SPORTS FEEVER by Chris Fee of KROX Radio – chrisjfee@yahoo.com
The Crookston School District has some gaps to fill after Superintendent Randy Bergquist and Activities Director Nate Lubarski resigned. (From rumors we are hearing, there will be another opening coming at the high school admin soon.)
Bergquist took the superintendent job at Lake Park-Audubon, and Lubarski is moving to Duluth and will be in a supervisory role, and will also be doing game management and concession duties with the hope of sliding into the A.D. role after a year at Duluth East.
I am putting a big portion of the blame on a school board member or two who suggested during budget cut talks that the Activities Director be reduced to part-time. First, they obviously don’t have any idea what the A.D. in the Crookston School District does. It is embarrassing that they don’t have a clue and would even suggest that, especially with a new $4 million-plus athletic complex that will require more work and attention. I haven’t talked to Nate about it, but I am pretty sure he started looking for jobs when that talk came up. So, thank you, school board members…..not.
If the school board didn’t want to make any cuts, they would say, 82 percent of our general fund goes to salaries and benefits. Hey, Unions, we won’t have to make cuts if we don’t give raises next year. Everybody keeps their jobs, and we keep everything we need to keep. That would save you probably $400,000 and you would have just solved your issue without having to cut an employee! Boom! Problem solved. (The district pays over $17,000,000 in salaries, wages, and benefits in the 2025-26 school year budget)
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After Tuesday, the American Legion D2 Northwest Sub-State North (South) standings (yes, that is the actual name) looks like this.
1. Crookston 5-1
2. Fertile 2-1
3. Twin Valley 0-0
4. Ada 1-3
5. Win-E-Mac 0-1
6. Fosston 0-2
The American Legion D2 Northwest Sub-State North (North) standings (yes, that is the actual name) look like this after Tuesday.
1. Red Lake Falls 4-0
2. Warroad 4-1
3. Roseau 3-3
4. Thief River Falls 2-3
5. Stephen-Argyle 0-1
6. Middle River 0-5
The Sub-District playoffs will begin on Thursday, July 17 with the play-in games at the higher seed.
The Sub-District North pod will be played on Friday, July 18 – Sunday, July 20 at Fosston.
The Northwest Sub-State tournament will be held Thursday, July 24 – Sunday, July 27 at Jim Karn Field in Crookston.
The state tournament will be held in Ely August 1-3.
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Northwest Minnesota was well represented in the MSHSL State Clay Target championship on June 20 in Prior Lake.
Park Rapids won the tournament with a 486, three better than Spring Grove.
Frazee-Vergas finished eighth place with a 471.
Detroit Lakes finished 11th place with a 469.
Badger/Greenbush-Middle River was 13th place with a 467
Bemidji was 29th with a 455
Kittson County Central was 33rd with a 450
Stephen-Argyle was 34th with a 449
Individuals in the top 100 from the area –
Fertile-Beltrami’s Peter Forgit finished tied for 11th place with a 98 out of 100!
Ethan Omdahl of Thief River Falls was tied for 45th with a 95
Drew Rasch of Fertile-Beltrami was tied for 56th with a 93
Koa Larson was tied for 73rd with a 91
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The University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball roster is starting to take shape. Head coach Nick Meseck and newly appointed assistant coach Mikia Kreiner announced the signings of three to the 2025 roster. Abbigail Gingerich (Fr., Granger, Ind.) and Sophia Haag (Fr., Calgary, Alberta) are the fourth and fifth freshman signings for the Golden Eagles this season. Penelope Vertin (Jr., Wayzata) is the first transfer signing for the Golden Eagles. Vertin is a Division I transfer, who recently spent time at Charleston Southern and Northern Colorado.
The three signees add to an already strong class that includes Adrienne Venditto (Fr., OH/DS, Bovey), Ellery Ehresmann (Fr, S, Albany) and Abigail Ernster (Fr., OH, La Crescent).
The Golden Eagles roster now stands at 14 heading into the next year, with just one senior on the roster; Dana Melby (Jr., S, Gonvick).
