We have another Sports Feever column, this one is coming to you from Washington D.C. I am in town for meetings and on Thursday a group of seven of us will be visiting our Congressmen/women and Senators on behalf of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association.
My wife and I came out Sunday morning and had a great time touring the sites, eating at great restaurants. There are still a lot of things closed and a lot of places are only open Wednesday – Sunday so if you plan on going to D.C. keep that in mind. My wife flew home on Wednesday morning and I had a meeting at the National Association of Broadcasters’ new office on Wednesday afternoon and head to Capitol Hill all day Thursday before flying home Thursday night.
Enough about me…now to the column.
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The first day of Minnesota State High School League fall sports practices will be Monday, August 16. Get ready!
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The Crookston High School Fall Sports PAC (Parent, athlete, coach) meeting will be Monday, August 2 at 6:00 pm at the Crookston High School auditorium. The PAC meeting is an informational meeting about the upcoming season for all students in grades 7-12 planning on playing a sport. You will meet with Mr. Garmen and then with the Coach of their sport.
Directions for registering for activities will be available.
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Crookston Pirate Football coach Scott Butt will not be coaching the team this fall. If you remember a few years ago the district was going to go in a different direction, but recanted and the deal was to let him coach until after his youngest son (Brooks) graduated. That would have been after this season. Now after some players/parents/or whoever weren’t happy that Brooks might be playing quarterback things have changed.
This is all hear say and not official. I have been out of town this week so didn’t have time to get official word.
So now with less than a month before the first practice they are scrambling for a new coach and possibly coaches. Obviously, this isn’t an ideal situation, but we will see what happens.
We had released an initial football schedule earlier this summer, but that has been thrown out and they will have a new one that will be very similar to the schedule two years ago.
We know one thing, the line will be small again and they will have one of the top running backs in northern Minnesota with Ethan Boll. The rest, including who will be quarterback, and who the head coach will be is still up in the air.
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Crookston Pirate Girls Golfer Joslynn Leach has signed a letter of intent to play golf at Concordia College in Moorhead. Leach wrapped up her Pirate career in June with a 31st place finish at the State Tournament held at the Ridges of Sand Creek Golf Course near Jordan. It was her second time competing at the state golf tournament.
Leach signed her letter of intent on Wednesday morning with family in attendance as well as Crookston Golf Coach Jeff Perreault. Concordia is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and competes at the Division III level.
Leach will enroll this August and start competing as a Cobber this fall.
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The University of Minnesota Crookston softball program announced the hiring of Nick Weinmeister as head softball coach. Weinmeister was head softball coach for three seasons at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa.
Southwestern Community College didn’t have team in 2018 and in Weinmeister’s first season they won 15 games. In his second season in 2020, they were 5-4 and in 2021, he guided the Spartans to a 28-33-1 record.
In addition, Weinmeister served as the assistant athletic director from 2019-21. During this time, he assisted in the oversight and operation of all athletic programs at Southwestern Community College. He helped with compliance, ensuring all of the athletic programs were in compliance with the NJCAA and ICCAC. In addition, he assisted with policy development, strategic planning, fundraising, coach hiring, budget preparation, facilities management, game day management, scheduling, and other administrative duties.
Prior to his appointment as assistant athletic director, he was a TRIO-SSS advising coach and transfer specialist at Southwestern Community College.
Before arriving at Southwestern Community College, Weinmeister spent five seasons at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. He was the head baseball coach for the Lumberjacks from 2015-18.
Weinmeister also served as head women’s golf coach from 2015-18 at Northland College. He helped the team receive the UMAC Team Sportsmanship Award in 2016 and 2017.
Prior to taking over as head coach, Weinmeister served as assistant baseball coach at Northland for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He served as head varsity reserve baseball coach during the time.
Additionally, Weinmeister served as the assistant men’s basketball coach at Northland from 2014-15.
Prior to arriving at Northland, Weinmeister was the head baseball coach for Janesville High School in his hometown of Janesville, Iowa.
Weinmeister obtained a Master of Science in physical education from Southwest Minnesota State University in 2015. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations from the University of Northern Iowa in 2011.
