For the Week of February 08-14, 2010:

Players of the Week for February 01-07, 2010:

Men’s Basketball: Ross Aman; Mayville State; Junior; Forward; Center, ND ~ Aman recorded 47 points (23.5/game), 25 rebounds (12.5/game), two steals (1.0/game), one assist (0.5/game) and one blocked shot (0.5/game) as the Comets dropped a pair of conference road games.  In the two contests, he was 22 of 34 from the field and 3 of 6 from the free throw line.

Women’s Basketball: MacKenzie Mack; Minot State; Senior; Center; Scranton, ND ~ Mack scored 48 points (24.0/game), grabbed 13 rebounds (6.5/game) and added four steals (2.0/game) and an assist (0.5/game) as the 13th ranked Beavers swept a pair of conference games.  For the week, she was 17 of 27 from the field including 2 of 3 from the 3-point arc and hit on 12 of 15 from the free throw line.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- Defending Dakota Athletic Conference champion Dickinson State is rated number two in the NAIA Preseason Softball Poll.  The Blue Hawks, who finished third at the 2009 national tournament, sit behind defending national champion California Baptist in the preseason balloting. Oklahoma City is rated third with Point Loma Nazarene, CA and Lubbock Christian, TX rounding out the top five. DSU and first year head coach Kristen Fleury will open their season with a trip to Tucson, AZ on March 12-20. During their 15 game trip, they will face top ranked California Baptist and number five Lubbock Christian and play twenty-third rated Savannah College of Art and Design, GA twice. The complete poll is available on the NAIA web-site.

- The Dakota Athletic Conference has announced the DAC Scholars for the fall semester.  A complete list of the academic honorees can be found on “Scholar-Athlete” page of the conference web-site.- The DAC Track & Field teams will have their final competition before the DAC Championships in Spearfish, SD on February 19-20.- The Dickinson State and Jamestown College wrestling teams compete for the final time before heading to Sioux City, IA for the NAIA North Region Qualifier Tournament on Saturday, February 20.  The Blue Hawks host the University of Great Falls, MT on Friday night and the Jimmies are at home on Saturday to dual Concordia-Moorhead, MN.- The Mayville State Athletic Department will take part in Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers awareness on Saturday, February 13 when the Comets take on Black Hills State at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse.  Participating members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes during the games to demonstrate support for the American Cancer Society and its vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays.  Fans are also encouraged to wear sneakers to the games to show support.  Proceeds from the event will go to the Berry Family. For more information, contact Justin Johnson at 701-788-4715.

- With five blocked shots in two games over the weekend., Minot State senior forward Shaun Johnson set a school record for blocked shots in a season.  He currently has 34 blocks on the season with three games remaining in the regular season.

For the Week of February 01-07, 2010:

Players of the Week for January 25-31, 2010:

Men’s Basketball: C.J. Peters; Jamestown; College; Junior; Forward; Brainerd, MN ~ Peters recorded 65 points (21.7/game), 18 rebounds (6.0/game), eight assists (2.7/game), three blocks (1.0/game) and three steals (1.0/game) as the Jimmies went 3-0 in conference play.  For the week, he was 19 of 32 from the field including 6 of 11 from the 3-point arc and hit on 21 of 29 from the free throw stripe.

Women’s Basketball: Donna Lavea; Dakota State; Senior; Center; Christchurch, New Zealand ~ Lavea scored 44 points (22.0/game), grabbed 16 rebounds (8.0/game) and added six assists (3.0/game) and a blocked shot (0.5/game) as the Lady T’s split a pair of conference games.  For the week, she was 17 of 27 from the field and 10 of 14 from the free throw line.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- Defending conference champion Dickinson State is the preseason favorite in the DAC Softball Coaches’ Preseason Poll.  The Blue Hawks, who finished third at the NAIA National Tournament, picked up six first place votes to top the balloting.  Jamestown College picked up the final first place vote to finish second, followed by Minot State, Valley City State, Black Hills State, Dakota State and Mayville State.

- Jamestown College is the choice in the DAC Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Poll.  The Jimmies, who won the DAC tournament to advance to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round in 2009, were picked first on four ballots with Dickinson  State garnering the remaining two first place votes to finish second.  Dakota State placed third in the poll with Minot State fourth, Mayville State fifth and Valley City State sixth.

- Four players from the Dakota Athletic Conference have been selected to the 2009 College Fanz Sports Network's NAIA All America Teams. The teams were selected by the NAIA football coaches and the College Fanz Sports Network's Game of the Week broadcast team. The DAC had three players selected to the First Team and one on the Second Team. First Team honorees are Minot State senior offensive lineman Brian Rohles; Black Hills State junior defensive lineman Wacey Coleman and Dickinson State junior defensive back Derion Williams. Black Hills State senior offensive lineman Josh Breske was chosen for the Second Team. The DAC also had six players receive Honorable Mention recognition. They are Jamestown College offensive lineman Clint McGovern; Minot State receiver Johnny Lester; South Dakota Mines defensive back Tom Lunzman; South Dakota Mines linebacker Everett Brill; Dickinson State linebacker Mike Keyser and Black Hills State linebacker Forest Sainsbury.

- With eight rebounds against Black Hills State on Thursday, senior post Bethany Holyoak became just the fourth Lady Hardrocker to grab over 800 rebounds and score over 1500 points in her career at South Dakota Mines.

- The South Dakota School of Mines men's basketball program recently donated several Hardrocker t-shirts to the Hitchcock-Tulare elementary, kindergarten through sixth grade, in eastern South Dakota for their annual All-Star reading program. About 90 students participate in the program where they read books and track their progress and time spent reading. When certain goals are met, the young scholars receive prizes for their efforts.

- The Minot State University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee raised more than $400 for the American Red Cross’ International Relief Fund to help recovery efforts in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that occurred in January. The event was organized by Mike O’Dwyer, a senior on the MSU baseball team and current SAAC president. The SAAC asked for donations during the MSU home basketball weekend against South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State Jan. 22 and 23. Those who donated were given a red or blue ribbon, both dominant colors of the Haitian flag. A total of $446.55 was raised and given to American Red Cross Minot Chapter Executive Director Allan McGeough for relief efforts.

For the Week of January 25-31, 2010:

Players of the Week for January 18-24, 2010:

Men’s Basketball: Nick Turner; Minot State; Junior; Guard; Los Angeles, CA ~ Turner recorded 58 points (29.0/game), nine rebounds (4.5/game), three assists (1.5/game) and four steals (2.0/game) in helping the Beavers to a pair of conference victories.  In the two games, he was 18 of 30 from the field including 7 of 13 on 3-point tries and hit on 15 of 17 from the free throw line.

