SPORTS FEEVER by Chris Fee of KROX Radio – chrisjfee@yahoo.com
— — —
Congratulations to Fertile-Beltrami Falcon Track Coach Brian Nelson on being named the Minnesota High School Boys Track Coach of the Year.
— — —
This week is the first week of practice for Minnesota High School Sports and we have the participants for the Crookston High School fall sports teams below.
The Crookston Pirate Boys Soccer team has 42 out in grades 6-12 this year. This is the first year that Crookston has allowed sixth graders to participate because they are now at the High School/Middle School building.
Seniors (11)-Brannon Tangquist, Lucas Miller, David Threatt, Kadin Edwards, Caden Boike, Carter Trudeau, Blake Melsa, Jackson Reese, Dalylen Korynta, Wyatt Volker, Evin Trudeau.
Juniors (7)-Jack Everett, Matt Contreras, Brandon Colborn, Michael Bochow, Jayden Mulvey, Jack Buhler, Lincoln Waldal.
Sophomores (13)-Mason Reitmeier, Reggie Winjum, Jay Reese, Zach Plante, Peter Wiersma, Caden Sanders, Kahnen Hanson, Ryker Arnold, Makoti Weber, Carter Fee, Gunnar Groven, Nolan Cassavant, Wyatt Marsyla.
Freshman (4)-Alex Zammert, Grant Funk, Aaron Gosse, Colton Osborne
8th grade (4)-Brady Samuelson, John Lisov, Ivan Luckow, Evan Wagner
7th grade (1)-Mason Lessard
6th grade (2)-Ian Swanson, Trevor Hassel
— —
The Crookston Pirate Girls Tennis team has 42 out this season in grades 6-12.
Seniors (6)-Brekken Tull, Isabelle Smith, Morgan Nelson, Emma Gunderson, Calleigh Fanfulik, Coral Brekken
Juniors (5)-Georgia Sanders, Mariah Overgaard, Addison Fee, Kaylie Clauson, Paige Abrahamson
Sophomores (10)-Taylor Wieland, Lucy Smith, Taylor Schulz, Ava Martin, Emma LaPlante, Emelia Hoerner, Logan Brekken, Chloe Boll, Ashlyn Bailey, Madelyn Anderson
Freshmen (4)-Katie Seaver, Avery Mathews, Alaina Goelzer, Teagan Fanfulik
8th Graders (5) Alyssa Johnson, Nora Groven, Sylvia Christensen, Grace Boll, Peyton Demarais
7th Graders (4)-Catelyn Maruska, Gianna Lubarski, Eva Gosse, Kaylen Bedard
6th Graders (8) Korynn Uttermak, Lauren Tull, Elsie Mathews, Haddie Halland, Brigit Groven, Sophia Fee, Ella Capistran, Mercedes Bower
— — —
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has released the 2023 Football Preseasons Coaches Poll. The results are below-
Team (first-place votes) points
1. Bemidji State (4) 131
2. MSU-Mankato (5) 125
3. Wayne State (2) 114
4. Augustana (2) 112
5. Minnesota Duluth 109
6. Winona State 103
T7. Northern State 75
T7. Sioux Falls 75
9. SW MN State 50
10. MSU-Moorhead 45
11. Concordia-St. Paul 35
T12. U of Mary 20
T12. Minot State 20
Bemidji State University was selected by the league coaches as the preseason favorite in the NSIC for 2023. The Beavers received four first-place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team) and amassed 131 points, six points ahead of Minnesota State, which was second with 125 points and five first-place votes. Wayne State was third with 114 points, while Augustana was fourth with 112 points; both WSC and AUGIE garnered two first-place votes.
In 2023, NSIC football will consist of 13 teams, with each team playing 10 conference games over an 11-week schedule. The NSIC will award an overall champion based on win percentage in the 10 NSIC contests. Ties will not be broken for the overall champions.
— — —
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) released the 2023 Preseason Women’s Soccer Coaches poll. The results are below-
Team (First place votes), points-
1. MSU-Mankato (8) 187
2. Augustana (4) 177
3. Bemidji State (2) 170
4. Concordia-St. Paul (1) 147
5. U of Mary 134
6. Minot State 133
7. Northern State 119
8. St. Cloud State 104
9. UM-Duluth 103
10. Winona State 82
T11. SW MN State 59
T11. Wayne State 59
13. MSU-Moorhead 45
14. Sioux Falls 38
15. UM-Crookston 18
The defending NSIC Regular Season Champions of Minnesota State University Mankato were picked to win the NSIC in the preseason coaches’ poll. This marks the 11th time since re-joining the NSIC in 2008 that the Mavericks have been picked to win the league.
Minnesota State received eight first-place votes and tallied 187 points, ranking them 10 points ahead of Augustana, which tallied 177 points and received four first place votes. The defending NSIC Tournament Champions of Bemidji State came in third with 170 points and two first place votes. Concordia-St. Paul was fourth with 147 points and the final first place vote. The University of Mary rounded out the top five with 134 points.
The 2023 NSIC Soccer Regular Season Champion will be determined by a 14-match league schedule, with a win earning a team three points and a tie one point.
The 2023 NSIC Soccer season will see its first non-conference action on Thursday, August 31 with NSIC action beginning on Friday, September 15.
The NSIC Tournament is scheduled for Monday, November 6, Friday, November 10 and Sunday, November 12. The top four seeds shall host for the first round, followed by the semifinal and championship rounds at the campus of the highest remaining seed of the four quarterfinal winners.
