SPORTS FEEVER by Chris Fee of KROX Radio – chrisjfee@yahoo.com
We are happy to report that former Crookston Pirate Girls Hockey Coach Emily Meyer has been named the Bemidji State University Women’s Director of Hockey Operations!
We had a chance to talk with Emily and asked her about the new job.
How did the director of hockey operations position come about?
I was in contact with Sarah Bobrowski, who I met through HP’s where I have coached the section girls 8A/AA 16’s in Bemidji, this summer asking her if there were any opportunities to help out in the upcoming hockey season since I was planning to make the move to Bemidji. It turns out there was an opening as the Director of Hockey Operations for the women’s hockey team, and I got a phone call from head coach Amber Fryklund when I was on my way to a job interview in Bemidji and was offered the position.
What will your duties be?
The director of hockey operations is a lot of the behind-the-scenes jobs that range anywhere from arranging team meals, and to video coordinating practices and games. I don’t get to give on-ice instruction to players directly, but I am involved in the coaches’ meetings where we plan practices and discuss offensive and defensive systems and special teams. During games I am filming from the press box and will do live coding on game film so that we can use that in between periods and for team film purposes. It has been a lot of learning new things, but I have loved being a student of the game and having the opportunity to learn from an amazing coaching staff while still having the opportunity to coach in a different way from what I am used to has been an amazing experience so far.
How excited are you for the opportunity?
It has been an absolute dream to be a part of the Bemidji State Women’s hockey team. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of coaches to take me under their wing and give me a chance to contribute and share my knowledge for a game that I love so much. I have loved every second of it, and I can’t wait for the season to get into full swing!
Are you currently taking classes?
I am currently taking online classes through Rasmussen University to complete my degree in Health and Wellness. I have been enrolled since April and I am on track to graduate this winter!
I also will be working at North Homes Children and Family services in Bemidji as a Mental Health practitioner and will be working at the middle schools with students. It is similar to what I was doing at the Middle School in Crookston.
Anything else that you want people to know?
I want to thank KROX, Chris Fee, Frank Fee, and their staff for always supporting Pirate Athletics. You guys never missed a game and always supported the Girls Hockey Program and their success. The Lady Pirates will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the program that made me who I am today. I loved having the opportunity to coach the Lady Pirates in my five years back home. I will cherish all of the memories that were made and the players that I had the opportunity to coach along the way. I will always be their #1 Fan. I want to thank the Crookston community for all of the love and support while with the Pirate Girls Hockey Program and now in my transition at Bemidji State. Crookston will always be home. Once a Pirate, always a Pirate!
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The Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association has named five men who will be inducted into the MBCA Hall of Fame on October 26. The purpose of the MBCA Hall of Fame is to give special recognition to the people of Minnesota who have made significant contributions to promote high school basketball in the state via their achievements and service.
The 2024 inductees are:
Kris Fadness – Austin, Caledonia
Jay Frydenlund – East Grand Forks
Wade Grinde – Spring Grove
Tom McDonald – Ely
Neil Steffes – Fertile-Beltrami
The induction ceremonies will be held at the MBCA Hall of Fame Ceremony on Saturday, October 26, 2024, 2:00 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Minneapolis. Ticket information will be available on the MBCA website: http://www.mshsca.org/boysbasketball.
Neil Steffes became the Head Boys Basketball coach at Fertile-Beltrami in 1993, and the 2024-25 season will be his 32nd season at the helm of the Falcons program. During his 31-year tenure at Fertile-Beltrami, the Falcons have won six Conference titles and Section Championships in 1995, 1996, 2001, and 2024. The 1996 squad finished runners-up to Mpls. North in the Sweet 16 tournament format, and the 2024 squad earned a Class A State tournament runners-up finish. Neil is a member of the 500 wins club with an overall record of 526-313. Coach Steffes has been named Conference Coach of the Year six times and Section 8A Coach of the Year four times. He is a past president, 2021-22, of the MBCA and has and continues to serve as 8A representative on the MBCA Executive Board. In addition to his leadership on the basketball court, Neil has also served as a football and track and field Coach for 30-plus years. He is a recipient of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Butch Nash Outstanding Assistant Award.
