We continue to stay busy at KROX Radio during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last week, I have had a conference call with Senator Amy Klobuchar because she wanted to talk with the Minnesota Broadcasters Association Board of Directors to see how she could help radio and TV stations. I also had a conference call with the Minnesota State High School League’s Eric Martens and Tim Leighton. I also had a conference call for a Minnesota Broadcasters Association meeting, and more. I have been making sure to do whatever I can to make sure KROX will continue to operate as we usually do. So far we have been fortunate compared to other media and have received some help that will help us get through the next two months. But the longer this goes, the tougher it will be for everybody, including us in the media.
I have been a little stressed out and have had a short fuse because of so many things out of my control (How in the heck do farmers do it year after year????????). But I have been jogging and/or walking six miles at least six miles a day and am trying to walk to work whenever I can to distress and it has been working for the most part. My wife hasn’t worked for a month as a hairdresser. I hope she can get back to work soon, because she will be working 12 hours a day for a month to catch up with all her clients. She is the best hairdresser in town (or so her clients tell me) and she has people come from the Twin Cities, Grand Forks, and all over to get their hair cut/styled/etc. There is nobody that wants to get back to normal more than us, but we have to be smart and the breakouts at the factories in Grand Forks and around Minnesota, and the nation should be proof we can’t get back to normal yet. Hopefully soon! Stay safe, be smart, social distance, and most importantly stay healthy!!!
Enjoy this weeks column. We have a jam-packed column this week.
— — —
Governor Tim Walz has said he doesn’t see school or a sports season this spring. Now an expert from the CDC is saying we could be hit harder this winter by the Coronavirus.
North Dakota has canceled the American Legion Baseball season. So that means no high school-aged baseball in North Dakota this summer.
The Wisconsin, Illinois and many other states have canceled all spring sports activities and tournaments.
It sounds like county fairs might not happen, concerts, and festivals likely won’t happen this summer unless something changes over the next month.
Besides all that fantastic news….how is your darn week going?
— — —
The UMC Teambackers met on Wednesday and some of the news shared was that the UMC baseball field bleachers should be done this week. The gym floor is in progress and painting will be done this week. We will have a story on UMC athletics and the new floor on Friday and more in next weeks column.
There will be new branding in the hallways of Lysaker and the Wellness Center.
With all spring sports canceled, it saved about $90,000 in the budget so they are hoping to use that in next year’s athletics budget. (We will have more on this next week)
UMC and the City of Crookston are working out a contract for UMC Club Hockey to use the Crookston Sports Center.
UMC is looking for the following –
More lockers (so is every youth team)
Branding in the ice (Better not get rid of the Pirate head at center ice unless they are paying the same price as the school district)
Alcohol sales (I am probably in the minority on this, but I am not a fan with so many kids at the games unless you have a restricted area you can have it – a bar area like at football games or something similar)
Concessions (Crookston Blue Line Club currently has all the rights to the concessions. The BLC OWNS all the equipment in the concession stand and the President knew nothing of UMC wanting to do concessions at the club hockey games) The concessions help fund Crookston youth hockey – UMC doesn’t want to take away money from youth hockey in town unless the BLC says it is fine or the BLC gets a cut. They better reach out to the BLC soon to discuss this topic to make sure everybody is on the same page.
We have received confirmation from the Blue Line Club after a conversation this morning and UMC is not interested in concessions, just beer sales which would have to be done through a business with a beer license.
The only thing I can figure out is that they want to sell beer and be in the concessions and maybe want to work together??? That would make more sense to me, but I don’t know the specifics yet.
We will hopefully have clarification on this from the City and UMC next week as I sent an email to both parties expressing my concerns, which might be all for nothing and I am just misunderstanding the comments in the notes, which wouldn’t be the first time!!
Stay tuned to next weeks column, where we will also take a look at what UMC can do, or can they do anything to get more community support/interest? I am willing to take suggestions, and your questions won’t have names associated with them in my column if I find it post-worthy! Send your comments to chrisjfee@yahoo.com.
