SPORTS FEEVER – JUNE 6, 2019

Welcome to a very lengthy Sports Feever Column.  I have over 10,000 words in this weeks column.  I take a look at some hockey, another birth in the Crookston Pirate coaching ranks, the Crookston Hockey alumni games, roster and schedule, state track and how the athletes that KROX covers are standing going into the state meet, Section baseball and a lot more.  Thanks for reading and good luck to all teams and individuals as they wrap up the spring sports season.

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It seemed my last column was hit or miss with my family members.

My wife and I were out eating at a Crookston restaurant on Saturday night and she was reading my column and the story about Blake (she will do anything to not have to talk to me after a 9-hour work day.  She started crying while she was reading it and said it was so nice!  Usually, she cries because she realizes she is married to me, but this time it was because I was nice!

I have received a little heat from one person about my comment of spending thousands and thousands of dollars less on my kids winter sports than another winter sport.
If you aren’t familiar with the Fee family.  We all played hockey, basketball and wrestled in the winter until sixth grade and had to make a decision on what to play in seventh grade.  I picked basketball and Andy picked hockey.  Growing up we could NEVER like the same thing.  I liked Kirby Pucket and he liked Kent Hrbek.  I liked Bruce Springsteen and Andy liked Michael Jackson.  I liked the San Francisco 49’ers and Andy liked the Dallas Cowboys.  I chose basketball and he chose hockey.  We have been arguing over which thing and sports are better since we were born.  We put holes in the walls from wrestling/fighting, someone has dropped kicked the other while standing on the stairs, both of us have turned off the Nintendo when he was going to lose to the other and I could go on and on.  It is a Love?/hate relationship.  I made the comment to get my brother fired up (even though he claims to not read the column).  It worked as predicted and the 20 plus angry texts I received very early Sunday MORNING were proof.  (It is so easy and FUN to get him fired up!!!)

I really don’t care how much a sport costs, if your kid enjoys it and the parents have realistic expectations and know that paying $1,000 to play on an “ELITE” or AAU team in 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th grade WILL NOT get your kid scholarship in the future that is great.  If you think it will…..be prepared to be disappointed and have wasted a lot of money.

One group of people that get “IT” and something that is pretty cool was a group of Crookston, I think a Fertile family too put a team together called the Crookston Blue Wave.  It is a AAA team that has boys and girls together.  In full disclosure, one is my niece.  They scheduled a trip to Rapid City, South Dakota for a tournament and won the tournament this past weekend.  They went to Mount Rushmore and had fun as a team of Crookston kids.  It was a pretty cool idea and hats off to Wes Colburn to put the trip together.  The stats say most of the kids and more than likely none of the kids will play Division 1 hockey, but no matter what happens in their future all of them and the parents will remember the trip the rest of their lives and that is the important thing!!!

The team went 4-0-1 on the weekend winning the championship game on Sunday in a 3-2 nail biter.  Members of the team are Ashlyn Bailey, Isaiah Donarski, Brandon Colborn, Gavin Aakhus, Addie Fee, Garrett Fischer, Ryan Clauson, Riley Benson, Tate Hamre, Connor Maruska, Tucker Lovejoy, Greyson Ecker, Will Cymbaluk, Brady Chandler and Parker Kelly.  The team is coached by former Pirate Hockey players Wes Colborn and Trent Fischer.  The team is pictured below at Mount Rushmore.

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Longtime Crookston Pirate Boys Tennis Coach Mike Geffre was inducted into the Minnesota State High School League Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Monday.

Geffre has been the head coach of the Crookston Pirates Boys’ team since 1986 (31 years) and coach of the Girls’ team since 1989 (28 years).
As a graduate of Bemidji State University, graduating with honors, Mike has led the Pirates to the Minnesota State High School League State Tournament nine times with the girls and 13 times with the boys. Crookston has been a tennis dynasty in the northern part of the state during Mike’s tenure as coach. Coaches around the area always know that Crookston comes to play and play well. 
Mike has also coached two State Doubles Champions for the boys and one State Doubles Champion for the girls. Other than all of the State Tournament appearances, one of Mike’s greatest highlights was having the opportunity to coach his daughter Amanda throughout her high school career. 
Mike has a wife, Lori Schlenker; a daughter Amanda; and twin sons, Isaac and Simon.

Geffre’s Tennis Accolades: 
Head Boys Tennis 1986-2017 – 31 years 
Head Girls Tennis 1989 – 2018 – 29 years 
13 Team Appearances at the Minnesota State High School League State Boys Tennis Tournament 
9 Team Appearances at the Minnesota State High School League State Girls Tennis Tournament 
2 – State Boys Doubles Championships 
1 – State Girls Doubles Championship
Coaching Honors: Crookston E Award for Coaching Excellence, Minnesota State Boys’ Tennis Coach of the Year, Minnesota State Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year

 

I asked Mike if it would be possible to get his speech and I have included it below.

Thank you Rick for that introduction. I would like to start by saying that getting this award is truly humbling, as I know many of the past recipients and being associated with them is quite an honor.

Congratulations to all of the teams and individuals here tonight and representing your schools and communities. I also want to thank you for being involved.

I would like to start with some of the changes that I have seen happen in education over the years, grade inflation, standards being reduced, if you fail you can have multiple do overs, and the thought that no one should experience failure. Without failure learning and striving to be your best is nearly impossible. So why are sports and activities important? The lessons learned are about life. Things dont change to make it easier for those who fail, we learn to get back up and try harder. We learn that failure does not make you a bad or inferior person, only human. Other things that are changing in our schools are discipline and accountability. In athletics and activities we learn that there are consequences if you don’t follow the rules, we know what it is like to be disciplined, we know that discipline is not a bad thing, it makes us more stable and structured, it teaches us to be respectful and responsible. Activities teaches us about humility and adversity.  And finally something that is lacking in our new video and social media lifestyle, physical fitness and human connection. With all of the positives to being involved It kind of makes you wonder why all parents aren’t knocking down the doors to have their kids participate.

I would like to touch on a few groups that affect coaching and how coaching affects them.

Family: To be a successful coach you have to have a family who can live with you while you are coaching. I had the opportunity to coach my daughter Amanda through her high school career, having had that opportunity is one I will cherish and never forget. I have twin boys Isaac and Simon sitting out here tonight, I hope I will be blessed to be able to coach them some day as well.  My wife has had to put up with a lot over the years and I appreciate what she had to give up to allow me to coach. I thank you for that.

Fellow coaches: My former assistant coaches, they are worth their weight in gold. I have had the opportunity to work with two of them for a combined 44 years. Lee Meier and Brian Follette.