Jay Frydenlund spent the first seven years of his 37 year coaching career as the Head Basketball Coach at Leeds, ND high school where he led the Wildcats to three Class B State Tournament appearances including a runner-up finish. In 1992, he accepted a teaching/coaching position at East Grand Forks Senior High where he served as Head Boys Basketball Coach for the next 20 years. After three years off the bench, he returned to lead the Green Wave Girls’ basketball program for five years before retiring after the 2020 season. Under Coach Frydenlund’s leadership Green Wave cagers won four Northwest Conference championships and earned six runner-up finishes in Section 8 tournament play. Coach Frydenlund is a member of the 500 Wins Club with an overall 552-272 career mark. Jay also served as a Golf Coach where he earned Section Coach of the Year honors while leading the EGF Boys Golf squad to the State Tournament and coaching an individual State Golf Champion.
Wade Grinde’s coaching career began as an Assistant Coach at Spring Grove in 1994. After a one-year stint as an assistant coach, Wade assumed the reins of the Lions boy’s basketball program in 1995 and led it for the next 29 years, retiring at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. Under his tutelage and leadership, the Spring Grove hoopsters won 18 conference titles and Section championships with State Tournament berths in 2019 and 2023 with both squads earning third place honors. He is a member of the 500 wins club with an overall record of 566-197, a 74.2% winning percentage including 14 twenty plus win seasons. Coach Grinde has been recognized by his peers being named Section 1A Coach of the Year five times and 2019 Minnesota State Class A Coach of the Year. In addition to coaching basketball, Coach Grinde also served as an assistant football coach. Wade is a lifetime member of the MSHSCA and participated as a coach in the MBCA All-Star Series.
Tom McDonald’s coaching career has spanned 37 years, beginning in 1988 at Lyman, SD where he led the Raiders to a 1990 South Dakota Class B State Championship. In 1991 Tom moved back across the border and began his Minnesota coaching career as the Head Basketball Coach at Ely High School. Timberwolves cagers have won three Arrowhead Conference titles and earned a 2001 State Tournament appearance with a Section Championship with Coach McDonald at the helm. The 2014 squad finished the year with a 27-2 mark. McDonald has been recognized by his peers as a Section Coach of the Year honoree in 2001 and 2018. Tom is a member of the 500 wins club with an overall mark of 581-348. Coach McDonald continues to serve as Head Basketball Coach at Ely and will be entering his 35th campaign leading the Timberwolves with the start of the 2024-25 season.
Kris Fadness started his basketball coaching journey by serving three years as an Assistant Coach at Luther College, four years as an Assistant Coach at Hamline University, and one year coaching in the Icelandic League in Njardvik, Iceland. His high school basketball coaching career began at Caledonia in 1993 where he spent four years leading the Warriors to four Conference championships, three Section championships, and a 1997 Class AA State title. In 1997, he moved to Austin where he led the Packers program for the next 25 seasons, retiring after the 2021 season. Under Coach Fadness’ tutelage and leadership the Packers earned six Big Nine Conference titles and seven Section 1AAA crowns resulting in three State runner-up and one State third place finish. Kris was recognized by his peers as Section Coach of the Year eight times, 1997 Minnesota State Class AA Coach of the Year, and 2014 Minnesota Class AAA Coach of the Year. Coach Fadness is a member of the 500 Wins Club and finished his career with an overall mark of 504-266. He served on the MBCA Executive Board as a Section rep, 2007-08 MBCA President and coached in the MBCA All Star Series.
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Fertile-Beltrami High School grad, Rylin Petry transferred from Bemidji State to North Dakota State (NDSU) for his junior year and he is picking up where he left off last season as a member of the Men’s Golf team. Last year Petry was named NSIC player of the week twice and he opened his junior year as the Summit League Peak Men’s Golfer of the Week to open the season.
