March 11, 2010

(Point Lookout, MO) – (Box Score) Defending champion Oklahoma Wesleyan held off the tough, physical play of Jamestown College to win 76-70 in the first round of the 2010 NAIA D- II Men's Basketball Championship at the Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks, MO.

The Eagles controlled the game early and held the lead for the entire first half. OWU was powered by the three-point shooting of NAIA All-American Steve Briggs. Briggs set the nets on fire with five three-pointers in the first half while teammate Mike McNeil was just as effective with three from behind the arc.

Jamestown fell down nine points at one point in the first half and never led, but was able to narrow the gap from the line, making 10-of-16 free throws. The Jimmies went into halftime down four, 41-37.

Sticking its nose to the grindstone, Jamestown battled back with its inside game as the Jimmies finished with 30 points in the paint. At the 15:24 mark,Jamestown tied the game at 44 and then led for the first time on a free throw, 47-46. Down the stretch, however, the high-flying Eagles rallied and grabbed the lead for good shortly thereafter and went held off the upset-minded Jimmies.

Briggs led the Eagles with a game-high 24 points and grabbed three boards. McNeil netted 19 and added seven rebounds while Sadiel Rojas hit a double-double with 17 points and a team-leading 11 boards. The team shot 40% from the arc, 39% from the field and out-rebounded the Jimmies 43-28.

For Jamestown (20-12), C.J. Peters led the way with 19 points and eight boards. Ross Florhaug netted 15 points and brought down seven boards. Hans Hoeg, John Peabody and Jacob Kelsey hit nine.

Oklahoma Wesleyan (28-4) remains unbeaten in the opening round and advances to the second round where they will play either Hasting (Neb.) or #11 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) at 9:15 p.m. on Friday.

March 11, 2010

(Sioux City, IA) -- (Box Score) Jamestown College opened the second day of play at the 19th Annual State Farm-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena with a 65-58 win over Indiana-Southeast on Thursday.

The win was the first for the Jimmies in three trips to the national championship and advances them to Friday’s second round with a 10:15 a.m. meeting against Iowa Wesleyan (27-6). Jamestown’s overall record stands at 26-6, while Indiana-Southeast bows out at 23-9.

Jamestown held a 33-25 halftime lead, despite giving the ball away 13 times, but shot 46.4 percent from the floor and got eight points from Cori Doubek. She would add six more points in the second half to finish the game with 14 for the Jimmies.

Indiana-Southeast was unable to overcome a cold shooting performance, connecting on only 29.5 percent of its shots for the contest. The Jimmies dominated down low both offensively and defensively, snagging 47 rebounds to the Grenadiers’ 36, scored 32 points in the paint and logged 15 second-chance points.

Doubek was joined in double-figure scoring by Giuli Varriano with a team-high 16 points for the Jimmies. Katie O’Neill’s work down low resulted in a game-high 11 rebounds.

Ashmere Woods came into the game averaging just 8.8 ppg, but the freshman turned her game up on the national stage by matching a season-high 18 points. Her 18-point showing was her third in the last four contests for Indiana-Southeast. Alden Krausse notched 10 points and had eight boards.

March 10, 2010

(Sioux City, IA) -- (Box Score) Eastern Oregon battled back from a 35-19 halftime deficit to get within four points with just under seven minutes remaining, but Black Hills State denied the surge and regained a 12-point advantage en route to a 67-58 win to close out the first day of play at the 19th Annual State Farm-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena on Wednesday.

The win marked the second time in three years that the Yellow Jackets have defeated the Mountaineers on the national stage. In 2008 the two teams met in the second round with Black Hills State taking a 63-48 decision.

Black Hills State will take its 27-6 record into Friday's second round for a 3:30 p.m. meeting with Indiana Wesleyan (27-6). For the Mountaineers, their season comes to a close with a final record of 20-12.

The Yellow Jackets hit 41.7 percent of their shots (15-of-36) to open a 35-19 lead in the opening stanza, while holding Eastern Oregon to just 33 percent and forcing 18 turnovers. The Mountaineers' found their stride in the second half, shooting over 50 percent from the floor, knocking down six triples and out-scoring the Yellow Jackets 39-32. Players off the bench were key for both teams, with Black Hills State's non-starters contributing 30 points and Eastern Oregon's accounted for 20.

Jenna Bolstad led the scoring efforts for Black Hills State with 15 points, but Keely Krolikowski and Tiffany Thomas came off the bench to score 13 and 12 points, respectively. Katelynn Lamb was the fourth Yellow Jacket in double figures with 10 points.

Eight Mountaineers scored, but Tana Stickney was the lone player to post double figures with 10 points. Stickney and Anne Barnett each pulled down eight rebounds.

March 10, 2010

(Point Lookout, MO) -- (Box Score) DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis knocked down a go-ahead three-pointer with two seconds left to go to give the #15 University of Saint Francis, IN an 86-83 win over Black Hills State in the opening round of the 2010 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship. The 2010 event is being held at the Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks, MO

Trailing by three, 83-80, Black Hills State guard Cain Atkinson hit a three-pointer from the right wing to tie it with 25 seconds to go. After a USF timeout, the Cougars worked the clock down to the final seconds when Sawyer-Davis knocked down the game-winner from 26-feet with two ticks left on the clock.

The first half featured a game of runs with Black Hills State jumping out to a 10-4 lead until 12 straight points scored by Saint Francis gave the Cougars their first lead. The Yellow Jackets tied the game at 22 and grabbed a 37-33 lead before another USF run put the game in the Cougars favor, 42-37.

The second half was close throughout with five ties and six lead changes. Black Hills State held the largest lead of the second half, 71-65, but USF came back with an 11-5 run spurt to tie the game at 76. The teams exchanged baskets down the stretch, setting up the heroics of Sawyer-Davis.

"Black Hills State was really helping on the dribble penetration," commented Saint Francis head coach Jeff Rekeweg. "They helped on the drive and that left DeJovaun open. If there is anyone we want shooting the basketball in that situation its DeJovaun."

Sawyer-Davis netted a career-high and 2010 tournament best 43 points, 10 shy of the all-time tournament record of 53 set by Steve Smith (Saint Francis) in 2000. The junior went 14-for-21 from the floor and a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line. He also pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Qudr Owens added 15 points for the Cougars, who held a 35-26 advantage on the glass.

Black Hills State was led by Luke Enos who scored 26 points before fouling out with five minutes left to play.Craig Von Allman scored 15 points and Will Johnson added 12 points and eight rebounds. Black Hills State, a 2009 Final Four team, ends the season with a 21-10 mark.

March 10, 2010

(Sioux City, IA) -- (Box Score) Grand View, IA notched a 63-53 win over Minot State in first-round action Wednesday at the 19th Annual State Farm-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena.

With the win, Grand View improves to 3-1 in first round games and 26-8 on the season. The Vikings will face the winner of Hastings ( Neb. )/ Maine-Fort Kent game in second-round action on Friday at 12 p.m. Minot State’s campaign comes to an end in the first round for the second straight year. The Beavers finish with a record of 21-9.

The Vikings shot 22-of-53 and hit six treys in the win. Jennifer Jorgensen logged 20 points, with nine points coming from the charity stripe. She was joined in double figures by Bailey Schechinger and Jamie Sickles with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Micah Reed handed out seven assists.

Minot State was dominated down low on both ends of the court. The Beavers were out-rebounded 45-36 and gave up 24 points in the paint to the Vikings. MacKenzie Mack led the scoring efforts for Minot State with 17 points, connecting on seven of her 14 attempts, and also grabbed eight rebounds. Whitney Loftesnes came off the bench and added 12 points, all from 3-point land. Ari Hendrix contributed 11 points.

