the Comets.


(Sioux City, IA) -- Dakota Athletic Conference regular season champion Dakota State opened the National NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament with a 59-55 victory over Shawnee State, OH.

DSU shot just 26.9 percent from the field and held Shawnee State to 31.9 percent shooting, but the Lady Trojans hit on 17 of 24 free throws compared to just 2 of 6 for Shawnee State to pick up the win. DSU also out rebounded their opponents 62-to-41 with 26 of them off the offensive glass in advancing to the second round.

Laura Tewes led DSU with a 12 point, 15 rebound performance. Jessica VanLoy also had 12 points with six rebounds. Angie Gottsleben added 11 points and Amber Malvin 10.

DSU (21-10) will face Tabor, KS (28-4) at 8:30 AM on Friday, March 10 in the second round. Tabor defeated Eastern Oregon 65-58 to move into the round of sixteen.

DAC tournament champion Minot State's (19-11) first round contest versus St. Francis, IN (25-7) is at 10:15 AM on Thursday, March 9.


March 01, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Three Dakota Athletic Conference teams will head to the National NAIA Division II Basketball Tournaments.

Mayville State will be the lone DAC school at the men's national tournament in Point Lookout, MO, March 8-14. The Comets received the automatic invite with their 69-68 win over Black Hills State in the DAC Tournament championship game. Mayville State (25-5), the number five seed, opens the tournament on Wednesday, March 8th at 8:30 AM Central against Daemen, NY (20-11)

Minot State and Dakota State will represent the DAC at the women's national tournament in Sioux City, IA, March 8-14. The Beavers received the automatic berth to the national tournament with a 53-52 victory over Black Hills State in the DAC Tournament championship, while the Lady Trojans received at-large invite to the national tourney. Minot State's (19-11) opening round game is Thursday, March 9th at 10:15 AM Central versus St. Francis, IN (25-7), while Dakota State (20-10) begins tournament play against Shawnee State, OH (25-7) on Wednesday, March 8th at 8:30 AM Central.

Complete national tournament pairings are available on the NAIA website.


March 01, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) – Defending Dakota Athletic Conference champion Jamestown College has been picked as the preseason favorite in the 2006 DAC Baseball Coaches’ Poll.

The Jimmies received five first place votes to top the preseason balloting. Dakota State received one first place vote and is the poll runner-up with Mayville State third, Dickinson State fourth, Valley City State fifth and Minot State sixth.

The poll was conducted by the Dakota Athletic Conference.

Below are the results of the DAC Preseason Baseball Coaches’ Poll with first place votes in parenthesis:

2006 Baseball	2005	2005	2005	Total
Preseason	DAC	Overall	DAC	Voting
Power Poll	Record	Record	Place	Points
Jamestown (5)	19-7	35-14-1	1st	35
Dakota State (1)	16-8	34-16	2nd	27
Mayville State	13-11	25-18	5th	22
Dickinson State	11-13	22-20	6th	18
Valley City State	11-15	15-27	7th	17
Minot State	0-24	0-31	8th	7


(Dickinson, ND) – Jamestown College is the preseason favorite in the Dakota Athletic Conference Preseason Softball Coaches’ Poll.

The Lady Jimmies received four first place votes to top the poll. Dickinson State received a pair of first place ballots and are the preseason runner-up. Minot State is third with Mayville State and Valley City State tied for fourth and Dakota State rounds out the poll.

The poll was conducted by the Dakota Athletic Conference.

Below are the results of the DAC Preseason Softball Coaches’ Poll with first place votes in parenthesis:

2006 Softball	2005	2005	2005	Total
Preseason	DAC	Overall	DAC	Voting
Power Poll	Record	Record	Place	Points
Jamestown (4)	16-6	28-17	2nd	48
Dickinson State (2)	13-7	27-12	3rd	44
Minot State	6-14	11-24	5th	30
Mayville State	11-9	26-15	4th	22
Valley City State	5-17	16-27	7th	22
Dakota State	5-15	12-26	6th	14


February 23, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dakota Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Meet is scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, February 24th and 25th at the Donald E. Young Sports and Fitness Center on the campus of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD.

The competition on Friday consists of the women's and men's pentathlon beginning at 5:00 PM and the women's and men's weight throw, which will follow the shot put competition of the pentathlon.

On Saturday, field events will begin at 9:00 AM with running events starting at 11:00 AM. For a complete list of times, go to the BHSU Track & Field page.

Dickinson State is the defending DAC Indoor Men's Champion, while former DAC member, University of Mary, won the women's conference title in 2005.


