June 22, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) – Valley City State is the recipient of the 2010-11 Dakota Athletic Conference Scholars Award.
The award is presented annually to the school with the highest percentage of athletes honored as DAC Scholar-Athletes. Forty-three percent of Viking athletes were honored for their academic achievements.
In order to be recognized 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 20, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) – Jamestown College’s Lawrie Paulson and Dickinson State’s Tim Daniel have been chosen the Dakota Athletic Conference Co-Athletic Directors of the Year and Dave Bass from Valley City State has been selected the DAC Faculty Athletic Representative of the Year.
Paulson was named athletic director at Jamestown in 2004 after serving as the Jimmies’ women’s basketball coach for 19 seasons. He compiled a 279-230 record, captured five conference championships, was named the conference coach of the year five times and took the Lady Jimmies to the NAIA Division II National Tournament once.
During the 2010-11 season, the Jimmies finished third in the DAC Commissioner’s cup, sharing the conference championship in volleyball with Dickinson State and advancing to the Opening Round of the NAIA National Tournament after winning the DAC Post-Season Tournament. JC finished second in the DAC in women’s cross country, men’s basketball, women’s indoor and outdoor track and field and men’s outdoor track and field. The Jimmie baseball team also advanced to the NAIA Playoffs.
Daniel just completed his first year as athletic director at DSU. He also finished his 11th season as head men’s and women’s golf coach. He led the Blue Hawk women to five DAC titles and the men to one DAC championship. Daniel also spent 11 seasons as the Blue Hawks’ men’s basketball coach. He compiled a 151-153 record and won two conference championships. His 2000 team advanced to the “Elite 8” at the NAIA Division II National Tournament and the 2001 squad made an appearance in the “Sweet 16.”
During the 2010-11 academic year, DSU captured their third straight DAC Commissioner’s Cup. DSU shared the DAC volleyball conference crown with Jamestown and won outright conference championships in football, indoor and outdoor men’s track and field and softball. The Blue Hawk football team advanced to the NAIA Playoffs for the third consecutive season.
Bass is the Faculty Athletic Representative at Valley City State. He is an assistant professor in the School of Education and Graduate Studies. Bass also serves as the DAC’s Eligibility Chair and represented the FAR Council on the DAC Board of Directors.
June 08, 2011
(Jamestown, ND) -- Jamestown College’s Alex Kreis was selected on the third day of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Kreis, a right-handed pitcher, was selected in the 35th round (pick 1057) by the Washington Nationals.
Kreis was a high school product from Grand Forks, N.D. (Central HS) who went on to have a stellar career for the Jimmies from 2008-2011. In his four years at Jamestown College, Kreis started 30 games and compiled an overall record of 21-5, which included going a perfect 11-0 in his sophomore and junior seasons. He averaged a strikeout per inning during his career, throwing 209 innings while striking out 217 batters. He finished with a career ERA of 3.49.
He plans to graduate from Jamestown College in December 2011 with a degree in business administration (financial management and marketing). His parents are Ted and Tina Kreis of Grand Forks, N.D.
June 08, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Two DAC baseball players were named NAIA Honorable Mention All Americans, while 38 spring sport athletes earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition.
Dickinson State outfielder Derek Carley and Jamestown College outfielder Jesse Ramirez were named Honorable Mention All Americans for baseball.
Eight DAC golfers earned Scholar-Athlete honors. The honorees are Kody Harper, Tony Elliot, Thomas Weikle, Kelsey Boedeker and Caitlin Hurlock from Dickinson State, and Cody Volstad, Jamie Lien and Ayla Brausen of South Dakota Mines.
Nine softball players from the DAC gained NAIA academic honors. They are Ashley Stevenson of Dakota State; Kelsie Jensen from Jamestown College; Deanna Mitchell, Kyla Thiesen and Bailey Waldner from Minot State and Sara Gullickson, Mandy Johnson, Jane Pettit and Margaret Wilson from Valley City State.
Four DAC baseball players received national scholar recognition. The recipients are Joel Peterman and Scott Peters from Minot State and Matthew Borgford and Preston Jensen of Valley City State.
The DAC placed 17 track and field athletes on the NAIA Scholar-Athlete lists. The are Michael Sands, Tyler Schmidkunz, Jennifer Hartmen, Fransi Schmid and Tina Marie Soto of Dickinson State; Ashleigh Anderson, Suzy Avey, Katie Conlon, Ashley Cooper, AnnaLiesa Fauth, Mallory Johannes, Kallie Merrill and Sarah Skipper from Jamestown College; Brandon Velasquez and Danielle Warren from Minot State and Lucas Fried and Jason Simmons from South Dakota Mines.
May 30, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) – Dickinson State is the winner of the Dakota Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Cup for the 2010-11 academic year.
DSU compiled 79 points to win the award for the third straight year and the fifth time in the last six years. Black Hills State was second with 75 points, followed by Jamestown College with 68.5, Minot State with 62, South Dakota Mines with 41, Valley City State with 33, Dakota State with 29.5 and Mayville State with 15.
The Blue Hawks won five conference titles during the year (co-champions in volleyball, outright winners in football, indoor men’s track & field, outdoor men’s track & field and softball). Black Hills State captured six conference championships (women’s cross country, men’s cross country, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, women’s indoor track & field and women’s outdoor track & field). Jamestown won one conference championship (co-champions in volleyball), Minot State captured a pair of conference crowns (women’s golf and men’s golf) and Mayville State won one conference title (baseball).
The Commissioner’s Cup is awarded to the member institution with the best overall record in conference competition. Points are given based on each school’s finish in conference sports that include a conference championship.
May 28, 2011
(Marion, IN) -- Sixteen individuals and one relay team from the Dakota Athletic Conference earned All American honors at the NAIA Track & Field Meet on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan in Marion, IN.
Katie Conlon of Jamestown College was the lone DAC representative to capture a national championship, winning the 3000 meter steeplechase.
Black Hills State was the top finisher in the women's division, placing 12th with 24 points. Mila Andric led the Yellow Jackets with a runner-up finish in the 400 meter hurdles and a third place finish in the 100 meter hurdles. Cody Milbourn placed third in the hammer throw and Lory Johnson finished eighth in the shot put.
Jamestown College tied for 20th place with 13 points, Conlon's championship in the steeplechase and a sixth place finish in the heptathlon by Sarah Skipper. Dickinson State, South Dakota Mines and Valley City State tied for 58th place with one point apiece. DSU's Hailey Schaper tied for seventh in the high jump, SDM's Madi Lane tied for seventh in the high jump and VCSU's Amber Volanti finished eighth in the hammer throw.
Dickinson State finished in the 21st place with 15 points in the men's division. Kurt McCormack finished fourth in the triple jump and seventh in the long jump. The Blue Hawks' 4x100 relay team placed fifth, John Paul Williams finished sixth in the pole vault and Nathan Magstadt was eighth in the 400 meter hurdles.
Black Hills State scored five points to tie for 49th place with Jed Morgan placing fourth in the 3000 meter steeplechase. Minot State was in 54th place with 4.5 points as Josh Ming placed fifth in the javelin and Ryan Zach tied for eighth in the high jump. Jamestown College finished in a tie for 67th place with two points as Josh Ewalt finished seventh in the decathlon.
For a complete look at team and individual results from the national meet, go to the NAIA web-site.
May 13, 2011
(Spearfish, SD) -- Dickinson State captured their eighth straight men's title and Black Hills State won their sixth consecutive women's championship at the Dakota Athetic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Meet in Spearfish, SD.
The Blue Hawks crowned ten individual conference champions in compiling 275 points to win the men's conference championship. Jamestown College was the runner-up with 144 points, followed by South Dakota Mines with 127.5, Black Hills State with 106.5, Dakota State with 73, Minot State with 62 and Valley City State with 43.
Dickinson State's John Paul Williams earned the Overall Performer of the Meet Award. His Blue Hawk teammates Cordero Bonamy and Kurt McCormack were named the Track Athlete and Field Athlete of the Meet. Anthony Drealan of Dakota State was voted the Most Valuable Senior and Pete Stanton of Dickinson State and Ed Crawford of Jamestown shared the Coach of the Year Award.
The Yellow Jackets picked up 13 individual conference champions as they won the women's conference crown with 310 points. Jamestown College scored 246 points to finish second with Dickinson State third with 114, Minot State fourth with 61, South Dakota Mines fifth with 61, Dakota State sixth with 37 and Valley City State seventh with 24.
Adrijana Andric of Black Hills State was the Overall Performer of the Meet. Her fellow Yellow Jackets, Mila Andric and Cody Milbourn, earned the Track Athlete and Field Athlete of the Meet honors. Jamestown's Sarah Skipper was picked for the Most Valuable Senior award and Black Hills State's Travis Covey and Jim Clark of Jamestown were voted the Co-Coaches of the Year.
Complete meet results can be found on the Outdoor Track Results page of the DAC web-site.
May 09, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Post-season tournament champ Jamestown College has six players on the 2011 All DAC Baseball Team and two on the DAC Gold Glove Team, while regular season runner-up Dickinson State placed five players on the All DAC Team and two on the Gold Glove Team
Dickinson State outfielder Derek Carley was voted the conference Most Valuable Player; Mayville State second baseman Jake McLain was chosen the Most Valuable Senior; Alex Kreis of Jamestown was picked as the Pitcher of the Year and Valley City State second baseman Pat Vandoorne was selected as the Freshman of the Year. Scott Berry was selected by his peers as the Coach of the Year after leading Mayville State to the regular season conference championship.
The complete list of the All DAC Teams and the Gold Glove Team can be found on the Baseball All Conference Performers page of the DAC web-site.
May 09, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Regular season champion Dickinson State placed three players on the 2011 All DAC Softball Team and one on the DAC Gold Glove team and Jamestown College had two players on the All DAC team and two on the Gold Glove team.
Valley City State outfielder Paige Smith was named the Most Valuable Player; Dickinson State's Sara Jane Webster was voted the Pitcher of the Year and Most Valuable Senior and Black Hills State third baseman Kelsie Chambers was picked the Freshman of the Year. Chad Slyter of Valley City State was selected the Coach of the Year.
The complete list of the All DAC Team, Gold Glove Team and Post-Season Awards can be found on the Softball All Conference Performers page of the DAC web-site.
April 27, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) – Conference champions Minot State placed eight players on the All Dakota Athletic Conference women’s and men’s golf teams.
Medalist Kelsey Boedeker of Dickinson State heads up the All DAC women’s team. She is joined by Mackenzie Nagel, Ali Hilkewich, Kara Dietz and Becca Heinitz of Minot State and Brandi Holmes of Black Hills State. Boedeker was also voted the Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Senior. Coach of the Year was awarded to Minot State’s Dwight “Chipper’ Farrell.
Medalist Casey Gleich of Minot State tops the All DAC men’s team. He is joined by teammates Ben Edwards, Blair Anderson and Cody Duchscherer, along with Kyle Chan of Dickinson State and Kameron Hunter of Jamestown College. Gleich and Edwards share the Most Valuable Player award and Edwards was chosen the Most Valuable Senior. Minot State’s Dwight “Chipper” Farrell was picked as the Coach of the Year.