Women’s Basketball: Bethany Holyoak; South Dakota Mines; Senior; Center; Moorcroft, WY ~ Holyoak had back-to-back double-doubles in helping the Hardrockers to a split of their weekend conference match-ups.  For the week, she had 39 points (19.5/game), 22 rebounds (11.0/game), six blocks (3.0/game) and a steal (0.5/game).  Holyoak was 11 of 20 from the field and 17 of 20 from the free throw line.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- Winter weather and dangerous travel conditions in the eastern Dakotas forced the postponement of two DAC basketball doubleheaders on Saturday, January 23. The Jamestown at Mayville State and the Valley City State at Dakota State games will be made up on Tuesday, January 26 with the women's games starting at 5:30 and the men's contests tipping off at 7:30.

- Black Hills State junior guard Katelynn Lamb surpassed the 1000 point mark for her career over the weekend as the 13th ranked Yellow Jackets won a pair of road games against rated opponents.

- The Minot State University Student Athlete Advisory Committee conducted a fundraiser for victims of the earthquake in Haiti during last weekend’s home basketball games. Collection buckets were available for patrons of the games to donate directly to the local Red Cross Chapter’s Disaster Relief Fund.

- The Dickinson State and Jamestown College men’s wrestling teams will meet for their annual dual at 7 PM Mountain Time on Tuesday at Scott Gymnasium on the DSU campus.

- The Jamestown women’s wrestling team will complete their second season of competition at the NAIA National Tournament in Marshal, MO on Saturday.

For the Week of January 18-24. 2010:

Players of the Week for January 11-17, 2010:

Men’s Basketball: Calvin Kraft; Valley City State; Junior; Guard; Casselton, ND ~ Kraft scored 38 points and added two rebounds and an assist in leading the Vikings to a 90-83 triumph over Jamestown College.  In the win, he was 10 of 16 from the field including 8 of 14 from the 3-point arc and connected on 10 of 11 free throw attempts.  Kraft’s 38 points ranks second all time and his eight 3-point field goals also is ranks second at VCSU.

Women’s Basketball: Bethany Holyoak; South Dakota Mines; Senior; Center; Moorcroft, WY ~ Holyoak had back-to-back double-doubles as the Hardrockers split a pair of conference contests.  For the week, she had 45 points (22.5/game), 25 rebounds (12.5/game), six assists (3.0/game), 5 blocks (2.5/game) and 3 steals (1.5/game).  In the two games, Holyoak was 18 of 36 from the field and 9 of 12 from the free throw line.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The DAC women’s and men’s basketball teams play their final games of the first half of the conference schedule.  Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines travel to Dickinson State and Minot State, while Dakota State and Mayville State host Jamestown and Valley City State.  Jamestown and Dickinson State are tied atop the women’s standings with 4-1 marks with Minot State and Black Hills State a game back at 3-2.  In the men’s race, Minot State, Valley City State, Dickinson State, Jamestown, South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State are tied for the conference lead with 3-2 records.

- Luke Enos of Black Hills State surpassed the 1000 point plateau for his career as he led the Yellow Jackets to a pair of conference wins over the weekend.  He currently has 1013 career points.

For the Week of January 11-17, 2010:

Players of the Week for January 04-10, 2010:

Men’s Basketball: C.J. Peters; Jamestown College; Junior; Forward; Brainerd, MN ~ Peters recorded 41 points (20.5/game), 17 rebounds (8.5/game), two assists (1.0/game) and one blocked shot (0.5/game) in helping the Jimmies to a pair of conference home victories.  In the two match-ups, he was 12 of 27 from the field including 3 of 11 from the 3-point line and hit on 14 of 18 free throws.

Women’s Basketball: Ari Hendrix; Minot State; Senior; Guard; North Las Vegas, NV ~ Hendrix led the Beavers to a sweep of their two conference road games with 47 points (23.5/game), nine rebounds (4.5/game), 12 assists (6.0/game) and seven steals (3.5/game).  In the two outings, she was 14 of 35 from the field including 4 of 9 from beyond the 3-point stripe and hit on 15 of 19 from the free throw line.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The “DAC Weekly” radio program returns this week after taking a break for the holidays.

For the Week of January 04-10, 2010:

Players of the Week for December 28, 2009-January 03, 2010:

Men’s Basketball: Nathan Lebsock; Dickinson State; Junior; Guard; Frenchtown, MT ~ Lebsock recorded 38 points (19.0/game), nine assists (4.5/game), six rebounds (3.0/game) and two steals (1.0/game) as the Blue Hawks split a pair of games at the Hampton Inn Classic at Rocky Mountain College.  In the two non-conference games, he was 10 of 21 from the field including 1 of 6 on 3-point tries and hit 17 of 18 from the free throw line.

Women’s Basketball: Donna Lavea; Dakota State; Senior; Center; Christchurch, New Zealand ~ Lavea had three consecutive double-doubles as the Lady T’s went 2-1 for the week.  In the three contests, she scored 44 points (14.7/game), grabbed 32 rebounds (10.7/game) and added eight blocked shots (2.7/game), three steals (1.0/game) and one assist (0.3/game).  For the week, she was 21 of 34 from the field and 2 of 12 from the free throw line.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- Jason Dannelly of College Fanz Sports Network, formerly the Victory Sports Network, has selected his NAIA All Decade Teams. His selections are based on his All American Teams selected since 2002 and the NAIA Coaches' All American Teams from 2000-2009. The Dakota Athletic Conference has one player on the first team and four former players on the second team. The lone DAC player on the first team is Valley City State wide receiver Chancey Calhoun, who was chosen as an Offensive At-Large selection. The Second Team honorees include wide receiver Harry Mills and defensive lineman Ian Best of Minot State; Dickinson State offensive lineman Josh Epperly and wide receiver Jake Pfau of the University of Mary. The complete list of the All Decades Teams can be found on the College Fanz Sports Network web-site.

- After taking time off for final exams and the holidays, DAC women’s and men’s basketball teams return to conference play on Friday and Saturday.  Minot State and Dickinson State will travel to Dakota State and Mayville State, while Jamestown College and Valley City State play host to South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State.

- The “DAC Weekly” radio program returns for the weekend of January 16 after taking a break for the holidays.

For the Week of December 28, 2009-January 03, 2010:

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- After an extended break, the Dickinson State and Jamestown College wrestling teams return to the mats.  The Blue Hawks travel to St. Augustine, FL for the Sunshine Open on Monday-Wednesday, a tournament that features teams from the NAIA to NCAA Division I.  Jamestown College will open the New Year with the Jimmie Open on Saturday, January 2.

- The Dickinson State University Student Senate has set up a benefit account for the families of Ashley Neufeld, Kyrstin Gemar and Afton Williamson, the three Blue Hawk softball players that were killed in an accident.  Donations can be made to the Neufeld Gemar Williamson account at any Wells Fargo Bank nationwide.

- The “DAC Weekly” radio program is idle until the second week of January.

For the Week of December 21-27, 2009:

Players of the Week for December 14-20, 2009:

Men’s Basketball: C.J. Peters; Jamestown College; Junior; Forward; Brainerd, MN ~ Peters had 43 points (21.5/game), seven rebounds (3.5/game), seven assists (3.5/game) and a steal (0.5/game) as the Jimmies split a pair of games at the Wendy’s Christmas Classic in Dickinson.  In the two contests, he was 15 of 26 from the field including 5 of 10 on 3-point attempts and connected on 8 of 9 from the free throw line.