U of Minnesota President Joan Gable has announced that there are no activities on campus through most of the summer and that means no camps happening on campus this summer. Why is that important? It means the programs (Men’s basketball, volleyball, etc) that have camps will lose money they used towards their programs.
Homecoming is scheduled for the first week in November with Alumni Awards night, Volleyball, Alumni Hockey Game and UMC Hockey Game. Yes, that is opening deer hunting weekend. Let’s hope everybody gets their deer early.
— — —
I sent an email to former Crookston Pirate Football and Girls Basketball coach and current Fresno State Assistant Football coach Eric Schmidt.
Chris,
Thanks for reaching out. I hope you and the family are safe. Greet everybody back in Crookston and especially Frank.
1. How hard was it to leave UND for Fresno State since you were a player and had great memories there?
It was a very hard decision personally. Our family loved UND & the Grand Forks community. The close relationships with the players, fellow coaches & everybody else involved in the organization made it difficult to walk away.
2. What about the Fresno State job drew you to apply for the job.
We felt like the opportunity at Fresno State fit for two reasons. One, the tradition and the success of the program made it appealing. Two, I had a prior relationship with Head Coach Kalen Deboer and I felt comfortable joining him. He’s a good man and I have a lot of respect for him as a person, coach, and leader.
3. This might be answered in the second question – How much of a factor was getting to coach with Coach DeBoer again?
Very important part of the decision making process. I’ve worked for 4 of the best people in the business in Dave Kuehn, Dale Lennon, Bubba Schweigert, and now Kalen Deboer. I still have close relationships with all those people and I’m blessed to have been surrounded by great people and each spot.
4. What are the facilities like at Fresno State?
The facilities are great, especially Bulldog Stadium. The gameday environment at Fresno State is something I’m looking forward to. Bulldog athletics serves the people of central California and they support our program. The basketball, baseball, & softball stadiums are top shelf as well.
5. What are your duties on the coaching staff and what is your recruiting area?
My role is to coach the defensive line position and coordinate special teams. I recruit Northern California and I’m getting into parts of Canada as well.
6. How do you like California living/Fresno so far?
The Fresno community has been great. It’s a community-driven by agriculture so that makes it similar to the areas I’ve lived in my entire life. We are about an hour and fifteen minutes from the gates of Yosemite National Park and two hours from the ocean, so it will be fun to explore the area. The weather is a plus, lots of 60’s and 70’s so far in the winter/spring.
7. Are Tiff and the kids with you, or are they coming out later?
Tiff and the kids are still in Grand Forks. They will finish the school year and then move sometime this summer.
8. What have you been able to do since the COVID-19 Pandemic has struck? How has it affected your day-to-day operations, recruiting, any signings of players?
I thought we did a good job getting a plan together in a short amount of time. We have been meeting with our players virtually and staying in contact on a regular basis. They still have a job to accomplish every day and we make sure that they are safe #1, but also studying, working out, and learning our playbook.
9. Is there anything else you want to add?
I got a text from Coach Jackie Lindsay & from Joey Kuehn last week about some of the games that were being rebroadcast on KROX. It brought back some great memories of my time at Crookston High School. So many good players and people in that community that I was lucky to coach and call friends. (People like Bruce Mjoen who I’m sorry to hear passed away, we lost a great man there!) Lastly, thanks for all you and KROX do for the community. You’re more than just a radio station to the people that live or have lived in Crookston!
Be Safe!!
Eric Schmidt
Eric is still one of the best coaches/teacher/person we have had in Crookston. There are some new Fresno State fans in Crookston and I have to figure out how to cover a game this fall in Fresno.
— — —
The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Volleyball team is losing its top offensive player. Porsha Porath (Soph. Windom) has signed to play volleyball in her last two seasons at West Texas A & M. West Texas is a Division II school in Concord, Texas.