March 06, 2010

(Oklahoma City, OK) --  Dickinson State finished sixth at the NAIA National Wrestling Championship in Oklahoma City, OK. 

The Blue Hawks compiled 105.5 points with seven place finishers.  Notre Dame, OH crowned three individual national champions in capturing the team title with 179.5 points.  Southern Oregon with two national champions finished second with 120 points, followed by Great Falls, MT with 118.5, Missouri Valley with 110.5 and McKendree, IL with 109.

Jake Kallestad led the Blue Hawks with a runner-up finish at 197.  Frank Lopez placed third at 285; Angel Olea at 125 and Cameron Schrempp at 174 finished fourth; Brett Owen placed fifth at 184; Blake Hunter was sixth at 133 and Shane Bennett finished eighth at 174.

Jamestown College had one place finisher in finishing in 25th place out of 36 teams competing.  Joseph Michel finished in eighth place at 133.

Top six place finishers earn All America honors, while seventh and eighth place are Honorable Mention All America.

The DAC also had five wrestlers earn Scholar-Athlete honors.  They are Colt Goff and Robert Carothers of Dickinson State and Brandon Roehrich, Aaron Field and Jacob Johnson from Jamestown.

For complete details of the national wrestling championship, go to the NAIA web-site.

March 06, 2010

(Johnson City, TN) -- Dickinson State had two individual national champions crowned at the NAIA National Indoor Track & Field Championship in Johnson City, TN.

Sean Pickstock captured the national championship in the 400 meters in helping the Blue Hawks to a fourth place finish in the men's team race.  Azusa Pacific, CA won the team crown with 71 points followed by Wayland Baptist, TX with 56; Oklahoma Baptist with 44; Dickinson State with 35 and Malone, OH with 27.   Dakota State finished in 11th with 16 points; Minot State was tied for 22nd with 10; Black Hills State tied for 38th with 4 points and Jamestown tied for 48th with one point.

Kelsey Aide won the pole vault to account for all of the Blue Hawks points in finishing in 18th place in the women's division.  Oklahoma Baptist won the team championship with 68.  Wayland Baptist, TX was the runner-up with 67 followed by Simon Fraser, BC with 66; Azusa Pacific, CA with 57 and Biola, CA with 40.   Jamestown College was the top DAC team in 14th place with 13 points.  Black Hills State was tied for 19th with eight points and Dakota State tied for 27th with six points.

For complete results of the national indoor track and field meet, go to the NAIA web-site.

March 03, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) -- The pairings have been announced for the NAIA Division II women's and men's basketball tournaments.

The DAC will have three schools competing at the women's tournament in Sioux City, IA on March 10-16.  Black Hills State and Jamestown College are seeded second in their brackets, while Minot State is a number five seed.  The Yellow Jackets (26-6) will open the tournament against Eastern Oregon (20-11) at 9:15 PM on Wednesday, March 10.  The Jimmies (25-6) will face Indiana-Southest at 8:30 AM on Thursday, March 11 and the Beavers (21-8) will take on Grand View, IA (25-8) at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, March 10.  The complete tournament bracket can be found on the NAIA web-site.

Two schools from the DAC will travel to Point Lookout, MO for the men's tournament on March 10-16.  Black Hills State and Jamestown College are unseeded in the tournament.  The Yellow Jackets (21-9) opening round match up is on Wednesday, March 10 at 4:00 PM against number 15 St. Francis, IN (23-9) and the Jimmies (20-11) will begin tourney play at 7:30 PM on Thursday, March 11 against number six Oklahoma Wesleyan (27-4).  For the complete tournament bracket, go to the NAIA web-site.

March 02, 2010

(Jamestown,  ND) -- Jamestown College punched their ticket to the NAIA National Division II Men's Basketball Tournament in Point Lookout, MO with a 79-57 victory over South Dakota Mines in the Dakota Athletic Conference tournament championship game.

The two teams traded the lead throughout the first half with the Jimmies holding a 34-32 edge at halftime.  The tight matchup continued in the second half until Jamestown took the lead for good, going on a 13-2 run to change a 47-47 tie into a 60-49 Jimmie lead.

Hans Hoeg led Jamestown with 27 points.  Jacob Kelsey chipped in 22 and CJ Peeters added 15.  Kyle Doer led the Hardrockers with 13 and Kyle Turpin added ten. 

The Jimmies head to the national tournament on March 10-16 with a 20-11 record, while the Hardrockers close their season with a 16-15 mark.  Black Hills State, who received an at-large invitation, will join Jamestown at the national tournament.

National tournament pairings will be announced on Wednesday afternoon.

March 02, 2010

(Spearfish, SD) -- In a matchup of top ten nationally ranked teams in the DAC women's tournament championship game, Jamestown College edged Black Hills State, 65-64.

With national tournament invitations secured due to their high rankings in the national polls, the two teams played a close battle for bragging rights and the automatic berth to the NAIA National Division II Tournament in Sioux City, IA on March 10-16.  The game was tied at 31-31 at half with the Jimmies outscoring the Yellow Jackets 34-33 in the secocnd half to squeek out the tournament crown.

Guli Varriano led Jamestown with 17 points and Allison Epping added 13 off the bench.  Keely Krolikowski led Black Hills State with a 13 point performance off the bench and Katelynn Lamb was in double figures with 12.

The Jimmies earn the automatic berth with the win as they improved to 25-6.  Black Hills State receives an at-large invitation and heads to nationals with a 26-6 mark.  Minot State will also represent the DAC at the national tourney with an at-large invite and will head to Sioux City with a 21-8 record.  

Pairings for the national tournament will be released on Wednesday afternoon.

March 02, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) – Conference co-champions Black Hills State and Valley City State fill three of the five spots on the All Dakota Athletic Conference men’s basketball first team.

Luke Enos and Cain Atkinson of Black Hills State and Orlando Anderson of Valley City State are joined on the first team by Dickinson State’s Nathan Lebsock and Jamestown College’s CJ Peeters.

Enos, who ranked second in scoring in the DAC during the regular season (19.0 ppg), was voted the DAC’s Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row.  His teammate Will John Johnson was selected the conference Defensive Player of the Year.  Anderson was chosen the Most Valuable Senior, Peeters was picked as the Newcomer of the Year and Dickinson State’s Ty Orton was voted the Coach of the Year.

The complete list of All DAC Teams and Post-Season Awards can be found on the “Men’s Basketball All Conference Performers” page of the DAC web-site.

March 02, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) – Five players from five different schools make up the 2009-10 All Dakota Athletic Conference women’s basketball first team.

The first team honorees are Katelynn Lamb of regular season champion Black Hills State, Kia Herbel of Dickinson State, Bethany Holyoak of South Dakota Mines, Ari Hendrix from Minot State and Jamestown College’s Guili Variano.

Herbel was voted the DAC’s Most Valuable Player for the second time after leading the conference in scoring (17.2 ppg), rebounding (10.93 rpg) and field goal percentage (71.1%) during the regular season.  Holyoak was chosen as the Most Valuable Senior; Janna Schriber of Black Hills State was picked the Defensive Player of the Year and Morgan Mines of Black Hills State and Hillary Hawkins of South Dakota Mines shared the Freshman of the Year.  Coach of the Year honors went to Mark Nore of Black Hills State.

The complete list of all-conference players and award winners can be found on the “Women’s Basketball All Conference Performers” page of the DAC web-site.

March 01, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) -- The pairings are set for the championship games of the Dakota Athletic Conference men's and women's basketball tournaments.  On Tuesday evening at 7:00, Jamestown College will host South Dakota Mines in the men's division, while the women's final will have regular season champ Black Hills State at home to face Jamestown College.