Women’s Basketball: Mackenzie Mack; Minot State; Senior; Center; Scranton, ND ~ Mack recorded 24 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a steal in the Beavers lone contest of the week, a 68-67 home win over Montana-Western.  In the game, she was 8 of 13 from the field including 1 of 1 from the 3-point line and hit on 7 of 11 free throw tries.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- Two players from the Dakota Athletic Conference have been named to the American Football Coaches’ Association NAIA All America team.  Minot State offensive lineman Brian Rohles, a senior from Manteca, CA, and South Dakota Mines kicker Andy Smith, a sophomore from Pierre, SD, are the lone DAC players on the squad.  Smith is the first player from South Dakota Mines to be named to the AFCA All America team.

- Twenty-two football players from the Dakota Athletic Conference have earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.  They are senior running back Tyler Barth, junior offensive lineman Mark Olson, junior kicker Andy Smith, junior running back Logan Smidt, junior safety Tom Lunzman and junior offensive lineman Clint Kling from South Dakota Mines; junior linebacker Tyler Schmidkunz, junior fullback Russell Lambert, junior running back Tyler Grosz, junior linebacker Jerel Hafner and junior quarterback Michael Cooper of Dickinson State; senior running back Jay Tweed, junior fullback Austin Schooll, senior offensive lineman Ryan hunt and junior kicker Nathan Nygard from Jamestown; junior running back Jordan Backstrom, senior quarterback Trent Kosel, junior defensive lineman Ronald Buck and senior defensive back Mike York of Valley City State; junior defensive back Josh WIndsor from Dakota State; senior running back/receiver Mitchell Schwindt from Mayville State and junior running back Casey Meadows of Minot State.  The complete list of NAIA Scholar-Athletes is available on the NAIA web-site.

- The Minot State University Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) delivered over 60 presents to the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Minot as part of their Angel Tree project. The MSU Athletic Department and its student athletes teamed up with the Domestic Violence Crisis Center to ensure that children and parents who have been a victim of or been witness to domestic violence would be able to receive presents this Christmas. An Angel Tree was created by members of MSU’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee and was displayed during the men’s and women’s home basketball games prior to the Christmas break. The public was also encouraged to take an angel from the tree.

- The Dickinson State University Student Senate has set up a benefit account for the families of Ashley Neufeld, Kyrstin Gemar and Afton Williamson, the three Blue Hawk softball players that were killed in an accident.  Donations can be made to the Neufeld Gemar Williamson account at any Wells Fargo Bank nationwide.

- The “DAC Weekly” radio program is idle until the second week of January.

For the Week of December 14-20, 2009:

Players of the Week for December 07-13, 2009:

Men’s Basketball: Marcus Carson; Mayville State; Senior; Guard; Oakland, CA ~ Carson had 22 points, nine rebounds and an assist in helping the Comets to a 73-61 victory over the University North Dakota, the school’s first ever win against an NCAA Division I school.  In the Comets’ lone game of the week, he was 7 of 12 from the field including 2 of 2 from the 3-point arc and 6 of 9 from the free throw line.

Women’s Basketball: Bethany Holyoak; South Dakota Mines; Senior; Center; Moorcroft, WY ~ Holyoak had back-to-back double-doubles as the Lady Hardrockers picked up a pair of non-conference victories.  In the two contests, she scored 48 points (24.0/game), grabbed 21 rebounds (10.5/game) and added five assists (2.5/game), five blocks (2.5/game) and two steals (1.0/game).  From the field, Holyoak was 18 of 27 and hit on 12 of 13 from the free throw line.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The Dickinson State University Student Senate has set up a benefit account for the families of Ashley Neufeld, Kyrstin Gemar and Afton Williamson, the three Blue Hawk softball players that were killed in an accident.  Donations can be made to the Neufeld Gemar Williamson account at any Wells Fargo Bank nationwide.

- The “DAC Weekly” radio show is idle until the second week of January.

For the Week of December 07-13, 2009:

Players of the Week for November 30-December 06, 2009:

Men’s Basketball: C.J. Peters, Jamestown College; Junior; Forward; Brainerd, MN ~ Peters recorded 64 points (21.3/game), 19 rebounds (6.3/game), three assists (1.0/game), three steals (1.0/game) and five blocked shots (1.7/game) as the Jimmies went 2-1.  For the week, he was 26 of 37 from the field including 5 of 7 on 3-point attempts and hit 7 of 11 free throw attempts.

Women’s Basketball: Giuli Varriano; Jamestown College; Senior; Forward; Fargo, ND ~ Varriano scored 38 points (12.7/game), grabbed 22 rebounds (7.3/game) and added six steals (2.0/game), three assists (1.0/game) and one blocked shot (0.3/game) as the sixth ranked Jimmies won three games including a pair of road contests against ranked opponents.  For the week, she connected on 14 of 21 from the field including 2 of 2 from the 3-point arc and was 8 of 10 at the free throw line.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The Dickinson State University Student Senate has set up a benefit account for the families of Ashley Neufeld, Kyrstin Gemar and Afton Williamson, the three Blue Hawk softball players that were killed in an accident.  Donations can be made to the Neufeld Gemar Williamson account at any Wells Fargo Bank nationwide.

- Eleven volleyball players from the Dakota Athletic Conference have earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition. The honorees are Kalin Engle, Kayla Haines, Mandy Brumfield and Kristina Engle from Black Hills State; Betsy Winkler and Alyssa Clancy of Mayville State; Kara Schumacher, Jill Lockie, Shari Dueck and Suzanna Paradine of Minot State, and Karina Garber of South Dakota Mines. The complete list of NAIA Scholar-Athletes can be found on the NAIA web-site.

- Four players from the Dakota Athletic Conference have been selected to the American Volleyball Coaches' Association All Northwest Region team and three additional players received Honorable Mention recognition.  Valley City State senior Heidi Larson was named the Northwest Region Player of the Year and heads up the all region honor squad. Joining Larson on the all region team from the DAC are Kristin Engle of Black Hills State and Ali Edwards and Kayla Fee of conference champion Jamestown College. Honorable Mention honorees are Shannon Fee of Jamestown College, Maggie O'Neill from Black Hills State and Valley City State's Amanda Smith.  The complete list of the AVCA All Region Teams can be found on the AVCA web-site.

For the Week of November 30-December 06, 2009:

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The Dickinson State University Student Senate has set up a benefit account for the families of Ashley Neufeld, Kyrstin Gemar and Afton Williamson, the three Blue Hawk softball players that were killed in an accident.  Donations can be made to the Neufeld Gemar Williamson account at any Wells Fargo Bank nationwide.