DAC golf teams will be in Sioux City, IA on Friday and Saturday for the NAIA National Qualifier Tournament.
April 21, 2011
(Rapid City, SD) -- Former South Dakota School of Mines football standout and U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Col. Dave Dutton was honored at his alma mater Tuesday in the King Center by being awarded the Legion of Merit Award from the U.S. Army.
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.
Dutton, who played for the Hardrocker football team from 1977-1980, started as a freshman and played in all 38 games during his college career. He was a nose tackle who was a member of the renowned 1980 SD Mines defense -- a unit that recorded five shutouts and allowed only 59 points in nine games. In 1980 he was named the MVP of the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference and earned NAIA All-American status. He was inducted in the SD School of Mines Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
The Legion of Merit (Commander degree) is one of only two United States military decorations to be issued as a neck order (the other being the Medal of Honor).
April 19, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Maura Bronte-Pfeifer has been named the head women’s volleyball coach at Dickinson State University. Previously, Coach Bronte-Pfeiffer served as a graduate assistant and student assistant coach at Chadron State University, NE.
Tim Daniel, director of athletics at DSU, announced Bronte-Pfeifer’s appointment today, saying, “We are very excited to have Maura join the Dickinson State University athletic department. We look forward to her leadership as we make the transition from the Dakota Athletic Conference into the Frontier Conference.”
“I am thankful for the opportunity that Dickinson State University and Tim Daniel have given me to lead the Blue Hawk Volleyball Program,” Bronte-Pfeifer said. “I’m very excited to get started. We return a number of talented ladies that had a successful last season. It will be exciting to get to Dickinson, put some practices together, and build towards the future.”
During her three years at Chadron, Bronte-Pfeifer assisted with all phases of their women’s volleyball program. She mentored the 2008 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, the first ever at CSC. She also interned with the institutions athletic department, assisting with operations.
“Maura’s past coaching and playing experiences at NCAA DII Chadron State University have provided her with great familiarity to women’s college volleyball in the Midwest. She also brings with her a wealth of recruiting contacts from all over the United States. We welcome her aboard to DSU,” Daniel said.
Bronte-Pfeifer competed at Chadron State and Sacramento City College, CA. She was team captain in her final year of competition at both schools. She was an RMAC Conference Academic All-American selection at CSC. Bronte-Pfeifer earned her Master of Science degree in Organizational Management and BA in Recreation from Chadron. She completed her Associate of Arts degree in Social Science at Sacramento City.
“I have heard great things about DSU from former student-athletes and people in the volleyball community; I look forward to being a part of the Blue Hawk athletic family,” Bronte-Pfeifer said.
April 14, 2011
(Mayville, ND) -- Mayville State University announced that Derek Schlieve will take over as head coach of the Comets football program effective immediately.
Schlieve was the defensive coordinator at Mayville State University over the past three seasons and served as the interim head coach this spring following the resignation of former coach Nathan Chin.
“I am very excited to be the head football coach at Mayville State University,” Schlieve said. “I think that most people view being the head coach at their alma mater to be the best job possible and I absolutely agree. I would like to thank the coaches that were here before me that helped to make this possible. I would also like to thank the alums that showed their support for me, I will work hard to show them how much this means to me and to build a program that we can all be happy with.”
Prior to being named the defensive coordinator at Mayville State, Schlieve was the offensive coordinator at Beulah Public Schools, ND. He started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Wahpeton Public Schools, ND. After one year at Wahpeton he was named defensive coordinator at Pillager Public Schools, MN. Following a one-year stint as defensive coordinator at Pillager, he was named the head coach and remained there for three seasons. In September of 2005 Schlieve was named the State of Minnesota football coach of the week. After being a head high school coach for three seasons he returned to Mayville State to coach the defensive line in the spring of 2007.
Schlieve earned his undergraduate degree in education at Mayville State University with a major in elementary education and a minor in coaching, graduating magna cum laude, in 2002. He earned his graduate degree in sports management from St. Cloud State University, also graduating magna cum laude, in 2007.
A four-year letter winner in college, Schlieve was twice named Academic All Conference (DAC-10) and once named Academic All American (NAIA). He also played in the National All Star Bowl at the linebacker position in Minneapolis, Minnesota after his senior season.
Coach Schlieve resides in Mayville with his wife Cora and his sons Camdyn and Xavier.
April 14, 2011
(Madison, SD) -- Several Dakota State University volleyball, women's basketball, men's basketball, cross country and track student-athletes went to Colman-Egan school on Wednesday afternoon in Colman, S.D. Dakota State continued their growth in the NAIA's Champions of Character initiative program as they assisted in health extravaganza activities.
DSU student-athletes assisted with health booths and a variety of physical activities such as playing basketball and volleyball. The elementary and high school students collected information from the health booths, food tasting and competed in activities that included prizes.
The Colman-Egan Health Extravaganza's purpose is to teach the students on why being healthy is very important to their lives. Physical activities and eating proper nutrition are the topics that are covered at the extravaganza event.
Colman-Egan sponsored this event in cooperation with the grants received from the South Dakota Department of Education/Team Nutrition Fuel Up to Play 60.
March 31, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Dr. Richard McCallum, President of Dickinson State University, has announced that Tim Daniel will be the director of athletics. Daniel, who has served as the interim director since July, 2010, will take over the role permanently April 1.
“I am very pleased that Mr. Daniel has accepted this Cabinet-level assignment,” McCallum said. “We look forward to his leadership as we move forward with the continued development of DSU’s athletic program.”
Daniel has served the university in a variety of roles for the past 22 years. In addition to being a professor of health and physical education, Daniel was the head men’s basketball coach and head golf coach.
“I am honored that Dr. McCallum has chosen me for the position,” Daniel said. “I have enjoyed working with him and the coaching staff. I look forward to continuing the work the department has done over the past several months to build our programs.”
March 25, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State men’s basketball is traveling to China from March 31st to April 8th. The Blue Hawks cross cultural basketball experience will take them to Yang Ling, China for a two game exhibition series with Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University (A&F).
The focal point of the trip will be a pair of matches, with the second of which to follow a unique format. Game one will feature Dickinson State against Northwest A&F. For the second contest, players from both schools will be split into teams of even strength and compete in a combined cross culture game.
Other activities will include DSU players shadowing a Northwest A&F counterpart and educational sightseeing. Ultimately, the trip will facilitate in person establishment of relationships between students, faculty, and coaches of Northwest A&F and Dickinson State University. It will be significant in advancing partnerships with NW A&F that include the visitation of an A&F professor in Spring 2011 and articulation agreements that are being developed between the two schools. The trip is a shining example of DSU’s commitment to the furthering of and advancement of globalization.
“With this trip you’re taking young adults out to see the world”, said Ty Orton, Head Men’s Basketball Coach. “Through this cross cultural effort, our student-athletes will grow and come to understand that the college experience is not just in Dickinson, but is an active experience in which they are learning to see things all over. This group of guys will remember DSU for giving them the opportunity to scan the horizons and see the world.”
March 25, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- The Victory Sports Network announced their rosters for the 2011 NAIA Senior Classic. The game features some of the top senior football players in the NAIA competing in an all star football game. The contest will take place on Saturday, April 30 at 12 noon Central Time at Salina Central Stadium in Salina, KS.
This year's event will feature eleven DAC players competing on the "Americans" team. The are: linebacker Richard Fairhead and defensive end Wacey Coleman from Black Hills State; defensive back Derion Williams of Dickinson State; safety Dustin Erbes from Jamestown College; linebacker Clifton Krotz, defensive lineman William Drake, offensive lineman Joey Brown and offensive lineman Ethan Brooks of Mayville State and quarterback Trent Kosel, linebacker Kevin Strang and defensive lineman Seth Olson of Valley City State.
The Americans team will be coached by Todd Hafner of William Penn, IA, while the Nationals team will be coached by Dewayne Alexander of Cumberland, TN.
For complete rosters and further information on the NAIA Senior Classic, go to the Victory Sports Network web-site.
March 24, 2011
(Minot, ND) -- Minot State University named Travis Ward as its new head volleyball coach, Athletic Director Rick Hedberg announced Thursday.
“We are excited to have Travis leading our volleyball program,” said Hedberg. “He has good experience at the NCAA Division II level and most recently as a head coach in a quality junior college program. He is very excited to be joining us in our transition to the Northern Sun and NCAA Division II.”
Ward becomes the Beavers sixth head coach.
“I think the biggest thing that attracted me to Minot State was the community support,” he said. “Minot feels like a college town to me. That and the facilities at Minot State are exceptional. My goal is to create a culture of winning at Minot State. We want to bring in people that believe in that and have the desire to achieve that. Winning will be a big piece of what we are going to do here to create that culture and we want to extend that feeling to the community.”
Ward spent the past three seasons turning around the Laramie County Community College (WY) program. LCCC had eight wins the season before Ward took over in just two season, he build them into a nationally recognized team. In 2009, LCCC was 31-8 and ranked in the top 20. In 2010, LCCC finished the season at the No. 7 ranked team in the country. He also oversaw five Academic All Americans during his coaching stint at LCCC and coached nine all-region players including the school’s first All-American honor. Prior to his time at Laramie County, he spent three seasons as Associate Head Coach at Western Oregon, helping guide the university to its first berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
“Our search committee was excited about his vision for the future of the program,” Hedberg said. “Travis made a good impression on each of the various groups that he met with while on campus.”
He will be taking over a program that is not only moving to NCAA Division II, but moving into one of the top conference in the country.
“I think when you talk about the NSIC that you are talking about the best conference in the nation,” Ward said. “We hope to be a team that travels well. It will be fun to compete against some of the top teams in the country. Also, we want Minot to be a tough place to play. We hope to grow our crowds and make this a tough building to get a win. I think it will be a little nerve-racking over the next couple of years, but it will also be a blast to take on some of those teams.”
Ward, a native of Spokane, Wash., also has experience at the prep level as he was the head coach at St. George High School in Spokane earning back-to-back state tournament appearances in 2003-04.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in counseling and intercultural students from Prairie College in Three Hills, Alberta and earned a Bachelor of Science in business and exercise science from Western Oregon. He played three seasons for the Prairie College men’s volleyball team.
March 24, 2011
(Jamestown, ND) -- Jamestown College will add competitive dance to its lineup of athletic offerings beginning in the 2011-12 school year.
“With the high level of participation in dance at the high school level, it makes sense to offer a program with such broad appeal,” says Athletic Director Lawrie Paulson. “Competitive dance is an emerging sport with more than 50 schools in the NAIA participating.”
The team will be made up of approximately 24 dancers and will compete for a bid into the Universal Dance Association National Championships held in January in Orlando, Fla. Fans closer to home will see the team perform at Jimmie football and basketball games and other regional events.
“This is a great opportunity for students with an interest in dance to participate in a sport they love while obtaining an excellent education,” says Tena Lawrence, Dean of Enrollment Management. “Our program is unique in this region in two ways – we are offering talent scholarships to qualified participants, and the team is coached by an individual with a background in competitive dance and who has earned a master’s degree in dance.”