Be a teacher, don’t just coach. You would be amazed at the knowledge that you can impart on your players to help them to grow to be successful young men and women. Have fun with your athletes, the season can be long and laughing will make it much more enjoyable. I would like to tell you a story happened quite a few years ago at the state tournament. I had two doubles teams and we were staying at the Embassy Suites. The Embassy Suites is a great place to stay. A nice classy hotel and we were staying on the 8th floor, it had a great view of the surrounding area. I was in my room with my assistant coach when we got a knock on the door, it was hotel security, now this is not someone you want knocking on your door. He asked if we had players in room 809. I said “I believe we do.” He then replied “come with me.” We followed him around the atrium to the other side and knocked on 809. When my players opened the door, lets just call them Chris and Ben, they were all playing cards as innocent as can be. The security guard proceeded to walk to the balcony and draw back the drapes. There attached to the railing was a huge elastic band that the kids were using to pull back into the room and launch water balloons at the Steak and Ale a block away. I proceeded to put my coaches hat on and sternly reprimand them for being so stupid. “What are you thinking”! “Do you want to get kicked out of the hotel and sleep in the bus.” After I walked back to my room and thought about for awhile, it was quite creative and funny, I would never had thought to do that. We also have a former player here tonight named Jake who holds the world’s record for smuggling breadsticks out of the Olive Garden in a duffle bag.  Remember this coaches, have fun and know that “It is not what the coach knows; it is what his players have learned.”

Former players: I see many of you out there in the audience, I want you to know how special you are, I would not have been able to coach for over 30 years without you. The times we spent together are ones I will cherish and remember forever.

Parents: Instill good character, attitude and respect into your children. Enjoy your time watching them compete and play. By helping your kids be the best person they can be makes me appreciate all that you do and makes my job coaching them much easier.

Athletes- learn to do things for yourself, there will come a time in your life when people will not always be there for you. What is your purpose? Find it, move toward it with a passion and a goal. Build friendships, another bit of wisdom from my wife, learn to listen instead of talk a quote from Mark Twain explains it well “If we were supposed to talk more than we listen we would have two mouths and one ear.”

Be humble in victory, be gracious in defeat. Give thanks for the opportunity to participate, be around people who challenge and push you, don’t take the easy route. Your parents, family members, teachers, pastors, rabis and coaches will all do their best to prepare you for life, but ultimately its you that has to listen, do the work, put in the effort and be the best you that you can be.

Life is a journey not a destination, have fun, laugh and enjoy the journey.

Thank you and best of luck to all of the teams and individuals.

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Crookston Pirate Boys Hockey Coach Josh Hardy was the most recent coach to add another to the Pirate family when his wife Cristin gave birth to Jasper George Hardy on May 22 at 5:36 p.m.  Jasper was 8 pounds and one ounce, 20.5 inches and most importantly mom and baby are doing well!

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The Minnesota State High School League State Track and Field meet heat sheets and schedule have been released.

Crookston sophomore, Noah Kiel, has the 13^th best time out of the 16 runners in the 100-meter dash.  He is one of four sophomores in the group with the rest of the runners being juniors and seniors.  Noah has the second-best time for a sophomore.  The top time is Jack Beardmore of Caledonia/Spring Grove with a time of 10.94.
Noah also has the 13^th best time in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.14.  The top time is Max Peckenschneider of Providence Academy with a time of 22.07.  Kiel is one of two sophomores to qualify with the rest of the runners being juniors and seniors.

Emma Borowicz, a sophomore, qualified for the 300 hurdles and has the ninth best time coming into the state meet out 17 runners.  She has a time of 47.26 seconds.  Jaylen Struck-Schmitz of Belle Plaine has the best time of 44.50 coming into the state meet.

Area Athletes from schools that KROX covers –
Fertile-Beltrami’s Harmon Leibl, a senior, won the Section 8A 110 hurdles and has the fifth best time coming into the state meet.  Leibl has a time of 15.40 and the top time coming in is Carter Wente of Canby/Minneota with a time of 15.19.

Marcus Crayton of Climax-Fisher/Sacred Heart, a junior, has the 12^th best time of 51.32 coming into the meet.  Christian Davis of Providence Academy has the best time coming into the meet at 49.61.

Isaac Durand of West Marshall, a senior, has the eighth best time coming into the state meet with a time of 41.08.  The top time coming in is Jade Reicks of St. Peter with a time of 39.22.

Abigail McGlynn of West Marshall, a senior, has the 10^th best jump in the Long Jump with a jump of 17.00 feet.  The top jump coming in is Robbie Grace of the Blake School with a jump of 19-03.50.
McGlynn also has the 12^th best jump in the triple jump with a jump of 35-06.25 feet.  The top jump coming into the meet is Camryn Brinkman of Melrose with a jump of 36-10.

Faith Porter, a senior from West Marshall, has the 16^th best throw in the discus with a throw of 103-04 feet.  The top throw is from Desera Engholm of Pequot Lakes with a throw of 130-02 feet.

There is more on state track later in the column.

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The Major League Baseball draft was this week and the Minnesota Twins selected
2016 Minnesota’s Mr. Baseball and one-time UND baseball recruit, Matt Wallner who is attending Southern Miss with the 39th pick.  He was going to play at UND, but they cut the baseball program.

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Congratulations to Dani Boyle on making it to the Class AA Girls Golf tournament.  She golfed her career best on the second day and took the last spot to advance.  That was pretty cool, especially after she struggled on the first day, but shook it off and finished the round strong.

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The Section 8A and 8AA baseball championship teams have pretty much gone as expected.

Section 8A – The Sacred Heart Eagles were the favorite coming into the season and even though the coaches voted them fourth, all the coaches knew they were still the team to beat and the Eagles have proven it with great pitching, solid defense and timely hitting.  Sacred Heart didn’t have a home run all season long and all of a sudden they hit two against Fosston to get to the championship game!!!  You can’t make sports stories up and that is what makes it so much fun.
Sacred Heart plays Fosston in the championship on Thursday and if the Eagles don’t win with Brenden Bethke on the mound I would be surprised.  Again, it is high school sports and you never know what is going to happen.  You can hear the 8A championship game on KROX.

Section 8AA – The Perham Yellowjackets are the only team without a loss after they beat East Grand Forks in the semi-finals.  EGF takes on Wadena-Deer Creek to get to the championship game, but it will be hard for either team to beat Perham twice to advance to state.  Like I said earlier, you never know with high school sports.

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The Ninth Annual Pirate/Blue Wave Boys Hockey Alumni Golf Outing and Hockey Tournament are scheduled for this weekend (June 7-9, 2019). The hockey tournament will begin on Friday, June 7 and continue on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, June 8 there will be an 18-hole golf scramble starting at noon with lunch provided.  After golf everyone is invited to gather at I.C. Muggs with B & E Meats serving a fantastic meal. If you don’t golf, it’s just $15 for the meal.

Some of the highlights of players coming back are the three Bittner boys with Paul who is currently a member of the Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jacket AHL team), and Mark and Ryan who have won National Championships at Wisconsin Steven’s Point and Ryan finished the spring playing professional hockey in Florida.  Paul Johnson will play this weekend and he played Division 1 hockey at Colorado College.  Joel Gasper will play and he played Division 1 hockey at Robert Morris University. Another highlight will be Mike Hastings, the current head coach of Minnesota State Mankato will be playing for Team Mavericks.
For all the rosters (that include young and old) and game schedule, CLICK HERE

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Dave Hennings sent Crookston School Board Chair Frank Fee the following information on the discussion of athletics and activities in the Crookston School District.  Frank asked Dave if I could share and he gave us permission.  Dave brings up some interesting points and the email is below –

Frank,
I found it interesting to hear the thoughts and ideas expressed at the meeting last night. Not to re-hash everything but I would like to review and share some of my takeaways from Tuesday’s evening meeting from my perspective, I thought several good points/concerns were brought up…. but it seems very evident there is a lot to consider, particularly when looking at CHS SPORTS. I DO think there are some things that can be addressed to move in a positive direction.