February 21, 2006

(Story courtesy of Nick Huntimer of the Dakota State Sports Information office)

(Madison, SD) -- Dakota State University football stand out Tommy Hofer has signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the professional Canadian Football League. Hofer was an All-American with the DSU Trojans, setting conference and school records in receptions. The Lennox, SD native graduated from DSU in 2005.

Hofer sent a highlight tape to the Toronto Argonauts Director of Football Operations in December. He got a phone call from the Assistant General Manager in January, letting him know they were impressed with his performance at Dakota State. The Toronto Argonauts invited Hofer to Toronto for a tryout on February 8along with a quarterback the team was also looking at.

When Hofer received his itinerary for the trip, he learned that the quarterback was Eric Crouch, the Heisman Trophy winner and former quarterback from the University of Nebraska.

When he arrived in Toronto, Hofer was greeted by coaches from the Argonauts and introduced to Crouch. The two were taken to the Toronto practice facility for a workout that consisted of two 40-yard runs and an hour of running routines with Crouch and other current Argonaut players. Television cameras, sports reporters, and other onlookers were at the workout to cover Crouch’s presence. Shortly after the workout was completed, Hofer was offered a one-year contract with the Toronto Argonauts.

Following the workout, Hofer and Crouch were guests at a Toronto Raptors-San Antonio Spurs NBA Basketball game. While at the game, they met with the Toronto Raptors’ team owners, the President and CEO of the Raptors, and the Head Coach of the Toronto Argonauts. Hofer sat with the Argonauts Head Coach Michael "Pin Ball" Clemons at the game.

Hofer commented about his trip and signing with Toronto Argonauts, "Overall, the experience was incredible, almost overwhelming at times. I felt fortunate to get a chance to tryout, especially with the likes of Eric Crouch. He was very personable and enjoyable person to talk with."

Hofer will be reporting to Toronto Argonaut’s training camp the first part of May. For more information on the Toronto Argonauts and CFL, go to www.argonauts.on.ca.


February 19, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dakota State and Mayville State grabbed the top seeds for the Dakota Athletic Conference women's and men's post-season basketball tournaments.

Dakota State (10-4 in the DAC/19-9 overall) is the top seed in the women's bracket, winning the tie breaker over Minot State (10-4/16-11) after sweeping the Beavers in the regular season. Mayville State (12-2/23-5) is the outright number one seed in the men's tournament.

The women's quarterfinals will be played on Tuesday, February 21st. Matchups have #1 Dakota State hosting #8 Valley City State (3-11/11-16); #5 Black Hills State (7-7/13-15) travels to #4 South Dakota Tech (8-6/18-10); #7 Dickinson State (4-10/8-19) is on the road to face #2 Minot State and #3 Jamestown (8-6/13-13) is at home to battle #6 Mayville State (6-8/12-14).

The women's semifinals will be played on Friday, February 24th with the championship matchup taking place on Monday, February 27th. The DAC Tournament champion receives an automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, IA, March 9th-15th.

The men's tournament tips-off on Wednesday, February 22. Quarterfinal pairings have regular season champ Mayville State at home to take on #8 Dakota State (2-12/6-22); #4 Valley City State (7-7/13-14) plays host to #5 Dickinson State (6-8/11-17); #7 Jamestown (5-9/10-18) goes to #2 Black Hills State (10-4/15-13) and #6 South Dakota Tech (5-9/9-19) is at #3 Minot State (9-5/17-11).

The men's semifinals are set for Saturday, February 25th and the title tilt will be played on Tuesday, February 28th. The DAC Tournament champion receives an automatic invite to the NAIA National Tournament in Point Lookout, MO, March 9th-15th.


February 09. 2006

(Jamestown, ND) -- The Fargo-Moorhead Acro-Team will perform at halftime of the Jamestown College-Dakota State men's basketball game on Thursday, February 16 at the Jamestown Civic Center.

The Gymnasts of the F-M Acro-Team travel around the country entertaining crowds at sports venues with their tumbling and trampoline stunts. The team has performed at NBA, college and CBA games, NBA All-Star games, Minnesota Vikings football games, Minnesota Strikers soccer games and other public events. The squad is also one of the favorite halftime performers at state basketball tournaments in North Dakota.

The squad is coached by Jim Simle, a 1961 graduate of Jamestown College who was inducted into the school's Alumni Hall of Fame in 2004.


February 09. 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Twelve Dakota Athletic Conference players have been named NAIA All Americans by the Don Hansen Football Gazette and three other conference players received Honorable Mention recognition.