Kimberly Williams has been named Dance Team Director. She is a graduate of Oklahoma City University’s Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management Master of Fine Arts program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in dance from Lindenwood University, Saint Charles, Mo.
As a member of the Lindenwood Lion Line Dance Team, Williams competed at the National College Dance Team Championships and was a part of the 2008 National Championship team.
“I’m looking forward to giving students the chance to continue dancing through college,” she says. “We’ll hold auditions in May with the goal of performing when school starts in August.”
Williams’ dance training includes ballet, tap, jazz, modern and musical theatre. She is a sought after judge for competitions and auditions as well as for choreographing routines. She was an instructor and later assistant head instructor for Universal Dance Association, traveling and teaching high school dance camps across six states.
Williams coached the Ritenour (Mo.) High School junior varsity dance team for three years, resulting in the team’s first-place finish at the Missouri State High School Dance Competition.
She has competed regionally and nationally at Dance Champs, Spotlight Dance Cup, Stage One Productions and other competitions.
“Kimberly has terrific dance credentials and will be a great ambassador for Jamestown College and for our new competitive dance program,” Paulson says.
For more information about the Jamestown College Dance Team, contact Williams at (701) 252-3467 ext. 5021 or kiwillia@jc.edu.
March 23, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University Athletics entered a new multimedia frontier this week. The Blue Hawk Sports Information Department is proud to announce the unveiling of its new web-site, dsubluehawks.com, which went live early today. Additionally, DSU Athletics launched a pair of sports oriented social media sites, Facebook and Twitter.
“As a sports information department, we want to maintain and build positive linkages between DSU athletics and present and future fans,” said Dan Chelstrom, DSU Sports Information Director. “Our new web-site and social media pages are the instruments for those multimedia relationships.”
“We wanted to gear dsubluehawks.com towards the overall fan experience,” Chelstrom said. The site was built specifically with student-athletes and fans in mind. Our page is active, featuring moving scores, pictures, and sponsor ad zones. Upcoming events are easily accessible. Our site links direct visitors to a wide variety of information.”
“Ultimately, our goal was to promote DSU Athletics, the University, and Dickinson community with a relevant, progressive, and impactful media experience,” said Chelstrom. I think we accomplished that with dsubluehawks.com, and did so with a platform that is on the edge, yet easy to use.”
Visit the new DSU Athletics web-site at http://www.dsubluehawks.com. Also be sure to check out the Official DSU Athletic Department Facebook (http://on.fb.me/fk0my5) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/dsubluehawks) pages.
March 16, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Six men's players and five women's players from the Dakota Athletic Conference have been named to the NAIA Division II All America teams and Honorable Mention lists.
Black Hills State senior Luke Enos was named to the First Team. Enos was a First Team All American in 2009-10 and a Second Team Honoree in 2008-09. Dickinson State senior Nate Lebsock was selected to the Second Team after being an Honorable Mention recipient each of the past two seasons. Senior Will John Johnson of Black Hills State was named to the Third Team. He was an Honorable Mention recipient in 2008-09. Dickinson State's Matt Lee and C.J. Peeters and Travis Burley of Jamestown College received Honorable Mention honors.
Senior Katelynn Lamb of Black Hills State was selected to the First Team for the second straight season. She was an Honorable Mention All American in 2008-09. Lamb's teammate, junior Keely Krolikowski was selected to the Second Team. Honorable Mention selections are Hannah Steele of Jamestown College, Caroline Folven of Minot State and Valley City State's Amanda Brown.
March 12, 2011
(Sioux City, IA) -- Black Hills State saw their season come to an end with an 83-73 setback to Walsh, OH in the quarterfinals of the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament in Sioux City, IA.
The Yellow Jackets built a 38-27 lead at half, but Walsh outscored BHSU 56-35 in the second half to pick up the quarterfinal round victory.
Keely Krolikowski led three Jackets in double figures with 19 points. Katelynn Lamb and Mandy Brumfield each had 16 points and four rebounds.
Walsh's Cara Bedard led all scorers with 27 points. Jessie Miller added 17 points and six rebounds and Katie Berry chipped in with 13.
The Yellow Jackets end their season with a 24-8 record, while Walsh moves into Monday's semifinals with a 29-4 mark.
March 11, 2011
(Sioux City, IA) -- Black Hills State has advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament in Sioux City, IA with a 72-62 triumph over Kansas Wesleyan.
The Yellow Jackets led 31-24 at halftime and outscored the Coyotes, 41-38, in the second half to post the ten point win.
Katelynn Lamb led BHSI with 24 points and five rebounds and Kristi Ryan added 18 points and four rebounds. Stephanie Frost led KWU with 15 points and eight rebounds and Shelby Bobcock had ten points and five rebounds.
The Yellow Jackets improved to 24-7 and will face Walsh, OH in the quarterfinals at 3:00 on Saturday. Walsh defeated Marian, IN, 72-58 in the second round. Kansas Wesleyan ends their season with a 31-3 record.
March 11, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) – The Dakota Athletic Conference has nominated Valley City State women’s basketball coach Jill DeVries and student-athlete Trent Kosel for NAIA Champions of Character Awards.
DeVries has been nominated for the NAIA Coach of Character Award. The award goes to the coach who serves the community through volunteering, service or other areas; “intentionally implements character coaching” and embraces the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative – integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. The recipient of the award will be recognized at the annual NAIA National Convention.
DeVries just completed her 12th season as coach of the Lady Vikings’ basketball program, leading her team to the DAC tournament championship and their first ever trip to the NAIA Division II National Tournament. For her work in the 2010-11 season, she was voted by her conference peers as the DAC Coach of the Year.
Kosel, a senior from Edgeley, ND, has been nominated for the NAIA Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award. This award is presented to a student-athlete who shows outstanding achievement in academics, campus leadership, community leadership, embracing the NAIA Champions of Character Five Core Values, athletic achievement and future ambition. The award winner will have a $1,000 cash award given to the scholarship fund of the recipient’s institution in his/her name and will be recognized at the NAIA National Convention.
Kosel, a math and chemistry education major, was a two year starter at quarterback for the Vikings. He finished his playing career with 3032 yards passing and 24
touchdowns and rushed for 466 yards and three scores. Kosel is a three time NAIA Scholar-Athlete and a three time DAC Scholar.
March 11, 2011
(Point Lookout, MO) -- Black Hills State saw their season come to an end with a 78-74 overtime loss to Davenport, MI in second round play of the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament in Point Lookout, MO.
Davenport led at half, 32-28, but the Yellow Jackets outscored them 35-31 in the second half to push the contest into the extra period. Senior Luke Enos made a pair of free throws with 23 seconds remaining in regulation to force the overtime. Davenport outscored BHSU, 15-11, in the extra frame to post the second round victory.
Enos and fellow senior Will John Johnson combined for 47 of their team's 74 points. Johnson had a team high 24 points, while Enos had 23 points and a team high seven rebounds. Cain Atkinson also hit double figures with ten points.
The Yellow Jackets end their season with a 27-6 record. Davenport moves into the quarterfinals with a 29-5 record and will face the winner of the St. Francis, IN/Bellevue,
NE second round game at 1:00 Saturday afternoon.
March 10, 2011
(Sioux City, IA) -- Black Hills State opened their fourth straight trip to the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament with a 66-59 win over Concordia, OR.
The Yellow Jackets led 35-25 at halftime and held off several second half surges from Concordia to post the opening round victory.
The Jackets offense was led by DAC MVP Keely Krolikowski and KateLynn Lamb. Krolikowski had a game high 23 points and Lamb added 16. Concordia had two players in double figures, Danielle Clauson with 19 points and a game high 13 rebounds and Rachel Scarpelli added 12 points
The win sends the 23-7 Yellow Jackets in to the second rouond at 1:45 Friday against Kansas Wesleyan (31-2), who defeated Holy Names, CA, 68-50. Concordia ends their season with a 24-10 record.
March 10, 2011
(Mayville, ND) -- Mayville State University baseball coach Scott Berry passed another career landmark last weekend by getting his 800th career victory during the Comets’ season opener against Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS.
MSU went on to get career wins number 801 and 802 for Berry against Hastings College as the Comets won their first three games of the 2011 season.
"Having the opportunity to play Bethany and Hastings is what we needed to find some things out about ourselves and to educate us on what we need to do to get us where we want to go," Berry said following the opening weekend. "Regarding winning number eight hundred, I look at that event as a moment in time and history. Having done this for nearly thirty years means I have a whole lot of former student-athletes, coaches, and faithful family and friends to thank for helping make this all possible. These moments are very nostalgic for me and I have nothing but the utmost respect and appreciation for those who really truly made this happen."
In 29 years since becoming the Comets head coach in 1982, Berry's teams have won 20 conference championships (17 consecutive), 18 conference playoff championships, and 20 appearances in the national playoffs (18 of the last 20 years). He earned NAIA District 12 or Region III Coach of the Year honors on 11 different occasions and conference coach of the year 18 times, including both the 2005 NAIA Region III and DAC Coach of the Year award. Berry earned Dakota Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors again after the 2007 season.
Berry is currently the seventh winningest coach in NAIA baseball. He is a member of four Halls of Fame and an active participant in local, regional, and national baseball organizations.
March 09, 2011
(Sioux City, IA) -- Valley City State saw their first trip to the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament cut short as Sterling, KS topped the Vikings, 71-65, in opening round play in Sioux City, IA
Sterling led 38-33 at the break and held off several second half runs by the Vikings to post the victory.
Kristin Bears Tail led VCSU with 22 points. Amanda Brown added 17 points and eight rebounds and Jacklyn Mitchell chipped in with ten points and nine boards. The Vikings season ends at 23-9.
Sterling was led by Britany Gasper with 17 points and eight rebounds, Laura Patrick had 14 points and eight boards and Cami Racette contributed 11 points as they improved to 27-5. Sterling will face Northwestern, IA in the second round on Friday evening at 5:15.
March 09, 2011
(Point Lookout, MO) -- Black Hills State led from start to finish and posted an 85-62 win in their opening round contest against Holy Names, CA at the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament in Point Lookout, MO.
The fifth seeded Yellow Jackets led 41-34 at half and shot 62% from the field in the second half to outscore Holy Names 44-28.
Senior Luke Enos led the Jackets with a double-double of 24 points and ten rebounds. Clay Pottorff added 17 points, seven steals and four assists; Will John Johnson chipped in with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists and Tanner Adler came off the bench to contribute 12 points.
David Scott led Holy Names with 17 points and nine rebounds and Eric Webster added 13 points and five rebounds.
Black Hills State advances to the second round of the tournament for the second time in three seasons. They'll take a 27-5 record into their second round contest at 8:30 Friday monring against number twelve Davenport, MI (28-5), who defeated Briar Cliff, IA, 72-68. Holy Names season ends with a 20-14 record.
March 02, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- The Valley City State women and Black Hills State women and men will represent the DAC at the NAIA Division II National Basketball Tournaments.
