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SPORTS FEEVER – October 8, 2020

Welcome to another Sports Feever column.  It was a big week last week for Minnesota high school winter sports.   We found out all winter sports will be played (hopefully).  We might also find out that some fans might be allowed to watch volleyball now.  They are trying to figure out who and how many and it sounds like parents might have a good shot, which would be the right thing to do.  We will find out soon it sounds like.   Stay tuned!

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The Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors unanimously (17-0) approved a “Maximized” Winter Sports schedule last week.

A “Maximized” Winter Sports Season with a 30 percent reduction of games (same as fall sports).  Teams can have two contests per week.  In the last two weeks of the season, teams can have three events per week to get any postponed games in. Games/events will be against conference, section, and local teams.
Start dates are below –
November 9 – Dance
November 16 – Adapted Floor Hockey
November 23 – Boys Hockey and Boys Basketball
November 30 – Girls Hockey, Wrestling, Boys Swimming and Diving, Nordic and Alpine skiing.
December 7 – Girls Basketball and Girls Gymnastics

A decision on the Winter sports postseason will be made at the December 3 meeting.

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It was great to see all winter sports are being played, all with shortened and different looking seasons.
I asked Crookston Pirate Wrestling Coach Wes Hanson a few questions about the news that cam out last week.  The Q and A with Coach Hanson is below-
 
1. What were your thoughts when they announced wrestling was going to happen.
It had been a long few months waiting for this announcement and doing my best to remain optimistic. The moment they announced we would be able to compete this season was extremely exciting and even a bit emotional. My thoughts went immediately to my senior wrestlers. Those seniors and all the guys have invested so much time and energy into this great sport, I was relieved they would get the chance to pursue their goals this winter.
2. What do you think of the altered schedule with no invites/tournaments when that is a huge part of the wrestling season.
It will be quite a bit different without the Saturday tournaments and it’s definitely a bummer. However, a competitive dual is as exciting as it gets and we are very fortunate to have a strong dual team this season. I’m very hopeful there will be a somewhat traditional postseason as that is a huge motivating factor for athletes to stay focused and continue to improve. Competing at the state level is a dream for all high school athletes and I’m hopeful our wrestlers get the opportunity to try to advance as a team and individually. One step at a time for now, I’m very thankful to be able to coach these wrestlers again this season and can’t wait to get back on the mat!
Thanks,
Coach Hanson

 

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The Section 8A Girls Soccer seeds were released Wednesday morning and East Grand Forks and Sartell were the top seeds.
Crookston will host Walker-Hackensack-Akeley in the play-in game.  All the info is below.

North
1. East Grand Forks
2. Alexandria
3. Detroit Lakes
4. Bemidji
5. Hillcrest Lutheran Academy
6. Fergus Falls
7. Pelican Rapids
8. Crookston
9. Walker/Hackensack/Akely

North Play in game – Thursday, 10/8 – time 4:00 p.m.
#9 Walker/Hackensack/Akeley at #8 Crookston

Quarterfinal games – Tuesday, 10/13- 4 PM if no lights. 7 PM if lights
#8 Crookston/#9 WHA winner at #1 East Grand Forks
#7 Pelican Rapids at #2 Alexandria
#6 Fergus Falls at #3 Detroit Lakes
#5 Hillcrest Lutheran Academy at #4 Bemidji

South
1. Sartell
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. Little Falls
4. Sauk Rapids-Rice
5. St. Cloud Tech
6. St. Cloud Apollo
7. Melrose
8. Rocori
9. St. John’s Prep

South Play in game on 10/8
#9 St. John’s Prep @ #8 Rocori

Quarterfinal games on Tuesday, 10/13
#8/#9 Winner at #1 Sartell
#7 Melrose at #2 Cathedral
#6 Apollo at #3 Little Falls
#5 Tech t #4 Sauk Rapids- Rice

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The Section 8A Boys Soccer seeds were released Wednesday morning and Pelican Rapids and St. Cloud Cathedral were the top seeds.
Crookston lost a coin toss for the sixth seed tie-breaker and will be going back to East Grand Forks for the first round of the tournament.  All the info is below.