In my view, the first and most important consideration brought up was does CHS have the “appropriate” number of sports and activities for a school of its current enrollment when compared to similar size schools?   Is CHS spreading its resources (students, coaches, budget) so thin by having so many activities, that it is not competitive in many sports?

How does the percentage of students involved in extracurricular activities at CHS compare to other similar sized schools broken down by each sport/activity?
What % of boys 10-12 play Football..?
What % of girls 10-12 play volleyball? Etc.

How does CHS School Board define “Success” for its sports teams? Although it is true that there is much more students gain from participating in high school sports (and for the purpose of this narrative not including activities such as drama, knowledge bowl, one-act play, band, choir, etc). The fact is that because scores ARE kept in football, golf, track, baseball, basketball, etc., the general public does gauge the “Success “ of those teams by wins and loses. Be that fair, or unfair. It is the position of the board that sports teams exist for students simply to participate, or is the goal to have winning teams?  And if winning is the ultimate goal, to what extent?

Lack of coaches who are teachers in the district
In today’s world, maybe more than ever, because of the number of choices kids have to do with their time, coaches may find it next to actually RECRUIT kids to participate in school-sponsored sports.  For example, I noticed one area school had a football “Signing Day” for junior high/middle school kids that committed to playing varsity football next year…(held in conjunction with NCAA signing day).  Maybe kind of “gimmicky”, but a neat deal for the kids with pictures, etc.

Strength & Conditioning
What can be done to create a program that encompasses all sports?  Can current coaches come up with such a program, or should resource people (UND strength staff for example) be brought in to help create such a program geared to multiple sport high school kids…AND to “sell” that program to ALL Head coaches

Facilities
Specifically, track, can/will the city of Crookston get involved as they are in hockey, in a city-owned football-track facility.  This would be a one-time major capital outlay, and would not require anywhere near the yearly cost of the ice arena.

So again there’s an awful lot to consider.  Being as much of a sports fan and sports junkie as I am, if there’s anything I can do to contribute to the “cause”, please let me know.

David Hennings

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The Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors met on Monday, June 3 in Brooklyn Center and it was an action-packed meeting with a lot of big decisions.  The meeting synopsis is below –

Executive Director’s Report

• Executive Director Erich Martens introduced incoming Board Members Amanda Kaus, Rochester Century (Music Representative); John Ostrowski, Dover-Eyota (Regions 1A-2A); John Vraa, New London-Spicer (Boys Sports Representative). Incoming Board Member Troy Stein, Edina (Regions 5AA-6AA), was absent from the meeting, but announced.
• Recognized Board Member Frank White, who was the keynote speaker for the 43^rdAnnual Winfield Awards on June 2, 2019.
• Three amendments regarding eligibility were presented at the Representative Assembly on May 13 and were passed unanimously.

Executive Committee Report

• Approved an annual co-op agreement between Cloquet High School and Fond du Lac Ojibwe School.
• Approved participation in the WHSFA for La Crescent-Hokah High School Forensics Team.
• Approved Bylaw Implementation Language as it relates to Multiple Transfers.
• The Executive Committee Report was approved by voice vote.

Action Items

• Item 9A— Election of Officers:  Blaine Novak, New York Mills, was elected vice president and Thomas Jerome, Badger/Greenbush-Middle River, was elected treasurer. Bonnie Spohn Schmaltz, Eden Valley-Watkins, will continue in her role as president.
• Item 9B— 2019-2020 Preliminary Budget: Treasurer Eric Christensen, on behalf of the Finance Committee, proposed tabling of the budget until the August board meeting. The proposal was approved by voice vote.
• Item 9C— Fall/Winter Advisory Recommendations:

Classification, Implemented 2021-22

Cross country — Approved a proposal to change the format to a three-class tournament with eight sections divided as follows: Class AAA (64 largest schools); Class AA (96 next largest schools); Class A (all remaining schools).

Soccer — Approved a proposal to change the format to a three-class tournament. Classes will be divided as follows: Class AAA (64 largest schools); Class AA 64 next largest schools); Class A (All remaining schools).

Boys and Girls Tennis — Proposal for three classes was submitted, but no action taken on the proposal.

Volleyball — Approved a proposal to change the format to a four-class tournament. Classes divided as follows: Class AAAA (64 largest schools); Class AAA (Next 64 largest schools); Class AA (Next 128 largest schools); Class A (All remaining schools).

Tournament Format, Implemented 2021-22

Boys and Girls Basketball — Proposal was submitted for Class AAAA, but no action taken on the proposal.

Dance Team — Proposal was submitted, but no action taken on the proposal.

Nordic Ski Racing — Approved a motion to add a Sprint Relay to the Nordic Skiing State Meet.

Wrestling, consolation — Proposal was submitted, but no action taken on the proposal.

Playing Rules

Basketball Shot Clock — A proposal to implement a shot clock was defeated in a 13-5 roll call vote with one abstention.

Policy Language, Implemented 2021-22

Wrestling, participants — Approved a motion to enter into Board Policy the current approved practice that allows a wrestling team to enter more than one wrestler at a specific weight in an individual regular-season tournament if byes exist. The additional wrestlers would help fill the open spots that currently exist in individual tournaments.

Wrestling scrimmages — Approved a motion to allow a policy exception to the scrimmage bylaw which would allow programs with 20 or fewer participants to participate in up to two scrimmages per week.

• Item 9D— AD’s Education Requirement: Approved a motion to make an addition to the current Continuing Education Requirement policy that all athletic administrators be required to complete a Minnesota Head Coaches Course prior to the fall of 2022. Activities Administrators will have three years to complete the requirement.
• Item 9E— Approval of Complimentary Ticket List: A motion to accept the Complimentary Ticket List was approved.
• Item 9F— 2019-2020 Speech Season Book Topic to be used: Approved the following books, “All the Light We Cannot See” (prose); “The Seashell Anthology of Great Poetry” (poetry); Selected stories from Project Gutenberg (storytelling); “A Culture of Violence” (Discussion Task).
• Item 9G— Calendar Modification: Approved moving the Feb. 6, 2020 Board of Directors meeting to Feb. 4, 2020.
• The board approved Dance Rules Committee recommendations for the 2019-20, 2020-21 seasons.

Discussion Items

• League Staff shared two recommendations from the Music Advisory Committee. The committee is recommending a rewriting of the Music Rules and Policies Manual and the exploration of creating a Rubric to scoring sheets, moving from a 40-point scale to a 100-point scale. League Staff will work with Music Advisory Committee members on both recommendations.

Committee Reports

Eligibility Committee

• A League recommendation for additional review by League Staff and the Eligibility Committee of an eligibility case was approved
• The Eligibility Committee report was approved as presented.

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The Crookston Pirate Girls Track team held their end of the year banquet on Monday night at the Crookston High School commons.  The team celebrated many accomplishments, but the one that was the most impressive was the Academic All-State Gold award for having a GPA of 3.9896. The team also celebrated being the Subsection 31 champs, a fourth-place finish at the Section 8A meet,  a second-place finish at the Section True Team meet and a 10th place finish in the State True Team meet.

