June 19, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University's Roger Ternes has been selected the Dakota Athletic Conference Athletic Director of the Year by his conference peers.

 

Ternes, who recently completed his second year at DSU, received a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Dickinson State in 1977 and a master of education degree from Chadron (Nebraska) State College in 1978.

 

Prior to returning to his alma mater, Ternes served as Director of Athletics at William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri, from 1979 to 1999.

 

During the 2000-01 school year, Dickinson State captured two DAC championships (volleyball and men's basketball).  The volleyball team went on to capture the Region III Title and the NAIA National Championship, the first team national title in school history.  The Blue Hawk men's hoops squad made their second consecutive trip to the NAIA Division II National Tournament, where they advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen."  Dickinson State also had the only individual national champion from the conference in track and field (Amanda Anderson, discus).

 

 

June 14, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dakota Athletic Conference has honored 636 athletes as DAC Scholars for the 2000-01 academic year.

 

In order to receive this award, an athlete must have maintained a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.25 (out of 4.00) at the end of their sport's season competition.  Twenty-eight percent of athletes competing in the DAC were honored with the academic award.

 

The DAC presents a recognition plaque to the school with the highest percentage of athletes meeting the 3.25 GPA standard.  Jamestown College received the plaque for the 2000-01 school year with Valley City State finishing second.

 

A complete list of academic honorees can be found on the "DAC Scholar Athletes" page of the DAC web-site.

 

 

June 8, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dakota Athletic Conference had two softball players and ten baseball players receive All America recognition, while eleven softball players, eight baseball players and fourteen track and field athletes were accorded Scholar Athlete honors from the NAIA.

 

In softball, Tanya Guzman, a catcher from the University of Mary, was selected a second team All American, while her teammate, pitcher Tacy Riddle received Honorable Mentions.  NAIA Scholar Athletes from the DAC were: Jodi Farhenkamp, Amy Schroeder, Amber Carpenter, Jennifer Tschetter and Melissa Schatz of Huron University; Andrea Christofferson, Jodi Gardner and Dana Cameron from Dickinson State; Kodi Kooiman and Tacy Riddle from the University of Mary, and Kimberly Mytopher of Minot State.

 

In baseball, all ten DAC players that were recognized received Honorable Mention honors.  They are: first baseman Richard Dean, third baseman Geoff Zimmerman, outfielder Chris Moreside, catcher Brendan Harz and pitcher Trevor Bishop of Mayville State; catcher Bryan Swaenepoel, designated hitter Erik Anderson and pitcher Dwayne Wandy of Valley City State; outfielder Jared Kuka of Jamestown College, and pitcher Ryan Eskierka of the University of Mary.  NAIA Scholar Athletes from the DAC were: Richard Dean, Jaret Valainis and Jared Whitehouse of Mayville State; Jason Duppong and Scott Marquardt of the University of Mary; Eddie Reis and Anthony Rubis from Huron University and Dan Harris from Valley City State.

 

NAIA Scholar Athletes from the DAC were: Annie Goodson, Shane Hartman, Carolyn Litsey, Michael Kempel and Natalie Lindquist of the University of Mary; Monica Headlee, Rachel Travis and Timothy Bishop of Black Hills State; Curt Armstrong, Brad Tighe, Melissa Boyeff and Michelle Boyeff from Minot State; Casey Jefferey of South Dakota Tech, and Desa Rae Doyle from Dakota State.

 

A complete list of the All-American teams and Scholar Athletes can be found on the NAIA web-site.

 

 

May 28, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Five women's teams and four men's teams from the Dakota Athletic Conference scored points at the NAIA National Track and Field meet held May 24-26 at Simon Fraser University in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.

 

In the women's meet, the University of Mary placed fifth with 47 points; Minot State seventeenth with 21.5; Dickinson State was 29th with ten points; Black Hills State placed 41st with five points and Dakota State was 48th with three-and-a-half.

 

The DAC had sixteen individuals and three relay teams among the top eight finishes in the women's competition including one National Champion.  Amanda Anderson, a junior from Dickinson State, won the discus with a throw of 152 feet, five inches.  The top six in each event are designated All-Americans.

