We don’t have a lot of news this week with the 4th of July/Independence Day holiday this weekend. But we have some coaching announcements and more. Have a safe and happy Independence Day!!
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Katie Engelstad has been offered and accepted the position of head Crookston Pirate Volleyball coach. Engelstad will take over for Ashley Stopa pending school board approval at their next meeting at the end of July.
Engelstad is familiar with the program because she has been a Crookston Junior High volleyball coach for the past three years and has coached the juniors down to the freshman in junior high. She has also been conducting the summer work outs for the Pirate program with skills and drills workouts in June and now several scrimmages in the month of July.
She is a 2013 graduate of Fertile-Beltrami High School where she played varsity volleyball for four years. She was a team captain, team MVP and all-conference. She recorded 272 kills, 477 digs and 36 aces in high school. Engelstad also played collegiately at the University of Jamestown.
Engelstad said the girls have been working hard this summer and they have shown a lot of improvement.
Engelstad works at RiverView Health in Crookston.
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The Roseau Ram Girls Hockey team has a new coach and it is a familiar name. Amanda (Monkman) Giles has been named the new head coach this past week. She is a Roseau High School grad (2010) and a former St. Cloud State player. She led the Roseau 12U A team to a third-place finish at the state tournament in the spring.
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The Minnesota Magicians, members of the North American Hockey League, have announced that they have named Nick Bydal the new Head Coach for the organization. Bydal is an East Grand Forks Senior High School graduate.
“The entire Magicians organization is thrilled to have Nick Bydal as the next Head Coach for the organization,” said Owner Scott Krueger. “Nick’s NAHL and NCAA playing and coaching experience is what the Magicians were looking for to build off of our success this past season. Nick is a proven coach, recruiter and his knowledge of the NAHL and NCAA will ensure an easy transition as our head coach and keep us as a destination for student athletes. Coach Bydal’s ability to develop players, and help them to achieve their goal of playing college hockey, is what we are excited to continue here with the Magicians.”
Nick is a graduate of UW-Stevens Point and continued his hockey career for two seasons in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). Prior to joining UW-Stevens Point Nick played in the NAHL with the Bismarck Bobcats. Nick is a Minnesota native and most recently served as the Assistant Coach at the University of St. Thomas Men’s Hockey team from 2017-2021. Nick also served as the Assistant Coach for the Minnesota Magicians from 2014-2016 before taking his first Head Coaching position with College Station in the NA3HL.
Upon his return to the Magician’s Nick had to say, “I’d like to thank the ownership group for this opportunity and look forward to getting started and continuing the success of the organization.” Nick went on to say, “I am excited to be back in Junior Hockey and with the Minnesota Magicians. We are in a great spot and I look forward to continuing with that success.”
The Minnesota Magicians are widely recognized as a leader and example of developing players to the next level with over 30 NCAA commitments in the past.
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The 18th Annual Crookston High School Pirate Pride Golf Scramble will be held Friday, July 9 at Minakwa Golf Course in Crookston.
Registration will start at 9:00 a.m. with a shotgun start at 10:00 a.m. Lunch will be served starting at 11:00.
The cost is $60 per person and includes 18 holes of golf, a t-shirt, sandwich, salad, and chips.
There will be four-member teams. Call the clubhouse to reserve a cart (not included). Golfers must be 18 years old or older or graduated from high school to play.
All the proceeds help support Crookston High School Pirate athletics. They will have a raffle again this year so contact a Pirate coach or staff at Minakwa to purchase a raffle ticket.
Pre-registration is encouraged. Contact Steve Kofoed at 320-290-9904 or email stevenkofoed@isd593.org. Leaving a message with your team members is fine.
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The UMC Teambacker Golf Classic Presented by Altru will be held at Minakwa Golf Course in Crookston on Friday, July 16. The 31st annual golf scramble is a five-person team athletic scholarship fundraiser.
If you are interested in competing for the Cup visit z.umn.edu/teambackergc or in becoming a UMC Teambacker contact Derek Martin at 218-281-8346 or derekm@umn.edu.
UMC Teambackers is the fundraising arm and directly supports Golden Eagle Athletics at the University of Minnesota Crookston. The goal of Teambackers is to help build an athletic program that will provide a sense of pride, tradition, and legacy in our community, region, and state. Consider becoming a member or purchasing a raffle ticket. They will hold the drawing for the 2021 Teambacker raffle for $5,000 in cash prizes.
As in year’s past, the Golf Classic will once again have the hole-in-one contest on hole four with a $25,000 grand prize. The hole-in-one contest is sponsored by Brost Chevrolet, Noah Insurance, and McKinnon Company. Aaron Horak Farmers Insurance will be the food sponsor and will have a great presence at the event. Thrivent Financial representatives Aaron Meyer and Garret Kollin will be game sponsors this year. Contact Derek Martin to discuss other sponsorship opportunities for this great event.
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JOKES
A young boy went up to his father and asked, “Dad, what is the difference between ‘potentially’ and ‘realistically’?”