The fourth seeded Jimmie men knocked off top seed and conference co-champ Black Hills State, 78-67, in the semifinals, while the number six Hardrockers upset number two seed and regular season co-champion Valley City State, 70-65.   The two teams split their regular season meetings with JC winning at home, 74-62 on January 8 and SDM returning the favor with a 61-47 victory on February 6.  The winner of the championship contest will qualify for the NAIA National Division II Tournament in Point Lookout, MO on March 10-16.

The top-seeded Yellow Jacket women advanced to the title game with an 80-70 triumph over Valley City State and the Jimmies, the number two seed, won their semifinal match up with South Dakota Mines, 77-64. During the regular season, each team won on their home court. JC won 67-63 on January 9 and BHSU captured a 67-60 victory on February 5.  The Yellow Jackets will carry a 14 game winning streak into the title tilt and Jamestown has won six straight.  The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic berth to the NAIA Division II Tournament in Sioux City, IA on March 10-16.

The championship games can be watched on-line on a pay-per-view basis on the B2 Network.

February 20, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) -- The pairings have been finalized for the Dakota Athletic Conference women's and men's basketball tournaments. The tournaments begin on Wednesday, February 24.

Black Hills State captured the DAC title outright in the women's division and will have home court advantage throughout the tournament.  The Yellow Jackets will face Mayville State at 5:30 Mountain Time.  Number four Valley City State will host fifth seeded Dickinson State at 5:30 Central Time; seventh seed Dakota State will travel to number three Jamestown at 5:30 Central Time and number three Minot State is at home to face number six South Dakota Mines at 7:00 Central Time.

Black Hills State and Valley City State share the regular season men's conference crown with the Yellow Jackets earning the top seed in the tournament with a sweep of the Vikings in regular season play.  BHSU will host Mayville State at 7:30 Mountain Time; number five Minot State is on the road to face number four Jamestown at 7:30 Central Time; number seven Dakota State goes to number two Valley City State with a 7:30 Central Time start and number three Dickinson State is at home to match up with sixth seed South Dakota Mines at 7:00 Mountain Time.

The quarterfinal round winners will play on Sunday, February 28 at the site of the higher seed with the conference tournament championship games scheduled for Tuesday, March 2 at the home of the higher remaining seed.  The conference tournament champions earn an automatic berth to the NAIA Division II National Tournaments on March 10-16.  The women's national tournament will be held in Sioux City, IA with the men's tourney taking place in Point Lookout, MO.

February 05, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dakota Athletic Conference post-season basketball tournaments get under way Wednesday, February 24.

In the event of a tie in the final conference standings, the following procedure will be followed:
  1. Head to head competition. In cases involving more than two teams, the tied teams are considered to be in the same position and total record versus all teams involved will be used.
  2. Head to head competition with all teams in conference play. Starting with the number one team in the final standings, compare records versus each team in descending order until the tie is broken. Tied teams are considered to be in the same positions and total record versus all teams involved will be used.
  3. Win-loss percentage against all NAIA Division II Non-conference opponents. The higher winning percentage will break the tie, even if the number of games are unequal; in the case of a tied percentage versus the team or group of 1.000 or .000, the following shall apply: 2-0 is better than 1-0; 0-1 is better than 0-2.
  4. Coin toss conducted by the commissioner.

The semifinals will be played on Sunday, February 28 with the championship games slated for Tuesday, March 2 at the home of the higher seed.

The tournament champions will represent the DAC at the NAIA Division II National Tournaments on March 10-16.  The men's national tournament will be held at Point Lookout, MO and the women's tournament is in Sioux City, IA

February 04, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University is pleased to announce that in support of cancer awareness, the Blue Hawk men’s and women’s basketball teams will be sponsoring a “Cancer Awareness Night” this Friday evening.  Scheduled tip-off times against Dakota State University are 5:30 pm for the women and 7:30 pm for the men’s game.  In the spirit of promoting cancer awareness, all fans are encouraged to wear pink and help to increase cancer awareness.

February 02, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) -- 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.

February 02, 2010

(Tulare, SD) -- 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 --- such as the SDM wear pictured above.

"We are happy to help out, especially in different schools with these type of programs," said Hardrocker head men's basketball coach Jason Henry. "Not only here in our community but across the state and region as well."

January 27, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) – Following their third place finish in the 2009 NAIA National Tournament, Dickinson State is the choice to capture the conference title in the 2010 Dakota Athletic Conference Softball Coaches’ Preseason Poll.

The Blue Hawks, under first year head coach Kristen Fleury, picked up six first place votes to top the balloting.  Jamestown College received the final first place vote to finish second and Minot State placed third.  Valley City State, who had their 2009 season shortened due to flooding, finished fourth with Black Hills State, Dakota State and Mayville State rounding out the poll.

The first games of the 2010 season are scheduled for February 27 with the first conference games slated for March 20.

The poll was conducted by the Dakota Athletic Conference.

Below are the results of the DAC Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll with first place votes in parenthesis (coaches could not vote for their own team):

(Dickinson, ND) – Jamestown College is the preseason pick in the 2010 Dakota Athletic Conference Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Poll.

The Jimmies, who won the DAC tournament and advanced to the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament, picked up four first place votes to top the poll with defending conference champ Dickinson State garnering the two remaining top picks to finish second.  Dakota State is third in the poll, followed by Minot State and Mayville State.  Valley City State, who saw their 2009 season shortened due to flooding, finished sixth.

The first games of the season are scheduled for February 13 with conference play to begin on April 2.

The poll was conducted by the Dakota Athletic Conference.

Below are the results of the DAC Baseball Coaches' Preseason Poll with first place votes in parenthesis (coaches could not vote for their own team):

January 26, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) -- 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 voted on 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 picked 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.

Brian Ward from McPherson, KS was chosen the Coach of the Year; Sioux Falls, SD defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell was picked as the Assistant Coach of the year; quarterback Lorenzo Brown from Sioux Falls was selected as the Offensive Player of the Year and defensive back Trevor Holleman from Sioux Falls was honored as Defensive Player of the Year.

The complete list of All Americans and Honorable Mention recipients can be found on the College Fanz Sports Network web-site.

January 25, 2010

(Rapid City, SD) -- The men’s and women’s basketball coaching staffs of South Dakota School of Mines and Black Hills State will be participating in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) “Cancer Suits and Sneakers” awareness week on Thursday at the King Center in Rapid City as the Hardrockers and Yellow Jackets face each other in Dakota Athletic Conference play.

The NABC is in conjunction with the American Cancer Society which encourages coaches to wear sneakers with their regular game suits at contest held during that week to show support for the Coaches vs. Cancer program. Suits and Sneakers will unite coaches from across the country in the common effort to raise awareness for the fight to save lives from cancer.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of college and high school coaches across the country, Coaches vs. Cancer has been helping the American Cancer Society save lives since 1993 by helping people stay well by educating and empowering people to avoid cancer or find it early; helping people get well with free programs and services when they’re facing cancer; by finding cures by conducting and investing in research that yields groundbreaking discoveries into cancer’s causes and cures; and by fighting back by helping pass laws that fight cancer and keep our communities healthy.

The coaching staffs encourage fans from both teams to show their support as well and wear sneakers to the game. The women’s bout is slated for a 5:30 p.m. start and the men will follow at 7:30 p.m.

January 25, 2010

(Dickinson, ND) -- Winter weather and dangerous travel conditions in the eastern parts of the Dakotas has forced the postponement of two DAC basketball doubleheaders on Saturday, January 23.  The Jamestown at Mayville State and Valley City State at Dakota State games have been tentatively rescheduled for Tuesday, January 26 with the women's games starting at 5:30 and the men's contests tipping off at 7:30.

January 21, 2010

(Minot, ND) -- The Minot State University Student Athlete Advisory Committee is conducting a fundraiser for victims of the earthquake in Haiti at this weekend’s home basketball games.  Collection buckets will be available for patrons of the games to donate directly to the local Red Cross Chapter’s Disaster Relief Fund.

