PTP Player of the Week

Jenna Lundon (Jr., Guard) from Waubun High School has earned Pine to
Prairie Girls Basketball Player of the Week honors for the week of
December 20th. Jenna played an important role in her team’s two victories
last week. Lundon led her team with a triple double against Norman County
West. She scored 20 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had 10 steals in the
65-42 win. Lundon followed that effort up with a 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4
assists and 7 steals effort as the Bombers defeated Ada-Borup. The
Bombers are currently undefeated with a 6-0 record for the season.

Evje, George and Carlin Earn Pine To Prairie Conference

Tara Evje (Jr., Forward) from Fosston High School has been chosen as the Pine to Prairie Girls Basketball Player of the Week. Tyler George (Jr., Guard) from Bagley High School and Garrett Carlin (Sr., Forward) from Fosston High School have selected as the Pine to Prairie Boys Basketball Players of the Week.

Tara had 22 points and 6 rebounds in an exciting win over Lake Park-Audubon. She scored the winning basket with 9 seconds left in the game. Evje added 19 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Fertile-Beltrami. In the Fosston Holiday Tournament, Tara had 25 points and 23 rebounds while hitting the game winning shot against Roseau with 8 seconds remaining. For the past three games, Tara has averaged 22 points and 13 rebounds per game. Tara also earned a Pine to Prairie Conference Volleyball Player of
the Week award during the fall season.

Tyler George led the Flyers to a 3-0 record last week with wins over Waubun, Clearbrook-Gonvick and Mahnomen. Tyler was instrumental in the team’s success with his scoring and defense. Tyler has scored very consistently this season. He is averaging 22 points per game with his lowest point total being 21 points so far this season in 4
games.

Garrett Carlin averaged 20 points per game, 9.5 rebound, 3 assist, 2 steals and 1.5 blocks in two games during the past week. Garrett led the Greyhounds to wins over Lake Park- Audubon and Fertile-Beltrami.
Other outstanding conference performers for last week include: Bailee Bartunek – Fr., Center from Lake ParkAudubon, Alex Wentzel – Jr., Forward from Climax-Fisher,Tanner Grunewald – Sr., Guard from Ada-Borup, and Mark Goss – Sr., Guard from Fosston.

Lynx to Tip-Off 13th Season at Target Center on Sunday, June 5 vs. Los Angeles Sparks

Lynx Open 2011 Season on the Road at Los Angeles on Friday, June 3

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team's schedule for the 2011 season. The Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks will tip-off the WNBA's 15th season on Friday, June 3 in Los Angeles at 9:30 p.m. The same two teams will meet two nights later on Sunday, June 5 at 2:30 p.m. as the Lynx open their 13th season of basketball at Target Center. The 2011 WNBA campaign consists of 34 regular-season contests (17 home/17 away) from June 3 through September 11.

The Lynx will play Western Conference teams Los Angeles (three times at home, two on the road) and Phoenix (three times on the road, two at home) five times each, and San Antonio, Seattle and Tulsa four times apiece, twice at home and twice on the road. Minnesota will play each Eastern Conference team (Atlanta, Chicago, Connecticut, Indiana, New York and Washington) twice, once at home and on the road. Minnesota's 2011 schedule features a national television appearance on Tuesday, August 2 vs. Phoenix.

Minnesota's 17-game home schedule features 10 weekend dates (4 - Friday, 3 - Saturday, 3 - Sunday) as well as four Tuesday games, one Wednesday matchup and two Thursday evening contests. For the ninth straight year, Minnesota will host one weekday afternoon game, a noon tipoff against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, July 13.

Highlights of the home portion of Minnesota's schedule also includes: 2010 Regular Season and Finals MVP Lauren Jackson and the 2010 WNBA Champion Seattle Storm will make two visits to Target Center (Saturday, July 16 and Friday, July 29); Candace Parker's Los Angeles Sparks will travel to Target Center Sunday, June 5, Tuesday, July 26 and Saturday, August 20; Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury will make two appearances in Minneapolis (Wednesday, July 13 and Tuesday, August 2); Janel McCarville's New York Liberty take on the Lynx at Target Center on Friday, September 2.