 

Conference placers in the women's meet were:

On the men's side, Black Hills State finished seventeenth with 17 points; the University of Mary was eighteenth with 16 points; Jamestown College placed 23rd with 12 points and Minot State was 39th with eight points.

 

The DAC had thirteen individuals and one relay team finish in the top eight in the men's competition.  The top six in each event are designated All-Americans.

 

Conference placers in the men's meet were:

Complete results can be found on the NAIA web-site.

 

 

May 22, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Jamestown College edged the University of Mary for the first Dakota Athletic Conference Commissioner's Cup, which is awarded to the member institution with the best overall record in conference competition in a single academic year.  Points are awarded based on each school's finish in conference sports that included a conference championship.

 

Jamestown collected 108 points to win the cup with U-Mary second with 107 points.   Minot State was third with 101; Dickinson State fourth with 97.5; Black Hills State was fifth with 93; Valley City State sixth with 76.5; Dakota State seventh with 75; Huron University eighth with 72.5; Mayville State ninth with 66 and South Dakota Tech tenth with 60.5.

 

Points are awarded in the four required sports (football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball) and nine optitional sports (men's and women's cross country; men's and women's golf; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's soccer; wrestling; men's and women's indoor and ouotdoor track; baseball and softball).

 

 

May 19, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The University of Mary saw their season come to an end with a 1-to-nothing loss to St. Xavier, IL, in the losers bracket of the NAIA National Softball Tournament in Decatur, IL.

 

St. Xavier scored the lone run of the game on an error in the second inning on their only hit of the contest.  The Marauders had four hits by four different players in the game.  Tacy Riddle suffered the loss, despite not giving up an earned run.  Her season record is 20-and-5.

 

U-Mary's season comes to a close with a 42-and-8 record.

 

 

May 19, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The University of Mary dropped a 5-to-4 contest to Simon Fraser, BC, in second round play of the NAIA National Softball Tournament in Decatur, AL.

 

The Marauders led 4-to-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh.   Simon Fraser tallied to runs in the bootom of the frame to pick up the victory.   Tanya Guzman led the U-Mary offense with two hits, three RBI and a run scored.   Tacy Riddle took the loss to fall to 20-and-4 on the season.

 

The Marauders (41-7) return to the diamond at 11pm Saturday when they face St. Xavier, IL (36-15), in a loser out contest of the double elimination tourney.

 

 

May 18, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The University of Mary softball team advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament, while the Mayville State baseball team's season came to an end in the NAIA Sectionals.

 

The Marauders opened the National Tournament with a 4-to-3 win over Montreat, NC, in Decatur, AL.  Mary scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 4-to-2 lead and seal the victory. Leftfielder Leta Espinosa led the offense with two hits and a run scored and Tacy Riddle earned the win with seven innings of work, striking out five and not allowing an earned run.  Mary (42-6) will face Simon Fraser, BC (25-9), Saturday afternoon at 2pm.  Simon Fraser defeated Georgian Court, NJ, 6-to-2 in their opening round contest.

 

The Comet baseball team saw their season come to an end with a 9-to-4 loss on Thursday and a 9-to-5 loss on Friday at Bellevue, NE, in the best-of-threee NAIA Sectional Playoffs.  Mayville State closes the 2001 campaign with a 35-8 overall record.

 

 

May 13, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The University of Mary softball team and the Mayville State baseball team captured Region III Tournament titles.

 

The Marauders swept through the regional tournament in Bismarck.   U-Mary beat St. Scholastica, Minnesota and Briar Cliff, Iowa, before beating fellow DAC team Jamestown College, 13-to-2, to capture the regional title and the national tournament berth.  U-Mary (41-6) is making a second consecutive trip to the National Tournament, which will be held May 18-22 in Decatur, Alabama.  The Marauders, the number three seed, will open the tournament at noon on Friday, May 18 against Montreat, NC (35-7).