Petry led the Bison in the season-opening tournament at the Red Bandanna Invitational hosted by Boston College. Battling through heavy winds and rainy conditions, the junior posted a pair of par or better rounds to finish in sixth overall, leading NDSU to a second-place finish.
Petry and the rest of the Bison are slated to return to action on September 16-17 at the Doc Gimmler Red & Black in Farmingdale, New York.
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The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team is set to hold their Alumni and Family weekend Saturday, September 21. The Golden Eagles will have an alumni game at 12 p.m. Saturday, as they welcome back the countless alumni who have helped build the Golden Eagle baseball program into one of the top contenders in the NSIC. Minnesota Crookston is also excited to welcome family members of their current and previous players back to celebrate the Golden Eagle baseball family. Free food and drink will be provided at the game. UMC Teambackers is also holding a tailgate.
Following the alumni game, Minnesota Crookston baseball will host their Alumni Banquet at the Crookston Inn and Convention Center at 6 p.m. The event will be highlighted by keynote speaker Bucky Burgau, the former long-time head baseball coach at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. Burgau led the Cobbers for 36 years, and has coached six MIAC Most Valuable Player award winners, seven All-Americans, 36 All-Region players and almost 100 MIAC All-Conference honorees. Several of Burgau’s former players have gone on to play professional baseball and was one of the influences on the professional career of former Cobbers, and three-time MIAC MVP, Chris Coste who won the World Series as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Burgau is the all-time winningest coach in the history of Concordia athletics. Burgau amassed 680 career wins as head coach for the Cobbers. He has also posted 401 wins in the MIAC, making him the winningest coach to ever coach in the conference.
Burgau’s teams recorded at least 15 wins in 32 of the 36 seasons they played, and posted 20 wins in 13 different seasons. Burgau’s best season came in 1995 when the team went 30-8 and won the MIAC championship. In that season, the Cobbers advanced to the NCAA playoffs and finished second in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
When Burgau stepped aside in 2014 he was 12th on the list of wins by active NCAA Division III coaches. He was also 25th in overall wins by any coach in Division III. Burgau has earned the MIAC Coach of the Year honors on four occasions with the most recent coming in 2010.
In addition to Burgau, the alumni will be represented by one of the program’s all-time best leaders on and off the field Ben Thoma. Thoma was the first player in program history, in any sport, to win the NSIC Elite 18 Award, given to the sport’s top student-athlete for the season. In addition, Kelly Hjelle, the mother of Golden Eagle greats Reed and Jake Hjelle, will speak.
The Golden Eagles will also honor last season’s team and award winners after a phenomenal campaign. A social will begin prior to the banquet at 5 p.m. at the Crookston Inn and Convention Center.
To buy tickets for the banquet on Saturday please visit https://register.ryzer.com/camp.cfm?sport=2&id=283035
Family and alumni can stick around to watch the Golden Eagles compete in a scrimmage against Bemidji State University at 1 p.m. Sunday, September 22.
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Ada-Borup-West held its annual Ruth Hayden Tournament of Roses last Saturday and there was some great competition in the 16 team tournament.
East Grand Forks won the tournament beating Thief River Falls in the semi-finals and Kittson County Central in the championship.
The top 10 teams are below-
1. East Grand Forks
2. Kittson County Central
3. Thief River Falls
4. Ada-Borup-West
5. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
6. BGMR
7. Red Lake Falls
8. Underwood
9. Fosston
10. Bagley
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The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) and the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, based at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, are proud to announce that the MSHSL is the first state high school governing body to become a Coaching HER® Champion. This partnership keeps MSHSL at the forefront of advancing more equitable experiences and opportunities for girls in high school sports. Learning modules created by Coaching HER® will be available directly on coaches’ League Coach Dashboard and completion will report to their Activities Administrators as well as to their own record of learning.