Minnesota plays consecutive games at home five times during the 2011 season, including a stretch of four of five at Target Center beginning with a Tuesday, July 26 contest vs. Los Angeles and ending with a Thursday, August 4 game vs. San Antonio. Following that, the Lynx will begin a stretch of three consecutive games on the road (August 7 at Los Angeles, August 9 at Phoenix and August 12 at Chicago). Minnesota's regular season home finale will be on Thursday, September 8 v s. Chicago. The Lynx have only one back-to-back set this year, when they play at Indiana on Friday, July 15 before playing Seattle at home on Saturday, July 16.

Season and group tickets for the 2011 season are now on sale. For information on ticket packages, call 612-673-8400, e-mail tickets@lynxbasketball.com, or visit the Lynx website at www.lynxbasketball.com.

PINE –TO- PRAIRIE INVITATIONAL WRESTLING TOURNAMENT

The Pine-To-Prairie Wrestling Tournament will be held at the Fertile-Beltrami High School Gymnasium on Saturday, January 8, 2011.

The following teams will be participating: EGF/Sacred Heart, Fertile-Beltrami, Fosston-Bagley, United Clay Becker, Red Lake Co. Central, Moorhead, and West Marshall.

Referees: Brian Bakke, Matt Lessard, and Bruce Murphy

Weigh-in time is 9:00 a.m. and will begin seeding promptly at 9:30 a.m. so wrestling can start at 11:00 a.m.

Jr. High/B-Squad will begin at 9:30 A.M.

Six places will be scored, with medals given to the top five individuals at each weight. The top two teams will receive a trophy. Along with the cheerleaders Jump Award, we will also be presenting a “Pinners” and “MVP” trophy.

Elite Baseball Academy

The Elite Baseball Academy has space available in their Pitcher & Catcher Camp this weekend in Oregon WI. TO REGISTER AS A WALK UP, EMAIL them your information asap to reserve a spot in the camp. You can also REGISTER ONLINE through Thursday night – DO NOT MAIL YOUR FORM; we will not receive it in time to reserve your spot.

Sunday, December 19 – Oregon, WI – Pitcher & Catcher Professional Skills Camp – 12:00 PM – 4:30 PM - Grades 5-12.

All the registration information for our online registration and each registration form are posted on our website: www.elitebaseballacademy.com.

Help take your skills to the next level as you improve your game with our professional instruction in these valuable off-season opportunities! We are DEDICATED TO YOUR PREPARATION in becoming the best player you can be! We look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming camps!

UPCOMING INSTRUCTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES – MAXIMIZE YOUR OFF- SEASON!
All Registration Information Will Be Posted Soon – Check their website!

Ripon College – Ripon, WI
Sunday, January 9 – PREMIER MIDWEST CATCHER CAMP (CATCHER-ONLY)

Pittsburgh-Area, PA
Saturday, January 15 – “PREMIER MIDWEST CATCHER CAMP (CATCHER-ONLY)
Sunday, January 16 – “Energy Transfer” Professional Hitting Camp

Fergus Falls- Area -- Underwood, MN
Saturday, January 29 – Catcher & Infield Professional Skills Camp
Saturday, January 29 – “Energy Transfer” Professional Hitting Camp

Willmar, MN
Sunday, January 30, – “Energy Transfer” Professional Hitting Camp

Check the EBA website for more details at www.elitebaseballacademy.com.

Timberwolves Will Host Prep Hoops Powerhouses in 15th Annual Timberwolves Shootout

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the 15th annual Timberwolves Shootout will be held at Target Center on Saturday, Jan. 8. The Shootout will feature four of Minnesota's top boys basketball programs along with four elite entries from outside of the state.

2011 Timberwolves Shootout Schedule
1:00 p.m. Viborg (SD) vs. Roseville
3:00 p.m. Onalaska (WI) vs. Benilde-St. Margaret's
5:00 p.m. Cedar Rapids Washington (IA) vs. Chaska
7:00 p.m. Linn-Mar (IA) vs. Apple Valley

Knudsvig and Henrickson Selected as Pine to Prairie Basketball Players of the Week

Andi Knudsvig (Jr. Guard) from Lake Park-Audubon High School and Neil Henrickson (So., Guard) from Ulen-Hitterdal High School have been selected as the Pine to Prairie Girls and Boys Basketball Players of the week.

Andi scored 21 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in a 51-36 win over Mahnomen. She also went 10-12 from the foul line for the game. Knudsvig followed that effort up with a 26 point and 6 rebound performance against Northern Cass. She went a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line in that contest.