- This week, DAC basketball teams will play their lone conference games before Christmas.  On Thursday, Black Hills State will host South Dakota Mines.  On Friday and Saturday, Jamestown College and Valley City State will be at Dickinson State and Minot State.  Also on the Saturday schedule, Mayville State will be on the road to face Dakota State.  Conference play will resume on January 8-9.

For the Week of November 23-29, 2009:

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The Dickinson State University Student Senate has set up a benefit account for the families of Ashley Neufeld, Kyrstin Gemar and Afton Williamson, the three Blue Hawk softball players that were killed in an accident.  Donations can be made to the Neufeld Gemar Williamson account at any Wells Fargo Bank nationwide.

- Dickinson State and Minot State saw their seasons come to an end in the first round of the NAIA National Football Playoffs.  The Blue Hawks lost at number two Carroll, MT by a 59-7 score and Minot State dropped a 63-21 decision to defending national champ and top ranked Sioux Falls, SD.

- Black Hills State dropped a 3-1 match to Doane, NE in the opening round of the NAIA National Volleyball Tournament.  The Yellow Jackets qualified for the national tournament for the second straight season with a victory over Jamestown College in the DAC tournament championship match.

- DAC champion Dakota State scored 439 points to finish 16th in the 32 team field at the NAIA National Cross Country Championships in Vancouver, WA. The Trojans were led at the meet by Anthony Drealan, who earned All-American honors, with a 25th place finish.

- DAC champion Black Hills State compiled 321 points to capture tenth place in the 32 team field at the NAIA National Cross Country Championships in Vancouver, WA. The top finisher from the DAC and the only DAC finisher in the top 10 was sophomore Katie Conlon of Jamestown College, who finished 10th. Wendy O’Lexey of Black Hills was 11th (her adjusted for team score place was 8). Erin Curran of Black Hills finished 15th (her adjusted for team score place was 10). Alyssa Bossler of Jamestown was the only other DAC runner in the top 50, placing 47th.

- The DAC has 20 student-athletes on the 2009 NAIA Scholar Athletes list for cross country.  Men’s runners on the list are Birch Haraden, Neil Long and Mark Mazza of Black Hills State; Tyler Van Peursem of Dakota State, and Lucas Fried and Blake James of South Dakota Mines.  Women’s runners to receive academic honors are Clarice Bauer, Suzanne Swett and Samantha Warnke of Dakota State; Vanessa Escobar, Lorin Maki and Rayel McPeters from Dickinson State; Ashleigh Anderson, Suzy Avey, Emmylyn Bentley, Rachel Bickford, Alyssa Bossler, Kallie Merrill and Alexandra Woodruff of Jamestown, and Kendra Crisman of South Dakota Mines.

- Defending national champion Lubbock Christian, TX sits atop the NAIA Preseason Baseball Coaches’ Top 25.  Last year’s national runner-up Point Loma Nazarene, CA is second in the poll with Oklahoma City third; Southern Polytechnic State, GA fourth and Lee, TN fifth.  No DAC teams are ranked in the preseason poll.  Jamestown College and Dickinson State received votes.

For the Week of November 16-22, 2009:

Players of the Week for November 09-15:

Volleyball – Hitter: Kristin Engle; Black Hills State; Senior; Middle Hitter; Newcastle, WY ~ Engle hit .518 with 30 kills (4.29/game), two digs (0.29/game), three solo blocks (0.43/game) and 11 assist blocks (1.57/game) as the Yellow Jackets captured their second straight DAC tournament title and trip to the national tournament.

Volleyball – Setter: Mandy Brumfield; Black Hills State; Senior; Setter; Dickinson, ND ~ Brumfield recorded 69 assists (9.86/game) in helping lead the Yellow Jackets to a pair of wins that gave them their second consecutive DAC tournament title and national tournament berth.  She also had 14 digs (2.00/game), one sole block (0.14/game) and two assist blocks (0.29/game).

Volleyball – Libero: Carina Sweet; Black Hills State; Senior; Libero; Rawlins, WY ~ Sweet had 32 digs (4.57/game) with an .850 serve percentage and an .892 receive percentage in the Yellow Jackets run to their second successive DAC tournament crown and national tournament invite.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The Dickinson State University Student Senate has set up a benefit account for the families of Ashley Neufeld, Kyrstin Gemar and Afton Williamson, the three Blue Hawk softball players that were killed in an accident.  Donations can be made to the Neufeld Gemar Williamson account at any Wells Fargo Bank nationwide.  The DSU cross country team hosted a benefit 5K run/walk on Saturday called the 5K for AKA.  The event raised more than $1000 for the Neufeld Gemar Williamson benefit account.

- Conference co-champion Dickinson State placed 14 players on the 2009 All Dakota Athletic Conference Football Teams. Black Hills State placed 12 players on the honor squads, while co-champ Minot State and South Dakota Mines each garnered 10 spots on the teams, Jamestown College filled seven, Valley City State and Mayville State had three apiece and Dakota State
two. Black Hills State senior defensive lineman Wacey Coleman was voted the conference Most Valuable Player; Minot State offensive lineman Brian Rohles was selected the Most Valuable Senior and Dickinson State's Hank Biesiot was chosen by his peers as Coach of the Year. The complete list of the all conference teams is available on the Football All Conference Performers page of the DAC web-site.

- Regular season champion Jamestown College and tournament champion Black Hills State have five players apiece on the 2009 All Dakota Athletic Conference Volleyball Teams.Regular season champion Jamestown College and tournament champion Black Hills State have five players apiece on the 2009 All Dakota Athletic Conference Volleyball Teams. Valley City State and Dickinson State each had two players selected to the honor squads and Dakota State, Mayville State, Minot State and South Dakota Mines had one each. Senior outside hitter Heidi Larson of Valley City State was voted the DAC's Most Valuable Player; Kristin Engle, an outside hitter from Black Hills State, was voted the Most Valuable Senior and Minot State setter Abbie Aide was chosen the Freshman of the Year. Jamestown College senior Kayla Fee was picked the Setter of the Year and senior Amanda Smith of Valley City State was honored as Libero of the Year. Coach of the Year honors went to Jon Hegerle of Jamestown College. The complete list of the all conference teams can be found on the Volleyball All Conference Performers page of the  DAC web-site.

- DAC co-champions Dickinson State and Minot State will compete in the NAIA Football Championship Series.  The first round match-ups on Saturday have 17th ranked Dickinson State on the road to face number two Carroll College, MT at 12:00 Mountain Time and 14th rated Minot State at top ranked and defending national champion Sioux Falls, SD at 1:00 Central Time.  Complete pairings for the national playoffs can be found on the NAIA web-site.

- After losing twice to Jamestown College in the regular season, Black Hills State rallied to beat the Jimmies 3-1 to win the DAC tournament and earn a second straight berth in to the NAIA National Tournament.  The Yellow Jackets will travel to Doane, NE on Saturday for an opening round match.  If BHSU defeats Doane, they will advance to the pool play portion of the national tournament in Sioux City, IA on December 1-5.