The Vikings will be making their first ever appearance in the national tournament in Sioux City, IA, while the Lady Yellow Jackets advance to nationals for the fourth year in a row. Valley City State's first ever national tourney game will be on Wednesday, March 9 at 9:15 PM Central Time versus Sterling, KS. Black Hills State will face Concordia, OR in the opening round at 12:00 Noon Central Time on Thursday, March 10. The Vikings qualified for the tournament with a win over Jamestown College, 74-69, in the DAC Post-Season Tournament, while the Yellow Jackets received an at-large invitation. For more information on the NAIA Division II Women's National Tournament, go to the NAIA web-site.
The Yellow Jacket men are making their third straight trip to the national tournament in Point Lookout, MO. Black Hills State will play Holy Names, CA at 10:15 AM Central Time on Wednesday, March 9 in their opening round matchup. The Jackets qualified for the national competition with a 75-63 win over South Dakota Mines in the DAC Post-Season Tournament. For complete coverage of the NAIA Division II Men's National Tournament, go to the NAIA web-site.
March 01, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Two players from regular season champion Black Hills State, two from Dickinson State and one from Jamestown College make up the 2010-11 All DAC Men's Basketball First Team, while two players from regular season champion Black Hills State and one each from Jamestown College, Valley City State and Minot State are on the 2010-11 All DAC Women's Basketball First Team.
Seniors Will John Johnson and Luke Enos of Black Hills State; senior Nate Lebsock and sophomore Matt Lee of Dickinson State and Senior C.J. Peeters of Jamestown College make up the men's first team. Lebsock was voted the DAC Most Valuable Player, while Enos was picked as the Most Valuable Senior. Travis Burley of Jamestown was selected the Newcomer of the Year, Kelvin Fraser of Minot State was voted the Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors went to Jason Henry of South Dakota Mines. The complete list of the three All DAC Teams and post-season awards can be found on the Men's Basketball All Conference page of the DAC web-site.
Katelynn Lamb and Keely Krolikowski of Black Hills State are joined on the women's first team by Hannah Steele of Jamestown, Amanda Brown of Valley City State and Caroline Folven of Minot State. Krolikowski was voted the DAC Most Valuable Player, Lamb was chosen as the Most Valuable Senior and Steele was selected Freshman of the Year. Janna Schriber of Black Hills State was honored as the Defensive Player of the Year and Jill Devries of Valley City State was picked as the Coach of the Year. The complete list of the three All DAC Teams and post-season awards is available on the Women's Basketball All Conference page of the DAC web-site.
March 01, 2011
(Valley City, ND) -- Valley City State qualified for their first ever trip to the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament with a 74-69 win over Jamestown College in the championship game of the DAC Tournament.
The Vikings led 33-29 at halftime after the teams traded the lead during the first twenty minutes. The second half was the same story as the first until VCSU took the lead for good in the closing minutes, held on for the victory and earned their first trip to the national tournament
Guard Caitlyn Wojahn led the Vikings with 18 points including four three pointers. Kristin Bearstail hit a pair of cluth threes down the stretch and ended the contest with 17 points and eight rebounds. Amanda Brown also scored in double figures with 13 and VCSU got solid bench play from Brittany Lehner with ten points and Mandi Bindas with nine points and eight rebounds.
The Jimmies were led by post Bridget Schuneman with 15 points and eight rebounds and Amber Ramlo had a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards. Kayla Roemmich came off the bench to add 12 points and eight boards and benchmate Carley Jensen contributed 11 points.
The Vikings improved to 23-8 on the season and the Jimmies fell to 21-8.
The participants and pairings for the national tournament in Sioux City, IA on March 9-15 will be announced on Wednesday evening. Black Hills State, who was ranked ninth in the latest poll, will receive an at-large invitation to the tournament, while Minot State and Jamestown, who received votes, have an outside chance of receiving an invite.
March 01, 2011
(Spearfish, SD) -- Black Hills State punched their ticket for a return trip to the NAIA Division II Men's National Tournament with a 75-63 win over their rivals from South Dakota Mines.
The Yellow Jackets led 36-31 at halftime and slowly built on the lead in the second half, culminating with a 19 point lead with just over 2:30 left in the contest.
Luke Enos led BHSU with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Clay Pottorff aded 16 points, Cain Atkinson chipped in with 14 and Will John Johnson had eight points and a game high 13 rebounds.
The Hardrockers had three players in double figures. Nathan Jacobson had 16 pts, Scott May added 13 and Tanner Friesen had 10.
The Yellow Jackets improved to 26-5, while the Hardrockers dropped to 18-13.
The qualifiers and pairings for the national tournament in Point Lookout, MO on March 9-15 will be announced on Wednesday evening. Jamestown College, who was rated 25th in the latest poll, has a chance to earn an at-large berth, while South Dakota Mines, who received votes in the poll, have a slim chance to receive an invitation.
February 28, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Jamestown College baseball and Dickinson State softball are the top teams in their respective conference preseason coaches' polls.
Defending conference champion Jamestown College (14-6 in the DAC/40-13 overall in 2010) is the favorite in the 2011 DAC Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Dickinson State (13-7/30-19) finished second in the poll, followed by Mayville State (12-8/29-23), Minot State (8-12/21-30), Dakota State (12-8/24-20) and Valley City State (1-19/8-39). The conference season begins April 2.
No DAC teams were rated in the NAIA Preseason Poll. The Jimmies did receive votes. The first NAIA poll of the regular season will be announced on March 29.
Defending champion Dickinson State (21-3 in the DAC/34-13 overall) is the favorite in the DAC Softball Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Minot State (15-3/24-14) finished second in the balloting with Jamestown College (12-4/32-15) third, Valley City State (6-14/23-22) fourth, Black Hills State (6-12/14-21) fifth, Mayville State (9-15/20-34) sixth and Dakota State (3-21/9-35) seventh. The conference schedule starts April 2.
The Blue Hawks were ranked thirteenth in the NAIA Preseason Poll and the Beavers received votes. The first NAIA regular season poll will be released on March 22.
February 23, 2011
(Minot, ND) -- Minot State University and Minot’s Dream Catchers celebrated their fifth annual “Day at the Dome” in the usual fashion.
The two groups formed four teams and played an exciting two-inning game Monday night at the MSU Dome.
“We look forward to this every year,” said MSU head coach Brock Weppler. “I’m not sure who has the most fun between us and the Dream Catchers. I’m happy we could be a part of it again this year.”
The Minot Dream Catchers is a team comprised of special needs children, many of whom are wheelchair bound, organized by Michelle Bliven.
The “Day at the Dome” began five years ago as an idea for a class project by former MSU baseball player Justin Beahm. The event has grown in size, attracting nearly 60 Dream Catchers’ players in 2010 along with 40 MSU players and coaches, but the idea of having fun remains.
The teams are divided into four teams with two two-inning games played side-by-side on the Dome floor. Each batter is allowed two at-bats, not score is taken and at the end of the each inning, the final batter gets to run the bases.
“We feel this is one of the most important events the baseball team is involved with each year and one of the most important events the MSU Athletic Department is involved with,” Weppler said.
After the game, the teams shared a traditional handshake and finished the fun-filled night with pizza.
February 19, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State finished second and Jamestown College fourth at the NAIA North Region Qualifier Wrestling Tournament in Sioux City, IA, while Minot State finished at the NAIA West Region Qualifier Meet in Prescott, AZ.
Morningside, IA captured the North Region Championship with 149 points with DSU a close second with 147. Midland, NE placed third with 130.5, JC finished fourth with 98 and Northwestern, IA finished out the top five in the ten team field with 76.
The Blue Hawks placed 12 wrestlers in the meet with two runners up, while the Jimmies had eight finish in the top six, including one champion and one runner-up. Sean Blumhardt of Jamestown College captured the region crown at 125 and Aaron Field finished second at 285. For Dickinson State, Jordan Ewen placed second at 149 and Cameron Schrempp was the runner-up at 174.
Southern Oregon was the team champion at the West Region meet with 138 points. Montana State-Northern was the second place team with 135.5, followed by Great Falls, MT with 114.5, Embry-Riddle, AZ with 114.5 and Minot State rounding out the top five of the eight team field with 68.5 points.
The Beavers crowned one individual champion among their five place finishers. Robert Herrera captured the region championship at 125 pounds.
For complete region meet results, go to the NAIA web-site.
February 19, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- The Black Hills State men and women swept the regular season conference basketball championships and will be the top seeds in the Dakota Athletic Conference post-season tournaments.
The Yellow Jacket men (12-2 in the DAC/23-5 overall) will open up tournament play at home on Wednesday at 7:30 against Mayville State (2-12/8-19). Dickinson State (9-5/16-12) is the four seed and will play host to Minot State (6-8/12-16) at 7:00. South Dakota Mines (9-5/17-11) is the second seed and will be at home to take on Valley City State (3-11/9-19) at 7:00 and Jamestown College (9-5/20-8) is the third seed and will be home to play Dakota State (6-8/15-13) at 7:30.
The Yellow Jacket women (11-3/21-6) will play host to Dakota State (2-12/6-20) at 5:30 on Wednesday. Jamestown College (9-5/19-7) is seeded fourth and will be at home versus Dickinson State (7-7/15-12) 5:30. Valley City State (10-4/20-8) is the number two seed and will be at home against Mayville State (2-12/4-19) 7:00 and Minot State (9-5/21-7) ) is the number three seed and will host South Dakota Mines (6-8/12-16) at 7:00.
The semifinals will be played on Sunday, February 27 with the championship games to be played on Tuesday, March first at the home of the higher seeds.
February 19, 2011
(Spearfish, SD) -- The Dickinson State men and Black Hills State women captured conference titles at the Dakota Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Meet on the campus of Black Hills State.
The Blue Hawk men won their seventh straight indoor championship with 210 points. Black Hills State was the runner up with 151.5, followed by Jamestown with 107, South Dakota Mines with 86.5, Dakota State with 71, Minot State with 43 and Valley City State with 28.
The Yellow Jacket women won their fifth indoor title in the last six years with 272 points. Jamestown placed second with 187, followed by Dickinson State with 72, Dakota State and Minot State with 60, South Dakota Mines with 31 and Valley City State with 10.
Complete results from the meet can be found on the "Track and Field Indoor Result"s page of the DAC web-site.
February 11, 2011
(Minot, ND) -- Minot State University’s Athletic Department and Xcel Energy are asking fans to go Green during the MSU men’s and women’s basketball games February 18 and 19 at the MSU Dome.
The week-long initiative will culminate in the MSU Athletics/Xcel Energy Green Weekend during the Dakota Athletic Conference regular season finale. Fans are encouraged to think “Green” and to wear it as the MSU Athletic Department has made the weekend a “Green Out” at the Dome.
“We would like to make this an annual event,” said MSU Athletic Director Rick Hedberg. “It is important for our students to think about what they can do to help the environment. Xcel Energy has been great to work with to get this event going. We look forward to Friday and Saturday being a ‘Green Out’ at the Dome. We are doing some neat things to promote sustainability. I think sporting venues across the country have been slow to get on board with recycling and we want to do our part, or at least
get the ball rolling by creating more awareness regarding sustainability.”
The initiative began on Wednesday, February 9 with residence hall competitions on MSU’s campus. During hall hours, students who contribute to the recycling program will have their name go into a drawing a gift card. The winner of the gift cards will be announced at halftime of the men’s game vs. Black Hills State on Friday.
