SPORTS FEEVER by Chris Fee of KROX Radio – chrisjfee@yahoo.co— — —
The Red Lake County Rebel baseball team has had an outstanding start to the season with three no-hitters already. It comes as no surprise to anybody as they have all of their pitchers back from last years state championship team. Will Gieseke isn’t only the best pitcher in the section, but I would say he is one of the best pitchers in the state. He also seems to get better as the games get bigger.
Red Lake County is a heavy favorite to win the Section 8A baseball tournament in June, but West Marshall has proven to be a big thorn in the side of the Rebels. West Marshall knocked off Red Lake County in the sub-section tournament last year and lost to the Rebels 2-1 on Tuesday in a dandy of a game. Red Lake County will play Sacred Heart on Friday, and that will be another matchup of two of the top teams in the Section. It is still way to early to put any stock into the games so far. But for teams in Section 8A……..it sure isn’t the start you were hoping to see from the Rebels.
The latest Minnesota High School Baseball polls are out.
CLASS A –
1.Springfield
2. Red Lake County
3. Madelia
4. Lyle-Pacelli
5. South Ridge
6. New Ulm Cathedral
7. Parkers Prairie
8. Hayfield
9. Ogilvie
10. Mankato Loyola
receiving votes – Upsala/Swanville, Murray County Central, Cherry, New York Mills, and Adrian
CLASS AA –
1. Perham
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. Montevideo
4. Luverne
5. Zumbrota-Mazeppa
6. Caledonia
7. Staples-Motley
8. Duluth Marshall
9. Litchfield
10. Glencoe-Silver Lake
Receiving votes – Maple River, Pine Island, Lake Crystal-Welcome Memorial, St. Croix Prep, Kimball, Crosby-Ironton
To view the Minnesota High School Baseball, Softball, and Boys Tennis rankings, click on the following link – https://kroxam.com/mn-high-school-rankings/
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The UMC Golden Eagle Men’s Basketball team has signed Blake Spiczka (6-0 165, Pequot Lakes). Blake was a 3-time All-District pick, a 3-time All-Section selection, and a 2-time All-Conference pick.
The UMC Golden Eagle Women’s Basketball team has signed Cassie Ririnui (F/C, 6-3, Tauranga, New Zealand/Central Maine Community College). They were looking for some more height and will get that with the signing of Ririnui. She averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds per game and will help defend in the paint.
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I was able to find some more HP Hockey Spring Festival team rosters this week.
The HP Seniors (in high school) team for Section 7/8 went 2-2 last weekend. The kids from the area are below-
Crookston – Garrett Fischer
Warroad – Samuel Hard, Ryan Shaugabay
Bemidji – Christian Hill, Taevon Welle
Detroit Lakes – Hudson Pettit, Will Cymbaluk
The HP 18 (Juniors in High School) team for Section 7/8 went 1-4 last weekend. The kids from the area on the team are listed below.
East Grand Forks – Max Bies, Jace Panzer
Roseau – Abram Waage, Tyler George
Detroit Lakes – Griffin Lindberg
Bagley – Wyatt Gerbracht
The Boys HP 15 District 16 team roster is below –
Bemidji – Will Westover, Ryker Sant, Logan Sutherland, Sawyer Reierson, Brooks Curb, Andrew Koenck, Quincy Gustafson
Thief River Falls – Luke Kelly, Jackson Sorvig, Kyler Peralta, Teagan Marsden
East Grand Forks – Mason Auger, Brock Stauss, Jaxson Wakefield
Warroad – Callen Marvin
Kittson Co. Central – Landon Peterson
Armstrong – Corbin Shoop
Boys HP 16 Final 68 from the area –
Thief River Falls – Beckem Johnson
Moorhead – Will Arnold, Gage Kallhoff, Henry Laurilla, Drew Kortan, Owen Kraft
Warroad – Ayven Hontvet, Charlie Marvin, Vicente Green, Austyn Maleport, Easton Lee
Bemidji – Cameron Knott, Wesley Truax
Boys HP 17 Final 68 from the area –
Thief River Falls – Spencer Anderson
Warroad – Gavin Anderson
East Grand Forks – Cy Hjelmen
Boys HP Seniors NIT team members from the area on team Minnesota –
Bemidji – Christian Hill
Warroad – Samuel Hard