While at UMC, Porath played in 28 matches with 26 starts on the outside. She led the Golden Eagles with 3.14 points per set to go along with 284 kills for an average of 2.90 per frame. Porath recorded season-high with 23 kills and 24 points against South Dakota School of Mines, she recorded 21 digs on the road against MSU Morehead. Porsha was also named to the Keweenaw Classic All-Tournament Team as well as the Best Western Kelly Inn Huskies Classic All-Tournament Team in 2019. Academically, Porsha excels as well being recognized with the Fall All-Academic Award at UMC.
Porath is expected to major in General Management with an emphasis in Health Care and Sports at West Texas A&M.
— — —
The Section 8A True Team Track meet has been officially canceled. An email was sent out by Kevin Johnson (West Marshall Track Coach). The email is below –
ADs and Coaches, the true team track committee met and asked the section meet managers to relay this information to you. The true team committee came to the conclusion that even if the track season were to resume, fitting the true team section and state meets in a five-week season would not be in the best interest of the athletes. They have decided to cancel the true team section and state meets for 2020. The committee will not be posting anything on social media for the next week or so. They wanted to give coaches a chance to talk to their athletes prior to it being posted. Also, the committee voted to strongly urge sections to keep the 2020 host as the 2021 host for the section true team meet and West Marshall is willing to host the section 8A true team meet in 2021. In the next couple of days, Mark Alcon will be emailing me and explaining the process they would like to use with the entry fees that have already been collected. I will be emailing you after that point with this information.
Kevin Johnson
West Marshall Head Boys Track Coach
— — —
Perham Activities has announced the hiring of Nikki Bruns as the new Perham Yellowjacket Volleyball coach. She is a familiar face and name because she has been the assistant coach for the program for the past six years.
Roseau’s Chloe Johnson has signed to play softball at Concordia College in Moorhead next year.
Thief River Falls’ Madi Kisch signed to play volleyball at Concordia College in Moorhead.
Thief River Falls’ Zach Praska has signed to play baseball at Bemidji State University.
— — —
The Bemidji Lumberjack Boys Basketball program received some bad news this week when Coach Travis Peterson announced his resignation. Peterson was .500 his first season and finished his five years as head coach with a 91-43 record. The Lumberjacks also got it done in the classroom under Peterson and were the section academic champs a couple of times the last five years.
— — —
The University of Minnesota Crookston had 28 student-athletes named to the 2020 NSIC Spring All-Academic Team as announced Tues., April 21 by the conference office. The NSIC Spring All-Academic honorees are up from 25 in the spring of 2019. Minnesota Crookston had 11 student-athletes earn NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence accolades. The Golden Eagles had 78 student-athletes earn All-Academic recognition for the 2019-20 season.
The baseball team had 12 student-athletes earn NSIC Spring All-Academic with five being named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence. Ben Thoma (Jr., Clearbrook), Landyn Swenson (Sr., Devils Lake, N.D.), Bryce Jorgenson (Sr., Thunder Bay, Ontario), Jake Thyes (R-So., Luxemburg, Wis.), and Mason Ruhlman (Sr., Algonac, Mich.) were named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence. Matt Nelson (So., Afton), Jayden Grover (Sr., Cooperstown, N.D.), Garrett Hohn (Sr., Wausau, Wis.), Brock Reller (Jr., Grand Forks, N.D.), Conner Richardson (So., Grand Forks, N.D.), and Scott Finberg (Sr., Stillwater) were named NSIC All-Academic.
Three student-athletes from men’s golf earned NSIC All-Academic with Ben Trostad (So., Crookston), and Connor Humble (Jr., Rosemount) earning NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence. Jonathan Lund (Sr., Tolna, N.D.), who competed in the Fall, was named to the NSIC All-Academic Team.
Three women’s golfers were selected as NSIC All-Academic Team members with Allison Bot (Sr., Minneota), Anna Olson (Sr., Fertile), and Marlee Steffes (So., Fertile) representing the Golden Eagles.