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The Crookston Lions Club will have their 40th Annual Junior Golf Tournament for boys and girls ages 17 and younger on Monday, August 2 at the Minakwa Golf Course in Crookston. The entry fee for ages 9-17 is $20 and includes lunch and nine holes.
The entry fee for ages 8 and younger is $10 and includes lunch and 4 holes. Ages 15-17 will tee off at 8:30 a.m., 12-14 at 9:00 a.m., 11-12 at 9:30 a.m., 9-10 at 10:00 a.m. and 8 and under at 10:30. Parents are asked to walk and keep score of the younger group. Ages 8 and under will golf four holes and will receive participation medals. Prizes will be awarded for boys and girls ages 9-17. There will be trophies awarded to medalists and door prizes. Pre-register by Saturday, July 31 by calling the Minakwa Golf Course at 218-281-1773.
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The Ox Cart Days 5K/Little Tykes race, sponsored by Biermaier Chiropractic Clinic and Altru will be held on August 21.
The cost is $25 for the 5K and free for the Little Tykes race.
The online registration link is https://www.raceentry.com/ox-cart-5k-and-little-tykes-race/race-information.
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The 17th Annual Crookston Blue Line Club Golf Scramble will be held on Friday, August 20 at Minakwa Golf Course in Crookston.
It will be a five-person scramble with registration at 8:00 a.m. and a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start.
Team sponsorship is $350 or $70 per person. There will be lunch, games, and prizes. For more information and to register, call Kristy Swanson at 218-289-0576, or email crookstonhockey@gmail.com, or visit the Crookston Blue Line Club website at www.crookstonbluelinehockey.com.
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JOKES
Alice was to bake a cake for the church ladies’ group bake sale, but she forgot to do it until the last minute.
She baked an angel food cake and when she took it from the oven, the center had dropped flat.
She said, “Oh dear, there’s no time to bake another cake.”
So, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake.
Alice found it in the bathroom … a roll of toilet paper.
She plunked it in and covered it with icing.
The finished product looked beautiful, so she rushed it to the church. Before she left the house, Alice had given her daughter some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened, and to buy that cake and bring it home.
When the daughter arrived at the sale, the attractive cake had already been sold.
Alice was beside herself.
The next day, Alice was invited to a friend’s home where two tables of bridge were to be played that afternoon.
After the game, a fancy lunch was served, and to top it off, the cake in question was presented for dessert.
Alice saw the cake, she started to get out of her chair to rush into the kitchen to tell her hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, one of the other ladies said, “What a beautiful cake!”
Alice sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say,
“Thank you, I baked it myself.”
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A pregnant woman gets into a car accident and falls into a deep coma.
Asleep for nearly six months, she wakes up and sees that she is no longer pregnant. Frantically, she asks the doctor about her baby.
The doctor replies, “Ma’am, you had twins! A boy and a girl. The babies are fine. Your brother came in and named them.”
The woman thinks to herself, “Oh no, not my brother — he’s an idiot!” Expecting the worst, she asks the doctor, “Well, what’s the girl’s name?”
“Denise,” the doctor says.
The new mother thinks, “Wow, that’s not a bad name! Guess I was wrong about my brother. I like Denise!” Then she asks the doctor, “What’s the boy’s name?”
The doctor replies, DeNephew.
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A fellow bought a new Mercedes and was out on the interstate for a nice evening drive. The top was down, the breeze was blowing through what was left of his hair and he decided to open her up. As the needle jumped up to 80 mph, he suddenly saw flashing red and blue lights behind him. “There’s no way they can catch a Mercedes,” he thought to himself and opened her up further. The needle hit 90, 100…. Then the reality of the situation hit him. “What am I doing?” he thought and pulled over. The cop came up to him, took his license without a word and examined it and the car. “It’s been a long day, this is the end of my shift and it’s Friday the 13th. I don’t feel like more paperwork, so if you can give me an excuse for your driving that I haven’t heard before, you can go.”
The guy thinks for a second and says, “Last week my wife ran off with a cop. I was afraid you were trying to give her back!”
“Have a nice weekend,” said the officer.
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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