Boys HP Juniors NIT members from the area on team Minnesota –
East Grand Forks – Max Bies
Detroit Lakes – Griffin Lindberg
Boys HP Sophomores NIT members from the area on team Minnesota –
Detroit Lakes – Bauer Walter
Moorhead – Noah Peterson
BOYS HP 14 District 16 team –
Warroad – Bryson French, Maddox Gardner, Phil Marvin, Ethan Smith, Ryder Selvog, Liam Stein, Thadeus Jackson
East Grand Forks – Maveryk Holtman, Cullen Schulz, Elijah Blackmun Hewitt
Bemidji – Levi Eichstadt, Ryker Fraik, Colby Strassburg
Thief River Falls – Gunner Restad, Weston Anderson, Cooper Hanson
Roseau – Carter Vatnsdal, Cruz Remick
Lake of the Woods – Bauer Block
Akeley – Wyatt Knowles
The Girls HP 15 District 16 (NW MN) team roster is listed below –
East Grand Forks – Reese Kvasager, Ady Hjelmen
Thief River Falls – Chloe Barrett, Charleigh Hamre, Kiptyn Anderson
Warroad – Alexis Berggren, Alice Edman, Svea Grafstrom
Roseau – Lauren Byfuglien, Tenley Sandstrom
Hallock – Tenley Hemmes
Bemidji – Hannah Donley, Alexis Fuller, Olivia Wangberg
Waconia – Ella Peterson, Brooklyn Henn, Kora Herman
Eden Prairie – Annika Buchanan
Girls HP 16 Section 8 team went 1-1-1 last weekend (girls from area are below) –
East Grand Forks – Emma Pieper
Warroad – Elin Rolli, Lydia Fylling, Ava Corrington, Olivia Anthony, Karley Brekke
Roseau – Rylee Hagen
Detroit Lakes – Josie Stattelman
Girls HP 17/18 Section 8 team went 0-2-1 last weekend. Girls from the area are below)
Crookston – Adley Vigness
Red Lake Falls – Grace Knutson
Thief River Falls – Lila Dalager
Warroad – Katherine Brekke, Jaylie French
Roseau – Amelia Kvien, Ella Ketring, Madalyn Lisell
Bemidji – Lily Lauer, Naomi Johnson
Detroit Lakes – Aurora Jabas
GIRLS HP 17’s FINAL 68 roster (area girls) –
Moorhead – Margaret Greenagel
Crookston – Adley Vigness
Red Lake Falls – Grace Knutson
Bemidji – Naomi Johnson, Lily Lauer
Roseau – Ella Ketring
GIRLS HP 16’s FINAL 68 roster (area girls)
Roseau – Rylee Hagen
Warroad – Olivia Anthony, Lydia Fylling
East Grand Forks – Emma Pieper
The Girls 14U District 16 (NW MN) team roster is listed below –
Crookston – Lauren Tull, Charlee Coauette
Red Lake Falls – Ella Sletten, Ellie Knutson
Thief River Falls – Haylie Jahn, Averie Walseth, Adalyn Johnson
Warroad – Elle Hardwick, Catherine Quo, Cora Pederson
East Grand Forks – Kennedy Auger, Kinsley Beland
Roseau – Makenna Erickson, Emma Blakeslee
Lake of the Woods – Annika Nylander
There must not have been enough from District 16 to try out, because there are also girls from Shakopee, Chaska, Blooming Jefferson, Minnetonka, and Edina on the team too.
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We have had several questions about UMC adding track and field and what does that mean for the UMC track/football field facility?
I received this email from Thief River Falls –
A question that has come up in our staff room a couple of times recently, while discussing college athletics, that I don’t recall seeing in the UMC release: where does UMC plan to host their reconstituted track and field program? Do they plan to put the capital investment into the track? Might they be looking at a wholesale overhaul of Ed Widseth Field and making it the home of track and soccer? (And perhaps other regional HS activities?) Maybe that’s a question for a Sports Feever column…maybe not. Food for thought. I might question the “whole stadium overhaul” thought, but several of my colleagues had that thought independently.
I sent the email to Stephanie Helgeson, UMC Athletic Director and after consulting with Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause, this was the answer-
As far as track is concerned, we don’t plan on hosting any home track meets at this time, as there are several Universities that host within a close proximity that will fulfill our NCAA sports sponsorship requirements.
As far as Facilities are concerned, we continue to work with Capital Planning & Project Management and our administration to enhance our facilities. We are looking at a couple of different options.