Recycling canisters will be set up at the residence halls during the week and at all four corners of the MSU Dome floor during the two games. The canisters will be for recycling plastics and Beavers’ game programs. There will also be recycling bins placed at the gate entrances for old batteries and cell phones.
Along with title sponsor Xcel Energy, the Minot State Athletic Department, the Minot State Sustainability Committee, the MSU Student Athlete Advisory Council, M&S Concessions and the MSU residence halls have all worked to make February 18 and 19 a “Green Out” at the Dome.
February 11, 2011
(Collegeville, MN) -- Minot State University junior Deon Buhl was just a pup when he last wrestled in the NAIA National Tournament.
His second time around he’s just a little more experience – at least in life.
Buhl and Minot State are both making a comeback from a long layover from wrestling as Buhl took 13 years off from the sport, while it has been since 1990 since the Beavers sponsored the sport.
On Saturday, the Lacey, WA native became MSU’s ninth wrestler to secure a spot in the 2011 tournament by taking sixth place in the 141-pound weight class at the North Country Open here.
“There’s the headline, ‘Thirty-seven year old qualifies for nationals,’” joked MSU head coach Robin Ersland. “He had a long day. He won, lost, won two in a row and then ran out of gas. In the 5th-6th place match, you could tell he looked like a wrestler who was in his sixth match of the day.”
January 25, 2011
(Rapid City, SD) -- Malone Engineering raised over $10,000 this past weekend at the Mandy Willmore Benefit during the South Dakota Mines men's and women's basketball games against Dickinson State and Minot State.
Malone Engineering, who was the weekend game sponsor, decided to organize a number of different fundraising activities in hopes of helping sophomore Mandy Willmore, a member of the Lady Hardrocker basketball team who suffered a spinal injury last month in Hawaii.
Among the events over the weekend, the most popular was a silent auction. Local business donated items which were then auctioned off Friday and Saturday night as the games were being played. Malone Engineering also held an airplane toss and half court basketball shoot during halftime of the basketball games each night. Another local business, Pauly’s Pizzeria and Sub Co., donated 40 pizza’s each night and money raised was also added to the funds for Willmore.
T-shirts displaying "Team Mandy: Can't stop me!" were also on sale throughout the week. All proceeds over the weekend were presented to Willmore and her family by Malone Engineering.
Willmore is currently rehabilitating from surfers myelopathy at Craig's Hospital in Denver, CO.
The Hardrockers' basketball teams went 3-1 over the weekend as the men's team defeated both Dickinson State and Minot State. The Lady Hardrocker's defeated Minot State Friday night and nearly pulled off a dramatic victory Saturday against Dickinson in some last-second heroics.
January 21, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) – At the conclusion of the 2010-11 academic year, the Dakota Athletic Conference will move forward as a four member conference.
At a recent meeting of athletic directors and presidents of Dickinson State, Jamestown College, Mayville State and Valley City State, the conference schedules for the 2011-12 seasons were approved. The awarding of DAC conference championship, recognizing all-conference athletes and players of the week will continue as in previous years.
Because the conference will consist of four member schools, conference champions will no longer receive automatic invitations to national competitions. Volleyball, cross country, basketball, golf, softball and baseball teams will advance to tournaments with independent schools for the opportunity to qualify for the national tournaments. Football teams will be eligible for the NAIA playoffs based on NAIA rankings. Track and field and wrestling will be unaffected in terms of national competition qualifications.
January 18, 2011
(Rapid City, SD) --- "Team Mandy" t-shirts are now on sale in the Hardrocker athletics department for this weekend's men's and women's basketball games at the King Center. The shirts are being sold by Malone Engineering (weekend game sponsor) to support women's basketball sophomore Mandy Willmore, who is currently recovering from a spinal injury at Craig's Hospital in Denver, CO. The t-shirts are being sold at $10 apiece and all the proceeds will be donated to Mandy Willmore.
Malone Engineering is will also be sponsoring a Mandy Willmore Benefit weekend during the games Friday and Saturday with a silent auction from items donated by local businesses and individuals along with a few other events throughout the games (check back for more details). The Hardrockers face Minot State Friday with the women playing at 5:30 p.m. and the men going at 7:30 p.m. Saturday's bouts have SD Mines facing Dickinson State at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Show your support for the Hardrockers and Mandy by coming to the game and purchasing a t-shirt. SDM student-athletes will be pre-selling the shirts this week around campus. You can also pick one up by stopping in the athletics office at the King Center
January 14, 2011
(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dakota Athletic Conference placed three players on the Victory Sports Network All America football teams and nine others received Honorable Mention honors.
Dickinson State defensive back Derion Williams was lone DAC representative on the first team. Second team honorees from the DAC were wide receiver Johnny Lester from Minot State and defensive back Dustin Erbes from Jamestown College.
Honorable Mention recipients were defensive back Tom Lunzman, defensive lineman Brian Kemnitz and running back Jamie Dale from South Dakota Mines; linebacker Forest Sainsbury and Tom Owsiany from Black Hills State; linebacker Bodie Tobin, tight end Derek Pauley and kicker Tury Escobedo from Dickinson State and kicker Nate Nygard from Jamestown College.
Receiver Jon Ryan of national runner-up Sioux Falls, SD was chosen as the Offensive Player of the year and linebacker Thomas Dolan of national champion Carroll College, MT was picked as the Defensive Player of the Year. Todd Hafner of William Penn, IA was selected Coach of the Year, Nick Howlett of Carroll College, MT was honored as the Assistant Coach of the Year and Jay Stancil of Union College, KY was picked as the Media Person/SID of the Year.
The complete list of All Americans and Honorable Mention selections can be found on the Victory Sports Network web-site.
January 09, 2011
(Jamestown, ND) -- Jamestown College will host a benefit night on Thursday, January 13 for a student-athlete who was critically injured during a practice vault last month.
On Dec. 1, James Vollmer, a junior from Rapid City, S.D., and a vital part of the Jimmie football and track & field teams, suffered a spinal cord injury leaving him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. He is currently at The Craig Institute in Denver for rehabilitation.
To help James and his family defray medical expenses, the College will host a benefit night Thursday at the Jamestown Civic Center during the men's and women's basketball doubleheader against Valley City State University starting at 5:30 p.m. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to make a contribution. All help is greatly appreciated.
Donations can also be sent to: James Vollmer Benefit Account; c/o Black Hills Federal Credit Union; PO Box 1420; Rapid City, SD 57709. For more information,
contact Athletic Director Lawrie Paulson at (701) 252- 3467, ext. 5409.
December 14, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Three players from the Dakota Athletic Conference have been named to the American Football Coaches' Association NAIA All America Team.
Dickinson State tight end Derek Pauley, a senior from Bowman, ND; Jamestown College defensive back Dustin Erbes, a senior from Colfax, ND, and South Dakota Mines kicker Andy Smith, a junior from Pierre, SD, were selected for the AFCA NAIA All America team. Smith is on the All America team for the second consecutive year.
The AFCA has chosen All America teams since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes the teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the coaches themselves.
The complete list of the NAIA All America team can be found on the AFCA web-site.
December 13, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- One player from the Dakota Athletic Conference was named to the NAIA Volleyball All America teams. Jamestown College outside hitter Shannon Fee, a senior from Williston, ND, was selected to the third team after helping lead the Jimmies to a share of the DAC regular season title and a win in the DAC tournament to earn the team their first trip to the national tournament. The complete list of the NAIA Volleyball All America teams can be found on the NAIA web-site.
November 23, 2010
(Minot, ND) -- The Minot State University baseball program donated it’s time to help package nearly 300,000 meals for malnourished children Saturday at the Minot Municipal Auditorium.
The team was a part of a non-denominational effort under the name Feed My Starving Children foundation, which brought two truckloads of ingredients and equipment to Minot.
“We had half of the guys there from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the other half worked from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. It was hard work, but it was for a good cause,” said MSU head baseball coach Brock Weppler. “The packages we were making were going to children in Haiti that may not know where their next meal is coming from. Anytime you can get involved with something like this it is worth it. It’s good from the team, the school and the community.”
MSU baseball helped package up food in vacuum-sealed bags filled with rice, soy products, vegetables, vitamins, minerals and chicken flavoring – enough for six one-cup servings. The meals are designed to provide complete nutrition, needing only water to complete.
The boxes are destined for more than 60 countries around the world with nearly a third going to Haiti. Initially, Minot was to package 1000,000 meals, but far exceeded the estimate to reach 300,000 meals.
“We were happy to be able to help. Any time you can do something like this, you walk away feeling pretty good,” Weppler said.
Feed My Starving Children is a volunteer organization that was founded in 1987 and has three permanent packing sites in Minneapolis and one near Chicago.
November 21, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Five cross country runners from the Dakota Athletic Conference earned All America honors and eleven runners earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete
recognition.
The five All Americans earned their honors by finishing in the top 30 at the NAIA National Meet in Vancouver, WA on Saturday, November 20. Erin Curran of Black Hills State was the top DAC finisher in fourth place. Katie Conlon of Jamestown College finished eighth; Breyette Schall of Minot State placed fifteenth; Courtney Schall of Minot State finished sixteenth, and Courtney Dickson of Black Hills State placed twenty-eighth. Curran and Dickson led the Yellow Jackets to a third place finish at the meet. Conlon, Schall and Schall competed at the national meet after receiving at-large invitations.
The NAIA Scholar-Athletes from the DAC were Stephanie Warnke and Samantha Drealan of Dakota State; Tine Marie Soto of Dickinson State; Katie Conlon, Madeline Hornung, Ashleigh Anderson, Rachel Bickford and Cambrya Belter from Jamestown College; Christie Quiett of South Dakota Mines; Jed Morgan and Neil Long of Black Hills State and Brandon Velasquez of Minot State.
The complete list of All Americans and Scholar-Athletes, along with the results of the national meet can be found on the NAIA web-site.
November 15, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Conference co-champions Jamestown College and Dickinson State fill five of the six spots on the All Dakota Athletic Conference Volleyball First Team.
Jamestown's Shannon Fee, Katie Zent and Sam Revering are joined on the first team by Ruth Johnson and Karen Almeida of Dickinson State and Abbey Aide of Minot State.
Fee was voted the DAC's Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Senior; Aide was picked as the Setter of the Year; Mardee Lander of Valley City State was chosen Libero of the Year; Justine Blade of South Dakota Mines was voted Freshman of the Year and Jon Hegerle of Jamestown was chosen by his peers as the Coach of the Year.
Click here for the complete list of the all conference selections.
November 14, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dickinson State football team and Jamestown College volleyball team will be on the road to open national post-season play on Saturday.
The Blue Hawks, who earned a national football playoff berth after capturing the DAC title, will travel to Sioux City, IA to face Morningside College at 1:00 Saturday in the first round of the NAIA National Playoffs. DSU is making its fifteenth overall trip to the post-season and third straight appearance, while the Mustangs are in the playoffs for their seventh overall and seventh straight appearance. The two teams have never met in the regular season or post-season. DSU is rated ninth in the final regular season poll with a 9-1 record, while MC is ranked seventh with a 9-1 mark. For the complete national tournament pairings, go to the NAIA web-site.