- Five women and five men from the Dakota Athletic Conference have received at-large invitations to compete in the NAIA Cross Country National Championships in Vancouver, WA on Saturday, November 21. The individual qualifiers earn the berth by being the top five finishers in the conference meet that are not members of the championship team. The conference championship team receives an automatic invite.  Black Hills State won the women's conference title to earn a berth to the national meet. Joining the Yellow Jackets at nationals will be Katie Conlon and Alyssa Bossler of Jamestown College; Breyette Schall of Minot State; Stephanie Warnke of Dakota State and Rayel McPeters of Dickinson State. Dakota State earned the men's automatic invitation by virtue of their win at the DAC meet. Joining the Trojans at the national competition will be Sammy Chavez of Dickinson State, Brandon Valasquez of Minot State, Thomas Everett of South Dakota Mines and Neil Long and Birch Haraden of Black Hills State. The complete list of qualifiers and at-large invitees can be found on the NAIA web-site.

For the Week of November 09-15, 2009:

DAC Players of the Week for November 02-08:

Football – Offense: Stacey Berg; Dakota State; Freshman; Wide Receiver; Winslow, AZ ~ Berg had six receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns as the Trojans rallied to defeat Mayville State, 31-27, at the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl.  He also recorded a 31 yard field goal and scored a two point conversion.

Football – Defense: Brandon Stahl; Dakota State; Senior; Defensive End; Hitchcock, SD ~ Stahl had three tackles for a loss including one sack and also blocked a punt in the Trojans 31-27 comeback victory over Mayville State at the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl.  For the contest, he had three solo tackles and six assists.

Football – Special Teams: Andy Smith; South Dakota Mines; Sophomore; Kicker; Pierre, SD ~ Smith remains perfect on the season in extra point attempts, connecting on his lone try in a 15-10 loss to Valley City State at the Dakota Bank DAC Bowl.  In the setback, he connected on a 22 yard field goal and just missed on a 58 yard try.

Volleyball – Hitter: Samantha Revering; Jamestown College; Junior; Outside Hitter; Fergus Falls, MN ~ Revering hit .462 with 20 kills (3.33/game), 16 digs (2.67/game), two service aces (0.33/game), one solo block (0.17/game) and two assists blocks (0.33/game) as the Jimmies wrapped up their conference regular season schedule unbeaten and opened the DAC tournament with a win.

Volleyball – Setter: Kayla Fee; Jamestown College; Senior; Setter; Williston, ND ~ Fee dished out 73 assists (12.17/game) and added 13 digs (2.17/game), four service aces (0.67/game) and three assist blocks (0.50/game) as the Jimmies wrapped up their regular season conference schedule undefeated and won their quarterfinal match of the DAC tournament.

Volleyball – Libero: Bree-anna Slykhuis; Dickinson State; Senior; Libero; Carlyle, SK ~ Slykhuis had 20 digs (5.00/game) with a 1.000 reception percentage and a .750 serve perecentage in the Blue Hawks’ lone match of the week, a 3-0 win over Mayville State in the DAC tournament quarterfinals.

Cross Country – Men: Tyler Van Peursem; Dakota State; Senior; Sioux Falls, SD ~ Van Peursem captured the individual title at the DAC Championships in Rapid City, SD in leading the Trojans to their first conference team championship in men’s cross country.  He covered the 8000 meter course in 27:29 to win his first ever individual title.

Cross Country – Women: Erin Curran; Black Hills State; Freshman; Wahoo, NE ~ Curran was the individual winner at the DAC Championships in Rapid City, SD, leading the Yellow Jackets to the team title.  She covered the 5000 meter course in 19:12 to edge her teammate Wendy O’Lexey by two seconds for the win.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The Dickinson State University Student Senate has set up a benefit account for the families of Ashley Neufeld, Kyrstin Gemar and Afton Williamson, the three Blue Hawk softball players that were killed in an accident.  Donations can be made to the Neufeld Gemar Williamson account at any Wells Fargo Bank nationwide.

- Dakota State placed four runners in the top five and five in the top ten to capture the men’s team title with 22 points at the DAC Cross Country Meet in Rapid City, SD. Tyler Van Peursem led the Trojans to the team title by capturing the individual crown.  Black Hills State was second with 51 points, followed by South Dakota Mines with 82, Dickinson State with 99, Minot Staate with 118 and Jamestown College with 153.  Van Peursem was named the Most Valuable Runner and teammate Anthony Drealan was chosen Senior Athlete of the Year.  Lane Parish of Black Hills State was voted Freshman of the Year and Trent Mack of Dakota State was picked Coach of the Year. The team title earns Dakota State a berth to the NAIA National Meet in Vancouver, WA on November 21.  Team and individual qualifiers will be announced on Monday, November 9.

- Black Hills State place four runners in the top ten in winning the women’s team crown with 34 points at the DAC Cross Country Meet in Rapid City, SD.  Yellow Jacket Erin Curran captured the individual title in leading her team to the conference championship.  Jamestown College finished as the runner-up with 61 points, followed by Dickinson State with 70, Dakota State with 79, Minot State with 102 and South Dakota Mines with 159.  Curran was named the Most Valuable Runner and Freshman of the Year and fellow Yellow Jacket Wendy O’Lexey was selected the Senior Athlete of the Year.  Coach of the Year honors went to Jim Clark of Jamestown College.  The team title earns Black Hills State a berth to the NAIA National Meet in Vancouver, WA on November 21.  Team and individual qualifiers will be announced on Monday, November 9.

- Dickinson State and Minot State will share the DAC football championship following the games of the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl at the FargoDome in Fargo, ND.  The Beavers kept their hopes alive for a share of the conference crown with a 38-21 win over Jamestown College.  Black Hills State then defeated the Blue Hawks, 23-13, to force a tie for the conference crown.  Other scores from the bowl had Dakota State beating Mayville State, 31-27 and Valley City State topping South Dakota Mines, 15-10.  The Blue Hawks and Beavers will find out if their seasons will extend into the NAIA Playoffs when pairings are announced on Sunday, November 15.

- Regular season champion Jamestown College will host South Dakota Mines and runner-up Black Hills State will be at home to face Dickinson State in the DAC Volleyball Tournament semifinals on Wednesday evening.  The two semifinal round winners will match up on Saturday at the home of the higher seed with the tournament title and the automatic invite to the national tournament on the line.

For the Week of November 02-08, 2009:

DAC Players of the Week for October 26-November 01:

Football – Offense: Mike Beehler; Jamestown College; Junior; Quarterback; Foley, MN ~ Beehler accounted for four touchdowns and 314 yards of total offense in the Jimmies’ 38-19 win over their rivals from Valley City State.  In the victory, he was 26 of 37 passing for 255 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions and added 55 yards rushing on 11 carries and a score.

Football – Defense: Jason Kraft; Dickinson State; Junior; Linebacker; Encampment, WY ~ Kraft had a key interception late in the Blue Hawks’ 28-13 win over Minot State in a battle of nationally ranked teams.  In the win, he also had three solo tackles and seven assists as DSU clinched at least a tie for the conference championship.