The following individual awards were handed out –
Most Valuable Sprinter – Emma Borowicz
Most Valuable Field Events – Jada Dillabough
Most Valuable Distance – Thea Oman and Katherine Geist
SALT Award (Sportsmanship, Attitude, Leadership, Training) – Rachel Hefta

Other awards –
Minnesota Academic All-State honors – 
Thea Oman, Hailey Spivey, Rachel Hefta, Audrey Harbott, Katherine Geist, Emma Borowicz, Ella Weber, Anke Wiersma, Breanna Kressin, Amanda Schultz, Hayden Winjum and Amelia Overgaard.

Minnesota High School Track and Field Coaches Academic All-State award –
Breanna Kressin, Hayden Winjum, Emma Borowicz, Katherine Geist

School records set this season –

Indoor records
Emma Borowicz in the 400 meters with a time of 63.25, breaking the previous record of Katrina Wahlin (2004) and Jennifer Taus (1985) of 63.25.
Katherine Geist in the 800 meters with a time of 2:23.18, breaking Danica Brekken’s record of 2:25.83 set in 2015.
Katherine Geist in the 1600 meters with a time of 5:10.60, breaking Janae Altepeter’s record of 5:28.81 in 1999.

Outdoor records –
Katherine Geist in the 3200 meters with a time of 11:08.55, breaking her own record set in 2018.

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The University of Minnesota Crookston Softball program had a great spring semester in the classroom.  Out of 17 players, this spring: 14 were above a 3.0 GPA… 13 were above a 3.3… 8 were above a 3.5… and two with perfect 4.0.

Congratulations to the girls on a solid semester in the classroom!

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Former University of Minnesota Crookston football player Zach Greenberg has signed a one-year rookie contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Greenberg, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, will be a long snapper for his hometown Blue Bombers. Greenberg joins Adam Connette as recent graduates to sign professional contacts. Connette is in his second season competing for the Helsinki Roosters of the Vaahteraliiga, the highest level of American Football in Finland.

Greenberg was a long snapper and short snapper for the Golden Eagles for four seasons, snapping for punts, field goals, and extra points at different points of his career. He was a four-year contributor at Minnesota Crookston. Greenberg was also a stand-out in the classroom, earning NSIC All-Academic for three seasons, as well as being named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence as a senior. Greenberg was a sport and rec management major at Minnesota Crookston. He also represented the school at the Harvard Global Case Competition, created his own student podcast, was named Sport and Rec Student of the Year, served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, with the Crookston Student Association, and the Sport and Rec Management Association.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are in the Canadian Football League, founded in 1930.  The Canadian Football League was formed in 1958 and has nine teams located across Canada. The Blue Bombers open up the 2019 season Sat., June 15 against the BC Lions at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. A CFL team can roster 44 players with at least 21 national players or a “Canadian citizen at the time of signing his first contract”.

Greenberg is wearing jersey number 97 for the Blue Bombers.

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Ada-Bourp’s Mason Miller had himself a pretty good week last week.  He verbally committed to play football at NDSU and he advanced to state in the Shot Put and Discus.
The 6’8 240 pound, soon to be senior, had visits from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State, UND, and Northern Iowa and had been contacted by Columbia and Yale.

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Warroad will be retiring the numbers of gold medal winners Bill and Dave Christian on June 29 as part of the Celebrity Golf Tournament in Warroad.  They will become the third and fourth people to have their jersey numbers retired in Warroad.  Bill’s #3 and Dave’s #10 will be retired.  For more information on the Warroad Celebrity Golf Tournament, click here.

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Bemidji State Football‘s Gunner Olszewski has signed a rookie minimum deal with the New England Patriots and received a $2,500 signing bonus.   

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The University of North Dakota has announced a couple of coaching hires over the past week.

Karl Goehring has been hired as an assistant coach for the Men’s Hockey team. Goehring was with the Tampa Bay Lightning/Syracuse Crunch the last two years and now will be coming back “home” to UND.

Northern State’s Paul Sather has been hired as Men’s Basketball coach.  Sather comes from Northern State where he brought the Wolves to the National Championship game two years ago after starting his first two years below .500.  He also turned around a Black Hills State men’s basketball program.  He has a record of turning programs into national powers and UND is hoping he can do that in Grand Forks too.
Sather is originally from Princeton, Minnesota and according to an article by the Grand Forks Herald’s Brad Schlossman, he played hockey until Junior High, so he might fit in well at UND.

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University of Minnesota Crookston baseball player Reed Hjelle (Sr., 1B, East Grand Forks) picked up his third all-region honor of the 2019 season as he was named 2019 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Division II All-Central Region Second Team as announced Wed., May 29. Additionally, Hjelle was named NCBWA All-Central Region First Team, and D2CCA All-Central Region First Team.
He is a two-time All-NSIC First Team selection. Hjelle was the 2018 NSIC Player of the Year and the 2019 NSIC Preseason Player of the Year. Hjelle was the 2018 ABCA/Rawlings Central Region Player of the Year, and a 2018 ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region First Team pick. In addition, he was named 2018 NCBWA All-Central Region First Team, and D2CCA All-Central Region First Team. Hjelle went on to earn NCBWA All-America Third Team honors, and ABCA/Rawlings All-America Third Team accolades, becoming the program’s first All-American in the Division II era.

As a senior, Hjelle hit .356 with 42 runs scored, 11 home runs and 41 RBIs. He led the league with 46 walks. Hjelle had an impressive .638 slugging percentage and a .530 on-base percentage. He also added 12 stolen bases. Hjelle was a part of three NSIC Tournament appearances in his four years with UMC.

Jordan Barth of Augustana University, J.T. Mix of Augustana University, Jordan Hart of Minnesota State University, Cam Kline of Minnesota State University, and St. Cloud State University’s Dominic Austing represented the NSIC on the ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region First Team. Hjelle, Teddy Peterson of Minnesota State, Nick Altermatt of Minnesota State, Ty Buck of Minnesota State, Michael Borst of Minot State University, Riley Johnson of Augustana, and Luke Chevalier of Northern State University were ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region Second Team picks from the conference.

The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Over 11,000 members represent all 50 states and 25 countries.

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The 2019 Minnesota State High School League Track & Field State Meet is scheduled for June 7-8 at Hamline University in St. Paul. Here is a look at the meet:

Tickets: $8 for students and $12 for adults per single session.
Gates open: 8 a.m. each day. 