— — —
The Minnesota High School League released its Section alignments for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years with several changes for section teams in northwest Minnesota. We have a list of all the sports and who is in and who is out next year. The Fall sports sections are listed below –
FOOTBALL –
Section 6 9-Man (Fosston in, Nevis out)
Blackduck
Cass Lake-Bena
Clearbrook-Gonvick
Fertile-Beltrami
Fosston
Laporte
Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal
Park Christian
8 9-MAN (No Change)
BGMR
Goodridge-Grygla
Kittson County Central
Lake of the Woods
Northern Freeze
Stephen-Argyle
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo
Win-E-Mac
Section 8A Football – (Fosston out)
Ada-Borup-West
Bagley
Mahnomen-Waubun
Polk County West
Red Lake County
Red Lake
Section 8AA Football (Park Rapids and Roseau drop from 8AAA)
Barnesville
Crookston
Frazee
Hawley
Park Rapids
Pelican Rapids
Roseau
Warroad
Section 8AAA (Park Rapids and Roseau out, Morris in)
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
East Grand Forks
Fergus Falls
Morris/Chokio-Alberta
Perham
Thief River Falls
VOLLEYBALL –
8A Volleyball – (added Red Lake)
Ada-Borup-West
Badger/Greenbush-Middle River
Bagley
Blackduck
Climax-Fisher
Clearbrook-Gonvick
Fertile-Beltrami
Goodridge/Grygla
Indus
Kittson County Central
Lake of the Woods
Mahnomen/Waubun
Northern Freeze
Northome/Kelliher
Red Lake County Central
Red Lake Falls
Red Lake
Sacred Heart
Stephen-Argyle
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo
Win-E-Mac
Section 8AA (Red Lake moved down to 8A)
Barnesville
Crookston
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
East Grand Forks
Frazee
Hawley
Menahga
Park Rapids
Pelican Rapids
Perham
Roseau
Thief River Falls
Wadena-Deer Creek
Warroad
BOYS SOCCER –
Section 8A (Added East Grand Forks)
Central Minnesota Christian
Crookston
East Grand Forks
Fergus Falls
Fergus Falls Hillcrest
Melrose
Minnewaska Area
Pelican Rapids
St. Cloud Cathedral
St. John’s Prep
GIRLS SOCCER –
Section 8A (Added East Grand Forks, lost Fergus Falls)
Albany
Crookston
East Grand Forks
Fergus Falls Hillcrest
Melrose
Pelican Rapids
St. Cloud Cathedral
St. John’s Prep
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley
GIRLS TENNIS –
Section 8A (added East Grand Forks, Perham, and Thief River Falls, lost Long Prairie-Grey Eagle)
Crookston
East Grand Forks
Park Rapids
Parkers Prairie
Perham/NYM
Roseau
Staples-Motley
Thief River Falls
Wadena-Deer Creek
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY –
Section 8A (Perham is out)
Ada-Borup-West
Bagley/Fosston
Cass Lake-Bena
Clearbrook-Gonvick
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
DNA Homeschool
Frazee
Hawley
Lake of the Woods
Lake Park-Audubon
Nevis
New York Mills
Park Rapids
Pelican Rapids
Red Lake County
Riverside Christian School
Roseau
United North Central
Warroad
West Marshall
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY –
Section 8A (Perham is out)
Ada-Borup-West
Bagley/Fosston
Cass Lake-Bena
Clearbrook-Gonvick
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
DNA Homeschool
Frazee
Hawley
Lake of the Woods
Lake Park-Audubon
Nevis
New York Mills
Park Rapids
Pelican Rapids
Red Lake County
Riverside Christian School
Roseau
United North Central
Warroad
West Marshall
— — —
JOKES
— — —
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
Breanna Kressin is a Freshman on the Hockey Cheer Team for THE University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey team.
Emma Osborn is a freshman playing basketball at Northland Technical and Community College in Thief River Falls.
Jacey Larson is a freshman playing hockey at Dakota College at Bottineau.
Olivia Huck is a freshman playing soccer at Minnesota State Moorhead.
Aleah Bienek is a freshman playing hockey at Trine University in Indiana.
Elise Tangquist is the Head Girls Golf Coach at Horace High School in Fargo, ND..
Kaleb Thingelstad is a sophomore playing golf at Dakota Wesleyan.
Joslynn Leach is a sophomore playing golf at Concordia College in Moorhead. The Cobbers wrapped up the Fall season.
Brady Butt is a Junior playing football at the University of Jamestown.
Ty Hamre is playing football at Bemidji State University.
Paul Bittner is playing professional hockey in Norway.
Kate MacGregor is senior swimming at Minnesota State Moorhead.
Aleece Durbin is a Junior on the University of North Dakota Womens Track and Field team.
Elizabeth Erdman is a coach for the Moorhead Red Dragon swim team.
Crookston School District Coaches
Ben Parkin is the head Pirate Baseball Coach.
Emily Meyer is the Pirate head girls hockey coach and softball assistant coach.
Jeremy Lubinski is a Pirate 8th Grade Football coach.
Amy Boll is the head Pirate Girls Track head coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Marley Melbye is the Head Girls Swimming coach and assistant girls golf 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/Admin/etc
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.
Katy (Westrom) Horgen is the 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 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
Ben Andringa is serving our country in the Army and is now a Ranger.
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 a grad of West Point and currently 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.
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.