Football – Special Teams: Nate Nygard; Jamestown Colelge; Sophomore; Kicker; Fargo, ND ~ Nygard was five for five on extra point attempts and added a 36 yard field goal in the Jimmies’ 38-19 victory over Valley City State.

Volleyball – Hitter: Kristin Engle; Black Hills State; Senior; Middle Hitter; Newcastle, WY ~ Engle hit .514 with 42 kills (5.25/game), eight digs (1.00/game), four solo blocks (0.50/game) and 16 assist blocks (2.00/game) as the Yellow Jackets picked up a pair of road wins.

Volleyball – Setter: Kayla Fee; Jamestown College; Senior; Setter; Williston, ND ~ Fee dished out 123 assists (11.18/game) for the week, including 59 in a five set win over NCAA-II Northern State, SD.  She also had 23 digs (3.00/game), one service ace (0.09/game), one solo block (0.09/game) and five assist blocks (0.45/game) as the Jimmies went 3-0.

Volleyball – Libero: Amanda Smith; Valley City State; Senior; Libero; Burnsville, MN ~ Smith recorded 58 digs (7.25/game) and five service aces (0.63/game) with a .967 serve percentage and a 1.000 receive percentage as the Vikings picked up pair of conference wins.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The schedule is set for the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl on Sunday, November 8 at the FargoDome in Fargo, ND.  The event kicks off at 9:00 AM Central with Mayville State facing Dakota State; Valley City State battles South Dakota Mines at 12:30; Minot State plays Jamestown College at 4:00 and culminates with Dickinson State against Black Hills State at 7:30.  Advance tickets are available at the athletic director’s offices of the eight conference schools for $15 for adults and $5 for students.  Tickets at the gate the day of the event will be $18 for adults and $5 for students.  All four games will be broadcast on-line on a pay-per-view basis on the B2 Network.

- Dickinson State secured at least a share of the DAC football title with a 28-13 win over Minot State at the Badlands Activities Center on the DSU campus last Saturday.  Cody Holland threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers and the Blue Hawk defense came up with three interceptions as DSU extended their conference winning streak to 15.  The Blue Hawks will try for a second straight perfect conference record and secure a playoff berth when they face Black Hills State in the final game of the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl on Sunday, November 8 in Fargo.

- The Jamestown College volleyball team will try for an unblemished conference record when they host Valley City State in the regular season finale on Wednesday, November 4.  Other season ending match-ups have Dakota State at Mayville State, Dickinson State at home to face Minot State and Black Hills State traveling to South Dakota Mines.  The conference tournament begins Saturday with the higher seeds hosting quarterfinal round matches.  The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, November 11 with the tournament title match on Saturday, November 14.  The tournament champion receives an automatic invitation to the NAIA National Tournament.

- DAC cross-country teams will converge on Rapid City, SD on Friday, November 6 for the DAC Cross-Country Championships.  The team champions in the men’s and women’s divisions will automatically qualify for the NAIA National Championships in Vancouver, WA on November 21.  Last year, Black Hills State captured both the men’s and women’s conference championships.

- The Minot State and Dickinson State women’s basketball teams spoiled the season opening trip to North Dakota for the defending NAIA Division II National Champions from Morningside, IA.  On Friday, the Beavers outscored the Mustangs 15 to 6 in overtime in a 103-94 victory, snapping Morningside’s 38 game winning streak and 55 game regular season winning streak. Ari Hendrix led six Beavers in double figures with 23 points. Caroline Folvin had 21 points, MacKenzie Mack added 20, Whitney Loftessness 13, Sam Medcalf 11 and Caitlin Durkin ten in the Beavers' season opener.  On Saturday, the Blue Hawks rallied from a 53-42 halftime deficit to top Morningside, 93-82. Reigning DAC MVP Kia Herbel led DSU with 24 points and ten rebounds. Junior college transfers Amber Adams and Jessica Nieves contributed 18 and 14 points respectively. Jennifer Marquez came off the bench to add 13 and Teryl Norton chipped in 11.

For the Week of October 26-November 01, 2009:

DAC Players of the Week for October 19-25:

Football – Offense: Jon Meier; Minot State; Senior; Quarterback; Regent, ND ~ Meier was 17 of 21 passing for 274 yards and one touchdown and carried the ball three times for five yards and three TD’s as the 16th ranked Beavers remain unbeaten in DAC play with a 58-6 win over Mayville State.

Football – Defense: Dustin Erbes; Jamestown College; Junior; Defensive Back; Colfax, ND ~ Erbes intercepted a pair of passes, had a pair of tackles-for-a-loss and blocked a field goal in the Jimmies’ 38-21 win over Black Hills State.  In his team’s fourth straight win, he recorded four solo tackles and five assists.

Football – Special Teams: Andy Smith; South Dakota Mines; Sophomore; Kicker; Pierre, SD ~ Smith hit three of three field goals with a long of 42 yards and connected on seven of seven PAT’s in the Hardrockers’ 60-20 triumph over Valley City State.  For the season, Smith remains perfect in extra point attempts, going 26 of 26 and is 10 of 12 on field goals with a long of 52.

Volleyball – Hitter: Shannon Fee; Jamerstown College; Junior; Outside Hitter; Williston, ND ~ Fee hit an impressive  .578 with 29 kills (4.14/game), four digs (0.57/game), two solo blocks (0.29/game) and four assist blocks (0.57/game) as the Jimmies won a pair of conference matches to secure at least a share of their second straight conference championship.

Volleyball – Setter: Kayla Fee; Jamestown College; Senior; Setter; Williston, ND ~ Fee dished out 91 assists (13.00/game) and added 16 digs (2.29/game), three service aces (0.43/game), one solo block (0.14/game) and four assist blocks (0.57/game) in leading the Jimmies to a pair of wins which locked up at least a share of their second consecutive conference crown.

Volleyball – Libero: Sasha Bruels; Dickinson State; Sophomore; Libero; Dickinson, ND ~ Bruels recorded 57 digs (6.33/game) and had an .897 serve percentage and a .981 receive percentage as the Blue Hawks split a pair of conference matches.

Cross Country – Men: Matt Fideler; Dakota State; Junior; Volga, SD ~ Fideler finished 11th out of 162 runners at the Mount Marty Invitational in Yankton, SD to help the Trojans to a second place finish.  He completed the 8000 meter run in a personal best time of 26:02.

Cross Country – Women: Katie Conlon; Jamestown College; Sophomore; Jamestown, ND ~ Conlon was the individual winner in the 148 runner field of the Mount Marty Invitational in Yankton, SD.  She completed the 5000 meter course in personal record time of 18:14.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- Dickinson State, with seven rated individuals, is tied for tenth with Embry Riddle, AZ in the NAIA Preseason Wrestling Poll.  Jamestown College received votes and has two individuals ranked.  Southern Oregon is the preseason number one, followed by Notre Dame, OH; McKendree, IL; Great Falls, MT and Grand View, IA in the top five.