Leading the DAC First Team selections is Josh Epperly, a senior offensive lineman from Dickinson State. The native of Hettinger, ND, also shared Offensive Lineman of the Year honors with Kyle Baker of Carroll College, MT, the second consecutive year that he has been honored by the Football Gazette as the top offensive lineman in the NAIA.

Joining Epperly on the First Team are Zach Alcorn of Black Hills State, a senior tight end from Chadron, NE; Minot State senior defensive lineman Dexter Ross from Kanata, ON, Canada and Dickinson State senior defensive lineman Ross Walker from Killdeer, ND.

The DAC Second Team selections are Dickinson State's Larry Aldridge, a senior running back from Brinkley, AR; Dakota State senior receiver Tommy Hofer from Lennox, SD; Valley City State's Joe Maresh, a junior defensive lineman from Glencoe, MN and Dickinson State senior linebacker Kylan Klauzer from Baker, MT.

The conference representatives on the Third Team are Dickinson State junior offensive lineman J.R. Foreman from Casper, WY; Minot State's Max Milne, a junior offensive lineman from Richey, MT; Jamestown College offensive lineman Robert Spencer, a junior from Marietta, GA and Black Hills State junior kicker Rocky Stevens from Johnstown, CO.

The three Honorable Mention sections are Valley City State senior offensive lineman Bryce Kilmer of Shelton, WA; Valley City State linebacker Jeremy Payne, a senior from Bertha, MN and Dickinson State senior defensive back Kevin McElvaney from Scobey, MT.

Joining Epperly and Baker as Don Hansen Football Gazette award winners are quarterback Tyler Emmert of four time National Champion Carroll College, MT, as the Offensive Back of the Year; Carroll College's Jeff Shirley as Defensive Lineman of the Year; Trae Johnson of Graceland, IA, as the Offensive Receiver of the Year; Roshe Hepburn of Graceland as the Defensive Back of the Year; Stephen Holte of Azusa Pacific, CA, as the Linebacker of the Year and Caroll College's Mike Van Diest as Coach of the Year.

A complete listing of the All American teams and award winners can be found on the Don Hansen Football Gazette website.


January 31, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Twelve Dakota Athletic Conference volleyball were recently honored as NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

The academic honorees are junior Chelsey Mort of Black Hills State; Senior Ashley Brassfield of Dakota State; Dickinson State seniors Megan Anderson and Jami Rice; junior Renee Buysse and junior Shantell Rigsby of Jamestown College; Senior Margaret Jean Thompson of Mayville State and from Minot State, senior Nicole Durnin, senior Marcy Heaman, junior Meagan Paradine, senior Caisee Price and senior Carrie Sandstrom.

A complete list of Scholar-Athletes can be found on the NAIA website.


January 17, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Six Dakota Athletic Conference football players were named to the NAIA All America teams, eight received Honorable Mention recognition and an additional eighteen players were awarded NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

Three players were selected to the NAIA First Team. They are Dickinson State offensive lineman Josh Epperly, a senior from Hettinger, ND; Black Hills State's Zach Alcorn, a senior tight end from Chadron, NE and Dakota State senior Tommy Hofer, a wide receiver from Lennox, SD.

Three players were selected as Second Team All Americans. They include Minot State defensive lineman Dexter Ross, a senior from Kanata, Ontario, Canada; Dickinson State defensive lineman Ross Walker, a senior from Killdeer, ND and Dickinson State's Kylan Klauzer, a senior linebacker from Baker, MT.

The eight Honorable Mention selections are offensive linemen J.R. Foreman of Dickinson State, Travis Lester of Valley City State, Max Milne of Minot State and Robert Spencer of Jamestown College; running back Larry Aldridge of Dickinson State; kicker Rocky Stevens of Black Hills State; defensive lineman Joe Maresh of Valley City State and defensive back Kevin McElvaney of Dickinson State.

Eighteen players were recognized for their academic work. To be honored as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete, a player must be a junior or above in academic standing and must maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.50 or above on a 4.0 scale. The DAC NAIA Scholar-Athlete honorees are Nathan Batteen and William Gray of Black Hills State; Tyler Greff, Rusty Knuths, Dustin Quintus and Phillip Russell from Dickinson State; Rob Hummel, Chris Jorgensen, Nate Pederson, Brian Walsh and Ryder Weischedel from Jamestown College; Mat Jensen from Minot State; Nate Denzin, Galen Hoogestraat and Mitch Olson of South Dakota Tech and from Valley City State, Jeremy Payne, Eric Spooner and Michael Wagner.