CLASS A GIRLS HIGHLIGHTS
Champions return in 12 individual events and three relays.
Junior Lilly Stiernagle of Maple River of Mapleton returns to defend her title in four wheelchair events: 100 meters, 200 meters, discus, and shot put. She is looking for her third championship in the shot put. Her qualifying put was 13-01.50.
The Ping sisters, eighth-grader Lauren and sophomore Grace, return to defend their respective titles in the distance races. Lauren is chasing her second consecutive crown in the 3200 and she has the fastest qualifying time of 10:32.04. Grace is defending her championship in the 1600, but Lauren owns the best qualifying time of 5:00.67. Grace’s qualifying time was 5:03.95.
Both defending champions also return in the hurdle events. Senior Michelle Neece of Pipestone Area returns in the 100 high hurdles and junior Jaylen Struck-Schmitz of Belle Plaine returns in the 300. Struck-Schmitz has the best qualifying time of 44.50 in the 300 and senior Ailsa Gilbert of Watertown-Mayer owns the fastest qualifying time of 15.21 in the 100.
Junior Ava Hill of Mesabi East of Aurora is the final returning competitor in the running events. She is looking for her third consecutive title in the 800-meter run with the fastest qualifying time of 2:16.71.
Three champions return in search of more gold in the field events: senior Robbie Grace of The Blake School of Minneapolis in the long jump; Gilbert of Watertown-Mayer in the triple jump; and senior Ashley Hokanson of Perham in the pole vault. Grace has the best qualifying mark in the long jump (19-03.50) and Hokanson owns the best qualifying vault (12-00.00). Camryn Brinkman, a junior from Melrose Area, has the best qualifying mark in the triple jump (36-10.00).
GMLOKS, a co-op between Grand Meadow, LeRoy-Ostrander, Southland, and Kingsland, returns in the 4×200 with the fastest qualifying time of 1:45.18. The Luverne Cardinals return in the 4×800 with the best qualifying time of 9:27.41.
Pequot Lakes is the final returning relay team. The Patriots are hoping to defend their crown in the 4×400, but Stewartville has the fastest qualifying time of 4:02.55.

CLASS A BOYS HIGHLIGHTS
Six individuals and two relay teams are returning to defend titles.
Sophomore Peyton Gunnarson of Lewiston-Altura is looking for his third consecutive title in the 100- and 200-meter wheelchair races. He owns the fastest qualifying time both events: 17.51 in the 100 and 31.44 in the 200.
Medford senior Luke Johnston is also looking for more gold in the wheelchair events; he was the Category 2 champion in both the shot put and discus in 2018. If Johnston wins the discus, it will be his third title.
Senior Danny Lilya of Moose Lake/Willow River and ninth-grader Aidan Gravelle of LCWM/Nicollet also return to defend their titles in wheelchair events. Lilya was the Category 1 champion in the shot put and Gravelle won the Category 1 discus.
Seniors Marlon Wiley of Jordan and Ethan Heitman of Lake City are the final defending champions to return. Wiley is hoping to repeat in the 100-meter dash and Heitman is looking to earn his second title in the high jump. Senior Jack Beardmore of Caledonia/Spring Grove has the fastest qualifying time of 10.94 in the 100 meters. In the high jump, sophomore Peyton Johnsrud of Minnewaska Area of Glenwood and senior Yahya Madar of Mounds Park Academy both enter the competition with a qualifying jump of 6-08.00.
Wadena-Deer Creek is seeking to defend its crown in both the 4×200 and 4×400 relays. Jordan and Pipestone Area both have the fastest qualifying time of 1:30.83 in the 4×200. The co-op of Lanesboro/Fillmore Central/Mabel-Canton owns the best qualifying time of 3:26.60 in the 4×400.

CLASS AA GIRLS HIGHLIGHTS
Defending champions in three individual events return and representatives from three medal-winning relay teams will be competing.
Two competitors return in running events: junior Shaliciah Jones of North of North St. Paul in the 100-meter dash; and senior Emily Covert of Minneapolis Washburn in the 3200-meter run. Jones has the fastest qualifying time in the 100 (12.04) while senior Lauren Peterson of Rosemount has the best qualifying time in the 3200 (10:52.06).
Junior Madison Schmidt of Blaine, who has the best qualifying jump of 5-11.00, returns to defend her crown in the high jump.
Minnetonka returns to defend two relay titles this year: the 4×200 and the 4×800. The Skippers boast the best qualifying time in the 4×200 (1:41.86), but Wayzata has the fastest in the 4×800 (9:20.69).
North of North St. Paul is the final returning relay champion. The Polars are looking for their third consecutive title in the 4×100 event and they boast the best qualifying time of 48.57.

CLASS AA BOYS HIGHLIGHTS
Two relays and seven individuals have qualified to defend their 2018 titles.
Senior Joe Fahnbulleh of Hopkins returns, looking for his second consecutive crown in the 200-meter dash. He also has the best qualifying time of 21.29.
Junior AJ Green of Eastview of Apple Valley and senior Josh Sampson of Mounds View are the only other champions returning in the running events. Green has the best qualifying time of 1:49.83 in the 800-meter run and Sampson owns the fastest qualifying time of 14.14 in the 110-meter high hurdles.
Four champions return in the field events: junior Parker Ellis of Prior Lake in the long jump; senior Alec Wittman of East Ridge in the pole vault; senior Maxwell Otterdahl of Rosemount in the shot put; and senior Ben Mathiowetz of New Ulm in the wheelchair discus. Wittman has the best qualifying vault of 14-08.00 and Otterdahl has the best qualifying put of 63-07.25. Champlin Park sophomore Edmund Ocansey has the best qualifying jump of 22-11.00 in the long jump and Mathiowetz in the only qualifier in wheelchair discus.
Hopkins and Mounds View return to defend their titles in the 4×200 and 4×400 relays, respectively. The Royals have the best qualifying time of 1:26.79 in the 4×200, while Wayzata has the fastest qualifying time of 3:22.61 in the 4×400.

2018 STATE TOURNAMENT RECAP

Girls – The Blake School won its fourth team title in Class A. The Bears finished with 46 points and Cotter of Winona was second with 42 points. The Blake School won previously in 2001, 2006, and 2012.

In the Class AA team competition, Minnetonka put up 63 points to Wayzata’s 47. It was the eighth championship for the Skippers. In addition to 2018, they also won in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2013, and 2014.
Three all-time records were set at the 2018 meet. Patricia Johnson of Orono went 19 feet, 3.75 inches in the long jump, and Julia Fixsen of Mounds View set the new standard of 13 feet, 9.25 inches in the pole vault. In the running events, Emily Covert of Minneapolis Washburn completed the 3200-meter run in 10:06.19.

Boys – In Class A – Pequot Lakes captured its first team championship with Reid Pierzinski earning all the Patriots’ 39 points. Pierzinski won the 200-meter dash (22.33), 110-meter hurdles (14.84), 300- meter hurdles (38.48), and placed seventh in the triple jump (44-04.50). Mora and Southwest Christian of Chaska tied for runner-up honors with 32 points apiece.

In Class AA, Wayzata won its eighth championship, finishing with 75 points. The Trojans won previously in 1977, 1980, 1984, 1995, 2012, 2015, and 2016. Mounds View was the runner-up with 68 points.
Three all-time state meet records were set in 2018. In the wheelchair events, Peyton Gunderson of Lewiston-Altura completed the 100-meter race in 17.10 and the 200-meter event in 30.86. The Hopkins 4×200 team of Jaylen Champion, King Allah, Sam Leervig, and Joe Fahnbulleh, set the new standard at 1:26.37.

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The Minnesota State High School League Boys Tennis State Tournament is scheduled for June 4-7. Here is a look at the tournament:

 

FAST FACTS

The schedule:

Class A: Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis. Team competition will take place on June 4 and 5 followed by the individual tournament on June 6 and 7. Team quarterfinal pairings are: Rochester Lourdes vs. Luverne (8 a.m.); St. Paul Academy and Summit School vs. Thief River Falls (10 a.m.); Mounds Park Academy, which includes students from Nova Classical Academy vs. Hibbing (Noon); Breck School of Golden Valley vs. Pine City (2 p.m.).