“We are excited to be able to assists the victims of Haiti through this fundraising effort,” said MSU SAAC President and MSU baseball team member Michael O’Dwyer. “This is something we feel very strongly about supporting and we want to get as many community members involved as possible.”

The Beavers take on South Dakota Mines Friday and Black Hills State Saturday at the MSU Dome. Game times are 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. Saturday.

January 15, 2010

(Rapid City, SD) -- The South Dakota School of Mines is taking a step towards educating youths about eye, organ and tissue donation. On Saturday, January 16, the South Dakota Lions Eye Bank and Rapid City Regional Hospital have partnered to recognize and honor donor families and transplant recipients. The ceremony will be taking place during half time of the boy’s basketball game at the SD School of Mines, King Center; game starts at 6:00.

Community programs are a state-wide effort that the South Dakota Lions Eye Bank established in 2006, partnering with the local hospitals and honoring local donor families and transplant recipients. The program will recognize donor families and transplant recipients from communities for their bravery with the overall goal being to educate and inform the public on a personal level about donation. Since implementation over 30 communities have participated in these programs to educate and raise community awareness on the needs and benefits of donation. Programs not only promote donation in our state but are greatly appreciated by the 150 donor families and transplant recipients who have participated.

For more information, go to www.sharingthegift.org.

December 29, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- 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 and four former players on the second team.

The lone DAC player on the first team is former Valley City State wide receiever 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.

Quarterback Tyler Emmert of Carroll College, MT was selected the Offensive Player of the Decade after helping the Fighting Saints to four straight national championships.  Defensive Player of the Decade honors went to Northwest Oklahoma State defensive back Lynn Scott.  Carroll College's Mike Van Diest narrowly edged Kalen DeBoer of Sioux Falls, SD Bill Cronin of Georgetown, KY for Coach of the Decade as Van Diest led his club to five national titles to three championships for DeBoer and two for Cronin.  Van Diest compiled a 125-14 record during the decade and did not lose a Frontier Conference championship.

Carroll College finished with the most players on the team with nine while Sioux Falls finished with eight. The Great Plains of Athletic Conference had 13 representatives on the team with the Frontier Conference and Mid States Football Association finishing with 11.

The complete list of the All Decades Teams can be found on the College Fanz Sports Network web-site.

December 20, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- Twenty-two football players from the Dakota Athletic Conference have earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.  South Dakota Mines placed six players on the academic honor squad; Dickinson State had five, Jamestown College and Valley City State added four with Dakota State, Mayville State and Minot State each having one player on the list.

The academic honorees 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.

A total of 212 athletes earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. To earn the recognition, a student-athlete must be nominated by the school's head coach, must also maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have achieved junior academic status to qualify.

The complete list of NAIA Scholar-Athletes for football can be found on the NAIA web-site.

December 18, 2009

(Minot, ND) -- 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.

“We had excellent participation from our students and fans in general with this project” said committee member Mike O’Dwyer, who is also a member of the MSU baseball team.  “I think we were able to brighten the Christmas season for several families in the Minot area.”

“This was a great project and I’m very proud of our student-athletes for their involvement," said Athletic Director Rick Hedberg.  "They benefited a great deal from it also.  It was a very worthwhile project."

December 17, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- Two players from the Dakota Athletic Conference have been selected to the American Football Coaches' Association's NAIA All America Team.

Minot State offensive lineman Brian Rohles, a senior from Manteca, CA, and South Dakota Mines placekicker Andy Smith, a sophomore from Pierre, SD, are the lone DAC players on the team.

The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.

The complete list of the NAIA All America team can be found on the AFCA web-site.

December 06, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- Two Dakota Athletic Conference players have been chosen to the NAIA All American Volleyball First Team and two others received Honorable Mention honors.

DAC Most Valuable Player Heidi Larson of Valley City State and Kristin Engle of Black Hills State were selected as First Team All Americans.  Ali Edwards and Kayla Fee of conference champion Jamestown College were honored with Honorable Mention recogntion.

Jill Baker of Azusa Pacific, CA was selected the NAIA Player of the Year and Dennis Janzen was named Coach of the Year after leading Fresno Pacific, CA to their third straight national championship.

The complete list of the All American Teams is available on the NAIA web-site.

December 05, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- 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.

December 04, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- 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.

December 03, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- The Dickinson State University Athletic Department is pleased to announce that former Dickinson State volleyball player Funda Aliskan-Sinani was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame on November 30 at the NAIA National Volleyball Championship in Sioux City, IA.  

Aliskan-Sinani ranks third all-time in the NAIA for single season kills per game at 6.40 in 1999. Her mark of 25 matches in a season with 20-plus kills places her fourth all-time in the NAIA record book and sits fifth all-time in the NAIA with nine matches in a season with 20-plus kills and 20-plus digs in 1999.

Aliskan-Sinani also ranks high in numerous career and single season categories at Dickinson State. In career statistics, she holds the school record for most matches with 20-plus digs (17), ranks second in total kills (2394), kills per game (4.74) and attack attempts (5324), third in service aces (234) and digs (1680), and fourth in solo blocks (91).

In single season rankings, she holds school marks for kills per game (6.40), most matches with 20-plus kills (25); most matches 20-plus digs (9) and most matches with 20-plus kills and 20-plus digs (9). Funda is the only volleyball player to earn All-American and Scholar-Athlete honors in the same season for DSU.

November 22, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- DAC men’s 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 women’s champion Black Hills State compiled 321 points to capture tenth place in the 32 team field at the national championships. 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

November 16, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- 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 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.

November 16, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- 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.

November 15, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- With their 3-1 win over Jamestown College in the DAC Tournament championship match, Black Hills State qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the second consecutive season. 

The Yellow Jackets will travel to Doane, NE on Saturday, November 21 for an opening round match.  Twenty-four teams will play opening round matches with the winners moving on to pool play in Sioux City, IA on December 2-4.  The 12 opening round winners will be joined by the top 11 teams and the host team, Morningside, IA.

In 2008, the Yellow Jackets defeated William Penn, IA in the opening round and then went 1-2 in pool play.

For complete opening round pairings and information on the national tournament, go to the NAIA web-site.

November 15, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- DAC co-champions Dickinson State and Minot State have earned berths into the NAIA Football Championship Series, which begins on Saturday, November 21.  The Blue Hawks received the automatic berth with their win over Minot State, while the Beavers earned an at-large invitation.

It will be a tough task for both teams as they match up with the top two teams in the nation.  DSU, rated 17th in the final poll, will travel to Helena, MT to face number two Carroll College at 12:07 Mountain Time; while MSU, ranked 14th in the final poll, treks to number one Sioux Falls, SD at 1:00 Central Time.

The Blue Hawks and Fighting Saints are familiar foes in the NAIA post-season with this being the eighth match-up between the teams since 1986.  Carroll holds a 6-1 record against Dickinson State including a 35-18 triumph in last year's post-season.  The Saints are making their tenth straight trip to the post-season and have captured five national titles during that run. The Blue Hawks are making their second consecutive trip to the championship series and 14th overall.

The Beavers are making their first appearance in the post-season since 2002 and their seventh trip overall.  The Cougars are the defending national champions and are looking for the fourth national title.  USF is riding a 25 game winning streak and appearing in the playoffs for ninth straight season and 15th overall. 

Other first round pairings have Langston, OK at Lindenwood, MO; St. Xavier, IL plays host to McKendree, IL; Hastings, NE travels to Ottawa, KS; Cumberlands, KY is on the road to Lambuth, TN; Monringside, IA hosts Missouri Valley and McPherson, KS will be at MidAmerica Nazarene, KS. 

The quarterfinals will be held on November 28 and the semifinals on December 5 at campus sites.  The national championship game will be played on December 19 in Shorter, GA.