 

The Comets took the long route to the region tourney championship in Sioux City, Iowa.  Mayville State, the top seed, opened the tournament with a 7-to-2 setback at the hands of the sixth seed, National American University, South Dakota.   The Comets then defeated Valley City State, Jamestown College and St. Scholastica, Minnesota, to advance to the championship game, where the defeated the host team, Briar Cliff, 6-to-2.  Mayville State (35-6) now advances to the Sectional, where they will travel to face Region IV champion, Bellevue, NE, in a best-of-three series May 17 & 18.  The winner will advance to the National Tournament in Lewiston, Idaho, May 25-June 1.

 

 

March 19, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Russell Archambault of Huron University was named the Player of the Year in NAIA Division II Men's Basketball.  The senior, guard from Fort Yates, ND, was fifth in the nation in scoring (25.4 ppg) and seventh in free throw shooting (87.6%) during the regular season.

 

Archambault also leads the NAIA Division II All-America First Team.  He led the Screaming Eagles to a DAC co-championship in the regular season, second place in the conference tournament and an appearance in the national tournament.   Marlon Lewis of Dickinson State was the only other Dakota Athletic Conference player to be named to the first team.  Lewis, a senior, forward from Trinidad & Tobago, helped lead the Blue Hawks to a DAC co-championship in the regular season, the DAC post-season tournament title and Dickinson State's second straight trip to the national tournament, where they advanced to the second round.  Lewis was the conference's seventh leading scorer and third leading rebounder.

 

The DAC also had three players receive Honorable Mention recognition.  The three are: Beau Hensel of Jamestown College, a junior, guard from Belgrade, MT; Travis Lindgren of Mayville State, a sophomore, guard from East Grand Forks, MN, and South Dakota Tech's Mark Rinn, a senior, guard from Buffalo, WY.

 

Kerri Bakker of Jamestown College was named to the NAIA Division II Women's All-America first team for the second consecutive year.  Bakker, a senior, forward from Rockford, MN, led the DAC in scoring and was second in the league rebounding.

 

Kathy Shypulski of Dakota State was selected to the second team.   Shypulski, a senior, guard from Blaine, MN, helped lead the Lady Trojans to the DAC regular season championship and into the second round of the NAIA National Tournament.  She ranked third in the league in scoring, fifth in 3-point field goal shooting, sixth in free throw percentage and eighth in assists.

 

A complete list of the All-American teams can be found on the NAIA web-site.

 

 

March 19, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dakota Athletic Conference is well represented on the list of 2001 NAIA Men's and Women's Basketball Scholar Athletes.  Ten men and fifteen women were recognized for the academic achievements.

 

Below is the list of players selected as 2001 Scholar Athletes:

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

 

 

March 10, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Mayville State has been tabbed the favorite to win the first Dakota Athletic Conference baseball championship.

 

The Comets, who received votes in the preseason NAIA poll, received seven of eight first place votes and 63 points in the DAC Coaches Poll.   The University of Mary received the other first place vote and is second in the balloting with 52 points.

 

The rest of the poll is as follows: third - Jamestown College with 46 points; fourth - Huron University with 40 points; fifth - Valley City State with 39 points; sixth - Minot State with 21 points; seventh - Dickinson State with 18 points, and eighth - Dakota State with nine points.

 

The conference season is scheduled to open March 31.  The DAC tournament is scheduled for May 4-5 in Jamestown.

 

 

March 9, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dakota State University Lady Trojans saw their season come to an end with a 62-56 setback to St. Francis, IN, in second round play of the NAIA Division II Basketball Tournament in Sioux City, IA.  Jennie Sonne led Dakota State with 12 points and 10 rebounds.  Kathy Shypulski had 10 points and Erin Neilsen had 10 points and eight rebounds.  Hali McClelland added 9 points and 11 boards and Jessica Honerman had 7 points and 10 rebounds.  Dakota State, the regular season Dakota Athletic Conference champions, concludes the 2000-01 campaign with a 23-9 record.