Complete lists of the All American teams and Scholar-Athletes can be found on the NAIA website.


January 02, 2006

(Dickinson, ND) -- Ten Dakota Athletic Conference football players were named to the NAIAFootball.net All America teams and six others received Honorable Mentions.

Black Hills State senior tight end Zach Alcorn and Dickinson State senior defensive linemen Ross Walker were named First Team All Americans. Second team selections included Dakota State senior receiver Tommy Hofer along with senior running back Larry Aldridge, senior offensive lineman Josh Epperly and senior linebacker Kylan Klauzer, all of Dickinson State. Senior Defensive lineman Dexter Ross of Minot State was chosen as a third team honoree and fourth team selections were junior offensive linemen Max Milne of Minot State and Robert Spencer of Jamestown College and junior defensive lineman Joe Maresh of Valley City State.

Chosen for Honorable Mentions were Jamestown College senior linebacker Dan Stoudt, Minot State junior linebacker Kevin Mack, Dickinson State senior defensive back Kevin McElvaney, Minot State senior defenisve back Riley Price, senior quarterback Art Solis of Dakota State and freshman receiver Greg Godfrey of Mayville State.

National champion Carroll College, MT swept the NAIAFootball.net post-season awards. Quarterback Tyler Emmert was named Offensive Player of the Year; linebacker Gary Cooper was chosen Defensive Player of the Year and Mike Van Diest was selected Coach of the Year.

A complete list of NAIAFootball.net All Americans and Honorable Mention selections can be found at www.naiafootball.net.


December 23, 2005

(Valley City, ND) -- Valley City State University NAIA Program Coordinator Gregg Horner is proud to announce that VCSU, through its athletic department, has been named a Champion of Character Institution by the NAIA for the 2004-2005 academic year. The Champions of Character program was designed to instill an understanding of character values in sport and provide practical tools for student-athletes, coaches and parents to use in modeling exemplary character traits. The five core values of the program are Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership, and Sportsmanship. In the past year VCSU student-athletes and coaches have been involved in a variety of activities that have qualified VCSU as a Champions of Character Institution. A few highlights from the past year include promoting responsible choices concerning alcohol use, involvement and support of the North Dakota Special Olympics, reading programs in our local schools, and volunteering with the local United Way to name a few.. 'Across the board our student-athletes have worked hard to be a valuable part of our campus community and the community of Valley City. I believe this recognition is a by-product of that effort’ stated Horner. 'There is a concerted effort by the coaches to integrate the core values of the Champions of Character into their programs and more often than not we find our student athletes trying to do the right things for the right reasons.' VCSU Athletics has been honored with this recognition since the inception of the program in 2000.


December 20, 2005

(Story courtesy of Shanna Schoch, Dickinson State University News Bureau Manager)

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University wrestlers recently helped Dickinson first and second graders pin down positive attitudes toward reading and healthy lifestyles.

To encourage children to read, the 45 wrestling team members raised money to buy more than 400 Scooby Doo!® books. The wrestlers then visited each Dickinson elementary school first and second grade classroom and read to the children. Afterward, they gave each child a book to keep and each classroom teacher a DSU Blue Hawks Wrestling t-shirt. Funding for the program came from an anonymous donor and from the Dickinson State University Foundation.

The "Wrestlers for Reading" program was the brainchild of senior wrestler Tyson Springer, Snohomish, Wash., who brought the idea from his previously attended junior college in northern Idaho. Springer is a 2004-05 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics champion.

"Tyson is a mentor in my freshman seminar course that is for all wrestlers. He really lives the DSU wrestling team motto, ‘To Live with No Regrets…Priceless!!’ He is an example to his teammates and has a real desire to reach out into the community," said Thadd O’Donnell, Dickinson State University head wrestling coach.

"The students were very excited about the wrestlers coming," said Lyn Shirley, Heart River Elementary School second grade teacher. "The wrestlers were enthusiastic and read with great expression, asking the students questions as they read. The students read along and asked the wrestlers questions. It was a very positive activity. It’s always good to have guest readers come in and show that reading is everywhere and for everyone."

Team members also talked to the young students about eating right and staying active and provided each school’s cafeteria with a poster featuring Dickinson State University senior wrestler Gabe Harry. The poster was produced in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture Food & Nutrition Service as part of a national campaign to encourage children to choose healthy lifestyles and spreads the message: "Eat Smart. Play Hard."

"The guys feel really good about what they are doing and enjoy interacting with the first and second graders," O’Donnell said. "They are proud to be examples to these kids and to reinforce what the children are learning in the classroom from their teachers."

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