For more information on the NAIA Football Championship Series, go to the NAIA web-site.

November 11, 2009

(Rapid City, SD) -- In recognition of Veterans Day and active military personnel, the South Dakota School of Mines will designate Saturday as “Military Appreciation Day” at the Hardrocker football team’s final home game on Dunham Field at O’Harra Stadium in Rapid City against the Trinity Bible College Lions.  Any individual having a military ID will be allowed to the game free.  The contest is slated for a 1 p.m. start.

November 10, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- 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.

November 03, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) – Dickinson State University and the city of Dickinson are in mourning after three members of the Blue Hawk softball team were found dead in their vehicle that was discovered in a pond near the city.

Lieutenant Rod Banyai of the Dickinson Police Department made the announcement at a Tuesday evening press conference that the bodies of 22-year-old Kyrstin Gemar of San Diego, CA; 20-year-old Afton Williamson of Lake Elsinore, CA and 21-year-old Ashley Neufeld of Brandon, Manitoba had been found in their white Jeep, which was pulled out of a pond on a farm northwest of Dickinson.

Banyai stated that the investigation continues into the cause of death, but no crime is suspected.

The three student-athletes had been missing since Sunday evening when it is believed they had been out star gazing and their vehicle went in to the 12 foot deep pond about two miles off the main road.  Two friends received desperate phone calls and were promptly cut off.  Attempts to contact Gemar, Williamson and Neufeld were unsuccessful as calls to their cell phones went to voice mail.

The search began immediately and came to a sad conclusion on Tuesday afternoon, when searchers on foot found vehicle tracks leading in to the pond.  A plane flying overhead spotted something white in the water and the vehicle was pulled from the water two hours later.

North Dakota Governor John Hoeven issued a statement expressing sympathy for the families and thanking those who helped in the search.

“On behalf of Mikey (Mrs. Hoeven) and myself, and the people of North Dakota, we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families of Kyrstin, Ashley and Afton at this difficult time.  Their loss weighs heavily on all of us” the governor said.  “We also want to express our sincere appreciation to everyone who participated in the search, which ended in a way we all prayed it wouldn’t.”

NAIA president and CEO Jim Carr expressed sympathy on behalf of the association.

"On behalf of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, its member institutions and conferences, I send our heartfelt condolences to the families of Kyrstin Gemar, Afton Williamson and Ashley Neufeld, " Carr said in a statement on the association's web-site.  "Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the entire Dickinson State University community during this difficult time.”

A prayer service was held in the university’s student center Tuesday evening and classes were cancelled for Wednesday.  The Blue Hawks’ final regular season volleyball match at Scott Gymnasium versus Minot State on Wednesday evening was also cancelled. 

A memorial service is planned for 2:00 Thursday afternoon in Stickney Auditorium on the DSU campus. A reception will follow the service in the Student Center Ballroom. Classes frrom 1-5 PM will be cancelled to allow students and faculty the opportunity to attend the service.

The DSU Student Senate has set up a benefit account to assist the families in paying for expenses.  Contributions can be made to the Neufeld Gemar Williamson account at any Wells Fargo Bank location nationwide.

November 02, 2009

(Rapid City, SD) -- The women’s basketball team at South Dakota Mines has a program called Adopt-a-Rocker where the team matches one of the players with a host family who ‘adopts’ a Lady Hardrocker for the season.

“This means having them over for a meal or if you are doing a family event liking hiking, biking, watching a movie and you can invite them along,” said Hardrocker women’s head coach Barb Felderman. “It is an effort to make our players feel more at home in Rapid City and to give them some roots. Having another family here supporting them is a great bonus. In return you would get to know one of these fantastic role models. It is a win/win situation.” 

For more information, please contact Coach Barb Felderman at 394-2602.

November 01, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- The pairings and game times are set for the Dacotah Bank DAC Bowl on Sunday, November 8 at the FargoDome in Fargo, ND. 

The action begins at 9:00 AM Central Time with Dakota State facing Mayville State; at 12:30, South Dakota Mines will take on Valley City State; at 4:00, Minot State battles Jamestown College and the day culminates at 7:30 with Dickinson State going up against Black Hills State.  All games will count in the conference standings.

Advance tickets are available at the offices of the athletic directors of the eight conference schools.  Tickets in advance are $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 games will also be broadcast live on-line on pay-per-view on the B2 Network.

October 31, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- Minot State and Dickinson State handed defending NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Champion Morningside, IA a pair of losses in the Mustangs season opening trip to North Dakota.

On Friday, the Beavers outscored the Mustangs 15 to 6 in overtime to hand the NAIA preseason number one their first regular season loss in 56 games by a score of 103-94.  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.

October 27, 2009

(Rapid City, SD) - The South Dakota School of Mines men's and women's basketball teams are partnering with Circle K convenience store in Rapid City and asking for fans to bring canned goods to the home opening basketball games Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1 at the King Center as part of the "Trick or Treat for Canned Goods."

Friday the Hardrocker men face Rocky Mountain College in a 7:30 p.m. game, Saturday the Lady Hardrockers take on College of St. Mary at 7 p.m. and Sunday contest has the Lady 'Rockers taking on Hastings College at 2 p.m.

October 26, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) – The Dakota Athletic Conference has three women’s teams and one men’s team ranked in the top ten of the NAIA Preseason Basketball Polls.

Jamestown College (20-10 in 2008-09) is the top ranked DAC team in the preseason women’s poll, coming in at number five.  Black Hills State (26-8) is rated ninth and defending DAC champion Dickinson State (27-8) is tenth in the preseason rankings.  All three schools appeared in the NAIA Division II National Tournament last season with the Yellow Jackets and Blue Hawks advancing to the national quarterfinals.  Valley City State and Minot State also received votes.

Defending national champion Morningside, IA is the preseason number one.  Northwestern, IA; Davenport, MI; Hastings, NE and Shawnee State, OH round out the top five.  The complete poll is available on the NAIA web-site.

Defending DAC champion Black Hills State (30-5) is lone conference team in the men’s preseason rankings, coming in at number two.  The Yellow Jackets return their entire starting lineup from the club that reached the Final Four of the NAIA Division II National Tournament last season.  Minot State and Jamestown College also received votes.

Oklahoma Wesleyan, last season’s national champions, are the preseason favorite.  Black Hills State is followed by Bethel, IN; Dakota Wesleyan, SD and College of the Ozarks, Mo in the top five.  The complete rankings can be found on the NAIA web-site.

October 26, 2009

(Story courtesy of Brad Blume, SD Mines Sports Information)

(Rapid City, SD) --South Dakota School of Mines place kicker Andy Smith was named the NAIA Football Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday after helping the Hardrocker football team to a 60-20 victory over the Valley City State Vikings at O’Harra Stadium in Rapid City, SD.

 “Andy gets better and better every week,” said Hardrocker head football coach Dan Kratzer. “I am so proud of the progress he’s made this year. He is very talented and athletic. The more he is around during practice the better he gets.”

Smith, a sophomore Electrical Engineering major from Pierre, SD, split the uprights on 10-consecutive occasions in the Dakota Athletic Conference matchup Saturday, making good on seven-for-seven PAT’s and three field-goal tries that were good with distances of 25, 36 and 42 yards. He also handled kickoff duties, booting the ball 11 times in the game, racking up 661 yards and had a long kick of 70 yards.

“It’s great that Andy had the opportunity to perform well during Saturday’s game,” Kratzer said. “He is one of these young men that continue to improve and work hard each and every practice. Andy is an unselfish player and wants to do everything he can to get better and help his team.”

Smith, a converted soccer player, who is only in his second (ever) season of football, is a perfect 26-26 on the season in PAT attempts and is 10-12 on field goals. His longest of the season is 52 yards against Mayville State and was a new SD Mines school record.