 

Dickinson State, the regular season and post-season DAC champs, saw their season come to an end in the second round of the Division II Men's Tournament in Branson, MO.  The Blue Hawks, the fifth seed in the tournament, were beaten by the twelfth seed, MidAmerica Nazarene, KS, 84-73.  MidAmerica Nazarene hit 23 of 39 field goals (59.0%) and 34 of 40 from the free throw line (85.0%) compared to 23 of 60 shooting from the field (38.3%) and 13 of 22 from the charity stripe (75.9%) for the Blue Hawks.   Senior Marlon Lewis led DSU with 16 points and 6 rebounds.  Junior Wayne Heckaman added 10 and seniors Joel Ross and Mark Kinnebrew finished with eleven points apiece.  Dickinson State finishes the 2000-01 season with a 26-7 record.

 

Complete pairings and results for the national tournaments can be found on the NAIA web-site.

 

 

March 8, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) --  Fifth seeded Dickinson State University began competition at the NAIA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament in Point Lookout, MO, with a 67-51 triumph over Brevard College, NC.  Dickinson State, the regular season and post-season Dakota Athletic Conference champions, led by six at half and built a seventeen point lead in the second half on the way to the first round victory.  Seniors Marlon Lewis and Joel Ross led the Blue Hawks with 19 and 12 points, respectively.  Junior Jayden Olson added 11 and senior Mark Kinnebrew 10 as DSU improved to 26-6 on the season.  The Blue Hawks will face MidAmerica Nazarene, KS (27-8), Friday at 4:30 pm Central Time.

 

Huron University suffered a heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame, CA, despite a 44 point performance from Russell Archambault in a contest that lasted until almost 12:00 am Central Time.  Joe Glosson of Notre Dame hit two free throws with three seconds remaining to lift the Argonauts to an 88-87 win over the Screaming Eagles.   Archambault, who played the entire 40 minutes, was 14 of 25 from the floor, including 3 of 6 from the 3-point arc, and hit 13 of 14 free throw attempts in the final game of his collegiate career.  Sean Ladd added 16 points and Naron Burks had 10 points and 14 rebounds as Huron wrapped up the season with an 18-13 record.

 

At the NAIA Women's Division II Basketball Tournament in Sioux City, IA, Huron University, the DAC Tournament champions, were beaten in their opening round contest, 83-59 by Sterling, KS, the fourteenth seed.   The Screaming Eagles scored the first four points of the game before Sterling went on a 31-to-9 run to break the game open.  Huron trailed by double-digits the rest of the contest.  Senior Leza Narducci led the screaming Eagles with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals, while senior Felicia Jorgenson added 12 points and 7 rebounds.   Huron ends their season with a 20-11 record.

 

Dakota State, the regular season conference champions, defeated Indiana University Southeast 59-43 in their opening round contest.  The Lady Trojans jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but Indiana Southeast rallied to pull to within one at 17-16.   Dakota State regrouped and built a 21 point lead in the second half to pick up the win and move to the second round.  The Trojans, who improved to 23-8, were led by Jennie Sonne with 14 points and 8 rebounds.  Kathy Shypulski added 12 points and Jessica Honerman had 11 points and 8 rebounds.  The twelfth seeded Trojans will face fifth seed St. Francis, IN (31-5), at noon Central Time Friday.

 

Complete pairings and results for the national tournaments can be found on the NAIA web-site.

 

 

March 7, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Four Dakota Athletic Conference athletes have been named NAIA Wrestling Scholar Athletes for the 2000-2001 season.

 

The four academic honorees are: Jason Labrie, a junior, Pre-Med/Biology major from the University of Mary; Corey Casteel, a senior, Elementary Education major from Huron University; Robert Buggs, a junior, Physical Education major from Huron University, and Ed Schmitt, a junior, Physical Education major from Huron University.

 

A complete list of the Wrestling Scholar-Athletes can be found on the NAIA web-site.