The Jimmies, who earned their first ever trip to the national post-season with a 3-1 win over Dickinson State in the conference tournament championship match, will travel to Billings, MT on Saturday to face Rocky Mountain College in the Opening Round of the NAIA National Tournamet. The Jimmies head to the post-season with a 20-12 record, while the Battling Bears are 23-7. For complete pairings of the national tournament, go to the NAIA website.
November 10, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Dakota Athletic Conference champion Dickinson State placed nine players on the All DAC Football First Team. Black Hills State, Jamestown College and South Dakota Mines each have six on the team, while Minot State has five members, Valley City State two and Dakota State and Mayville State have one each.
Blue Hawk first team honorees are quarterback Cody Holland, tight end Derek Pauley, offensive lineman Ry O'Connor, defensive linemen Luke Steiner and Jamie Walker, linebackers Bodie Tobin and Jason Kraft, defensive back Derion Williams and punter Sean Russell.
First team selections for the Yellow Jackets are running back Drew Nielsen, offensive linemen Tom Owsiany and Kale DeMinck, defensive lineman Sterling Boylan and linebackers Forest Sainsbury and Richard Fairhead.
First teamers for the Jimmies are quarterback Mike Beehler, running back Lance Johansen, wide receiver Max Boe, offensive lineman Matt Steiner, defensive back Dustin Erbes and placekicker Nate Nygard.
First team players for the Hardrockers are running back Jamie Dale, wide receiver Tony Ostheimer, defensive linemen Brian Kemnitz and Joe Berke, defensive back Tom Lunzman and linebacker Everett Brill.
The Beavers' first team players are Johnny Lester as a wide receiver, punt returner and kick returner; offensive lineman Mitch Haugeberg and linebacker Tommy Weidler.
The Vikings' first team selections are linebacker Kevin Strang and running back Derek Elliott. The Comets' first teamer is defensive back Dominque Bradley and the Trojans first team honoree is linebacker Joe Whealy.
Lester was voted the conference Most Valuable Player and Holland was picked the Most Valuable Senior. Dickinson State's Hank Biesiot was voted by his peers as the
Coach of the Year after leading his team to their third straight conference championship and seventh title in the past nine years.
Click here for the complete list of the first and second team all conference honorees.
November 05, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Black Hills State swept the team titles at the DAC Cross Country Meet in Jamestown.
The Yellow Jackets won the men's division with 26 points. Dakota State placed second with 50, followed by South Dakota Mines with 89, Minot State with 92, Jamestown with 144, Valley City State with 155 and Dickinson State with 184. Devon Berkness of Dakota State was the individual champion, finishing the 8K run in
26:20. Click here for complete results.
With his victory, Berkness was named the Most Valuable Performer and was also voted Outstanding Graduating Senior by the coaches. Mitch Kraft of Black Hills State was the top freshman finisher to earn Freshman of the Year honors and Scott Walkinshaw was voted Coach of the Year by his peers.
The Yellow Jackets captured the women's team title with 29 points. Jamestown was the runner-up with 72, followed by Minot State with 80, Dickinson State with 104, South Dakota Mines with 107 and Dakota State with 139. Erin Curran won the individual conference crown, completing the 5K race in 18:25. Click here for complete results.
With the conference meet win, Curran earned the Most Valuable Performer award. Courtney Dickson of Black Hills State was the top freshman runner to earn her the Freshman of the Year award. The conference coaches voted Samantha Drealan the Outstanding Graduating Seniorn and Scott Walkinshaw was selected Coach of the Year.
November 04, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) – When the final whistle blows Sunday at the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl at the FargoDome, a DAC football champion or champions will be decided. In different scenarios, the football title could belong to one team, two teams or even four teams.
If Dickinson State avenges their lone loss of the season to Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines loses to Minot State, the Blue Hawks will win the conference crown outright or if the Yellow Jackets beat the Blue Hawks and the Hardrockers top the Beavers, SDM is the outright conference champion.
If both the Blue Hawks and the Hardrockers win their bowl games, the two will share the conference title. If the Yellow Jackets and the Beavers defeat the Blue Hawks and Hardrockers, the four teams will share the championship.
In the previous ten seasons of DAC football, there have been four seasons with co-champions (2000, 2004, 2005, 2009) and two seasons with three teams sharing the conference crown (2002, 2007), but four teams have never shared a conference championship.
The schedule for Sunday’s Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl at the FargoDome has Valley City State facing Dakota State at 9:00; Jamestown College battling Mayville State at 12:30; South Dakota Mines taking on Minot State at 4:00 and Dickinson State going up against Black Hills State at 7:30. All four games will be broadcast live on a pay-per-view basis at www.AmericaOne.com.
November 04, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- The pairings are set for the Dakota Athletic Conference Post-Season Volleyball Tournament, which begins on Saturday, November 6.
Conference co-champion Jamestown College is the top seed in the tournament and will host Mayville State at 7:00 Central. Fourth seed Black Hills State is at home to take on Valley City State at 7:00 Mountain. Dickinson State, who shares the regular season championship with the Jimmies, is the second seed and will play host to South Dakota Mines at 7:00 Mountain. Minot State is the third seed and will be at home to face Dakota State at 7:00.
The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, November 10 at the home of the higher seeds with the conference title match on Saturday, November 13 at the site of the highest remaining seed. The tournament champion receives an automatic invitation to the NAIA National Tournament.
October 30, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- The pairings are now set for the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl on Sunday, November 6 at the FargoDome in Fargo, ND.
The opening game of the day at 9:00 AM Central Time will have Valley City State facing Dakota State; at 12:30, Jamestown College will go against Mayville State; South Dakota Mines will battle Minot State at 4:00 and at 7:30, Dickinson State will take on Black Hills State.
The early games are not number seven vs. number eight and number five versus numbers six as the coaches agreed that teams would not play a team at the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl that they played the previous week.
All games will count in the final conference standings. Advance tickets are available at the athletic offices of the eight conference schools. All games will be available on-line on a pay-per-view basis on the American One Network.
October 27, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University will hold a brief memorial ceremony in honor of Kyrstin Gemar, Ashley Neufeld and Afton Williamson on Monday, Nov. 1, at noon at the International Flag Plaza.
Gemar, Neufeld and Williamson passed away Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, after accidentally driving into a stock pond northwest of Dickinson. All three women were members of the Blue Hawk softball team.
Dr. Richard McCallum, president of DSU, will make brief remarks. Jermaine Christie, president of Student Senate, will deliver comments about the events of a year ago and the impact they had on the campus. The ceremony will conclude with the release of 300 blue, gray and white balloons in honor of A.K.A.
In case of inclement weather, the memorial ceremony will be held in the Student Center Ballroom. The public is invited to the ceremony.
October 27, 2010
(Madison, SD) -- The Dakota State University Trojans had a successful 'Think Pink' campaign during athletic events this past week. The Trojan volleyball and football teams along with the student group called "DSU Colleges against Cancer" were involved in the event. 'Think Pink' helps raise awareness about breast cancer and other types of cancers during the month of October. This one way that DSU continued their growth in their NAIA Champions of Character initiative program.
The DSU volleyball team was involved in the event on Oct. 20 in a home match against their in-state rival Dakota Wesleyan. Each player was designated to honor or play in memory of a person(s) afflicted with cancer. Individual posters with the player's picture, along with whom they were playing for were posted on the DSU Fieldhouse wall. Baked goods were sold during the match to raise funds for cancer awareness. The Trojan volleyball team wore pink uniforms during the match.
Marva Jerke, a breast cancer survivor, was honored to do the first serve of the match. Jerke has been with Dakota State for 19 years and is a Program Assistant II at the physical plant.
Then on Oct. 22, DSU and Jamestown College volleyball teams teamed up together for their 'Think Pink' night in Jamestown, N.D.
The Trojan football players wore pink pre-wrap on their arms and pink athletic tape on their shoes on Oct. 23 against Jamestown. Posters were also displayed for the players honoring the person(s) in their lives that have been afflicted with cancer.
Jerke served as an honorary captain for the Dakota State University Trojan Football team. Jerke participated in the pre-game activities including the coin toss. The game was the culmination of a week of cancer awareness activities on the DSU campus.
October 26, 2010
(Minot, ND) -- With the generosity of local businesses and a solid offensive performance, the Minot State University volleyball team raised $383 for breast cancer awareness during its home volleyball match with Valley City State Oct. 16.
Fosness Construction and Planet Pizza both donated $3 per kill during the match.
Along with the on-court donations, Subway of Minot provided pink t-shirts for both the Beavers and Vikings to wear during warm up and for bench personnel to wear during the match. Money was also raised by selling pink megaphones full of popcorn during the match.
“We want to thank everyone who helped make a donation for this cause,” said MSU volleyball coach Johnna Torr. “We are so happy that we could play a role in raising awareness.”
Along with the MSU fundraising event, members of the Tough Enough to Wear Pink organization set up a booth to sell merchandise at the Minot State Dome during the night.
All of MSU’s proceeds from the match were donated locally.
October 25, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Two teams from the Dakota Athletic Conference are rated in the NAIA Division II Preseason Men's Basketball Poll and two teams represent the conference in the NAIA Division II Preseason Women's Basketball Poll.
In the men's poll, Black Hills State is the top team from the DAC, coming in at number sixth. Jamestown College is rated number 22, while Valley City State also received votes.
St. Francis, IN, coming off their first national championship, is the preseason number one. Walsh, OH is number two with Bellevue, NE, Cornerstone, MI and Embry-Riddle, FL rounding out the top five. Go to the NAIA web-site for the complete poll.
Black Hills State is the top DAC team in the women's poll, opening the season at number four. Minot State is in the poll at thirteen with Valley City State picking up votes.
Defending national champion Northwestern, IA is the top team in the preseason poll. Davenport, MI is number two with Indiana Wesleyan number three, Black Hills State
is at four and Morningside, IA is fifth. Go to the NAIA web-site for the complete poll.
The first regular season polls of the season will be announced on November 29.
October 19, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Defending national champion Notre Dame, OH is a runaway leader in the NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Preseason Top 20 Poll.
Notre Dame tops the preseason rankings with 160 points. Missouri Valley and Campbellsville, KY are tied for second with 79.5 with McKendree, IL third with 73 and Cumberland, TN fifth with 71.5.
Dickinson State is ranked seventh in the poll with 58 points and six wrestlers rated in the preseason, while Jamestown College is twentieth with 8.5 points and two grapplers ranked.
The Blue Hawks have two wrestlers rated number two in the national preseason rankings, Cameron Schrempp at 174 and Frank Lopez at 285. The other rated DSU grapplers are Jordan Ewen, seventh at 149; George Hargrove, eighth at 184; Nick Zumwalt, ninth at 165 and Justin Locking eleventh at 133.
The Jimmies' rated wrestlers are Aaron Field, seventh at 285 and Sean Blumhardt, tenth at 125.
For the complete preseason rankings, go to the NAIA web-site.