With his three kicks on Saturday, Smith also set a new record for most field goals in a season (10 and counting). The old record was eight. He is also tied for most extra points in a season at 26.

Kratzer said that during the offseason, Smith spent some time at a kicking camp, learning the fundamentals of kicking, developing his leg and getting it stronger from former NFL kickers. He also is getting some good competition during practice from his teammates Kolten Jelden and Gregory Giffin, who, according to Kratzer, are pushing Smith to be the best kicker in that group. 

It seems to be working as Smith has six Top 10 rankings in the NAIA. He is currently rated first in PAT kicks at 100 percent; is third in field goals, averaging 1.4 a game; is fifth in points scored by a kicker with eight per game; is fifth in total field goals at 10; is ninth in overall scoring with 56 points and in 10th in field goal percentage with .833.

“Andy is definitely talented enough to be recognized at the national level,” Kratzer added.

Smith was also named the Dakota Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. It is the second time this season he has received that honor.

Smith will attempt to improve on his statistics this Saturday when the 4-3 Hardrockers travel to Spearfish for the big rivalry game with Black Hills State. That bout is slated to start at 1 p.m. at Lyle Hare Stadium.

October 24, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- Seven Dakota Athletic Conference schools are among 231 colleges and universities to be name "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 recognized for their use of the "Champions of Character" program 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. The program is dedicated to the principle that character is a choice and that being a champion is not just about winning, but making good decisions consistently in daily life.

To be considered a Champions of Character institution, schools must complete a form which is later reviewed by a team directed by NAIA Vice President of Champions of Character Rob Haworth. These schools incorporate the five core values in the campus community and educate student-athletes, coaches, parents and fans on specific standards and expectations.

To see the complete list of "Champions of Character" institutions, go to the NAIA web-site.  For more information on the "Champions of Character" program, go to www.championsofcharacter.org.

October 22, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- Southern Oregon, the national runner-up last season, sits atop the NAIA Preseason Wrestling Poll.  Notre Dame, OH; McKendree, IL; Great Falls, MT and Grand View, IA round out the top five.  Defending national champion Lindenwood, MO is rated sixth in the preseason.

Dickinson State is tied for tenth with Embry-Riddle, AZ in the preseason rankings.  Jamestown College also received votes.

The Blue Hawks have seven wrestlers rated in the individual rankings.  Angel Olea is fifth at 125, Blake Hunter is 11th at 133, Nathen Schweitzer is tenth at 141, Matt Pridgeon is 12th at 149, Nick Zumwalt is 11th at 165, Cameron Schrempp is sixth at 174 and Jake Kallestad is third at 197.

The Jimmies have two individuals in the rankings.  Willie Hernandez is sixth and Aaron Field is 12th in the heavyweight division.

For the complete team and individual rankings, go to the NAIA web-site.

August 26, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- Former Dickinson State volleyball standout Funda Aliskan-Sinani has been chosen for induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame.

Aliskan-Sinani ranks third all-time in the NAIA for single season kills per game at 6.40 in 1999.  Her mark of 25 matches in a season with 20-plus kills places her fourth all-time in the NAIA record book and sits fifth all-time in the NAIA with nine matches in a season with 20-plus kills and 20-plus digs in 1999.

Aliskan-Sinani also ranks high in numerous career and single season categories at Dickinson State. In career statistics, she holds the school record for most matches with 20-plus digs (17), ranks second in total kills (2394), kills per game (4.74) and attack attempts (5324), third in service aces (234) and digs (1680), and fourth in solo blocks (91).   In single season rankings, she holds school marks for kills per game (6.40), most matches with 20-plus kills (25), most matches 20-plus digs (9) and most matches with 20-plus kills and 20-plus digs (9).

Aliskan-Sinani was as good in the classroom as she was on the court.  She carried an "A" average as a Business Administration Major and is the only volleyball player to earn All-American and Scholar-Athlete honors in the same season, her senior year of 1999.

Aliskan-Sinani will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the NAIA National Volleyball Championship in Sioux City, IA on November 30.  She is the second Blue Hawk volleyball player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining her former teammate Neslihan Yilmaz.

August 14, 2009

(Story courtesy of Dustin Monke, Sports Editor of The Dickinson Press)

(Dickinson, ND) -- Once again, Dickinson State track and field athletes from the Bahamas are preparing to compete on their grandest stage in their sport.

One current and three former Blue Hawks are competing at the IAAF World Athletics Championships, which begin Saturday, August 15 at Olympic Stadium in Berlin and lasts nine days before wrapping up on Sunday, August 23.

Current Blue Hawk Ramon Miller and former DSU standouts Derrick Atkins, Trevor Barry and Adrian Griffith are competing at the biennial meet that brings together the world’s top athletes.

It’s enough to make DSU track and field coach Pete Stanton smile.

“What an exciting thing for us to have four of our athletes compete in the World Championships,” Stanton exclaimed.

Stanton said he’s extremely excited to watch Miller, a nine-time NAIA national champion who is still a DSU student and will return to training at the university when he is through competing. Miller still plans to graduate from DSU next spring.

“For me, it’s a special thing with Ramon because I’m still coaching him,” Stanton said. “We’ve been going over our workouts all summer. We’ve been corresponding weekly to make sure he’s ready for Berlin.”

Miller, one year removed from winning an Olympic silver medal as a member of the Bahamas 1,600-meter relay team, is competing in both the relay and the open 400. He has the third-fastest time in the event amongst his countrymen and isn’t expected to be an alternate in the relay like he was in Beijing, where he ran in the semifinals.

It is the 22-year-old Miller’s first turn at the World Championships while Atkins is making his third trip.

Atkins broke into the international spotlight two years ago at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, after a surprising silver-medal finish in the 100 meters where he ran a career-best time of 9.91 seconds. He took second to American Tyson Gay.

This season, Atkins’ best finish was a 10.17 at Berkeley, Calif. The 25-year-old is also running the 200, where he clocked a career-best 20.35-second finish this season.

Running with Atkins in the 100 is Griffith, the DSU school record holder in the event. Griffith, 24, has a 10.27 entry time and finished second to Atkins at the Bahamas National Games.

Barry, a 26-year-old who won seven NAIA national titles and was a six-time runner-up, is competing in the high jump after winning the Bahamas national championships with a leap of 7 feet, 3 inches.

Stanton said he’s never disappointed with how well the athletes do on the World Championship stage.

He’s just pleased to seem them have the experience.

“It’s just an honor to have been around those guys and to see our athletes from Dickinson State at the world level, and having a chance to represent their country is just a really neat thing,” Stanton said.

Highlights from the World Championships will be broadcast on Versus as well as on streaming video on the NBC-run web-site www.universalsports.com.

August 14, 2009

(Jamestown, ND) -- Jamestown College Athletic Director, Lawrie Paulson announces Ryan Thompson has been named as the new assistant men’s basketball coach and head men’s and women’s golf coach. He will begin his duties immediately.

Thompson, a recent graduate of Jamestown College, was a crucial member of the 2008 DAC Championship basketball team.  After transferring from the University of Wisconsin River-Falls, Thompson grabbed the point guard reins for the Jimmies for the 2007-2008 season. In his single season at Jamestown College, he dished out 168 assists while achieving a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. He finished the season eighth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage shooting at 46.9% on the season and 13th in the nation in assists per game. He helped guide the Jimmies to a conference championship, national tournament berth and a 23 win season.

“We have a great basketball program here at Jamestown College because of the school’s long tradition of winning and our strong foundation for this program.  Therefore,  I am excited to continue to be involved with such a strong program and also look forward to the opportunity of taking over our men’s and women’s golf programs,” says Thompson. 