 

 

March 4, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Southern Oregon captured the NAIA wrestling national championship in Lindenwood, Missouri, with 158 points.  Missouri Valley was second with 151.5 and Dakota Athletic Conference representative University of Mary was third with 115 points.  Other DAC schools participating were: Dickinson State, eleventh with 37 points, Huron University, fourteenth with eight points and Jamestown College, tied for seventeenth with a half point.

 

The University of Mary finished the tournament with two individual National Champions and eight All-Americans.  Dickinson State had four All-Americans and Huron had one All-American.  Individuals who finish in the top eight of each weight class are honored as All-Americans.

 

University of Mary National Champions were Brian Biel at 133 and Jeremy Engelhart at 184.  Other Marauder All-Americans were: Aaron Hartnell, eighth at 125; Derek Weigel, eighth at 141; Jason Labrie, second at 165; Dan Williams, sixth at 174; Randy Gust, fifth at 197, and Tim Byrd, third at 285.

 

Dickinson State All-Americans were Tyrone Martinez, seventh at 141; Cade Taylor, seventh at 174, Darick Gorder, seventh at 197 and Mike Doll, eighth at 197.

 

Huron University's lone All-American was Ed Schmidt, eighth at 184.

 

At the conclusion of the tournament, the University of Mary was presented the Team Sportsmanship Award.

 

The complete tournament results can be found on the NAIA web-site. 

 

 

March 4, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The NAIA National Indoor Track Championships were held March 2 and 3 in Johnson City, Tennesee. 

 

In the men's competition, McKendree, Illinois, won the team title with 59 points.  Black Hills State was the top Dakota Athletic Conference team, finishing  eighth with 26 points.  Other DAC schools competeing were Minot State, tie for fifteenth with 15 points; the University of Mary, tie for seventeenth with 14 points; Jamestown College, tie for twenty-sixth with six points, and South Dakota Tech tied for forty-fourth with one point.  Black Hills State was the only DAC school to have an event winner.  The team of Rob Marney, Brock Rose, Tim Bishop and Mike McDaniel won the Men's DIstance Relay title.

 

In the women's competition, McKendree, Illinios, captured the team title with 66 points.  The University of Mary was the top DAC team, finishing sixth with 33 points.  Other conference teams competeing were Black Hills State, twenty-second with ten points; Minot State twenty-third with nine points, and Jamestown College and Dakota State were in a tie for thirtieth with two points. 

 

The complete meet results can be found on the NAIA web-site. 

 

 

January 15, 2001

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dakota Athletic Conference had sixteen players named 2000 NAIA Football All-Americans.  Four players were selected to the first team, two were chosen for the second team and ten received honorable mentions.   Twenty-two athletes were also selected as 2000 Football Scholar Athletes

 

Below is the list of players selected as All-Americans:

Below is a list of players selected as Scholar Athletes:

A complete list of the All-American teams and the Football Scholar-Athletes can be found on the NAIA web-site.

 

December 29, 2000

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University volleyball coach Dave Moody was featured in the "Faces in the Crowd" section of the December 25, 2000 edition of Sports Illustrated.  Moody was recognized for leading the Blue Hawks to their first ever NAIA National Championship, defeating two-time defending champion Columbia, MO, in the championship match.  He was also named the NAIA Coach of the Year after leading DSU to a 39-1 record and the national title.

 

 

December 17, 2000

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Quarterback Jeremy Peschel of Valley City State was named a finalist for the Rawlings-NAIA Football Player of the Year Award.

 

Peschel, a 6-0, 195 pound, senior from Wahpeton, ND, led the Vikings to the DAC co-championship with Huron University and a berth into the NAIA playoffs.  He was a first team All DAC selection and led the conference in total offense and passing.

 

Peschel was among thirteen finalists for the award.  The Player of the Year was announced on Friday, December 15 at the 45th annual NAIA Football National Championship Banquet in Hardin County, TN, prior to the national championship game  on Saturday, December 16.  Junior quarterback Eddie Eviston of Georgetown, KY, won the award for the second consecutive year.  Eviston also led his team to the national championship with a 20-0 triumph over Northwestern Oklahoma State.