The Golden Eagle softball team was represented by eight student-athletes, with four earning NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence. Tavia Lawson (Sr., Hawley), Allison Martinson (So., Grafton, N.D.), Paige Pitlick (Sr., Jordan), and Leah Macias (So., West Covina, Calif.) garnered NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honors. Hannah Macias (So., West Covina, Calif.), Mika Rodriguez (Sr., Laveen, Ariz.), Samantha Proctor (Champlin), and Darian Pancirov (So., Las Vegas, Nev.) were named NSIC All-Academic.
The Golden Eagle tennis team was represented by Samantha Hartung (So., Albany), and Ashley Smith (Sr., Staples).
— — —
The University of Minnesota Crookston men’s basketball team announced the signing of NCAA Division I transfer Georges Darwiche (G, 6-1 188, Bucharest, Romania/Siena College), and Morgan Carter (F/C, 6-7 215, Porthcawl, Wales/Hillsborough C.C.) to the 2020-21 signing class. Darwiche played for 2019-20 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Champion Siena as a freshman and sophomore.
Georges Darwiche (G, 6-1 188, Bucharest, Romania/Siena College)
Darwiche transfers to the University of Minnesota Crookston from NCAA Division I Siena College in Albany, N.Y. Darwiche played two seasons for the Saints. Darwiche appeared in four games during the 2019-20 season, as Siena claimed the 2019-20 MAAC Championship and earned a bid to the NCAA Division I National Tournament. He was named to the 2019-20 MAAC All-Academic Team. Darwiche played a larger role for the 2018-19 squad under Head Coach Jamion Christian before the coach moved on to The George Washington University. Darwiche played in 19 games and started 10 for the Saints, playing 14.2 minutes per game. He tallied 1.9 points and dished out 17 assists during his freshman season. He notched a season-high nine points in a win at Marist. Darwiche was an 83.3 percent shooter from the charity stripe during his freshman season. Prior to Siena College, Darwiche competed for Romania’s Senior National Team beginning in 2017, where he averaged 3.7 points and dished out 1.7 assists per game over 18.9 minutes of action in three games at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers. He helped lead Romania to the U20 European Championship B Division Crown, while tallying 7.0 points per tilt and shooting 42 percent from three-point range over seven tournament contests. In 2016, he helped guide the U18 squad to a Romanian League Championship while earning Tournament MVP honors. Darwiche played four seasons for Steaua CSM EximBank Bucuresti in Romania’s top league. During the 2017-18 season, he played in 44 games for the squad and started 38, while averaging 3.0 points and 1.5 assists and posting a 2.37-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and shooting 40 percent from behind the three-point line.
“As soon as coach Weisse reached out to me I knew I was going to be happy moving here. I think we clicked from the start and I really wanted to join a competitive program where I could contribute on the court and help the team and my teammates achieve something in the future. Minnesota Crookston is a great fit for me both academically and on the basketball court,” said Darwiche. “I consider myself a player with a good basketball IQ, so I want to be a guy that helps his teammates and organizes the offense accordingly. I am a pass-first guy with a good shot. I think that a combination of these three elements, alongside with good defense makes me a good fit for Coach Weisse’s system.”
Darwiche is the son of Pierre and Mihaela Darwiche. He plans to major in business at UMC.
Morgan Carter (F/C, 6-7 215, Porthcawl, Wales)
Carter comes to Minnesota Crookston from Hillsborough Community College, a NJCAA Division I junior college located in Tampa, Fla. Carter averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game for the Hawks as a sophomore. He played 27 games and earned 21 starts as a sophomore at Hillsborough Community College. Carter was an 88.9 percent free-throw shooter and he shot nearly 30 percent from beyond the arc as a sophomore. He added 1.3 assists per game. Carter had a season-high 20 points on 8-of-14 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc at Florida Southwestern College. He notched 15 points against Polk State College on 6-of-9 from the field. Carter tallied a season-high 11 rebounds to complete a double-double against Polk State. He notched a season-high four assists in a win over Gordon State College. Carter started his career out at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky., an NAIA school. As a freshman, he was on a squad that won 21 games. Carter appeared in four games for the Patriots. Prior to coming to the United States, Carter attended Charnwood College as a prep in Leicester, England. He also competed for the Wales U18 squad. He earned Player of the Year, Best Improved Player and Best Defensive Player for his team back home in Wales. Carter won a Bronze Medal at the European Championships for Wales in 2014 and also again in 2015.