Abbigail Gingerich (5-7, S, Granger, Indiana)
Gingerich becomes the first native of Indiana on the Golden Eagle roster since at least 2010…Finished fourth in the Northern Indiana Conference in total assists with 344 as a senior…Third in the conference in assists per set, while only playing in 70 sets…Finished with 22 service aces and 165 digs as a senior.
Gingerich is the daughter of Richelle and Dave Gingerich of Granger, Indiana…Abbigail plans to major in Equine Science while a student-athlete at Minnesota Crookston.
Penelope Vertin (6-5, RS, Wayzata, Minn.)
Vertin joins the Golden Eagles after a pair of Division I stops at Northern Colorado and Charleston Southern…Was a dancer in high school and played volleyball for just a year while in high school…Originally chose Northern Colorado over Grand Canyon and Baylor University.
Penelope is the daughter of David Vertin…She plans to major in business while a student-athlete at Minnesota Crookston…Will be a sophomore for the Golden Eagles.
Sophia Haag (Fr., 5-10, OH, Calgary, Alberta)
Haag will be the one of the first ever Canadians to play for the maroon and gold when she suits up for the Golden Eagles this fall…Haag was a member of the Team Alberta Gold at the Canada games…Haag is outstanding in the classroom as well, as she was named to high honors in her sophomore, junior and senior years.
Haag is the daughter of Elena and Lindsay Haag of Calgary…Haag plans to major in International Business while a student-athlete at Minnesota Crookston.
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The University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Football team continues to have a great recruiting year in 2025. The latest commitment was from the #1 recruit in the state, with Taylor Voss of Jackson County Central saying he will play at the University of Minnesota over Alabama!
Now the Gophers have the top three in-state recruits!
Voss is a 6’2 225 225-pound quarterback and will play tight end for the Gophers. The other top recruits are
Andrew Trout of Rocori High School is a 6’6 “295 295-pound offensive lineman who is the #2 MN recruit and a four-star recruit. The third is Howie Johnson of Forest Lake, a 6’3″ 255-pound defensive lineman who has a four-star ranking.
The Gophers now have 24 commitments for the 2026 class. The Gophers’ 2026 recruiting class is ranked 14th in the nation and sixth among Big Ten schools.
The Gophers also got a commitment from four-star Texas running back Ryan Estrada.
The Gophers made an offer to a freshman last week. That’s right, a freshman (or the class of 2029). Jayden Bates, a 6-4, 210-pound defensive lineman from Eden Prairie, impressed the coaches so much that they offered him a scholarship to play when he graduates high school. Bates is a former wrestler and can dunk a basketball without taking a step.
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The University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved the budget for Fiscal Year 2026 and I found this information about Gopher Athletics interesting. This is an excerpt from the meeting notes.
The financial model for Division 1 collegiate athletic programs has and continues to change dramatically, which has led to budget challenges for Gopher Athletics.
There are two categories of incremental costs to address for FY 2026: $22.5 million related to the student athlete revenue sharing settlement (payments to current athletes, payments to previous athletes and management costs for a new tracking and payment process) and $15.0 million related to general cost increases (compensation, scholarships, new debt service requirements, expanded travel, inflation, etc.).
Through a combination of immediate spending reductions, debt restructuring, a change in the fringe benefit methodology, projected revenue growth, an increase in the O&M allocation for Athletics’ operations and for scholarships (included in this budget) and implementation of a new student fee to support athletic facilities (included in this budget – see page 32), the $37.5 million projected recurring budget challenge has decreased to roughly $15.0 million.
Additionally, for FY 2026 it is reduced another $6.25 million on a one-time basis with the application of approximately $5 million in one-time revenue and a decision to delay a loan repayment. The recommended plan after applying all these resources during FY 2026 is to sequester the remaining deficit in an account in Athletics for future elimination (projected at roughly $8.75 million without factoring in potential cumulative carry forward from prior years).
For FY 2027, Athletics is anticipating a significant increase in recurring revenues related to the College Football Playoff which, when combined with other anticipated changes in revenues and expenses, will lead to a remaining estimated recurring budget shortfall of less than $5.0 million.