 

 

December 10, 2000

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Two men and three women athletes from the Dakota Athletic Conference have been named NAIA Cross Country Scholar-Athletes.

 

James Shipley of South Dakota Tech and Brad Tighe of Minot State were selected as Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athletes.  Shipley maintained a 3.85 GPA (Grade Point Average) as a Computer Engineering major and Tighe had a 3.80 GPA as a Math/Physical Education major.

 

Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athletes from the DAC were Monica Headlee of Black Hills State, Carolyn Litsey of the University of Mary and Kim Fox of the University of Mary.  Headlee had a 3,91 GPA as a Biology major; Litsey recorded a 3.88 GPA as a Biology major, and Fox had a 3.47 GPA as an Exercise Science major.

 

 

December 5, 2000

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Two Dickinson State University Blue Hawk volleyball players received individual accolades to go along with their NAIA National Championship.

 

Neslihan Yilmaz, who was named the National Tournament Player of the Year, was also selected as the NAIA Player of the Year and leads the NAIA Volleyball All-American first team.  Yilmaz, a senior, outside hitter from Istanbul, Turkey, led the Dakota Athletic Conference in kills (5.84/game), hitting (.396) and service aces (0.64/game) and was tenth in serve percentage (.963).

 

Yasemin Alpullu, who was selected to the All-National Tournament Team, was chosen as a member of the NAIA All-American third team.  Alpullu, a freshman, outside hitter from Istanbul, Turkey, was eighth in the DAC in kills (3.32/game), fourth in hitting (.291) and second in service aces (0.55/game).

 

 

December 5, 2000

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Sixteen volleyball players from Dakota Athletic Conference schools have been selected as 2000 NAIA Scholar-Athletes.  Huron University placed seven players on the academic honor squad; Valley City State had four; Mayville State two, and Dakota State, Dickinson State and South Dakota Tech had one each.

 

Below is a list of the DAC players named as 2000 NAIA Volleyball Scholar-Athletes:

 

DSU Blue Hawks win first ever national championship

December 2, 2000

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dickinson State University Blue Hawks captured the school's first ever team national championship with a 3-games-to-1 victory over the two-time defending national champion Columbia, Missouri, Cougars at the 2000 NAIA National Volleyball Tournament in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, December 2.  Game scores were 11-15, 15-10, 15-4, 15-13.  DSU was making their first ever appearance in the national championship match in just their third trip to the national tournament.

 

Columbia scored the first six points of the match, but DSU responded with seven unanswered.  The teams then battled to a 10-10 tie before the Cougars claimed game one by scoring five of the last six points.

 

After playing to a ten-all tie, the Blue Hawks scored five straight points to claim game two and tie the match at a game apiece.

 

Game three started with DSU jumping out to an 11-1 lead enroute to a 15-4 triumph.  The Hawks scored five aces in the game, including the game winner by Freshman Yasemin Alpullu.

 

DSU took a 14-10 lead in the fourth game, but Columbia rallied to pull to within 14-13.  Blue Hawks' setter April Cameron set junior, hitter Carolina Sanchez for a side out and DSU claimed the national championship with a hitting error by Columbia.

 

Senior Neslihan Yilmaz led the way for the Blue Hawks with 19 kills; Alpullu added 17 kills and a match-high 20 digs.  Cameron handed out 55 assists, and all three recorded three service aces in the match.  Sanchez also was in double figures in kills with 15.  Yilmaz ranked second in kills at the national tournament with 5.38 per game and third in digs with 5.12 per game.  Alpullu ranked fifth in digs with 4.85 per game and Cameron was second in assists with 15.12 per game.

 

DSU closed out their season with a 25-match winning streak and finished the year with a 39-1 overall record with their lone loss coming to Columbia.   The Cougars topped the Blue Hawks 3-to-1 in the championship match of the Graceland, Iowa, Tournament (15-13, 2-15, 18-16, 15-9) on September 16. 