Neil Averaged 18 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals in leading Ulen-Hitterdal to a 2-0 record for the week. He went 16-17 from the free throw line as Neil and his team defeated Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton by a score of 47-36 and edged the Bagley Flyers 65-60.

Other outstanding conference performers for the week in girls basketball include Kari Skersick from Bagley High School and Jenna Lundon from Waubun High School. Notable boys basketball performances were turned in by Garrett Carlin and Kyle Arneson, both from Fosston High School and Tyler George from Bagley High School.

The Pine to Prairie Basketball Players of the Week are nominated and selected by the conference coaches and athletic directors

North Dakota State Men's Basketball Player Taylor Baxter to Transfer

FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State men's basketball coach Saul Phillips announced today that guard Taylor Baxter will transfer at semester break.

Baxter, a 6-foot-5 freshman out of Fieldcrest High School in Minonk, Ill., said he will attend Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Loras is an NCAA Division III athletics program.

"Taylor's efforts through the first half of the season are appreciated," Phillips said. "He badly wanted to be closer to home and I support him in that decision."

Baxter signed a National Letter of Intent with NDSU on April 26. He did not play in any of NDSU's nine regular-season games but did participate in two exhibition games.

North Dakota State (6-3) is scheduled to host UC Davis at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Bison Sports Arena. The Aggies are at UCLA tonight.

MSUM vs UMC

DRAGON WOMEN v. UMC GOLDEN EAGLES
For the Dragons, this game is an opportunity to build on their current five-game win streak and possibly move to 3-0 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

Leading the Golden Eagles is a solid starting five and are led by Jamie Zelinsky and Bri Zabel. Zelinsky leads the Golden Eagles in scoring with 17.5 points per game and Zabel ranks second with 15.7 points per game.

Bri Zabel is the older sister of Dragon freshman, Morgan Zabel. The Zabel siblings played together at Northfield High School (Minn.) for one year, but this game will be the first time the two have had to share the floor wearing different jerseys.

Head Coach Karla Nelson said, “UMC has such a balanced lineup and that's what makes them so tough.”

Four starters for Minnesota-Crookston are averaging double digits, while only two MSU Moorhead starters, Angie Jetvig (21.3 ppg) and Betsy Dickson (11.0 ppg), can claim the same.

Jetvig is coming off her career high matching 25 point performance against Dickinson State University (N.D.) last Tuesday, and Dickson tallied her career high 17 points against Minnesota Duluth.

DRAGON MEN v. UMC GOLDEN EAGLES
Much like the women's contest, the men's game also has a pair of former teammates facing off. The Dragon's Tarell Clark and the Golden Eagle's Larry Brown played together their freshman year at Western Nebraska.

Brown is tied for second with 12.8 points per game for Minnesota-Crookston along with senior Adam Hendricks. Leading the Golden Eagles in both scoring (14.3 ppg) and rebounding (4.3 per game) is Utah Valley State transfer Eric Dearden.

All five starters for the Dragon are averaging double digits. Junior Dennis Williamson leads the Dragons with 14.7 ppg, a close second is junior Jake Driscoll with 14.0 and Clark is third with 12.7.

Both men's teams are 4-2 on the season, but the Dragons have a one game advantage in the NSIC standings after beating Bemidji State last Friday. The Golden Eagles are still unbeaten however at home and are still searching for their first NSIC victory.

THE SERIES
The Dragon women lead the all-time series record over the Golden Eagles, 23-2. Last season MSUM swept UMC extending the winning streak to 13 over the Golden Eagles.

The MSUM men also lead the all-time series, 23-8. The Dragons took both contests last season but split in the season prior to have three-game winning streak against the Golden Eagles.

26 Dragons Named to Fall Academic All-Conference Team

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced its All-Academic Teams for the 2010 fall athletic season on Wednesday. The Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragon fall sports had 26 athletes featured on this list.

To be eligible for this honor, the student-athlete must be a member of the varsity traveling team and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better. Furthermore, the athlete must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at her/his institution (true freshmen, red-shirt freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at that institution.

The Dragon soccer team had 11 athletes on the list which was the highest among all conference teams. The cross country, football and volleyball teams each had five athletes on the list.

The soccer team's honorees included Katherine Adams, Abby Kettler, Laura Kohtala, Cody Krieg, Aimee Laurencelle, Shiree Lindholm, Shenae Morical, Katelin Roos, Rachel Thompson, Tricia Vanyo and Alison Wanner.