Class AA: Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. Team competition will take place on June 4 and 5 followed by the individual tournament on June 6 and 7. Team quarterfinal pairings are:  No. 1 Seed – Mounds View vs. Lakeville South (8 a.m.); No. 4. Seed – Orono vs. No. 5 Seed – Wayzata (10 a.m.); No. 2 Seed – Edina vs. Duluth East (Noon); No. 3 Seed – Eastview of Apple Valley vs. Alexandria Area (2 p.m.).

Tickets: Free admission

Official ball: Wilson (US Open Extra Duty)

 

TEAM PREVIEW

Class A – Rochester Lourdes returns to defend its title. If the Eagles win, it would be their second consecutive and overall championship. Four other teams return from the 2018 tournament: Thief River Falls, runner-up; St. Paul Academy and Summit School, third; and Luverne, sixth. Mounds Park Academy fell in the consolation semifinals. The Class A team tournament is not seeded.

Class AA – Mounds View, which claimed third-place honors last year, is the highest returning qualifier. The Mustangs, who enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed, are looking for their fifth title. They won previously in 1990, 2004, 2005, and 2015. Four other teams return from the 2018 field: Wayzata, fourth; Orono, fifth; and Eastview, sixth. Duluth East bowed out in the consolation semifinals.

 

INDIVIDUAL PREVIEW

Class A – Top-seeded Parker Law of Mounds Park Academy, a senior, is the highest returning qualifier. He placed second in 2018. He will face tough competition from unseeded senior Peter Tomhave of Cloquet, who placed sixth last year.

The other seeded players are: junior Rikard Wilkens of Redwood Valley, No. 2; ninth-grader Justin Prochnow of Mounds Park Academy, No. 3; sophomore Ishan Nadkarni of Breck, No. 4; and Clayton Haberman of Breck School, No. 5.

Senior Jeffrey Huang of St. Paul Academy and Summit School is the highest returning qualifier in the doubles competition. He placed fourth with Duke Nguyen last year and will partner with junior Brennan Keogh this year. Huang and Keogh are the No. 2 seed this year.

The most interesting match-up of the first round may come when the No. 4-seeded Rochester Lourdes duo of sophomore Jonathan Onigkeit and senior Thomas Eckel faces off against the unseeded Hibbing team of seniors Carter Anderson and Ryan Osborne. These teams met in the consolation final in 2018, with Onigkeit and Eckel winning 7-5, 6-2.

The remaining seeded teams are: sophomore David Gorman and ninth-grader Zachary Piehl of Breck School, No. 1; senior Leland Salter and ninth-grader Andrew Stevenson of Fridley, No. 3; and senior Jacob Hageman and sophomore Tanner Funk of Foley, No. 5.

Class AA – Senior Max Zagrebelny of Eagan, the No. 2 seed, is the highest returning qualifier. He was the runner-up last year. Senior John Kasner of Orono, who is unseeded this year, also returns. He earned the consolation crown in 2018.

The other seeded players are: sophomore Gavin Young of Eastview, No. 1; senior Varun Iyer of Rochester Century, No. 3; ninth-grader Bjorn Swenson of Mounds View, No. 4; and sophomore Sujit Chepuri of The Blake School of Minneapolis, No. 5. Chepuri and Iyer both placed in the doubles tournament last year. Chepuri was fourth with Benjamin Peterson and Iyer placed fifth with Matthew Christensen.

Senior Sourabh Terakanambi and junior Nisal Liyanage of Eastview return to defend their doubles crown. They are also the top-seeded team this year. The Lakeville South duo of seniors Hunter Roseth and Adam Harvey are the only other returning team. They finished in third place in 2018 and are seeded No. 2 this year.

Sophomore Benjamin Peterson of The Blake School is the final Top 6 finisher to return. He placed fourth with Sujit Chepuri last year and will team up with senior Christopher Hall this year.

The remaining seeded teams are: sophomore Luke Westholder and ninth-grader Otto Schreiner of Edina, No. 3; senior Michael Cao and ninth-grader Christo Alex of Mounds View, No. 4; and senior Michael Deal and junior William Deters of Wayzata, No. 5.

 

2018 STATE TOURNAMENT RECAP

Class A – Rochester Lourdes won its first team championship in program history after defeating Thief River Falls 6-1. On their way to the championship, the Eagles defeated St. Peter (6-1) and St. Paul Academy and Summit School (5-2). The Spartans of St. Paul Academy and Summit School bounced back to win third-place honors after posting a 6-1 victory over Litchfield. St. Peter beat Luverne 4-3 in the consolation final.

In the individual tournament, No. 3-seeded David D. Bush of Duluth Denfeld defeated Parker Law of Mounds Park Academy 6-4, 6-1. Law entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Rochester Lourdes duo of Pavao Veldic and Kevin Turlington claimed the doubles title after defeating Jake Seitz and Ethan Youso of Virginia 6-4, 6-1.

Class AA – The Blake School went home with a team title for a second consecutive year after posting a 4-3 victory over Rochester Century. In 2017, the Bears captured top honors in Class A. The Blake School started the tournament with a 7-0 victory over Duluth East. In the semifinals, the Bears beat Wayzata 7-0. Mounds View defeated Wayzata 5-2 to earn third-place honors, and Orono beat Eastview 4-3 in the consolation final.

In the singles tournament, top-seeded Sebastian Vile of Rochester Mayo defeated No. 3-seeded Maxim Zagrebelny of Eagan 6-2, 6-1 in the title match. Nisal Liyanage and Sourabh Terakanambi of Eastview earned the doubles title after notching a 6-3, 7-5 championship win over Frank Stich and Benjamin Wheaton of Minnetonka.

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The Minnesota State High School League’s Girls Softball State Tournament played annually since 1977, takes place Thursday, June 6 and Friday, June 7 at Caswell Park in North Mankato. Here is a look at the tournament:

The schedule: All games at Caswell Park, North Mankato

Class A 

Thursday, June 6
Quarterfinals
South Ridge (18-5) vs. No. 1 New York Mills (23-2), 1 p.m.
No. 5 Badger/Greenbush-Middle River (21-4) vs. No. 4 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (22-0), 1 p.m.
Isle (18-3) vs. No. 2 Randolph (22-2), 1 p.m.
New Ulm Cathedral (22-2) vs. No. 3 Edgerton/SW MN Christian (17-5), 1 p.m.
Championship semifinals and consolation semifinals — 7 p.m.

Friday, June 7
Consolation final — 9 a.m.
Third place — 11 a.m.
Championship — 2:30 p.m.

Class AA

Thursday, June 6
Quarterfinals
Esko (18-6) vs. No. 1 Norwood-Young America (23-2), 9 a.m.
No. 5 LeSueur-Henderson (18-7) vs. No. 4 Thief River Falls/Goodridge (23-3), 9 a.m.
Annandale (17-8) vs. No. 2 Rochester Lourdes (22-3), 9 a.m.
Concordia Academy (21-4) vs. No. 3 Pipestone Area (24-2), 9 a.m.
Championship semifinals — 5 p.m.
Consolation semifinals — 7 p.m.

Friday, June 7
Consolation final — 9 a.m.
Third place — 11 a.m.
Championship  — 2 p.m.