That final recurring shortfall, plus payoff of the one-time sequestered deficit from FY 2026 and 8 inflationary cost increases for FY 2027, will be addressed through further spending adjustments in Athletics, potentially additional University support, a potential change in sales tax law, and planned increased revenues from expanded sponsorship activities, ticket sales, gifts etc.
The actual balances each year will be monitored closely, and plans will be adjusted as necessary to eliminate and prevent a structural imbalance. Most similarly sized athletic programs across the country are facing like circumstances, but thanks to University support and sound financial management to this point, Gopher Athletics is in a strong position to make the transition to a new model more quickly and with less deficit than many other programs. The actions recommended in this budget are critically important to the continued contributions of Gopher Athletics to a vibrant Twin Cities campus and to the economic vitality of the state of Minnesota.
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The University of Minnesota Crookston soccer team will host an ID Camp August 9 from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at the Minnesota Crookston Soccer Field. The camp is for grades 9-college. The campers will be able to experience life as a student-athlete at the University of Minnesota Crookston. Participants in the ID Camp will be instructed by the Golden Eagle soccer staff and get a glimpse of campus. The campers will be led through drills and observed by soccer coaches at the U of M Crookston and nearby universities. The camp will include technical training, possession drills, small-sided and 11v11 games. Campers and families will get a tour of campus and have a Q&A session with Minnesota Crookston coaching staff.
Registration for the camp will commence at 9 a.m. A t-shirt is included in registration with an overall cost of $100. Campers should bring appropriate soccer attire, shin guards, socks, cleats, tennis shoes, a water bottle, and sunscreen.
For more information on the camp and to register visit https://register.ryzer.com/camp.cfm?sport=7&id=307710
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The University of Minnesota Crookston women’s basketball team is hosting a pair of Kid’s Camps at Lysaker Gymnasium in June. The Golden Eagles will host a Kid’s Camp for girls entering grades 3-8 June 30-July 2. The camps will be run by the Minnesota Crookston women’s basketball coaching staff and will run from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The cost of the camp is $120.
In addition, the Golden Eagles will host an Elite Camp August 8-9 for girls entering grades 8-12 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Jefferson Activity Center in Bloomington.
If you register for the Kid’s Camp or Elite Camp you can use a special offer to attend a Minnesota Lynx WNBA game August 8 at 6 p.m., against the Washington Mystics. Participants will have the opportunity to shoot a free throw on the court after the game.
To register or for more information on the camps visit https://womensbasketball.
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The Crookston High School Summer Strength and Conditioning program “Powered by Sanford Sports” will be June 2 through August 8. There will be no sessions June 30-July 4 due to the MSHSL blackout week.
For the registration and sign up info, click the following link – Crookston Weights Summer Sign Up — Signup Sheet | SignUp.com
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JOKES
An armless man walked into a bar which is empty except for the bartender.
He ordered a drink and when he was served, asked the bartender if he would get the money from his wallet in his pocket, since he has no arms.
The bartender obliged him. He then asked if the bartender would tip the glass to his lips.
The bartender did this until the man finished his drink. He then asked if the bartender would get a hanky from his pocket and wipe the foam from his lips.
The bartender did it and commented it must be very difficult not to have arms and have to ask someone to do nearly everything for him.
The man said, “Yes, it is a bit embarrassing at times. By the way, where is your restroom?”
The bartender quickly replies, “The closest one is in the gas station three blocks down the street.”
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A big city lawyer went duck hunting in rural North Wairarapa. He shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer’s field on the other side of a fence. As the lawyer climbed over the fence, an elderly farmer drove up on his tractor and asked him what he was doing.The litigator responded, “I shot a duck and it fell in this field, and now I’m going to retrieve it.”
The old farmer replied, “This is my property, and you are not coming over here.”
The indignant lawyer said, “I am one of the best trial attorneys in New Zealand and, if you don’t let me get that duck, I’ll sue you and take everything you own.”
The old farmer smiled and said, “Apparently, you don’t know how we settle disputes in North Wairarapa. We settle small disagreements like this with the ‘Three Kick Rule.'”