Cross Country selections are Kristina Anderson, Erik Hanson, Danielle Thompson, Kaeley Troyer and Anna VanWechel.

Tyler Hewson, Jeff Schuette, Matt Taffe, Robert Wilhelm and Barik Williams highlighted the football selections.

The Dragon volleyball All-Academic winners include: Heidi Lensing, Katy Ness, Anna Olson, Leigh Splittstoesser and Laura Tvrdik.

Erv Inniger to be Recognized Prior to NDSU-UND Men's Basketball Game

FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State University will recognize the contributions of longtime coach and administrator Erv Inniger prior to Saturday's 7 p.m. NDSU-UND men's basketball game at the Fargodome.

Inniger, in his 33rd year at the university, will retire Jan. 18. He has been an associate and senior associate athletic director since 1992 after spending 14 seasons as the head men's basketball coach.

Over the past 18 years, Inniger has raised scholarship endowments from $356,000 to over $10.5 million, and Bison Athletics currently has 120 scholarship endowments.

He served two terms on the Fargo City Commission and played a major role in developing facilities such as the Ellig Sports Complex and Newman Outdoor Field on the NDSU campus that have benefited both the university and the community. He is currently working toward the Bison Sports Arena renovation project estimated at $32 million.

Inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001, Inniger is the winningest men's basketball coach in school history. He guided NDSU to a 244-150 record from 1978 to 1992 including one North Central Conference title in 1981.

He coached two 20-win teams and racked up 13 consecutive winning seasons from 1978 to 1991, including runner-up finishes in 1980, 1985 and 1987. The 1981 team finished third at the NCAA Division II regional, and the 1983 team advanced to the NCAA regional title game.

Inniger recruited and/or coached eight Bison Athletic Hall of Famers - Jeff Askew, Lance Berwald, Mike Driscoll, Brady Lipp, Joe Regnier, David Ryles, Dr. Paul Shogren, and Dan Wilberscheid.

A native of Berne, Ind., Inniger was a standout performer in high school, where his teams went 67-12 over three regular seasons. He was a member of the 1988 Indiana silver anniversary All-Star Team as selected by the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

He played at Indiana University in the mid-1960s, where he was captain of the Hoosier team that won the 1967 Big Ten championship and was also a standout pitcher on the baseball diamond.

He went on to play two years in the American Basketball Association with the Minnesota Muskies and Miami Floridians before joining the coaching ranks. He spent four seasons at Golden Valley Lutheran Junior College and five seasons at Augsburg College before coming to NDSU. He had a career record of 409-224.

Erv and his wife Linda have two sons and five grandsons. One son, Bart, was captain of the 1991-92 Bison basketball team, and the other, Brett, played college ball at Concordia in Moorhead.

A formal event in recognition of Inniger's accomplishments is being planned for Friday, April 15.

Erin Fowle Invited to Represent USA Athletes International in 2011 Curacao Friendship Series

(Crookston, Minn.) – The University of Minnesota, Crookston’s Women’s Softball program announced today that Erin Fowle (P, 5-8, So, Winnipeg, Manitoba) has been selected by USA Athletes International to play in the 2011 Curacao Friendship Series on the island of Curacao from June 6- June 13, 2011. The team will play five games and have the opportunity to take part in several educational experiences during the event.

“This is a great opportunity for Erin to showcase her talents on an international stage,” says Head Coach Mitch Bakken. “As a freshman last season, she was one of our top pitchers and hitters. With another season at the Division II level under her belt, I think she will not only be able to compete, but be very successful in the five games the team plays in Curacao.”

Each player has to raise funds to pay for the cost of the trip. If you would like to help sponsor Erin, please contact Coach Bakken at 218-281-8414 or bakke044@umn.edu. Donations can also be mailed to Erin Fowle, c/o Golden Eagle Softball, 2900 University Ave., Crookston, MN 56716.

USA Athletes International, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to giving amateur athletes and coaches the opportunity to participate in international Olympic-style sporting events throughout the world, while also allowing them to broaden their educational and cultural knowledge of the world through the experience. For more information on USA Athletes International, visit their website at www.usaai.org.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

The University of Minnesota, Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).

WCHA names Bakala Co-Defensive Player of the Week

Madison, Wis. -- Western Collegiate Hockey Conference (WCHA) officials
today announced that Bemidji State University goaltender Dan Bakala
(Jr., Calgary, Alberta) has been selected WCHA Co-Defensive Player of
the Week after leading the Beavers to a sweep of then-No. 4 University
of Nebraska Omaha.