 

Class AAA

Thursday, June 6
Quarterfinals
Visitation (11-14) vs. No. 1 Mankato West (23-1), 11 a.m.
No. 5 Benilde-St. Margaret’s (16-8) vs. No. 4 Cloquet (19-4), 11 a.m.
Detroit Lakes (17-6) vs. No. 2 Northfield (18-3), 11 a.m.
Mahtomedi (13-8-1) vs. No. 3 Becker (19-5), 11 a.m.
Championship semifinals and consolation semifinals — 5 p.m.

Friday, June 7
Consolation final  — 9 a.m.
Third place  — 11 a.m.
Championship  — 1:30 p.m.

Class AAAA

Thursday, June 6
Quarterfinals
St. Michael-Albertville (19-5) vs. No. 1 Forest Lake (22-2), 9 a.m.
No. 5 Farmington (15-9) vs. No. 4 Stillwater Area (18-9), 9 a.m.
Edina (16-7) vs. No. 2 Maple Grove (22-2), 9 a.m.
Eden Prairie (19-6) vs. No. 3 East Ridge (22-2), 9 a.m.
Championship semifinals and consolation semifinals — 3 p.m.

Friday, June 7
Consolation final  — 9 a.m.
Third place  — 11 a.m.
Championship  — 1 p.m.

Tickets: Single session — Adults $10; Students $6. Daily Pass — Adults $18; Students $11. Tournament pass — Adults $27; Students $15.

Official ball: Dudley SB-12L.

2019 State Tournament Preview

Class A
New York Mills is the returning two-time defending champion in this class. The Eagles are making their seventh consecutive state tournament appearance and are on a 10-game winning streak. South Ridge, the quarterfinal opponent for New York Mills, is making its state tournament debut. Senior pitcher Celia Olesiak bats a team-best .414 for South Ridge. Badger/Greenbush-Middle River placed sixth in 2018 and is making its ninth state tournament trip. Sophomore infielder Erika Howell bats .544 for the Gators. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown is making its state tournament debut. Junior pitcher Trista Herring is undefeated with 195 strikeouts. Isle is making its third state tournament appearance, but first since 2003. Isle senior catcher Grace Carlson was selected MVP of the Great River Conference. Randolph placed third in 2018 and returns as the No. 2 seed. Sophomore catcher Megan Erickson bats a team-best .536. New Ulm Cathedral is a 17-time state participant, including a fourth-place finish in 2018. Edgerton/SW MN Christian was the runner-up to New York Mills in 2018. The Eagles are a two-time runner-up and one-time Class A champion.

Class AA
A new champion will emerge from this classification. Esko is making its fourth consecutive state tournament appearance and 10th overall. The Eskimos placed sixth in 2018.  Norwood-Young America is making its state tournament debut. To accomplish that, the Raiders had to defeat Maple Lake, the defending Class AA champion, twice in the Section 5AA final. LeSueur-Henderson is making its fourth state appearance since 2014. In 2014, the Giants were the Class AA runner-up. Thief River Falls/Goodridge is making its second state tournament appearance in the past three seasons. Junior pitcher Alexis Huot hits a team-best .494 for the Prowlers.  Annandale, a fourth-place finisher in 2018, lost 5-4 to St. Cloud Cathedral in the section final, then came back to win 3-2 in the elimination game. Rochester Lourdes is making its first state tournament appearance. Senior infielder Katie Virgin leads the Eagles with a .493 batting average. Concordia Academy is making its third state tournament appearance and first since 2016. The Beacons’ Taylor Brunn, a senior infielder, is Minnesota’s all-time hits leader. She is batting .624. Pipestone Area was third in 2018. The Arrows are a two-time Class AA runner-up and one-time champ. Senior infielder Mandi Miller leads the Arrows with a .453 average.

Class AAA
A new champion will emerge from this class as well. Visitation returns to the state tournament for the third time since 2015. Mankato West, the Class AAAA champion in 2016, is making its ninth state tournament appearance. Senior infielder Kenzie Grunst has 10 home runs this season for the Scarlets. Benilde-St. Margaret’s is making its third state tournament trip in the past four seasons. Cloquet is making its third state tournament trip and first since 2012. Detroit Lakes is making its state tournament debut. Junior outfielder Laura Prussia leads the Lakers with a .533 batting average and nine home runs. Northfield is also making is state tournament debut. Sophomore pitcher Brynn Hostettler has 14 victories and 229 strikeouts. Mahtomedi won the Section 4AAA championship for the second time since 2016. Freshman infielder Olivia Van Hout leads the Zephyrs with a .477 average. Becker is making its sixth state tournament trip. The Bulldogs have held opponents to a .158 batting average.

Class AAAA
St. Michael-Albertville is making its second state tournament trip and first since 2005. Junior infielder Elle Potts leads the Knights with a .546 batting average. Forest Lake is a three-time state runner-up making its 15th state tournament trip. The top-seeded Rangers bat .409 as a team and are paced by sophomore catcher Logan Anderson who bats a .530 clip. Farmington, the Class AAAA champion in 2017, is making its sixth state tournament trip. The Tigers have four starters from that 2017 championship team. Stillwater is the defending Class AAAA champion and is a five-time big-school champion. The Ponies have hit 30 home runs this season. Edina is making its second consecutive state tournament trip and second overall. Senior infielder Hannah Sundem leads the Hornets with 29 runs batted in. Maple Grove, a three-time state runner-up, is making its eighth state tournament trip. Senior Ava Dueck is a dual threat with 17 pitching victories, as well as a .533 batting average and 14 home runs. Eden Prairie defeated Shakopee twice in the Section 2AAAA final to make its third state tournament trip. East Ridge is making its first state tournament trip. The Raptors, the No. 3 seed in the Class AAAA field, are paced by senior infielder Sidney Zavoral, who is batting .530 with seven home runs.

— — —

The Ninth Annual Pirate/Blue Wave Boys Hockey Alumni Golf Outing and Hockey Tournament is scheduled for June 7-9, 2019. The hockey tournament will begin on Friday, June 7 and continue on Saturday and Sunday. The cost for hockey is $60/person and 2019 Crookston high school graduates will play hockey for FREE.
On Saturday, June 8 there will be an 18-hole golf scramble starting at noon with lunch provided. Registration for golf is limited to the first 20 – 5 person teams so please sign up early. The cost for golf is $75/person or $25/person if you graduated from Crookston/Fisher High School from 2015-2019, which includes the meal at I.C. Muggs.
After golf everyone is invited to gather at I.C. Muggs with B & E Meats serving a fantastic meal. If you don’t golf, it’s just $15 for the meal.
We are now accepting payments through PayPal. Click on the link for the event you want to register and pay for and you will be directed to a secure PayPal site to complete the transaction.

Golf Registration $75 payment  https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5XEER3Y9KWJPQ

Crookston/Fisher High School Grad 2015-2019 Golf Registration $25 payment
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZUHM5HLFC3C6S

Hockey Registration $60 payment
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=UE7MT37NRLPFU

Hockey and Golf Combined Registration $135 payment
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=B66Y8PEAQPVE4 

Please email piratehockeyalumni@gmail.com with any questions.

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The University of Minnesota Crookston Softball program will host a Softball pitching and hitting camp on Sunday, June 8.