“Morgan may be a little undersized but watching him play, his effort really allows him to play bigger,” Weisse said. “He can really shoot it and stretch the floor and is able to use a shot fake and put the ball on the floor. He can also defend and guard a ball screen. I am very excited to welcome Morgan to the Golden Eagle basketball family.”
He is the son of Susan and Jonathan Saunders of Porthcawl, Wales. Carter was born Nov. 23, 1998. He is undecided on a major at UMC.
“Most importantly, Morgan will bring a great person to campus,” said Carter’s coach at Hillsborough Community College Tommy Jones. “He is a solid individual that works well with others, and is all in, as far as being a team player. Morgan is a high IQ guy that can do a little bit of everything from several positions. He played some big guard (3) when we were against bigger teams. He understands the game, and is totally committed to winning, whether he makes the shot or the pass. Morgan made coaching easy. He is a good athlete, rebounds well in his area, shoots it extremely well, and understands spacing. When you put in your system, he will know where everyone is supposed to be. He will know where to get his looks, and where he should be getting someone else their look.”
Carter moved to England to play basketball at age 16 to continue his dream to play basketball in the U.S. He moved to the United States in 2018 to realize his dream of playing basketball in the U.S. Carter has played for his country since he was young.
— — —
The University of Minnesota Crookston men’s basketball team announced the addition of Josh Dilling (G, 6-4 180, Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh North H.S.), Jaylen James (G, 6-1 175, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview H.S.), and Ethan Channel (G, 6-4 190, Beaverton, Ore./Portland Community College), and Leonard Dixon (F, 6-7 200, Damascus, Ore./Mount Hood Community College).
Josh Dilling (G, 6-4 180, Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh North H.S.)
Dilling averaged 19.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game for Oshkosh North High School, as a senior. Dilling shot 39.5 percent from beyond the arc and 87.3 percent from the foul line during his senior season. He had 30 points in a win over Young Coggs Prep on 14-of-18 from the field. Dilling notched 28 points on 9-of-18 from the field in a win over Fond du Lac High School. He picked up 28 points on 10-of-16 from the field in a win over Kaukauna High School. Dilling notched 14.8 points per game as a junior for Oshkosh North High School. He shot 85.5 percent from the charity stripe, and 45.4 percent from behind the three-point line. He also averaged 2.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per tilt. He was a First Team All-League selection. He helped lead the Spartans to a 13-11 mark during his senior season. Dilling is a two-time captain for Oshkosh North High School. He was a First Team All-Fox Valley Association pick as a senior. Dilling was selected as a Second Team All-Fox Valley Association selection during his junior season. He was an All-Area Honorable Mention pick during his senior slate.
“I have been aware of Josh for quite a long time,” Head Coach Dan Weisse said. “He is from my hometown but goes to the rival high school. I broke my 20-year ban on recruiting players at Oshkosh North it looks like,” Weisse said jokingly. “Josh is a great kid that brings a big upside to us. He is one of the best guards in one of the best high school leagues in Wisconsin. He can really shoot it, he has a good handle, he has length, and he has a frame that can get bigger and stronger. He is a high character guy and I’m very excited to be able to coach him for the next four years.”
He plans to major in business administration at UMC. Dilling is the son of Al and Mary Ann Dilling. His cousin Jim Dilling was the former head men’s and women’s track and field coach at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Jim Dilling competed in football and track and field at Minnesota State. Josh Dilling’s brother-in-law Connor McGovern competes in the National Football League for the New York Jets. He used to play for the Denver Broncos and played college football at the University of Missouri. Dilling earned placement on the Highest Honor Roll. He has two sisters, Alex (30) and Devin (27), and a niece (Keegan) and nephew (Leo). He also has a golden retriever named Timber.