Bakala, a native Calgary, Alberta, was the backbone of a BSU defense
that held a nationally-ranked Nebraska Omaha offensive attack, averaging
more than four goals per game, to a single goal on the weekend, while
BSU posted its first WCHA series sweep. Bakala stopped 64-of-65
Maverick shots on, while allowing just one goal and finished the weekend
with a 0.50 goals against average and .985 save percentage. He improved
to 4-4-0 on the season.

In addition, Bakala served as the last line of defense on a BSU
penalty-kill unit that held UNO’s power-play unit scoreless on nine
man advantage opportunities (0-for-9).

Friday, the junior turned away 26 shots for his second consecutive and
fifth career shutout, 3-0, before making a career-best 39 saves Saturday
en route to leading the Beavers to a 3-1 victory. Saturday’s
first-period goal by UNO snapped a 134:09 shutout streak by Bakala that
stretched back to Nov. 12.

The WCHA honor is a first for Bakala, while it stands as the second for
a member of the BSU men’s hockey team during its inaugural season in
the league. He follows sophomore Jordan George (F, Madison, Wis.) who
garnered individual honors Nov. 9 following a series at St. Cloud State
University.

BSU, 5-8-1 overall and 4-7-1 in WCHA play, is back on the road Dec.
10-11 to close out the first half of the season with a trip to Madison,
Wis. to battle the University of Wisconsin. The Beavers and Badgers are
set for a 7:07 p.m. opening face-off from the Kohl Center Friday and
Saturday.

Coffee with Karla - MSUM Women's BB Coach

During the 2010-11 season, Head Coach Karla Nelson will host Coffee with Karla at Moxie Java in Moorhead.

Coffee with Karla is a social hour over coffee where fans and supporters are welcome to come chat, ask questions and listen to Coach Nelson’s plans for the women’s basketball program. The dates for this season’s Coffee with Karla are Dec. 8, Jan. 11 and Feb. 8 (and a date in March TBD). Each time will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be held at Moxie Java in Moorhead, Minn. (115 4th St. S). Limited refreshments will be available.

The Dragons are currently 4-1 on the year and 2-0 in the NSIC. They will host Dickinson State (N.D.) on Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. before returning to conference play on Saturday in Crookston. The game at UMC will begin at 2 p.m.

NDSU/UND Men's Basketball Saturday

North Dakota State (5-3) returns to non-conference action against longtime Division II rival North Dakota (3-5) at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Fargodome (10,000). It will be the first meeting between the teams since February 2004. There will be a halftime performance by the F-M Acro Team.
Tickets for Saturday's game are on sale at GoBison.com and at the Bison Sports Arena ticket office. Reserved sideline seats are $15 and reserved endline seats are $10. For more information, call the Bison Ticket Office toll free at (888) 231-NDSU.

This will be the 283rd meeting in the series between North Dakota State and North Dakota, which is the most played series in both schools' history. UND has a 156-126 lead in the series dating back to 1904-05. The teams have not met since UND's 76-73 overtime win in Grand Forks on Feb. 7, 2004. The teams split home-and-home series four straight seasons from 2000-01 to 2003-04 and the split the last 10 meetings in Fargo.

AT THE FARGODOME: NDSU and UND are returning to the Fargodome for the first time since December 1999 when the teams each won two games in the Dakota Magic Classic against Montana State Billings and Florida Tech. UND has a 5-0 record in the Fargodome including wins over Minnesota State Mankato, Northern Colorado and Morningside in the 1994 North Central Conference tournament. NDSU is 2-1 in the dome including a first-round loss to Morningside in the 1994 NCC tournament.

UMC Teambackers to Host Coaches Luncheon on Friday, December 10

(Crookston, Minn.)- The UMC Teambackers will hold a Golden Eagle coaches luncheon on Friday, December 10 at the Crookston Eagles Club. Lunch will be served and coaches will give updates on their seasons to date, along with outlooks on their upcoming games. Selected student-athletes will speak about their season, upcoming games and opponents. On Saturday, December 11, the Golden Eagle Women’s and Men’s Basketball teams will host MSU Moorhead in NSIC action. Game times are set for 2 p.m. for the women and 4 p.m. for the men at Lysaker Gymnasium.

The luncheon begins at noon and runs approximately one hour. The cost is $7.00. Everyone is invited to attend this event.