This is a good time to get into the facility issue. I have said this once and I will say this again…….I feel bad for Steph Helgeson. I have served on several committees at UMC over the years, including a facilities committee when they had to do a comprehensive plan for the Northern Sun Conference. Steff had plans and had been working on a Wellness/Recreation center for UMC for many years, and had plans that would have been a perfect solution for indoor track/tennis/etc. Unfortunately, things cost money. Money isn’t easy to come by, especially when UMC has only been a four-year institution for 30 years.
So we go back to Chancellor Fred Wood’s days. The Nielsen Family gave a huge million-dollar-plus donation towards the Wellness Center UMC built a few years ago. It came up short in EVERY WAY.
Yes, I know UMC has a very small on-campus population, and you don’t build a church just for Easter and Christmas services. But I knew that building it with a 200-meter running track, four indoor basketball/volleyball/tennis courts in the middle of the track, and offices, classrooms, and a weight room, as other schools in the NSIC have, would have been the best possible thing to do. I have never been a fan of the wellness center at UMC because it wasn’t done right. I put the blame on Chancellor Wood (for not fighting harder to do it right), and the University of Minnesota facilities people in Minneapolis/St. Paul, who didn’t want Crookston to do it right. (Again, I am really good at spending other people’s money!)
The wellness center has two basketball courts. The kicker……they aren’t even regulation-sized courts for high school, let alone college! They have a Women’s Tennis team that has to go to Grand Forks for “home” matches. They didn’t build it big enough to host a home match. They didn’t have track at the time, but it was asked by many people. Why not put an indoor track in, in case you look at adding track and field? Fast forward a few years, and they have added track and field (to add more students).
Continuing to fast forward…..now the University of Minnesota has released a plan for each campus and future upgrades/projects they would like. Guess what is in it???
Yes, you guessed it….. an indoor sports facility!!!!! The picture below has a multi-sport field house connected to Lysaker Gymnasium. It isn’t a coincidence that it is connected to Lysaker Gym, as there are structural issues with the building’s southeast portion. The plans are great, including new dorms (which UMC has done better than any college – building beautiful dorms).
When will a new multi-sport field house be built? Not anytime soon, as it is in the long-term plans, not the near-future plans. Unless I win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot, then UMC might be getting some new facilities. Until a donor makes a big-time donation, don’t hold your breath.
I know this much. If UMC were to announce anytime soon that they are redoing their track facility, they would have hell to pay from Crookston School District residents who passed a referendum to build a facility at Crookston High School.
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JOKES
Little Johnny attended a horse auction with his father. He watched as his father moved from horse to horse, running his hands up and down the horse’s legs and rump, and chest. After a few minutes, Johnny asked, “Dad, why are you doing that?”
His father replied, “Because when I’m buying horses, I have to make sure that they are healthy and in good shape before I buy.”
Johnny, looking worried, said, “Dad, I think the UPS guy wants to buy Mom…”
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A guy comes home completely drunk one night. He lurches through the
door and is met by his scowling wife, who is most definitely not happy.
“Where the hell have you been all night?” she demands.
“At this new bar,” he says. “The Golden Saloon. Everything there is golden.
It’s got huge golden doors, a golden floor and even the urinal’s gold!”
The wife still doesn’t believe his story, and the next day checks the
phone book, finding a place across town called the Golden Saloon.
She calls up the place to check her husband’s story.
“Is this the Golden Saloon?” she asks when the bartender answers the
phone.
“Yes it is,” bartender answers.
“Do you have huge golden doors?”
“Sure do.” “Do you have golden floors?”
“Most certainly do.”
“What about golden urinals?”
There’s a long pause, then the woman hears the bartender yelling,
“Hey, Duke, I think I got a lead on the guy that pissed in your saxophone last night!”
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There was an Irishman, a Mexican, and a blond guy who worked construction together. They were working on top of a building one day, and it was lunch time. The Irish man opens his lunch pail and he sees he has cabbage and beef, and he says, ‘If I get one more beef and cabbage for lunch I’m gonna jump off of this building!’
Then the Mexican opens his lunch pail and he gets a burrito, he says, ‘if I get one more burrito for lunch I’m gonna jump off this building!’
The blond man opens his lunch pail and gets a bologna sandwich. He says, ‘if I get one more bologna sandwich I’m gonna jump off of this building!’
The next day the Irish man opens his lunch pail and finds cabbage and beef so he jumps off the building to his death.
