SPORTS FEEVER – May 14, 2020

Welcome to another Sports Feever.  We are a little over six weeks of the pandemic’s cancelation of sports and the next several weeks were supposed to be playoff time.  Most of the graduation ceremonies will be different next week and we could go on and on.
Proud dad bragging is coming –
My oldest daughter, Alyssa, is “virtually” graduating from the University of Minnesota Duluth this weekend.  My wife and I actually are in Duluth as I write this and we packed her up and loaded the cars.  We will head to the Twin Cities metro area Thursday morning to move her into her new apartment as she will work for Hospice for a year before attending PA school.  She has graduated with honors from Duluth while majoring in biology/pre-med.  She had 21 credits this semester and had over a 3.9 and is graduating with honors.  She did all of that while working as a CNA for the last four years at long-term care facilities in Duluth and worked in Crookston on breaks.  She worked her butt off in school and at work and worked several double-shifts and longer many times during her last four years.  While we love the great grades and the fact that she will be attending a PA (Physicians Assistant) school soon, I am proud of how hard she has worked to get where she is today.
My daughter won’t be participating in the virtual ceremony the U of M is holding on Saturday.  When I asked her about it.  Her response was…..it would be a waste of money to buy the cap and gown, I am getting my diploma either way.
I have taught her well.
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We have received some news that Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School volleyball coach Tessa Tysver has been battling the Coronavirus for the past month.  She has been in the hospital four times and has an underlying condition that is causing some problems.
Coach Tysver has always been a class act and I have enjoyed interviewing her over the years before matches and is one of the nicest people you will meet.  It seemed like Crookston went to Glyndon in the first round of the playoffs every year for a few years so between the regular season match and the postseason we have talked to her more than most opponents.  She is always classy, coaches her teams the right way, cares about her players, and has done a great job keeping the program at the top of the section.
If you can, throw a prayer or two Coach Tessa Tysver’s way and also keep her husband and three children in your thoughts and prayers too.
Good luck coach and keep fighting!  We are thinking and praying for you!
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I had a chance to talk with Paul Bittner on Tuesday afternoon.  The AHL made the announcement that the rest of the season is canceled so I talked with him about hockey, his contract negotiations, and a lot more.

For the story and a 21 minute interview, click here.

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There will be no American Legion Baseball in Minnesota this summer after the State executive committee met Saturday morning and canceled the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The official release is below –
The American Legion Department of Minnesota Executive Committee, Minnesota American Legion Baseball Committee, and Minnesota American Legion Commander Mark Dvorak have canceled the 2020 season out of concerns for the safety of players, coaches, umpires, fans and volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision came during a morning video conference on Saturday, May 9. The Baseball Committee heard from Commander Dvorak and had input from state and national legal advisers. Statewide COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings would make playing baseball prohibitive.
American Legion Baseball programs across the country have shut down, resulting in team insurance being unavailable through the national Legion Baseball program. The national level last month canceled the American Legion World Series planned for August, and the national program announced Friday, May 8, it would provide no national-level support.
Later on Saturday, South Dakota announced they were going to have an American Legion season.  A few hours later, the National American Legion said there will be NO legion baseball anywhere this summer.

 

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PIRATE BOYS GOLF SENIORS


Quinn Westlake
Played – Football, hockey, and golf.
What are you doing next year? I am going to UND and will major in business or economics
What is the highlight of your high school career – The highlight of my high school career was just being able to play sports and having fun with my friends.
How would you sum up the last six weeks? The last five weeks were stressful at times and very boring.
Is there anything you want to ad? Don’t take your sport seasons for granted, you never know when your last game or meet will be.
Parents – Al and Liz Westlake

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We will have Pirate softball seniors next week and we hope to get something from boys track.

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The NJCAA Division III runner-up Northland Community & Technical College women’s basketball team is reloading for the 2020-21 season by inking seven athletes to letters of intent.
New signees include guards Jackie Taflin of Clearbrook-Gonvick; Mara Davis of Nebraska City (Neb.); Lexie Benke of Badger-Greenbush-Middle River; Mackenzie Roller of Warren-Alvarado-Oslo; Sydney Clark of Mahnomen; Keylee Dahl of Marshall County Central (Northern Freeze); and Nicole Swedberg of Waubun.

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JOKES

There are two brothers, aged four and six.
The six year old says “You know, it’s about time we started to swear.”
The four year old says “OK.”
The six year old says “From now on I’ll say ‘hell’ and you say ‘ass.'”
The four year old says “OK.”
So they go downstairs and their mother says “What would you boys like for breakfast?”
The six year old says “Oh what the hell, I’ll have corn flakes.”
WHACK!
The kid goes flying across the room.
The mother turns to the four year old and asks “And what would YOU like for breakfast?”
The four year old says “I don’t know, but you can bet your ass it’s not corn flakes.”

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A Highway Patrolman waited outside a popular bar, hoping for a bust.

At closing time everyone come out and he spotted his potential quarry. The man was so obviously inebriated that he could barely walk. He stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, looking for his car.

After trying his keys on five other cars, he finally found his own vehicle. He sat in the car a good ten minutes, as the other patrons left. He turned his lights on, then off, wipers on, then off. He started to pull forward into the grass, then stopped.

Finally, when he was the last car, he pulled out onto the road and started to drive away.

The patrolman, waiting for this, turned on his lights and pulled the man over. He administered the breathalyzer test, and to his great surprise, the man blew a 0.00.

The patrolman was dumbfounded. “This equipment must be broken!” he exclaimed.

“I doubt it,” said the man, “Tonight I am the designated decoy!”

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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 for the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Bluejacket.

Brady Heppner, is playing hockey for the Roanoke Raildogs in the SPHL.

Aleece Durbin, is a Sophomore on the University of North Dakota Women’s Track and Field team.

Brita Fagerlund, is a Junior on the University of Jamestown Jimmy Women’s Track team.

Ben Trostad is a sophomore member of the University of Minnesota Crookston golf team.

Isaac Westlake, is a Senior on the Winona State Warrior Men’s Golf team.

Elise Tangquist, is a Junior golfer for the University of Northwestern in St. Paul.

Mason LaPlante, a freshman, is playing soccer at the University of Jamestown.

Rachel Hefta, a freshman, is playing volleyball at Hastings College in Nebraska.

Cade Salentine is a redshirt Freshman playing football at the University of North Dakota. 

Nick Garmen, is a freshman playing basketball and tennis at the University of Minnesota Morris.

Thea Oman, a freshman, is swimming at St. Ben’s.

Crookston School District Coaches –
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 the 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
Blake Fee is an assistant 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.

Justin Johnson is an assistant softball coach at the University of Minnesota Crookston.

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 a Director of Athletics at the British International School of Houston.

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

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