The lawyer asked, “What is the ‘Three Kick Rule’?”
The Farmer replied, “Well, because the dispute occurs on my land, I get to go first. I kick you three times and then you kick me three times and so on back and forth until someone gives up.” The attorney quickly thought about the proposed contest and decided that he could easily take the old codger. He agreed to abide by the local custom.
The old farmer slowly climbed down from the tractor and walked up to the attorney.
His first kick planted the toe of his heavy steel toed work boot into the lawyer’s groin and dropped him to his knees!
His second kick to the midriff sent the lawyer’s last meal gushing from his mouth.
The lawyer was on all fours when the farmer’s third kick to his rear end, sent him face-first into a fresh cow pie.
The lawyer summoned every bit of his will and remaining strength and very slowly managed to get to his feet. Wiping his face with the arm of his jacket, he said, “Okay, you old fart. Now it’s my turn.”
The old farmer smiled and said, “Nah, I give up. You can have the duck.”
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A farmer was sitting in the neighborhood bar getting hammered.
A man came in and asked the farmer, ‘Hey, why are you sitting here on this beautiful day, getting drunk?’
The farmer shook his head and replied, ‘Some things you just can’t explain.’
‘So what happened that’s so horrible?’ the man asked as he sat down next to the farmer.
‘Well,’ the farmer said, ‘today I was sitting by my cow, milking her.
Just as I got the bucket ’bout full, she lifted her left leg and kicked over the bucket.’
‘Okay,’ said the man, ‘but that’s not so bad.’ ‘Some things you just can’t explain,’ the farmer replied.
‘So what happened then?’ the man asked. The farmer said, ‘I took her left leg and tied it to the post on the left.’
‘And then?’ ‘Well, I sat back down and continued to milk her.
Just as I got the bucket ’bout full, she took her right leg and kicked over the bucket.’
Man laughed and said, ‘Again?’ The farmer replied, ‘Some things you just can’t explain.’
‘So, what did you do then?’ the man asked. ‘I took her right leg this time and tied it to the post on the right.’
‘And then?’ ‘Well, I sat back down and began milking her again.
Just as I got the bucket about full, the stupid cow knocked over the bucket with her tail.’
‘Hmmm . . . ‘ the man said and nodded his head. ‘Some things you just can’t explain,’ the farmer said.
‘So, what did you do?’ the man asked.
‘Well,’ the farmer said, ‘I didn’t have anymore rope, so I took off my belt and tied her tail to the rafter.
In that moment, my pants fell down and my wife walked in . . . Some things you just can’t explain.’
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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 an assistant coach on the University of Wisconsin-Superior Men’s Hockey team.
Reese Swanson is a freshman playing hockey at St. Olaf.
Carter Coauette is a freshman playing football at Minot State.
Isabelle Smith is a freshman playing Tennis at Concordia College.
Isaac Thomforde is a freshman playing Tennis at Northwestern College in St. Paul.
Emilee Tate is a Sophomore playing Softball at Northland Community and Technical College.
Halle Bruggeman is a Sophomore on the University of Wisconsin-Stout Women’s Rugby team.
Ethan Boll is a Red-shirt Freshman 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 Sophomore playing hockey at Dakota College at Bottineau.
Aleah Bienek is a Junior playing hockey at Trine University in Indiana.
Joslynn Leach is a Senior playing golf at Concordia College in Moorhead. The Cobbers wrapped up the Fall season.
Brooks Butt is a Junior playing football at the University of Jamestown.
Ty Hamre is redshirt Junior playing football at Bemidji State University.
Elizabeth Erdman is a coach for the Moorhead Red Dragon swim team.
Crookston School District Coaches
Blake Bergeron is the head Pirate Wrestling Coach.
Ben Parkin is the head Pirate Baseball Coach.
Jason Cassavant is a Jr. High Baseball Coach
Amy Boll is the head Pirate Girls Track head 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
Chris Dufault is a youth wrestling 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 currently in the Marines’ Boot Camp.
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.
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.