Jaylen James (G, 6-1 175, Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview H.S.)
James played for the No. 2 ranked team in Minnesota in Class AAAA, as they posted a 24-4 mark on the year while playing in the South Suburban Conference. James was a 1,000 point scorer for Eastview High School. He averaged 9.1 points per game during the regular season of his senior slate at Eastview. James tallied 19.5 points per tilt in two section playoff games as a senior. As a junior for Eastview, James notched 6.9 points per game in 23 regular-season games. He helped the Lightning to a 10-8 conference record as a junior. He helped the team to the state tournament as a junior. James scored 28 points in a win over Wayzata High School on December 7, 2019. He had 30 points in a section playoff win over Park High School. James had 23 points in a win over Eagan High School January 25, 2019. He added 27 points in a section tournament win over Park High School March 8, 2019. He was a four-year letter winner at Eastview High School. James is a 1,000 point scorer and a three-time All-South Suburban Conference Honorable Mention selection. He helped Eastview High School to a State Tournament appearance.
James is the son of Joey James of Melbourne, Florida, and Jena James of Apple Valley, Minn. He plans to major in sports and rec management at Minnesota Crookston. James was born September 7, 2001. His father, Joey James, was the head coach at Concordia-St. Paul from 2014-19 and University of South Dakota for the 2013-14 season. James is currently an assistant at Florida Tech. His father played basketball at the University of South Dakota.
Ethan Channel (G, 6-4 190, Beaverton, Ore./Portland Community College)
Channel comes to UMC from Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon, where he played his sophomore season. Channel was named a 2019-20 NWAC Southern Region Second Team selection after a strong sophomore season. He was the team’s second-leading scorer with 18.2 points per game. Channel shot 34.9 percent from beyond the arc and tallied 77.7 percent from the charity stripe. He added 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game for the Panthers. Channel scored a season-high 35 points on 13-of-19 from the field in a win over Southwestern Oregon Community College. Channel averaged 26.6 points per game in the last seven tilts of the season. As a freshman in 2017-18, Channel competed for Mt. Hood Community College, where he was a teammate of fellow signee Leonard Dixon. Channel tallied 12.2 points per game and shot 39.3 percent from behind the three-point line. Channel shot 77.9 percent from the foul line as a freshman. He added 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Channel competed as a prep for Aloha High School in Beaverton, Ore. He was named 2017 NWAC Crossover All-Tournament, while at Mount Hood Community College.
“Ethan is a guy I had been following without really knowing it,” Weisse said. “His former and now teammate Leonard Dixon played together at Mount Hood C.C. a few years back and I’m excited to get them back together again. I found out about Ethan through Leonard and I’m really glad I did. After talking with Coach Broadous about Ethan I knew of the kid that he is and that he would be a great fit for our program. Ethan can really play anywhere from point guard to small forward, with his primary position being shooting guard. He is a very smart player that has a good handle, good shot, and has some athleticism. He is also a gym rat. Ethan really provides us with some versatility at the guard spot and we will ask him to do many things. I know he is a team-first guy that is willing to do whatever we ask of him, and is capable of being a very good player in our league. I’m excited to be able to coach Ethan for the next few years and he will be great for our basketball program and University. He is high level on the court and off.”
Channel is the son of Heather and Thomas Channel. He plans to major in marketing at Minnesota Crookston. His father Thomas Channel played at Mount Hood Community College and Boston University. His father was drafted in the third round of the 1979 NBA Draft by the San Diego Clippers, and played overseas for basketball. His father also played minor league baseball as an outfielder from 1975-77 in the Minnesota Twins minor league system. Thomas Channel was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 38th round of the 1974 MLB June Amateur Draft. His dad averaged 19.3 points per game during the 1978-79 season for Boston University. His aunt Lisa Channel was a student-athlete at Oregon State University.