WHEN:  SUNDAY, JUNE 8   PITCHING:  10 am – 12 pm    HITTING:  1 pm – 3 pm

WHERE:  UNIVERSITY MINNESOTA CROOKSTON SOFTBALL FIELD
2900 UNIVERSITY AVE., CROOKSTON, MN 56716

DETAILS:  The University of Minnesota Crookston is an up-and-coming program which has set several school records (including wins) in 2019.  The clinics will be run by Head Coach Travis Owen, who has experience both playing and coaching.
The pitching portion will focus on techniques and drills to work on proper spin, body positioning for efficient mechanics, and ways to increase velocity.
The hitting portion will focus on mechanics that mimic the top hitters in the game, including drills and tools for improving contact, exit velocity, power, and reaching base.

PAYMENT & HOW TO REGISTER

Payment and registration can be completed online by clicking here.

The cost is $50 per camper, per session.  If attending both camps, the rate is discounted to $90.  Group discounts are available for sending 3+ campers together.

Email Travis Owen at towen@crk.umn.edu with any questions.

— — —

Warroad will be hosting the Warwick Workout Advanced Skills Basketball camp July 15-16.

The Warwick Workout Advanced Offensive Skills Camp is designed for players looking to enhance and expand their skill set. Warwick Workout trainers will work with players to excel in their respective positions through progression based teaching and repetition.
Camp Features
· Perimeter moves currently used in college & NBA
· Shooting instruction and development
· Footwork and shot preparation
· Creating space to score
· Finishing at the rim
· Advanced ball handling concepts

Session 1 – 3-7th Grade Boys/Girls
Session 2 – 8-12th Grade Boys/Girls

For more information on the camp and the registration form, CLICK HERE.

— — —

The Hawley Nugget Booster Club is hosting a 3-on-3 basketball tournament –

The Nugget Summer Jam will be held on Saturday, June 1 at the Hawley High School, Elementary and Field House gyms.

Cost is $80 per team. Early Bird Registration is $72 and due by May 1, 2019.  Teams will not be guaranteed for registration after May 17, 2019.

There will be a 3 game guarantee and team sizes are limited to a 5 player max for girls and boys grades 3 through 8. As part of the registration process, you will be asked to rank your team from 1-3, with 3 being high and 1 being low. We encourage honesty as this will help us in preparation of our brackets and fair play! Grade level should be chosen based on 2018-2019 school year.

T-shirts and concessions will be available for purchase.

There will be no trainer on site, please bring first aid supplies for your team.

Contact Nathan Stoa or Kirsti Fleming with questions.

This registration session will allow you to complete contact information, sign up for participation, and submit payment.

Please read through each page carefully to ensure that all information is provided accurately.

To complete registration through their secure website, CLICK HERE.

— — —

Pirate Hoops Summer Skills and Drills 2019
For Crookston Pirate Basketball players (girls and boys) grades 2-12 (next year’s grade)
Where: CHS gym
When:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Time:   Next year’s  7th-12th graders at 7:30-9:00 am
Next year’s  2nd – 6th graders at 9:00-10:00 a.m.

CLICK HERE FOR THE JUNE 7th grade through 12th-grade CALENDAR

CLICK HERE FOR THE JUNE – 2nd grade through 6th-grade CALENDAR

Cost:  7th-12th graders is $40
2nd – 6th graders is $25

Attend all or as many as you are able to.  (Make checks to Pirate Basketball)

Send to:
Pirate  Hoops
Crookston High School   Attn: Greg Garmen
402 Fisher Ave.
Crookston, MN 56716

Keep top portion

Name________________________________________________________

Phone________________________________________________________

School attended(circle):    CHS    HES    Cathedral    Our Saviors       Home School

I understand that Crookston High School and the Summer Basketball Academy staff will not be held responsible for injuries of loss of personal property while the above athlete is attending the academy.  I authorize the directors to secure any emergency treatment deemed necessary.  The staff will not be held responsible for payment for this emergency treatment.  Any hospital or doctor fees that are a result of injury will be the responsibility of the parent or guardian.  I also acknowledge that the above athlete is physically ready for the activity of the basketball academy.

Signature of parent/guardian_________________________________________

— — —

The Christian Laettner Basketball Academy will be conducting a youth basketball clinic in Pillager June 24-26 at Pillager High School.
4th-8th grade 9 am – noon (co-ed)
9th-12th grade 1 pm – 4 pm (co-ed)
Cost is $125, including a water bottle
Register Online at www.theclba.com

Christian Laettner is a retired NBA 13-year veteran whose hall-of-fame career for the Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the greatest in National Collegiate Athletic Association history. Coach Laettner will provide a fun, learning environment for the committed basketball player looking to improve their game, with a focus on skill development, striving to help players improve their ball handling, and passing, while increasing their understanding of offensive and defensive concepts. There will be great attention to detail on the core fundamentals of the game. Players, nowadays, love to dribble, dribble, dribble the ball. With that in mind, the teaching point this academy will stress the most is “catch the ball, save your dribble-and look to pass first!”. This concept is often overlooked in today’s game with the younger players – so the coaches will stress how ball movement is a key ingredient to a players game and offensive efficiency!

For the Camp form and for more information, CLICK HERE.

— — —

The University of Minnesota Crookston men’s basketball program will again offer camp options this summer. The Golden Eagles will host a Junior Eagle Day Camp from June 10-13 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., and an Offensive Skills Day Camp from June 17-20 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. The camps will be held at the University of Minnesota Crookston Wellness Center this year due to the remodeling of Lysaker Gymnasium, which will include new bleachers and a refurbished floor. This will be the sixth annual camp.

The Junior Eagle Day Camp will be for boys and girls grades 1-6 with each camper receiving a t-shirt and a camp ball. On the last day, all campers will receive a pizza party. The Offensive Skills Day Camp for boys and girls for grades 5-12. Each camper will receive a t-shirt and a camp ball. On the last day, all campers for the Offensive Skills Camp will also receive a pizza party.
The camp will develop campers skills through drill work, contests, and games. They will receive instruction and interaction with coaching staff and players.

The cost is $60 per camper. If you have any questions contact Assistant Coach Bryan Beamish at 218-281-8431 or bbeamish@crk.umn.edu. You can fill out the attached registration form (click here for the form) and send form and payment to:

UMC Basketball
142 Sports Center
2900 University Ave.
Crookston, MN  56716

— — —

JOKES

If a mute swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?

If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them would they still grow?  Only to be troubled and insecure?

Is there another word for synonym?

Isn’t a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do “practice”?

When sign makers go on strike, is anything written on their signs?

When you open a bag of cotton balls, is the top one meant to be thrown away?

Where do forest rangers go to “get away from it all”?

Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?

Why do they report power outages on TV?

What do you do when you see an endangered animal that is eating  an endangered plant?

Is it possible to be totally partial?

What’s another word for thesaurus?

If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?

Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

Why do they lock gas station bathrooms?  Are they afraid someone  will clean them?

Why do people who know the least know it the loudest?

If the funeral procession is at night, do folks drive with their headlights off?

If a stealth bomber crashes in a forest, will it make a sound?

If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

When it rains, why don’t sheep shrink?

Should vegetarians eat animal crackers?

If the cops arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

Why is the word abbreviation so long?

When companies ship styrofoam, what do they pack it in?

If you’re cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?

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