Then the Mexican opens hid lunch pail and finds a burrito so he jumps off the building to his death.
Then the blond guy opens his lunch pail and finds a bologna sandwich, so he jumps off to his death as well.
The next day at their funeral the Irish man’s wife said, ‘If I only knew he was sick of cabbage and beef I would have packed him something else.’
Then the Mexican’s wife then said, ”If I only knew he didn’t like burritos, I would have packed something else.”
Finally, the blond man’s wife said, ‘I don’t know what his problem was! He packed his own lunch!”
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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
Teagen Lubinski is playing Junior Hockey for the Badlands Sabers in the NA3HL.
Parker Kelly is playing Junior Hockey for the Badlands Sabers in the NA3HL.
Addie Fee is a freshman playing tennis and hockey at Wisconsin-Superior.
Kambelle Freije is a freshman playing hockey at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Riley Helgeson is a freshman playing football at Northern State.
Emily Bowman is a freshman playing Softball at North Dakota State College of Science.
Halle Winjum is a sophomore playing basketball at Minnesota Crookston.
Blake Melsa is a sophomore playing soccer and baseball at Alexandria Tech
Jackson Reese is a sophomore playing soccer at Alexandria Tech
Matt Contreras is a freshman playing baseball at Concordia College.
Naomi Johnson is a freshman playing soccer at Alexandria Tech
Paul Bittner is an assistant coach on the University of Wisconsin-Superior Men’s Hockey team.
Reese Swanson is a sophomore playing hockey at St. Olaf.
Carter Coauette is a sophomore playing football at Minot State.
Isaac Thomforde is a sophomore playing Tennis at Northwestern College in St. Paul.
Halle Bruggeman is a Junior on the University of Wisconsin-Stout Women’s Rugby team.
Ethan Boll is a Sophomore on the University of North Dakota Football team.
Breanna Kressin is a Junior on the Hockey Cheer Team for THE University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey team.
Jacey Larson is a Junior playing hockey at Dakota College at Bottineau.
Aleah Bienek is a Senior playing hockey at Trine University in Indiana.
Seth Heppner – Head Coach of Men’s and Women’s Golf at Jessup University
Brady Heppner – Head Coach of Women’s Golf at UMC and Assistant Hockey Coach
Crookston School District Coaches
Blake Bergeron is the head Pirate Wrestling Coach.
Colton Weiland is an assistant Pirate Wrestling Coach
Jason Cassavant is a Jr. High Baseball Coach and Head American Legion Baseball coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Marley Melbye is an assistant girls golf coach
Connor Morgan is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Ben Trostad is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Ethan Magsam is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Non-Crookston High School coaching/Admin/etc
Elise Tangquist is the Head Girls Golf Coach at Horace High School in Fargo, ND.
Carmen (Kreibich) Johnson is the head Little Falls Volleyball coach.
Tim Desrosier is an Assistant Coach for Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Pony Boys Basketball
Pat Wolfe is the head wrestling coach for Fosston/Bagley.
Austin Sommerfeld is an Assistant Athletic Director for Strategic Communication at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth.
Collin Reynolds is the head baseball coach for the University of Colorado Buffalo Club Baseball team.
Trent Stahlecker is a School Security Specialist & he works for the Brevard Public Schools, Florida.
Cody Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach at Proctor/Hermantown.
Josh Edlund is the head football coach and phy ed teacher at Flandreau, South Dakota.
Allison Lindsey Axness is Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach at Champlin Park
Jeff Olson is the Head Wrestling Coach and Head Baseball coach at Delano.
Jake Olson is an Assistant Football Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Delano.
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 North Dakota.
Mike Hastings is the Wisconsin Badgers Men’s head Hockey coach.
Mike Biermaier is the Athletic Director at Grand Forks Schools.
Stephanie (Lindsay) Perreault works with the North Dakota State stats crew for Bison football, volleyball, and basketball in the winter. Stephanie’s husband, Ryan, is the assistant director for Bison media relations.
Jason Bushie is the hockey athletic trainer at Colorado College.
Chris Myrold is the Director and Fitness at Mission Ranch and Fitness in Camel, California.
Kyle Buchmeier is a Tennis Pro at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis
Jaren Bailey is serving our country and is Lance Corporal in the Marines.
Ben Andringa is serving our country in the Army and is now a Ranger.
Philip Kujawa class of 2004, from Crookston High School. He is an Army recruiter in Rochester.
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..