 

Following the championship match, DSU head coach Dave Moody was named the National Tournament Coach of the Year and senior,outside-hitter Neslihan Yilmaz was named the National Tournament Player of the Year.  Freshman, outside hitter Yasemin Alpullu was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

 

DSU advanced to the championship match with a 3-games-to-1 triumph over Point Loma Nazarene, California, on Saturday.  Game scores were 15-12, 10-15, 15-12, 15-12.

 

The Blue Hawks qualified for the semifinals with a 3-games-to-2 marathon victory over Fresno Pacific, California, on Friday, December 1.  DSU dropped the first two games to Fresno Pacific, 11-15, 13-15.   After DSU won game three 15-8, Fresno Pacific jumped out to a 7-to-0 lead in game four, but the Blue Hawks rallied to win that game 16-14 and finished the match off with a 15-11 triumph in game five to advance to the semi's.

 

Dickinson State won their pool with a 4-and-0 record.  They opened the pool play portion of the tournament on Wednesday, November 29 with a 15-6, 15-3, 15-3 triumph over Houghton College, New York and then defeated Azusa Pacific, California, 15-2, 15-10, 15-7 later that day.  On Thursday, November 30, the Blue Hawks topped the host team, Palm Beach Atlantic, 15-13, 15-13, 15-12.  The Hawks finished pool play on Friday, December 1 with an 11-15, 15-11, 15-7, 15-8 triumph over Dordt College of Iowa.

 

 

November 27, 2000

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Black Hills State finished as runners-up in the men's division of the National NAIA Cross Country Meet in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Saturday, November 18.  The Yellowjacket women finished in ninth.  BHSU was the only Dakota Athletic Conference team to compete.

 

Brad Tighe of Minot State was the individual runner-up in the men's division, finishing the 8K race in a time of 25:12.51.  Tighe was just ten seconds behind the individual winner.  The top five runners for Black Hills State were: Rob Marney, 9th; Mike McDaniel, 13th; Dennis Newell, 39th; Tim Bishop, 53rd and Paul Hamilton, 78th.  Justin Schweitzer of Jamestown College finished 77th.  There were 245 runners who completed the race.

 

Black Hills State's top five runners in the women's 5K race were: Monica Headlee, 30th; Jessica Palczewski, 45th; Nikki Underwood, 60th; Kristi Knudsen, 67th and Lynn Rauth, 129th.  Terri Mawson of Minot State finished in 34th place and Carey Litsey of the University of Mary was 117th.  There were 248 runners who completed the race.

 

Complete results of the national meet can be found on the NAIA web-site.

 

 

November, 22, 2000

 

(Dickinson, ND) --  Dickinson State University outside hitter Neslihan Yilmaz has been named the NAIA Region III Player of the Year for the fourth time in her career.  The senior from Istanbul, Turkey, also won the honor in 1996, 97 and 98.  Due to injury, Yilmaz sat out the 1999 campaign.  The three-time All-American has helped lead Dickinson State to the NAIA National Tournament in West Palm Beach, Florida, November 29-December 2.

 

Yilmaz was also selected to the NAIA All-Region III team for the fourth time.  Joining her on the honor squad from the Dakota Athletic Conference are: teammates Yasemin Alpullu, a freshman, outside hitter from Istanbul, Turkey, and sophomore, outside hitter Carolina Botero of Cali, Columbia, and Minot State, senior, setter Lynn Kostad of Minot, ND.

 

The remaining members of the All-Region III team are: Fernanda Vivancos, a freshman, outside hitter/setter; Angela Porto, a junior, outside hitter; freshman, outside hitter Adriana Cruz and freshman, middle hitter Lilian Lucas, all from region runner-up National American, SD; senior, setter Staci Rosche; sophomore, middle hitter Jessica Miller and senior, middle hitter Molly Moberg of Briar Cliff, IA, and senior, outside hitter Lisa Gawrsch of Martin Luther, MN.

 

Mary Schroeder of Briar Cliff was named the Region III Coach of the Year.

 

 

November 20, 2000

 

(Dickinson, ND) -- Three Dakota Athletic Conference teams are well represented on the NAIA Region III Women's and Men's Soccer All-Independent Team.  The University of Mary, Jamestown College and Huron University are the only DAC schools to offer soccer and the three account for eight first team selections and nine second teamers in women's soccer and nine first team honorees and four second team choices in men's soccer.