October 19, 2010
(Mayville, ND) -- The double header basketball games on Saturday, October 23rd will be promoted as Breast Cancer Awareness Night. October is breast cancer awareness month and your Comet women’s and men’s basketball teams would like to help with the fight against cancer.
The teams will be selling pink basketball shirts that will say “Hoops for Hope” on the front, along with an LB insignia on the sleeve in remembrance of Laurie Berry. All of the proceeds from the sales of these shirts will be given to the Laurie Berry Scholarship Fund set up by Mayville State University. The cost of the shirts will be $10.00.
If you have an interest in purchasing a shirt, you can contact the Mayville State University athletics office. The shirts will be available the week of October 18-23, so you can purchase a shirt ahead of time and pick it up or just come to the games on Saturday and purchase one there as well.
The shirts on sale will be the same shirts that the players will be wearing during the games throughout Saturday evening.
October 14, 2010
(Rapid City, SD) -- October is breast cancer awareness month and the South Dakota School of Mines women’s volleyball team is doing its part to support the cause by holding a “Pink Out” night during the Lady Hardrockers volleyball match against Mayville state Saturday at the King Center in Rapid City.
“The purpose of this obviously is to promote breast cancer awareness and raise some money for the American Cancer Society,” said Lady Hardrocker head volleyball coach Tiffany Mastin-McCampbell. “We are going to sell t-shirts and take donations and then give the proceeds to the charity.”
Both SD Mines and Mayville State volleyball players will show their support by wearing pink warm-up shirts and both teams’ coaching staffs will wear pink as well. The SD Mines volleyball program asks all fans to wear pink to show their support. The Lady Hardrockers will also be asking for donations and selling pink t-shirt at $10 each. All the money the team raises Saturday will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
“This is a great cause. A lot of volleyball teams do it across the country to raise awareness, but it’s also very personal to me,” Mastin-McCampbell said. “It’s something that I like to promote and do.”
Mastin-McCampbell’s mother Karen Mastin has been fighting cancer in one form or another for the past 10 years.
“My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer about seven years ago. She had the mastectomy, went into remission and had been doing fantastic,” Mastin-McCampbell said. “But in the last month (the cancer) has come back. This time they found it in her lungs. That’s what my family is dealing with right now. It’s just something that is going to be a life-long process for my mom as well as a lot of other breast cancer survivors.”
Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women. In the most recent survey (2006) 191,410 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,820 women died from it. Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women.
SD Mines junior Madisen Lane, who is an outside hitter for the Hardrocker volleyball team knows all too well what the disease is capable of. Frankie Olson, a 1982 graduate of SD School of Mines and close family friend of Lane’s was diagnosed with breast cancer over a year ago. Last July, Olson had a mastectomy and has been in remission since then.
“I was really upset about it. I cried when I first found out,” Lane said about Olson’s cancer. “She is one of those people that is always happy and upbeat and for her to have to go through that is kind of sad.
“It was very much a relief that she was able to beat it, but at the same time I also know that it’s possible for the cancer to come back and it could happen again.”
Mastin-McCampbell stressed that people need to know about the disease and ways to prevent and detect it early. She added that college athletics is the perfect platform to get the message to the masses.
“Anything the Lady Hardrockers can do to inform and raise awareness in the community and contribute to the cause is well worth it,” the head coach added. “Once you are affected by it personally, regardless of family or friends, it is something that needs to be promoted --- especially in the venue of female athletics. People really do need to be aware of what cancer does and how it can have a lasting effect.”
Lane agreed with her coach and was very willing to help get the word out about breast cancer as it also affected her on a personal level.
“I think it’s really helpful to get the message out there, but it’s really important to me now because I’ve had someone close to me go through it,” Lane said.
“Frankie is a beacon of hope for me. She still has a smile on her face every day --- and throughout the whole experience she was very positive. I am really happy she got over having cancer and it really gave me hope.”
The Dakota Athletic Conference match between the Lady ‘Rockers and Comets is set to start at 3 p.m.
October 12, 2010
(Minot, ND) -- The Minot State University Athletic Department has teamed up with KMOT-TV to assist Minot area food pantries in a time of great need.
Persons interested in donating a nonperishable item can do so at the MSU Athletic Department in the MSU Dome. Anyone who donates at least two items to the food drive will earn a free ticket to the Minot State football game Saturday, Oct. 16 against South Dakota Mines. (1:30 p.m. kickoff). There will also be donation stations located at KMOT and at various locations on campus.
“We are excited to work with the Minot State campus and KMOT on the food drive,” said MSU Athletic Director Rick Hedberg. “It’s a great project for our student-athletes to get involved with and fits nicely with the Community Engagement Initiative the NCAA supports.”
MSU students-athletes will pick up all donations on Friday afternoon (Oct. 15) around 1 p.m. There will be a press conference in the atrium of the Student Union in front of the bookstore on Friday to finalize the week’s drive and the items will then be delivered to The Our lady of Grace Food Pantry.
For more information, contact the athletic department at 858-3041.
October 04, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Andy Emard, assistant Blue Hawk baseball coach, was named interim baseball coach today. He replaces Duane Monlux, who accepted the head
baseball post at Bellevue University, Neb.
"I am extremely honored to be invited into the head coaching ranks at Dickinson State University,” said Emard. “I’m excited for the upcoming baseball season and look forward to leading the men of Blue Hawk baseball in their pursuits as student-athletes. I am also thankful for the opportunity that Tim Daniel, the administration, and DSU have given me to lead the program.”
The Billings, Mont. native worked with the Blue Hawk infielders and hitters in helping lead DSU to a 2009 DAC regular season championship and a 2010 DAC regular season runner-up finish. Emard’s contributions assisted in leading the Hawks to a combined record of 57-33 overall and 25-10 in the DAC.
Emard served as head coach of the Dickinson Roughriders team, which won its second consecutive North Dakota Class “A” American Legion State Title in 2009. The 2009 Roughriders finished the season with a 40-11 record, placing 3rd at the American Legion Central Plains Regional Tournament. Emard was an assistant coach for Roughriders during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. In 2008, he helped the Roughriders claim their first ever state American Legion Title.
As a collegian, Emard played second and third base at NCAA Division I Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla. and at NJCAA Division I Hutchinson Community College, Kan.
Emard entered the coaching ranks at Hutchinson Community College working with infielders, outfielders and hitters. He continued his coaching career with the Billings Royals, leading them to the 2005 Montana American Legion State Championship.
“Andy will provide us an opportunity to have a smooth transition with the leadership of our baseball program,” said interim athletic director Tim Daniel. “He has a great baseball background, with countless experience at the collegiate and high school ranks, both as a coach and player. Andy will be a tremendous asset to DSU baseball given his success and familiarity with baseball in our community and the surrounding region. We are happy to have him on board.”
Coach Emard resides in Dickinson with his wife Meghan and their son Adyn.
September 17, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State head baseball coach and assistant football coach Duane Monlux is leaving the university to become the head baseball coach at Bellevue, NE. Monlux made the announcement on Tuesday and will begin his new job on October 5. Monlux went 232-167 in nine seasons and captured three regular season DAC titles and four conference tournament chmpionships. An interim replacement for Monlux has not yet been named.
September 15, 2010
(Stanley, ND) -- Members of the Minot State University football team and coaching staff traveled to Stanley, ND, to participate in the NFL Play 60 Campaign Tuesday.
The NFL launched the national youth health and fitness campaign over three years ago featuring players throughout the league to participate in community service events. The program is aimed at tackling childhood obesity and brings together the NFL, multiple national partners, national Public Service Announcements, online programs and locally as part of the NFL’s in-school, after-school and team-based programs.
Stanley school was one of seven finalists nationally for the NFL Play 60 and one of the requirements was a “Football Day” at their school. That is where MSU football became involved.
“We had a great time showing the elementary students how we did certain form running drills and core strengthening exercises,” said MSU head football coach Paul Rudolph. “We got involved because of some hometown athletes and it being my hometown and our proximity.”
Members of the Beavers team and coaching staff lectured and demonstrated different activities to a packed house at Stanley Elementary School. The players worked out with selected students during the drills.
“It was an active setting,” Rudolph said of the drills. “We got all grade levels involved.”
The NFL Play 60 Campaign kicked its 2010 season off with a NFL Play 60 Youth Football Festival, part of the NFL’s celebration to kick off the 2010 season in New Orleans last week.
September 06, 2010
(Kansas City, MO) – Jamestown College’s Nate Nygard has been named the NAIA Special Teams Player of the Week and Forest Sainsbury of Black Hills State is the NAIA Defensive Player of the Week.
Nygard, a 5-11, 210 lbs., junior kicker from Fargo, N.D., booted a 35-yard field goal with :35 remaining in regulation to tie the score and sent the game to overtime. The Jimmies prevailed 56-54 in triple overtime against Peru State (Neb.) on Sept. 4. Overall, Nygard connected on 2-of-3 field goals and all six of his PAT’s. The Jimmies travel to face Wisconsin-Stout on Saturday.
Sainsbury, a 6-1, 215 lbs., senior linebacker from Camp Crook, S.D., registered 13 tackles (8 solo), including 2.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles-for-loss, in the 14-13 overtime win over NCAA Division III Wisconsin-Stout on Sept. 3. He was part of a defense to hold Wisconsin-Stout to 46 yards rushing for an average of 1.5 yards per carry. The Yellow Jackets (1-1) now have a bye week and will next play Jamestown (N.D.) on Sept. 18.
September 03, 2010
(Rapid City, SD) -- The South Dakota School of Mines women’s basketball team is at it again. After logging more than 500 hours of community service last season, the Lady Hardrockers picked right up where they left off during this brand new school year (classes started Tuesday) by teaming with the United Way to participated in the “Day of Caring” program.
Several members of the Lady Hardrocker b-ball team volunteered to help stain a deck and paint a house on the outskirts of Rapid City Thursday afternoon.
The student-athletes worked side-by-side with other volunteers from the United Way to accomplish the task. The “Day of Caring” program was established in 1992 by the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area to promote the spirit and value of volunteerism, increase the awareness of local human service agencies and schools and demonstrate what people working together for the community's good can accomplish.
“This was a great opportunity for our student-athletes to get out in the community and do some good,” said Lady Hardrocker head coach Barb Felderman. “The community of Rapid City does so much for our student-athletes. Through the United Way and other volunteer programs, it a chance for us to give something back.”
The Lady Hardrocker women’s basketball program led the way last year in community service by logging the most hours of all the teams in the SD Mines Athletic Dept. --- and they hope to surpass that this year.
September 01, 2010
(Madison, SD) -- Dakota State University’s men’s basketball team continues their assistance and involvement with the Habitat for Humanity project in Madison, S.D. Recently, the Trojan men’s basketball team painted a house.
This is one of the many projects that Habitat for Humanity does to be able to help and support the building of houses in the Madison area.
The Trojan men’s basketball took some time off the court to volunteer and enhance their involvement with the community as part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Champions of Character initiative program.
DSU men’s basketball student-athletes took part of community/volunteer service for a minimum of five hours each semester.
Barbara Johnson is the executive director of the East Central South Dakota Habitat for Humanity. For more information or interested in volunteering in the Habitat for Humanity project, contact Barbara Johnson at 605-427-9906.