Head coach, Jeff Trumbauer is pleased to retain Thompson as well, “As a player, he brought a great deal of leadership to our program.  He had a great feel for the game and a strong work ethic.  Ryan will be able to use all of the skills that made him a great player in his new role as the assistant coach.  He has all the makings a great college basketball coach and really understands what we need to do to be successful.”

Thompson is a native of Viroqua, Wisc. and is engaged to Karolyn Wilson. The couple resides in Jamestown.

August 12, 2009

(Madison, SD) -- Dakota State University Trojan Baseball standout Zach Weber has signed to play for the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks.  The Redhawks are an independent professional baseball team in Fargo, N.D. and part of the Northern League. 

Weber earned DAC All-Conference honors this past spring as a relief pitcher.  For the season, he posted an impressive seven saves with a 4-2 pitching record.  Weber posted a 5.75 ERA in 20 1/3 innings.  According to the NAIA DakStats statistical website, he ranks 23rd in total saves.

Weber is the second pitcher from Dakota State University within the last two years to sign a professional contract.  David Morgan signed with the Redhawks last summer.

Zach is the son of Rick and Karen Weber of Flandreau, S.D.  He is a transfer from South Dakota State University and is a senior Physical Science major at Dakota State University.

August 10, 2009

(Kansas City, MO) -- The University of Sioux Falls, SD, coming off their second national championship in three years, tops the NAIA Preseason Football Coaches' Poll.

The Cougars picked up 17 of 18 first place votes to top the balloting with Carroll College, MT receiving the final first place vote to finish second. Lindenwood, MO; St. Francis, IN and Morningside, IA round out the top five.

Dickinson State and Jamestown College represent the DAC in the preseason top 25.  The Blue Hawks (7-4), who captured the DAC crown in 2008, are rated number 15, while the Jimmies (7-3) come in at 24.  Minot State received votes.

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

August 03, 2009

(Story courtesy of Ariy-El Boynton, Sports Editor of the Madison Daily Leader)

(Madison, SD) -- Nick Huntimer's love of sports started at an early age. Now 27, his love of all things sports-related has not stopped. Sports fill his time even to the point of his full-time job.

After Huntimer's attempt at being hired as a teacher fell through, Dakota State University Athletic Director Gene Wockenfuss hired Huntimer in 2006 as Sports Information Director.

Wockenfuss noticed potential in Huntimer when Huntimer worked as an intern from 2001-05 while completing his business education major. Wockenfuss is still extremely pleased with Huntimer's work ethic.

"He is invaluable to Dakota State athletics. Period. Matter of fact, that (hiring Huntimer) was one of my big, big pushes when I took this job six years ago when Nick was an intern at that time. I could just see the passion that was bleeding out of this young man," said Wockenfuss.

"He's a kid that will come here in the morning and won't leave until all the doors are locked," Wockenfuss said. "He brings a lot of passion to this place. I'm very, very fortunate to have a man of his nature."

Huntimer, an Oldham native, spends a lot of time in the DSU Fieldhouse, but he also travels to several sporting events throughout the region. He likes being involved with all sports at the local university.

"Sometimes I wish I could focus on just football or basketball, but working with all sports makes my job really worth it. I can see every athlete compete at least once, and that's why I do it -- for them," said Huntimer.

Knowledge is essential for Huntimer, who is also a technology coordinator at DSU. His job requires him to know how to work the scoreboard, keep proper scores for a wide variety of sports, write articles on games, and announce new signees, weather cancellations and general news. Huntimer is also responsible for communications with the DAC and NAIA about national honors.

"I don't put a blue & yellow jersey on, but this is pretty close," said Huntimer.

The closest Huntimer has come to being on the court was as student assistant in women's basketball and softball in the 2004-05 seasons.

He and his Sioux Falls Association for the Deaf softball team placed second this year in the Midwest Regional tournament and landed in the championship game for the fifth time in the last six years. In August, his softball team will travel to Florida to participate in the national softball tournament. Besides softball, Huntimer's teams have been successful in basketball.

He also volunteers at the annual Entringer Classic and claims to have a decent golf game. "I could shoot par, if I had more time to work on my game."

Huntimer, who is legally deaf, does not let his lack of hearing affect his communication skills. Working for one of the most wired schools in the region, Huntimer has his Blackberry close to his side and relies heavily on text messaging and e-mails. He learned to sign and read lips at the South Dakota School for the Deaf.

"Fall is a busy time with DSU football, volleyball and basketball just around the corner," said Huntimer, who also is a referee for high school volleyball and will become a college volleyball official this fall. "But on Friday you can see a basketball practice, volleyball game and you know there's football the next afternoon."

It's safe to say that sports are never far from Huntimer's mind.

"Nick is just a huge sports fan. He could tell you anything about anything," said Wockenfuss. "Whether it would be professional or who won the softball game at Thue/Baughman Parks where he umpires, he is just a real sports fanatic. I just think it is who he is."

Huntimer, who works on a 10-month contract for DSU, fulfills his sports fix by watching the Minnesota Twins, umpiring for softball and baseball and playing noon basketball at The Community Center.

"There are some things that I don't understand, like war, women and the stock market. But a ball, spike, a finish line or a hoop, I get it. A lot of my friends have come from playing sports," he said.

August 01, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University Athletic Director Roger Ternes found a worthy replacement for departed Women’s Basketball Coach Guy Fridley in Assistant Coach Andre Goldberg.  Goldberg has been named Interim Head Women’s Basketball Coach. 

Goldberg is inheriting a high caliber Dickinson State University women’s basketball program.  In the 2008-2009 seasons the Lady Hawks won the Dakota Athletic Conference championship, the DAC tournament championship, had 26 wins to set a new school record for victories, reached the NAIA “Elite Eight,” and was ranked #5 in the final NAIA national poll.

Originally from Boulder, CO, Andre Goldberg played his first two years of college basketball under current Dickinson State University Men's Basketball Head Coach Ty Orton at McCook Community College. While at McCook his team won the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference championship.  Goldberg was a deserving recipient of All-Conference and Academic All-American honors. After two successful seasons at McCook Community College Andre transferred to Black Hills State University and also garnered Academic All-American honors. Goldberg graduated in 2007 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Athletic Coaching.

Goldberg joined the Blue Hawks as a Men's Basketball Assistant Coach in 2007 and helped the team to their first winning season in numerous years. In 2008 Andre became an Assistant under Head Coach Guy Fridley while also continuing his duties with the Men's basketball team. In his first year with the Lady Blue Hawks Goldberg helped the team reach an Elite 8 appearance at the NAIA National Tournament.

This past summer Coach Goldberg was a camp director and professional basketball trainer for the National Basketball Academy (NBA) and the 2008-2009 Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic.

Upon his acceptance Goldberg stated, "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a wonderful group of student athletes.  I look forward to continuing the precedence for success that we established this past season."

Ternes was quoted saying, “Andre has an intense passion for the game and is a proven winner.  He is extremely competitive and passionate about the game of basketball.  Andre has earned the respect of the students and coaches associated with the Dickinson State University basketball programs.  He brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to work with him every day.”

August 01. 2009

(Kansas City, MO) -- A record 837 teams received received NAIA Scholar Team Awards, a 12 percent increase over last year.  Of the record setting 837 teams, 19 of them are from the Dakota Athletic Conference.

Black Hills State led the DAC with eight teams earning the academic honor.  They are volleyball, women's basketball, women's cross country, women's indoor track & field, women's outdoor track & field, women's golf, men's cross country and men's outdoor track & field.

Minot State had six teams earn the scholar team award.  The recipients are volleyball, softball, women's cross country, women's outdoor track & field, men's cross country and baseball.

Jamestown College had three teams honored for their academics.  They are women's cross country, women's indoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field.

South Dakota Mines' women's basketball team also earned the academic honor as did the Valley City State volleyball team.