- Despite losing their first conference game of the season, the Jamestown College volleyball team secured at least a share of their second straight conference championship with a pair of conference match victories.  With the wins, the Jimmies improved to 11-0 in conference play and gained home court advantage throughout the conference tournament.

- Dickinson State and Minot State will collide on the turf of the Badlands Activities Center on the DSU campus this Saturday to decide the conference football championship.  The winner will remain unbeaten in conference play and secure no worse than a share of the conference crown heading into the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl on Sunday, November 8 in Fargo.  The final pairings for the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl will be announced on Monday, November 2.

- Seven schools in the DAC have been named “Champions of Character” institutions by the NAIA.  Black Hills State, Dakota State, Dickinson State, Mayville State, Minot State, South Dakota Mines and Valley City State were among 231 schools recognized by the NAIA.  The “Champions of Character” program is designed to instill an understanding of character values in sport, and provide student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting.

- Dakota State outside hitter Rachael Jensen recently surpassed 1000 kills in her career.  The senior from Beresford, SD accomplished the feat in the Lady T’s match against Dakota Wesleyan, SD on September 29.  Last season, Jensen was a second team All DAC performer and also earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

- The Jamestown College men’s and women’s soccer teams will wrap up their seasons on Saturday and Sunday with home matches against Rocky Mountain, MT.  The women will play at 11:00 and the men will follow at 1:00 both days.

- Advance tickets for the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl on Sunday, November 8 at the FargoDome are available at the athletic director’s offices of the eight conference schools.  Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students.  Tickets at the gate the day of the event are $18 for adults and $5 for students. The day will feature the eight conference schools competing in four games with all games counting in the conference standings. 

For the Week of October 19-25, 2009:

DAC Players of the Week for October 12-18:

Football – Offense: Mike Beehler; Jamestown College; Junior; Quarterback; Foley, MN ~ Beehler tied the school record for touchdown passes in a game with six and set the school record by accounting for seven touchdowns in a game as the Jimmies topped Dakota State, 55-21.  In the contest, he was 23 of 31 passing for 411 yards, six touchdowns and one interception and added seven yards rushing on seven carries and one score.

Football – Defense: John Denne; Minot State; Freshman; Defensive Back; St. Cloud, MN ~ Denne had a pair of interceptions and five total tackles as the 17th ranked Beavers defeated Black Hills State, 28-9.

Football – Special Teams: Derion Williams; Dickinson State; Junior; Cornerback; Henderson, NV ~ Williams returned a kick 90 yards for a key touchdown in the Blue Hawks’ 29-20 come from behind triumph over South Dakota Mines.  Williams had two kick returns for 112 yards and a score and added one punt return for five yards as the Blue Hawks won their 13th consecutive conference game.

Volleyball – Hitter: Heidi Larson; Valley City State; Senior; Outside Hitter; Grand Rapids, MN ~ Larson hit .369 with 55 kills (6.11/game), 21 digs (2.33/game), three service aces (0.33/game), one solo block (0.11/game) and four assist blocks (0.44/game) in a pair of Viking setbacks.

Volleyball – Setter: Kayla Fee; Jamestown College; Senior; Setter; Williston, ND ~ Fee handed out 72 assists (12.00/game) and recorded 17 digs (2.83/game), three service aces (0.50/game) and three assist blocks (0.50/game) in leading the Jimmies to a 2-0 record for the week and improving their conference record to 9-0.

Volleyball – Libero: Amanda Smith; Valley City State; Senior; Libero; Burnsville, MN ~ Smith had 87 digs (9.67/game) along with a .974 receive percentage and an .862 serve percentage as the Vikings dropped a pair of matches.

Cross Country – Men: Jed Morgan; Black Hills State; Senior; Loveland, CO ~ Morgan placed 27th out of 160 runners at the highly competitive Santa Clara Bronco Invitational in Santa Clara, CA.  He ran the 8000 meter trail in a personal best time of 25:14.

Cross Country – Women: Breyette Schall; Minot State; Freshman; Minot, ND ~ Schall ran a personal best 19:38 in placing fifth at the Minot State Invitational.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- Defending conference champion Black Hills State tops the Dakota Athletic Conference Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll.  The Yellow Jackets, who advanced to the semifinals at the national tournament last season, picked up seven first place votes to grab the number one ranking.  Minot State picked up the final first place vote to finish second.  Jamestown College was third with South Dakota Mines fourth, Dickinson State fifth, Valley City State sixth, Mayville State seventh and Dakota State eighth.  The NAIA preseason poll will be announced on October 26.

- Jamestown College is the favorite in the Dakota Athletic Conference Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.  The Jimmies grabbed four first place votes in grabbing the top spot in the preseason rankings.  Black Hills State and Dickinson State, who both played in the quarterfinals of last season’s national tournament, received two first place ballots apiece to finish in a tie for second.  Valley City State placed fourth with Minot State fifth, South Dakota Mines sixth, Dakota State seventh and Mayville State eighth.  The NAIA preseason poll will be released on October 26.

For the Week of October 12-18, 2009:

DAC Players of the Week for October 05-11

Football – Offense: Cody Holland; Dickinson State; Junior; Quarterback; Moorpark, CA ~ Holland was 12 of 17 passing for 204 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and picked up 32 yards rushing on ten carries as the Blue Hawks topped 23rd ranked Black Hills State, 13-9.

Football – Defense: Martel Pope; Minot State; Senior; Linebacker; Miami, FL ~ Pope returned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown and helped the Beavers hold South Dakota Mines to just 199 yards in total offense in a 31-21 MSU triumph.  In the contest, he had four solo tackles, five assists and a sack.

Football – Special Teams: Nate Nygard; Jamestown College; Sophomore; Kicker; Fargo, ND ~ Nygard was 7 for 7 on extra point attempts to remain perfect on the season as the Jimmies topped Mayville State, 49-13.

Volleyball – Hitter: Rachael Jensen; Dakota; State; Senior; Outside Hitter; Beresford, SD ~ Jensen recorded 15 kills (3.75/game), 17 digs (4.25/game), one solo block (0.25/game), three assist blocks (0.75/game) and hit .231 as the Lady T’s won their lone match of the week.

Volleyball – Setter: Abbey Aide; Minot State; Freshman; Setter; Bottineau, ND ~ Aide had 30 assists (10.0/game) and 10 digs (3.33/game) in leading the Beavers to a win in the lone outing of the week.

Volleyball – Libero: Molly Lundeen; Minot State; Senior; Libero; Minot, ND ~ Lundeen had 13 digs (4.33/game) and perfect 1.000 serve and receive percentages in helping the Beavers to a victory in the only match of the week.

Cross Country – Men:  Devon Berkness; Dakota State; Junior; Madison, SD ~ Berkness finished second at the Briar Cliff Invitational as the Trojans captured the team title.  He ran the 8000 meter course in 25:37, which was more than 30 seconds better than his personal best time.