August 23, 2010
(Kansas City, MO) -- Former Dickinson State volleyball coach Dave Moody has been selected to the NAIA Hall of Fame. Moody led the Blue Hawks to 12 regular season conference championships, eight trips to the NAIA National Tournament, five appearances in the elite eight and a national championship in 2000. He was named the
NAIA National Coach of the Year in 2000. In 18 seasons, Moody led the Blue Hawks to a 466-159 record.
He joins former Blue Hawk players Funda Aliskan and Neslihan Yilmaz as NAIA Hall of Famers and is the second DSU coach to be honored, joining football coach Hank Biesiot. Moody will be inducted on November 29 at the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, IA.
Other notables from the 2011 Hall of Fame class are former NBA standouts Scottie Pippen from Central Arkansas and Terry Porter from Wisconsin-Stevens Point, who will be honored at the NAIA Division I hoops tournament in Kansas City on March 22.
For complete information on 2011 NAIA Hall of Fame honorees, go to the NAIA web-site.
August 19, 2010
(Valley City, ND) -- Two women’s athletic teams at Valley City State University were recently recognized for academic excellence during the 2009-2010 academic year by their respective national associations.
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) named the Viking Women’s Basketball team to the 2009-10 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. This award, given to teams in the NAIA and NCAA, and Junior College/Community Colleges, awards teams throughout the nation that carry the highest grade point averages (GPA) for the entire season. The GPA of VCSU’s Women’s Basketball team was 3.688 on a 4.0 scale, second nationally in the NAIA and third in the entire WBCA.
In addition, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced recently that the Viking Volleyball team was recognized with the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2009-2010 season. The award honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.
Dr. Steve Shirley, president of VCSU, said, “We are very proud of the tradition of academic success in the athletic programs at VCSU. We recruit young people that epitomize the term student-athlete and they take seriously the responsibility for their academic effort. Our philosophy is to encourage our student-athletes to achieve both on and off the court, and we expect that they give their best effort in all that they do.”
Valley City State University (VCSU) prepares people for life through visionary leadership and exemplary practices in teaching, learning and service. VCSU is nationally acclaimed for attracting and retaining talented individuals who advance quality learning opportunities and economic growth through technology and innovation.
August 17, 2010
(Madison, SD) -- Dakota State University’s football team volunteered to help the Habitat for Humanity project in Madison, S.D. last weekend. Partial Trojan football team helped paint houses and other projects.
This is one of the many projects that Habitat for Humanity does to be able to help and support the building of houses in the Madison area.
The Trojan Football team had their time to help and enhance their involvement with the community as part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
Champions of Character program.
DSU football student-athletes took part of community/volunteer service for a minimum of 10 hours each semester. “We have had many of our athletes get started with their hours even before the season started and this is just one example of the many projects we have helped within the area,” said head coach Josh Anderson. “High character kids are who we are going to build the program around and these young men are responding accordingly.”
Barbara Johnson is the executive director of the East Central South Dakota Habitat for Humanity. For more information or interested in volunteering in the Habitat for Humanity project, contact Barbara Johnson at 605-427-9906.
August 10, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Coming off a second straight NAIA Football National Championship, Sioux Falls, SD holds the No. 1 position in the Football Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll, announced by the NAIA on Monday. Coached by first-year general Jed Stugart, the Cougars begin defense of their national title with a Sept. 4 night game at Northwestern, IA. Sioux Falls rides a school-record 29-game winning streak into that match-up, which is the longest active streak in any level of college football.
National runner-up Lindenwood, MO is rated second with Carroll, MT third, St. Xavier, IL fourth and Morningside, IA fifth.
Defending DAC co-champions Minot State and Dickinson State are rated in the preseason balloting. The Beavers, coming off an 8-3 record in 2009, are ranked fourteenth, while the Blue Hawks, fresh off a 7-4 season, are ranked eighteenth.
Go to the NAIA website for the complete poll.
August 04, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- On Tuesday, August 3, at a meeting comprised of presidents, athletic directors, and coaches, members of the NAIA-affiliated Dakota Athletic Conference voted to move to plan for a five-team schedule and conference beginning July 1, 2011. This decision effectively speeds up the timeframe recently established with the applications from current DAC members Black Hills State University and the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology being formally accepted to candidacy by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). With BHSU and SDSM&T moving forward with their NCAA application, the five-school schedule would have ordinarily been implemented on July 1, 2012; yesterday’s decision essentially serves to move up the scheduling change by one year.
Dr. Steve Shirley, president of Valley City State University and the current president of the DAC Board of Directors commented, “This is a time of transition for the DAC. The NAIA is a strong association with nearly 300 member colleges and universities, and the five institutions have declared their commitment to the NAIA and look forward to beginning the new schedule. We wish BHSU and SDSM&T well in their future paths, but are also excited to explore a new direction with new possibilities as we focus on the terrific competition and long-term, historic rivalries among our five member schools.”
The DAC and its member institutions are affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Dakota State University (SD), Dickinson State University, Jamestown College, Mayville State University, and Valley City State University are the five member institutions who will begin with the new scheduling effective in fall 2011. Coaches and athletic directors will begin the process of planning for the schedules under the new format immediately.
July 30, 2010
(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University named Kristen Fleury the new head coach of softball and assistant director of athletics. She begins her new position Aug. 2.
A defensive specialist, Fleury has served as the interim head softball coach since 2009. Prior to that, she served as assistant coach for the Blue Hawks. A native of San Jose, Calif., Fleury attended nearby West Valley Junior College (Saratoga) from 2003-05 where she twice helped the Vikings claim 3rd place finishes in the state. In 2005, she was named to the All-Coast Conference 2nd team.
Fleury transferred to Dickinson State in 2005, and, in two years, she started 90 games at third base for the Blue Hawks. Her .353 career batting average helped DSU to the 2006 and 2007 DAC championship and DAC Tournament championship. Fleury was a first-team All-DAC selection in 2006 and 2007.
Fleury graduated from DSU in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in University Studies with minors in coaching and sociology.
“I want to thank Dickinson State and the community of Dickinson for their support and for putting their trust in me to lead this softball program,” Fleury said. “I am extremely fortunate to work with great people and athletes here in Dickinson and am excited to continue to lead this program at the national level.”
July 27, 2010
(Madison, SD) -- Dakota State University’s Athletic Director Gene Wockenfuss announces the hiring of Scott Hortness as the new head baseball coach. He replaces Dean Berry, who left earlier this summer to take a position at Northern State.
Hortness was a top assistant baseball and pitching coach at Campbellsville University in Kentucky since 2002. He helped the team capture the regular season championship four times and won the conference tournament six times. Campbellsville has been ranked nationally six of the last seven seasons and qualified for the NAIA World Series in 2009.
“I want to thank Gene Wockenfuss, the search committee and Dakota State University for putting their trust in me,” said Hortness, “and thank you to Campbellsville University and Beauford Saunders for treating me so well for nine years.”
Hortness is originally from Parker, S.D. He has a masters and bachelors in education from Northern State University. Hortness had been assistant baseball coach at Dakota Wesleyan, University of South Dakota and Northern State. He has numerous years of experience in coaching from youth to amateur levels.
“I’m elated that Scott Hortness has accepted the position as DSU’s head baseball coach,” stated Wockenfuss. “Scott brings a wealth of experience from his very successful winning programs. He’s a local South Dakota guy from Parker that attended DSU and played baseball until DSU’s mission change and the sport was temporarily discontinued, then he transferred to Northern State.”
“It was obvious from the start of the process that Scott is very passionate about his time spent at DSU and believes that the baseball program can be elevated to a consistent competitor at the national level,” said Wockenfuss.
Hortness will also be an instructor in the College of Education at DSU.
“The growth and development that we are discussing not only will affect the baseball program but the entire university and community of Madison,” added Hortness.
“Achieving those goals will take the cooperation, communication, organization and patience of many people. I am looking forward to being a part of this challenge.”
July 12, 2010
(Rapid City, SD) -- South Dakota School of Mines student-athletes do not have a lot of spare time during their normal day of being a student and a collegiate athlete. Things such as studying, going to class, practice, traveling and competition make up a large portion of their daily activities. But despite their time demands, Hardrocker student-athletes found time to devote countless hours and energy to “give back” to the community during the recent academic year. This often meant leaving the comfort of their dorm rooms and venturing out into Rapid City to participate in a variety of community service projects.
“One of the very important initiatives of President Wharton and South Dakota School of Mines as a whole has been for the institution to become more involved with the community,” said Hardrocker Athletics Director Dick Kaiser.
A total of 218 Hardrocker student-athletes and staff members volunteered their time over the past year in which they logged 2,115 hours of community service.
Kaiser indicated, “The number of individuals, the number of hours and the various activities emulating from the student-athletes, coaches and athletic administrative staff within our athletic department was a tremendous effort to accomplish a portion of that goal,” Kaiser said.
“Many of our student-athletes and coaches take great pride in connecting with the community of Rapid City. It was an absolute pleasure to watch the various interactions, especially with the youth, and know that we were making a positive difference in someone’s life that day, even if it was only for an hour or two,” Kaiser added.
Activities the Hardrockers were involved in included: Big Brothers-Big Sisters; YMCA youth programs; a Red Cross blood drive; Christmas programs for kids; Breast Cancer Awareness; hosting a Lions Club Eye Bank awareness night; hosting a free track and field camp for local kids; help organize and run a youth volleyball camp; mentoring an after school reading program; and the entire department helped plant trees around the SD Mines campus on Earth Day.
“We obviously feel that community service is a necessary and vital part of the entire educational experience at South Dakota School of Mines,” Kaiser said.
“It is our desire to embed a community service mind-set that will stay with each of our student-athletes long after they graduate. Our coaches and student-athletes were challenged last fall to become more actively engaged within the area of community service in whatever way they so chose. I am extremely proud of the effort that was made by everyone within the athletic department to accomplish what I hope is just the beginning step of increased interaction in the future.
July 12, 2010
(Madison, SD) -- Dakota State University’s Athletic Director Gene Wockenfuss announces the hiring of Michael Nekuda as the head men’s and women’s cross country coach and the head women’s track coach.
Nekuda was an assistant coach for the DSU cross country team when they earned their first Dakota Athletic Conference title in 2009. He left to become the distance track and field coach at Laramie County School District in Cheyenne, WY. He returns to DSU following a successful year at Laramie where he coached the women to the state indoor championship and accumulated 7 all-state performances and 4 state individual champions.
Wockenfuss says Nekuda’s past experience with the DSU team is an asset. “Mike was part of the recruitment process for the current team, and has a similar training philosophy to former Coach Trent Mack.” Nekuda replaces Mack, who left earlier this month to take a position in Ohio.
Nekuda has a masters in human performance and physical education from Adams State College in Alamosa, CO. He earned an undergraduate degree in physical education from Black Hills State University, where he ran cross country and track.
“I am excited to start the cross country season, and am honored to coach such dedicated student athletes. I fully accept the responsibility to lead this program and continue the winning ways of DSU,” states Nekuda. |