Minnesota leads the nation in girls’ participation in middle and high school sports and the League recognizes that coaches are one of the most important factors in determining whether or not she keeps playing sports. This partnership will offer high school coaches the tools and knowledge needed to foster inclusive, supportive and equitable environments for young female athletes. Coaching HER® program director Alicia Pelton states, “We are honored to welcome MSHSL as our first state high school sports governing body partner. Their commitment to equity has a strong presence in the educational-based athletics sector, fostering other states to follow their lead. This will enhance the benefits of educational sports that have long-lasting definitive benefits.”
MSHSL Executive Director Erich Martens stated, “We believe that our activities provide some of the greatest educational experiences in high school. Equipping our coaches with the best training and information to support our female athletes is a League priority. The Tucker Center is a leader in this space, and we are thrilled to join together to benefit our students and coaches.”
The goal of Coaching HER® is to increase the likelihood that girls enter and stay in sport so they can benefit academically, socially, psychologically and have better health and well-being.
When a girl’s confidence is shaken because she internalizes gender biases and stereotypes, she is more likely to drop out of sports, based on a 2018 report published by the Tucker Center. The highest drop-out rate occurs during a critical age range when girls go through puberty, around 11 to 17 years old — which is exactly the age window when girls feel pressured to conform to an identity shaped by their peers and by adults, including coaches.
This online training platform currently includes six Foundational Modules on coaching girls and fostering a gender-positive climate that reduces stereotypes. Additionally, three Body Confident Sport Modules to educate coaches on inclusive coaching practices that support body confidence in their athletes plus Body Confident Athletes help coaches lead girls through a program that upskills girls with the knowledge and strategies to connect with their bodies, reduce body talk and help athletes focus on what their bodies can do, rather than how they look.
Tavia Bachman, Head Girls Softball Coach at Frazee and the Girls Sports Representative on the Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors shared, “The partnership between the League and the Tucker Center will provide new opportunities for coaches to educate themselves on best practices in coaching and providing the best environment for our female participants. This opportunity to learn and making it easily accessible will give coaches resources to lead our girls and build confidence to grow our participation and support our young women. Nothing is more impactful than the lifelong lessons and relationships built through educational-based activities. This opportunity for our coaches will only grow those relationships and the positive experiences for our female athletes.”
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Coming off a record 10th NCAA National Championship, the University of Denver has been selected by the media as the favorite to win the NCHC regular season in 2024-25. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) unveiled the 2024 NCHC Preseason Media Poll on Wednesday.
The 2024-25 campaign marks the third straight season that Denver has landed first in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll and the fourth time overall (also in 2017). The Pioneers collected 24 of 30 first-place votes and 263 points total to claim the top spot. North Dakota was picked second in the poll, receiving four (4) first-place votes and 241 points. Colorado College comes in third in the Preseason Poll with 200 points and one first-place vote.
2024-25 NCHC Preseason Media Poll
1. Denver – 263 points (24 first-place votes)
2. North Dakota – 241 (4)
3. Colorado College – 200 (1)
4. St. Cloud State – 149
5. Omaha – 137
6. Western Michigan – 127 (1)
7. Minnesota Duluth – 115
8. Arizona State – 80
9. Miami – 38
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JOKES
A young boy walks into a barber shop, and the barber leans in and says to his customer, “This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch and see.”
The barber then places a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, calling the boy over and asking, “Which one do you want, kid?”
The boy takes the quarters and leaves.
“See what I mean?” the barber says. “He never learns!”
Later, as the customer is leaving, he notices the same boy coming out of an ice cream parlor. “Hey, kid! Can I ask you something? Why did you pick the quarters over the dollar bill?”
The boy, enjoying his ice cream, replies, “Because if I took the dollar, the game would be over!”
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A guy sees a sign in front of a house: “Talking Dog for Sale.” He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard.
The guy goes into the backyard and sees a black mutt just sitting there.
“You talk?” he asks.
“Yep,” the mutt replies.
“So, what’s your story?”