The father thought for a moment, then answered, “Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars.
Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and then, ask your brother if he’d sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that.”
So the boy went to his mother and asked, “Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?” The mother replied, “Of course, I would! We could really use that money to fix up the kitchen and send you kids to a great university!”
The boy then went to his sister and asked, “Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars? The girl replied, “Oh, good heavens! I LOVE Brad Pitt and I would sleep with him in a heartbeat. Are you nuts?”
The boy then went to his brother and asked, “Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?” “Of course,” the brother replied. “Do you know how much a million bucks would buy?”
The boy pondered the answers for a few days and then went back to his dad. His father asked him, “so, did you find out the difference between ‘potentially’ and ‘realistically’?”
The boy replied, “Yes, ‘Potentially’ you and I are sitting on three million dollars, but ‘realistically’, we’re living with two hookers and a future congressman.”
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How are former Crookston Pirates athletes doing in college or elsewhere?
****LET ME KNOW OF OTHERS TO ADD TO THE LIST email me at chrisjfee@yahoo.com
Paul Bittner is playing professional hockey in Sweden for Vasby IK of the HockeyAllsvenskan league. He will be returning to Sweden in the fall.
Aleece Durbin, is a Junior on the University of North Dakota Women’s Track and Field team.
Ben Trostad is playing Club Hockey at UMC.
Ty Hamre is playing Club Hockey at UMC.
Brandon Boetcher is playing Club Hockey at UMC.
Brady Butt is a freshman playing football at the University of Jamestown.
Rachel Hefta, a Sophomore, is playing volleyball at Hastings College in Nebraska.
Nick Garmen is a sophomore playing tennis at the University of Minnesota Morris.
Thea Oman, a sophomore, is swimming at St. Ben’s.
Crookston School District Coaches –
Emily Meyer is a girls hockey and softball assistant coach.
Lacia Hanson is the Junior High softball coach.
Carrie Clauson is a Junior High girls tennis coach.
Jeremy Lubinski is a Pirate 8th Grade Football coach.
Amy Boll is the head Pirate Girls Track head coach and assistant volleyball coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Cody Brekken is the Head Pirate Girls and Boys Tennis coach and Crookston Community Pool Supervisor
Marley Melbye is the Head Girls Swimming coach
Mitch Bakken is the head Pirate Baseball coach.
Brock Hanson is a Pirate Baseball volunteer assistant coach.
Ben Halos is a Pirate Baseball assistant coach.
Alex LaFrance is a Pirate Baseball volunteer assistant coach.
Jeff Perreault is the Pirate Girls Golf head coach
Wes Hanson is the Pirate Wrestling Head Coach and assistant boys golf coach
Kevin Weber is a Pirate Boys Basketball volunteer assistant coach
Connor Morgan is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Sam Melbye is the Pirate Boys J.V. Hockey coach
Chris Dufault is a youth wrestling Coach
Colton Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach
Non-Crookston High School coaching –
Cody Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach at Proctor/Hermantown
Kaylee Desrosier is a softball coach for Fargo Davies Middle School.
Josh Edlund is an assistant football coach and phy ed teacher at Flandreau, South Dakota.
Allison Lindsey Axness is Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach in Champlin Park
Jeff Olson is Head Wrestling coach and Head Baseball coach at Delano.
Jake Olson is an Assistant Football Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Delano.
Carmen (Kreibich) Johnson, is Head Volleyball coach at Little Falls High School.
Katy Westrom, is Head Girls Tennis Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Monticello High School.
Matt Harris, is an Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Marty Bratrud is the Superintendent and High School Principal at Westhope High School.
Gordie Haug is an assistant football coach at the University of Wyoming
Mike Hastings is the Minnesota State Mankato Men’s head Hockey coach
Mike Biermaier is the Athletic Director at Thief River Falls High School
Stephanie (Lindsay) Perreault works with the North Dakota State stats crew for Bison football and volleyball and basketball in the winter. Stephanie’s husband, Ryan, is the assistant director for the Bison media relations
Jason Bushie is the hockey athletic trainer at Colorado College
Chris Myrold is a Tennis Pro on Nevis Island in the West Indies
Kyle Buchmeier is a Tennis Pro at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis
Jarrett Butenhoff is serving our country with the U.S. Navy
Joshua Butenhoff is serving our country on a Submarine with the Pacific Fleet with the US Navy.
Peter Cournia is a 2002 Crookston High School Graduate and also a grad of West Point and is currently is serving in the U.S. Army.
Erik Ellingson is serving our country with the U.S. Air Force at Minot.
Philip Kujawa class of 2004 from Crookston High School. He is an Army recruiter in Rochester.
Scott Riopelle is head of Crookston Parks and Recreation
Rob Sobolik is the General Manager of the Fargodome
That’s it for this week. Thanks for the comments and if you have anything to add or share, please e-mail chrisjfee@yahoo.com or call. Thanks for reading and listening to KROX RADIO and kroxam.com