For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar Team Award, they must have a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale as defined by the institution.  The team GPA must include all varsity athletes certified as aligible.

The Park, MO women's golf team was honored as thee NAIA Scholar Team of the Year with a 3.97 GPA for the 2008-09 academic year.

For a complete list of the NAIA Scholar Team Award recipients, go to the NAIA web-site.

July 30, 2009

(Dickinson, ND) -- Dickinson State University Athletic Director Roger Ternes did not have to look very far to find a worthy replacement for the departure of Head Softball Coach Guy Fridley.  First Assistant Coach for the Blue Hawks Softball program, Kristen Fleury, has been named Interim Head Softball Coach. 

For the past two seasons Fleury has been instrumental in the success of the Blue Hawks softball program and has been involved in every aspect of building the program into a national powerhouse.  Originally from San Jose, CA, Fleury was a standout player of the first DAC Conference Championship team at Dickinson State University in 2006.  In 2007 the team won the Dakota Athletic Conference title, the NAIA Region III Championship and finished in the elite eight at the NAIA National Tournament.  Fleury was an All-Conference selection in 06 and 07.  Following 2007 season, Fleury was named an assistant coach for the Blue Hawks. 

During her 1st year as an assistant coach (2007-08), the Blue Hawks went 39-10 and finished in the elite 8 at the NAIA National Tournament.  Last spring the Hawks went 42-5 (.894), had an offense that hit 54 home runs, scored 373 total runs (7.9 rpg), and a defense that posted a .973 fielding percentage.  The team placed 3rd at the NAIA National Tournament in May, 2009 which was the highest finish in school history.  DSU claimed the DAC regular season and tournament championships in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Upon her hiring Fleury stated, “It has been an honor to be a part of Dickinson State University and a privilege to take over one of the premier softball programs in the nation.  Coaches Jamie Jung, Hennessy Rodriguez and I are anxious for the 2010 season and are looking forward to continuing where we left off in 09.  Coach Fridley did a remarkable job building the foundation at Dickinson State University.  ”

Blue Hawk Athletic Director Roger Ternes had this to say about Coach Fleury, “Kristen brings a wealth of experience to the program, both as an elite player and as an assistant coach.  In both roles she was a leader on teams that were very successful on the national level.  Over the past 4 years, Kristen has been an essential part of our softball program.  We anticipate her continuing the strong leadership she demonstrated as a player and assistant coach in her new role as the Head Softball Coach at Dickinson State University.”

July 30, 2009

(Rapid City, SD) – The South Dakota School of Mines women’s volleyball team was recently honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) for earning the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2008-2009 season. 

The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.

The award is handed out to all levels of collegiate affiliations including: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NCCAA, Two-Year College and High School.

“I am very excited for the Hardrocker volleyball program and well as the team’s previous coach, Beth Honaker. This awards really shows how hard the SDM volleyball team worked throughout the 2008-09 academic school year,” said new SDM volleyball coach Tiffany Mastin. “In addition, I am also very proud of our players and their dedication it takes to maintain excellence in the classroom as well as on the volleyball court.

The Hardrockers are the only team in the Dakota Athletic Conference to receive this award from the AVCA and also had the most DAC Scholar Athlete honorees this past season with 11 earning that honor --- which requires a 3.2 GPA or better.

"Each year I'm impressed all over again by the academic prowess of volleyball players," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "Total AVCA Team Academic Award winners increased this year by another 55 schools (15%) over last year's record, and, even more impressive, 22% of our four-year college teams had grade point averages of 3.2 or better."      

The NAIA had 35 of its member schools achieve the honor this year, which is 21 percent of its total membership for 2008-2009.

July 27, 200

(Dickinson, ND) -- After eight seasons as the Head Coach of women’s softball and three years as the Head Coach of women’s basketball at Dickinson State University, Guy Fridley has announced his resignation. Fridley has accepted a position as the Principal and Athletic Director at South Heart High School and he will complete his duties at DSU this Friday. 

“Dickinson State has been a great place for me and my family for over 10 years," said Fridley. "This decision to step down is mainly due to wanting to be with my wife and two kids. I had to make a decision on what was more important between missing coaching or missing my kids, and wanting to be with my family outweighed everything. Dickinson State will always hold a special place in my heart. The university gave me an opportunity of a lifetime as a young coach. I will cherish my years at DSU forever.”

“Coach Fridley had an opportunity to utilize his administration degree and chose to capitalize on the circumstance when it presented itself.  We wish him nothing but the best."  DSU Athletic Director Roger Ternes said.  “Guy leaves both the women's basketball and the softball programs as two of the strongest in the Dakota Athletic Conference, as well as two of the top ten programs in the NAIA." 

Both of Fridley’s teams reached the NAIA “Elite Eight” in 2008-09, but success in the women’s basketball program was an uphill battle.  In Coach Fridley’s first two seasons, DSU earned a lot of pride and many floor burns, but wins were scarce (5-23 in 2006-07; 8-21 in 2007-08).  Their longest winning streak in that span was two games, which they accomplished just once in each campaign.  The Blue Hawks turned it around in a big way this season.  Beginning the year in a familiar pattern, Dickinson State dropped its first two games, but then they went on a tear, winning 26 of their next 30 games - including a stretch of victories that expanded to nine, won the Dakota Athletic Conference for the first time since 2003, won the DAC Tournament and earned a final NAIA national ranking of #5. 

The Fridley-led softball team has been even better.  The Hawks went 42-5 (.894) this spring behind the pitching arm of Sara Jane Webster (28-4) and an offense that walloped 54 homers and produced 373 runs (7.9 rpg), and a defense that limited opponents to 96 runs (2.0 rpg) and posted a .973 fielding percentage. DSU placed third at the national tournament after reaching the national “Elite Eight” in both 2007 and 2008.

DSU claimed DAC regular season and tournament championships in 2006, 2007, 2008 and in 2009.  The Hawks made national tournament appearances in 2007, 2008 and 2009.  Also in 2009, Fridley was named the college female coach of the year by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

A Watford City, ND native, Fridley started his college career at Williston State College where he participated in basketball and baseball.  After graduating from WSC, Fridley attended Dickinson State University and graduated in 2001 with a baccalaureate degree in Composite Social Science and Physical Education. He earned his Master’s in Sports Management from Nova Southeastern University in 2007.

An active national search to find a replacement will be immediately forthcoming.

July 15, 2009

(Atlanta, GA) -- The Valley City State University women’s basketball team ranks fifth in 2009 after being ranked 11th in 2008 in the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association Top 25 Team Honor Roll for the NAIA.  Their 3.610 GPA is .153 off of NAIA Academic number one Dana College, NE with a 3.763 GPA and is the only DAC women’s basketball team in the national academic ranking for 2009. 

This award, given in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and Junior College/Community College, awards teams throughout the nation that carry the highest grade point averages (GPA) for the entire season based on the nomination submitted by WBCA-member head coaches.

 “Our program has always prided itself on how seriously we take the term student-athlete.  It takes great effort and commitment to be your very best in all that you do and we believe winning in the classroom is as important as on the court,” says Head Coach Jill DeVries.

 “It is always an honor for the WBCA to recognize these teams for putting together outstanding cumulative grade point averages,” WBCA CEO Beth Bass said.  “We want to congratulate each and every one of these teams for their efforts in the classroom and want them to know that we celebrate their hard work.  My thanks go out to these teams for setting a benchmark of success academically among their peers in the sport.”

“I’m very proud of the work the VCSU women’s basketball team has produced in the classroom and on the basketball court.  Each of them should be proud of their individual work ethic and commitment to excellence,” commented DeVries.  “It was a goal to better our 11th place finish in 2008, and hopefully it will carry over on the basketball court this winter again as well.”