Leonard Dixon (F, 6-7 200, Damascus, Ore./Mount Hood Community College)
Dixon comes to UMC from Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, Ore. Dixon was named an NWAC All-Southern Region First Team selection during his sophomore season. He was the leading scorer for the Saints during the 2019-20 season, tallying 19.3 points per game. Dixon shot 43.6 percent from behind the three-point line and 82.4 percent from the foul line. He added 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Dixon notched a season-high 39 points on 15-of-21 from the field, and 9-of-13 from beyond the arc against Chemeketa Community College. He had 34 points on 10-of-19 from the field, and 5-of-11 from behind the three-point line against Portland Community College. As a freshman, Dixon started 14 games and played in 26. He notched 10.0 points per game and shot 39.6 percent from beyond the arc. Dixon added 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per tilt. He tallied 22 points in his first-ever collegiate game at Everett Community College. Dixon competed as a prep for Sam Barlow High School in Gresham, Ore.
Dixon plans to major in sports and recreation management at Minnesota Crookston. He was born November 25, 1999.
— — —
The University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball program announced the signing of Madison Klimek (DS, 5-5, Oakdale, Minn./Tartan H.S.) to a National Letter of Intent.
Madison Klimek (DS, 5-5, Oakdale, Minn,./Tartan H.S.)
Klimek played club volleyball for Kokoro Volleyball and competed as a prep at Tartan High School. She had 130 digs and 27 service aces as a senior at Tartan High School. Klimek had 15 digs against Roseville High School Aug. 29, 2019. She recorded 11 digs in a 3-1 win over Mounds View High School Sept. 10, 2019, and had 10 digs at New Life Academy Sept. 7, 2019. As a junior, Klimek had 106 digs and added 25 service aces for the Titans. She competed on varsity for Tartan High School as a sophomore, junior, and senior. Klimek competed for the Kokoro 18-1 squad in 2019-20.
— — —
JOKES
CAR TROUBLE
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it died. After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly. She says, “What’s the story?” He replies, “Just crap in the carburetor.” She asks, “How often do I have to do that?”
AT THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE
A gorgeous young redhead goes into the doctor’soffice and said that her body hurt wherever she touched it. “Impossible!” says the doctor. “Show me.” The redhead took her finger, pushed on her left shoulder and screamed, she pushed her elbow and screamed even more. She pushed her knee and screamed; likewise she pushed her ankle and screamed. Everywhere she touched made her scream. The doctor said, “You’re not really a redhead, are you?” “Well, no,” she said, “I’m actually a blonde.” “I thought so,” the doctor said, “Your finger is broken.”
KNITTING
A Highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting! Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, “PULL OVER!” “NO!” the blonde yelled back, “IT’S A SCARF!”
BLONDE ON TIME
A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were. The blonde responded by saying that one was named “Rolex” and one was named “Timex”. Her friend said, “Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?” “Helllooooo…! ,” answered the blonde. “They’re watchdogs.”
— — —
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 for the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Bluejacket.
Brady Heppner, is playing hockey for the Roanoke Raildogs in the SPHL.
Aleece Durbin, is a Sophomore on the University of North Dakota Women’s Track and Field team.
Brita Fagerlund, is a Junior on the University of Jamestown Jimmy Women’s Track team.
Ben Trostad is a sophomore member of the University of Minnesota Crookston golf team.
Isaac Westlake, is a Senior on the Winona State Warrior Men’s Golf team.
Elise Tangquist, is a Junior golfer for the University of Northwestern in St. Paul.
Mason LaPlante, a freshman, is playing soccer at the University of Jamestown.
Rachel Hefta, a freshman, is playing volleyball at Hastings College in Nebraska.
Cade Salentine is a redshirt Freshman playing football at the University of North Dakota.
Nick Garmen, is a freshman playing basketball and tennis at the University of Minnesota Morris.
Thea Oman, a freshman, is swimming at St. Ben’s.
Crookston School District Coaches –
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 the 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
Blake Fee is an assistant 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.
Justin Johnson is an assistant softball coach at the University of Minnesota Crookston.
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 a Director of Athletics at the British International School of Houston.
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