The mutt looks up and says, “Well, I discovered my gift of talking pretty young and I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA about my gift, and in no time they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies eight years running.
The jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger and I wanted to settle down. So I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security work, mostly wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings there and was awarded a batch of medals. Had a wife, a mess of puppies, and now I’m just retired.”
The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.
The owner says, “Ten dollars.”
The guy says, “This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him, so cheap?”
The owner replies, “He’s just a big liar. He didn’t do any of that stuff.”
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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
Isabelle Smith is a freshman playing Tennis at Concordia College.
Isaac Thomforde is a freshman playing Tennis at Northwestern College in St. Paul.
Emilee Tate is a Sophomore playing Softball at Northland Community and Technical College.
Halle Bruggeman is a Sophomore on the University of Wisconsin-Stout Women’s Rugby team.
Ethan Boll is a Red-shirt Freshman on the University of North Dakota Football team.
Breanna Kressin is a Junior on the Hockey Cheer Team for THE University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey team.
Emma Osborn is a Junior playing basketball at the University of Minnesota Crookston.
Jacey Larson is a Sophomore playing hockey at Dakota College at Bottineau.
Aleah Bienek is a Junior playing hockey at Trine University in Indiana.
Joslynn Leach is a Senior playing golf at Concordia College in Moorhead. The Cobbers wrapped up the Fall season.
Brady Butt is a Senior playing football at the University of Jamestown.
Brooks Butt is a Junior playing football at the University of Jamestown.
Ty Hamre is redshirt Junior playing football at Bemidji State University.
Elizabeth Erdman is a coach for the Moorhead Red Dragon swim team.
Crookston School District Coaches
Ben Parkin is the head Pirate Baseball Coach.
Amy Boll is the head Pirate Girls Track head coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Marley Melbye is an assistant girls golf coach
Jeff Perreault is the Pirate Girls Golf head 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
Non-Crookston High School coaching/Admin/etc
Elise Tangquist is the Head Girls Golf Coach at Horace High School in Fargo, ND.
Carmen (Kreibich) Johnson is the head Little Falls Volleyball coach.
Tim Desrosier is an Assistant Coach for Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Pony Boys Basketball
Pat Wolfe is the head wrestling coach for Fosston/Bagley.
Austin Sommerfeld is an Assistant Athletic Director for Strategic Communication at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth.
Collin Reynolds is the head baseball coach for the University of Colorado Buffalo Club Baseball team.
Trent Stahlecker is a School Security Specialist & he works for the Brevard Public Schools, Florida.
Cody Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach at Proctor/Hermantown.
Josh Edlund is the head football coach and phy ed teacher at Flandreau, South Dakota.
Allison Lindsey Axness is Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach at Champlin Park
Jeff Olson is the Head Wrestling Coach and Head Baseball coach at Delano.
Jake Olson is an Assistant Football Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Delano.
Matt Harris is an Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Marty Bratrud is the Superintendent and High School Principal at Westhope High School.
Gordie Haug is an assistant football coach at the University of Wyoming.
Mike Hastings is the Wisconsin Badgers Men’s head Hockey coach.
Mike Biermaier is the Athletic Director at Grand Forks Schools.
Stephanie (Lindsay) Perreault works with the North Dakota State stats crew for Bison football, volleyball, and basketball in the winter. Stephanie’s husband, Ryan, is the assistant director for Bison media relations.
Jason Bushie is the hockey athletic trainer at Colorado College.
Chris Myrold is the Director and Fitness at Mission Ranch and Fitness in Camel, California.
Kyle Buchmeier is a Tennis Pro at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis
Ben Andringa is serving our country in the Army and is now a Ranger.
Jarrett Butenhoff is serving our country with the U.S. Navy.
Joshua Butenhoff is serving our country on a Submarine with the Pacific Fleet with the US Navy.
Peter Cournia is a 2002 Crookston High School Graduate and a grad of West Point and currently serving in the U.S. Army.
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.
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.