North
1. Pelican Rapids
2. East Grand Forks
3. Bemidji
4. Detroit Lakes
5. Alexandria
6. Fergus Falls
7. Crookston
8. Fergus Falls Hillcrest

North Quarterfinals on Monday, 10/12 – 4:00 PM
#8 Hillcrest at #1 Pelican Rapids
#7 Crookston at #2 East Grand Forks
#6 Fergus Falls at #3 Bemidji
#5 Alexandria at #4 Detroit Lakes

South
1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. St. Cloud Tech
3. St. Cloud Apollo
4. Little Falls
5. Sartell
6. Minnewaska
7. Sauk Rapids – Rice
8. Melrose
9. Rocori
10. St. John’s Prep

Play in games on Thursday, 10/8 – 4 PM
#10 SJP at #7 Sauk Rapids-Rice
#9 Rocori at #8 Melrose

Quarterfinals- Monday, 10/12 – 4 PM
Winner Rocori/Melrose at #1 St. Cloud Cathedral
Winner SJP/SRR at #2 St. Cloud Tech
#6 Minnewaska at #3 St. Cloud Apollo
#5 Sartell at #4 Little Falls

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I asked University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Athletic Director Steph Helgeson a few questions and she was gracious enough to take time out of busy schedule to answer the questions. The Q and A are below-
1. I saw Jamestown and Mary were playing club hockey this past weekend.  Do you know when the hockey team might play, or what are the plans for the team at this time?
We plan to start hockey at the end of November and compete second semester obviously there will be a reduction in games played.
2. I also was wondering about what the teams are able to do for practice now.  I saw UMC softball and baseball Are holding practice.  Is there guidance from NCAA D-2, NSIC, or is it campus by campus.
Yes, we started our Countable Athletic Related Activities (CARA) on Monday, September 28th.  Most schools in the NSIC are doing some form of CARA from what I understand.  We have to follow University of Minnesota policies, NCAA SSI requirements, CDC, MDH and Polk County Public Health policies and procedures. All of our student athletes and staff were tested.  CARA  for UMN Crookston looks like this:
– 8 hours per week with no more than 4 spent on skill instruction- Required 2 days off per week
– Groups of no more than 8
– Universal masking will be required and social distancing observed
– No contact activities will be allowed
– Must be voluntary
– Occur during the hours of 6 am – 6 pm
– Daily screening for SA and Athletic staff
3. Do you have any idea when the NSIC will make a “formal” announcement on the basketball season?
At this time we would start practice November 27th with competition starting in January.  With that being said, I am on the COVID-19 Return to Competition Working Group and we will be meeting weekly to discuss resocialization of college basketball, winter sports return to competition, schedules, etc.  The NCAA Board of Governors meet at the end of October so we will have more clarification after that meeting.
4. Is there anything you would like people to know about UMC Athletics?

We just appreciate everyone’s continued support. A lot of people have reached out wondering when they will be able to watch games again and what they can do to help support the programs and campus.  Our Sports Medicine staff has done a great job, led by Steve Krouse on working to implement all the policies and procedures in order for us to move forward.  Also, Chancellor Holz-Clause and VC Hoffman have been very instrumental in assisting with testing strategies and allowing us to move forward with our CARA hours so we are very fortunate for their leadership.  Coaches and staff are working hard and really give credit to our student athletes who are doing everything they can to ensure the health and safety of each other and making adjustments for the CARA hours so we can participate in those activities.

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The Minnesota State High School Volleyball rankings have been released and the only team from the area that made the top 10 is defending Section 8A champion Fosston.

We have the state rankings available by clicking here.

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The Minnesota Hockey Board of Directors has instituted multiple rule changes for the upcoming 2020-2021 season. Minnesota Hockey enacted rules designed to provide more players the opportunity to play with their classmates, reduce and eliminate discriminatory conduct, reduce fighting and provide a positive environment for players, coaches and spectators.