Selected for the women's first team were goal keeper Lisa Spero, defensive player Marissa McCaskill, mid-fielder Lydia Warner and forward Candy Klingensmith of Huron; defensive player Janelle Vigil, mid-fielder Rachel Whatmuff and forward Heidi Hanson of Mary, and from Jamestown, forward Cara Davis.  Second team honorees include: Darci Kjeldgaard, Kristin Nason, Karen Jaeger, Brandi Marinik and Nicki Mitchell of Huron; Natalie Kirchofner, Beth Grossheuch and Abby Grossheuch of Mary, and Brandi Geider of Jamestown.

 

Men's first team selections were goal keeper Mitch Gonzales, defenseman Chris Hopper and Jason McIntosh, mid-fielders Mike Dice and Cain Quiroz and Forward Vaughn Scott of Huron and from Mary, defenseman Levi Evans, mid-fielder Sean Calver and forward Shelby Sanchez.  Second team selections include: Bryan Beck of Huron and from Mary, Matt Griffin, Tyson Bodwig and Todd Huber.

 

 

July 1, 2000

(Dickinson, ND) - June 30, 2000 saw the end of an era in college athletics in the Dakotas. That day, the North Dakota College Athletic Conference and the South Dakota-Iowa Conference closed the books on a long and historic run in college athletics.

The SDIC began competition in 1917, while the NDCAC came into existence in 1923. The members and names of both conferences have changed over the years

The very next day, the six NDCAC schools (Dickinson State, Jamestown College, Mayville State, Minot State, the University of Mary and Valley City State) and four former members of the SDIC (Black Hills State, Dakota State, Huron University and South Dakota Tech) began a new tradition with the official formation of the Dakota Athletic Conference or the DAC. The new conference will also be affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate athletics.

The DAC begins its first year of competition this fall. The new conference will sponsor eleven sports for men and women.

To keep coaches, players, alumni and fans abreast of conference activities, the DAC has created a website. The site is located at www.dakotaac.org.

 

June 1, 2000

 

(Dickinson, ND) - The organization of the new Dakota Athletic Conference took a step forward with the election of officers, the appointment of a commissioner and the selection of chairmen of the Faculty Athletic Representatives Council and Athletic Directors Council at conference meetings in Pierre, South Dakota, April 10 and 11.

The DAC governing body is the Board of Directors, which is made up of the presidents of the ten institutions. In the North Dakota College Athletic Conference, the governing body was made up of the faculty athletic representatives. The faculty athletic representatives' primary responsibility in the new conference is to certify the eligibility of the athletes on their campuses.

The Board of Directors elected Dr. Jerry Tunheim of Dakota State as the DAC president. The board also elected Dr. Lee Vickers of Dickinson State as vice president and Dr. Tom Flickema of Black Hills State as Treasurer.

"I am excited about the formation of the DAC conference. It is my opinion that we will be one of the premiere athletic and academic conferences in the NAIA," said Tunheim. "The past success record on the regional and national level of the ten teams in the conference has been outstanding and I see no reason why this will not continue."

The board also named LaVern Jessen of Dickinson, North Dakota, as DAC commissioner. Jessen has served as commissioner of the NDCAC for the past nine years.

"I am looking forward to the challenge of getting the conference off to a smooth start," said Jessen. "I have received nothing but positive comments about the new conference."

Eric Sand of Jamestown College was selected Chair of the Faculty Athletic Representatives Council and Al Bortke of the University of Mary was chosen Chair of the Athletic Directors Council.

The Board of Directors also approved the DAC constitution and the regulations for each sport.

The DAC will consist of the six members of the NDCAC; Dickinson State, Jamestown College, Mayville State, Minot State, the University of Mary and Valley City State; and four members of the South Dakota-Iowa Conference; Black Hills State, Dakota State, Huron University and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The conference will begin competition in the fall of 2000.