Cross Country – Women: Erin Curran; Black Hills State; Freshman; Wahoo, NE ~ Curran placed third out of 74 competitors in helping lead her team to the championship at the Yellowjacket Invitational at MSU-Billings.  She completed the 5000 meter course in a personal best time of 18:33.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The DAC volleyball teams begin the second half of their conference schedule on Friday and Saturday.  Jamestown College is the midseason conference leader with a 7-0 mark, Black Hills State is second at 6-1, followed by Dickinson State and South Dakota Mines at 4-3, Valley City State at 3-4, Dakota State at 2-5 and Mayville State and Minot State at 1-6.

For the Week of October 05-11, 2009:

DAC Players of the Week for September 28-October 04

Football – Offense: Mike Beehler; Jamestown College; Junior; Quarterback; Foley, MN ~ Beehler was 20 of 25 passing for 339 yards and three touchdowns and added another score on the ground as the Jimmies handed South Dakota Mines their first loss of the season with a 42-33 triumph.

Football – Defense: Joseph Berke; South Dakota Mines; Junior; Defensive End; Elwood, NE ~ Berke had five tackles-for-a-loss including a sack in the Hardrockers’ 42-33 setback at Jamestown College.  In the game, he had seven solo tackles and three assists.

Football – Special Teams: Levi Millikin; Black Hills State; Freshman; Punter; Wheatland, WY ~ Millikin had four punts that pinned Valley City State inside their twenty yard line in the Yellow Jackets’ 23-21 road win over the Vikings.  In the contest, he had eight punts for 287 yards (35.9 yards/punt) with a long of 47 yards.

Volleyball – Hitter: Maggie O’Neill; Black Hills State; Junior; Outside Hitter; Martin, SD ~ O’Neill hit a red hot .500 with 24 kills (4.0/game) in helping the Yellow Jackets to a pair of sweeps in conference play.  In the two victories, she also had 20 digs (3.33/game), two service aces (0.33/game) and one assist block (0.17/game).

Volleyball – Setter: Mandy Brumfield; Black Hills State; Senior; Setter; Dickinson, ND ~ Brumfield led the Yellow Jackets to a pair of 3-0 wins with 65 assists (10.85/game), 17 digs (2.83/game), four service aces (0.67/game) and two assist blocks (0.33/game).

Volleyball – Libero: Amanda Smith; Valley City State; Senior; Libero; Burnsville, MN ~ Smith recorded 57 digs (6.33/game) and four service aces (0.44/game) with a .920 service percentage and a .905 reception percentage as the Vikings split a pair of conference road matches.

Cross Country – Men: Brandon Velasquez; Minot State; Sophomore; Chula Vista, CA ~ Velasquez finished fourth at the Jamestown College Invitational.  He completed the Hillcrest Course in 27:19, his best time of the season.

Cross Country – Women: Alyssa Bossler; Jamestown College; Senior; Helena, MT ~ Alyssa finished second in the Jimmie Invitational with her career best time on the Hillcrest Course in Jamestown. Alyssa ran 19:12, eleven seconds behind winner Katie Conlon of Jamestown.

The Week Ahead

DAC News & Notes

- The fall portion of the DAC golf season is complete after three of the six conference tournaments were played.  Minot State leads the men’s team standings with Dickinson State second, followed by Valley City State, Jamestown College and South Dakota Mines.  Jordan Kelly of Minot State leads teammate Casey Gleich by one point in the men’s individual standings.  Minot State also sits atop the women’s team standings with Black Hills State second, followed by Jamestown College, Dickinson State, Valley City State and South Dakota Mines.  Whitney Stanley is the women’s individual leader.  Complete standings and tournament results can be found on the “Golf Results” page of the DAC web-site.  The golf season resumes in April with the Black Hills State, South Dakota Mines and Dickinson State tournaments.

- The DAC volleyball teams will complete the first half of their conference schedule on Wednesday when travel partners match up for the first time.  Jamestown College will try to finish the first half of conference play unbeaten when they travel to Valley City State.  Other matches have Mayville State on the road to face Dakota State; Dickinson State travels to Minot State and Black Hills State will play host to South Dakota Mines.

- Advance tickets for the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl on Sunday, November 8 at the FargoDome are available at the athletic director’s offices of the eight conference.  Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students.  Tickets at the gate the day of the event are $18 for adults and $5 for students. The day will feature the eight conference schools competing in four games with all games counting in the conference standings. 

For the Week of September 28-October 04, 2009:

DAC Players of the Week for September 21-27

Football – Offense: Jamie Dale; South Dakota Mines; Sophomore; Running Back; Alpine, CA ~ Dale recorded 232 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns and added another score on a 26 yard reception in the Hardrockers’ 48-28 road win over Mayville State.

Football – Defense: Martel Pope; Minot State; Senior; Linebacker; Miami, FL ~ Pope blocked a field goal and returned an interception for a touchdown in leading the Beavers to a 33-7 homecoming triumph over Jamestown College.  In the contest, he had two solo tackles and five assists including 1.5 tackles for a loss and 0.5 sacks.

Football – Special Teams: Andy Smith; South Dakota Mines; Freshman; Place Kicker; Pierre, SD ~ Smith kicked a school record 52 yard field goal and scored 11 points as the Hardrockers picked up a 48-28 road victory over Mayville State.  In the game, he was 2 for 3 on field goal attempts and connected on 5 of 5 PAT’s.

Volleyball – Hitter: Kristin Engle; Black Hills State; Senior; Middle Hitter; Newcastle, WY ~ Engle hit .446 with 31 kills (4.43/game), eight digs (1.14/game), two solo blocks (0.29/game) and nine assist blocks (1.29/game) as the Yellow Jackets split a pair of road matches.

Volleyball – Setter: Kayla Fee; Jamestown College; Senior; Setter; Williston, ND ~ Fee had 65 assists (10.83/game), 23 digs (3.83/game) and one solo block (0.17/game) as the Jimmies picked up a pair of sweeps to remain unbeaten in conference play

Volleyball – Libero: Sasha Bruels; Dickinon State; Sophomore; Libero; Dickinson, ND ~ Bruels recorded 75 digs (7.50/game) and two service aces (0.20/game) with a .964 reception percentage and an .889 serve percentage as the Blue Hawks won a pair of conference road matches.

Cross Country – Men: Anthony Drealan; Dakota State; Senior; Fulda, MN ~ Drealan finished 12th out of 238 competitors at the distinguished Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, MN on Saturday.  He finished the 8000 meter run in 26:15, which was the third fastest time among NAIA runners.  The time also was his second fastest time ever in an 8000 meter race, only eclipsed by his 26:04 run in the Dakota State Invitational the prior week.

Cross Country – Women: Katie Conlon; Jamestown College; Sophomore; Jamestown, ND ~ Conlon placed 15th in the Maroon Division of the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, MN on Saturday.  The Maroon Division included runners from the NAIA and NCAA Division II.  Conlon completed the 6000 meter course in 23:33.

The Week Ahead