Age Classifications: As announced in July 2019, Minnesota Hockey is implementing a modification to its age classifications, which will move the starting date of each classification from July 1 to June 1 (ex: June 1, 2009 – May 31, 2011), starting this season. Background information on this change is available here and frequently asked questions are available here. In concert with this age classification change, Minnesota Hockey has updated its policy requiring associations to accommodate players with July/August birthdates who request to “play up” to participate with their classmates to also include June birthdates.

Match Penalty for Offensive, Hateful or Discriminatory Conduct: In October 2019, USA Hockey announced it increased the penalty for racial/derogatory slurs of any kind that fall under Playing Rule 601 (e. 3) from a game misconduct to a match penalty. Minnesota Hockey has updated its conduct rule to assess a match penalty for language, gestures or conduct that is offensive, hateful or discriminatory in nature. Officials will also be required to file a game report for any occurrence.

Fighting Penalties: The penalty for fighting will now be a major penalty and a three-game misconduct penalty. For a second violation, the player will be suspended from all participation for the remainder of the season. This rule, which has been utilized by the Junior Gold High School League, Recreation League and select districts, now applies to all Minnesota Hockey classifications.

Artificial Noisemakers Prohibited: The use of artificial noise makers and devices such as laser pointers that could be detrimental to the players or the conduct of the game are considered abusive conduct and are prohibited at all games.

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The Big Ten Conference office announced Tuesday that the 2020-21 hockey season will begin as soon as November 13, 2020, and will feature 24-game conference schedules, plus an additional four games per school against Arizona State University hosted at Big Ten venues. The 2020-21 schedule will conclude March 18-20, 2021, with the Big Ten Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2021 Big Ten Hockey Tournament will return to the one-weekend, single-elimination format used during the first four years of Big Ten hockey and will feature all seven conference teams – Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. The tournament will be held March 18-20 and will consist of six games (three games on Thursday; two games on Friday; and the championship game on Saturday).
Big Ten hockey teams will follow the same medical protocols that were developed by the Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force and announced on Sept. 16, 2020, including daily antigen testing, enhanced cardiac screening and an enhanced data-driven approach when making decisions about practice/competition. Arizona State has agreed to adhere to the same testing protocols as the Big Ten Conference.

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JOKES

My boss said, “I find it highly suspicious that you are only sick on weekdays.”
I said, “It must be my weekend immune system.”

— —

Tim decided to tie the knot with his long time girlfriend. One evening, after the honeymoon, he was organizing his golfing equipment. His wife was standing nearby watching him.
After a long period of silence she finally speaks: “Tim, I’ve been thinking, now that we’re married maybe it’s time you quit golfing. You spend so much time on the course. You could probably get a good price for your clubs.”
Tim gets this horrified look on his face.
She says, “Darling, what’s wrong?”
“For a minute there you were beginning to sound like my ex-wife.”
“Ex-wife!” she screams, “I didn’t know you were married before!”
“I wasn’t,” he replied.

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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

Brady Butt is a freshman playing football at the University of Jamestown.

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 Junior on the University of North Dakota Women’s Track and Field team.

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

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

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

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

Rachel Hefta, a Sophmore, 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 sophomore playing basketball and tennis at the University of Minnesota Morris.

Caden Osborn, is a freshman playing basketball at the University of Minnesota Morris.

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

Crookston School District Coaches –
Emily Meyer is a girls hockey and softball assistant coach.
Carrie Clauson 
is a Junior High girls tennis coach.
Jeremy Lubinski
 is a Pirate 8th Grade Football coach.
Amy Boll 
is the head Pirate Girls Track head coach and assistant volleyball coach
Sarah Reese 
is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Cody Brekken
 is the Head Pirate Girls and Boys Tennis coach and Crookston Community Pool Supervisor
Marley Melbye is the Head Girls Swimming coach
Mitch Bakken is the head Pirate Baseball coach.
Brock Hanson
 is 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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