Defending Champ NDSU & Runner Up Sam Houston State Highlight the 2012 FCS Preseason Ranking

CHICAGO -- North Dakota State, who won the school’s first Division I football national title last year and the school’s ninth NCAA football crown overall, is ranked No. 1 in the 2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision preseason poll conducted by the staff of College Sporting News.

The Bison made the school’s second playoff appearance pay off in their trip to Frisco, Texas to win the national title for the first time since winning the Division II title in 1990. 

Finishing a close second to the Bison in the preseason poll is last year’s runner up in Sam Houston State. 

The 2011 season showed the parity in the FCS, with NDSU and SHSU both making their respective school’s first national title game appearance.

While some of the traditional FCS powers will be in the fight for a national championship this season, the battle for the top prize should once again be wide open. In fact, 33 schools received votes in our staff poll.

Last year's playoff semifinalist Georgia Southern wound up in the third position, while Big Sky Conference co-champion and 2011 Division I playoff quarterfinalist Montana State was in the four spot. 

The Colonial Athletic Association playoff quarterfinalist and 2004 champion James Madison comes in at the number five slot. 

The remainder of the Top 10 had three-time national titlist Appalachian State in the #6 position, 2011 CAA champion Towson at #7, fellow CAA and recent FCS newcomer Old Dominion at #8, MVFC co-champion Northern Iowa at #9, and 2011 FCS playoff semi-finalist and two time FCS champion Montana rounding out the top 10. 

Finishing just out of the top-10 at No. 11 is Lehigh, which has won two Patriot League championships in a row. 

Eastern Washington, the 2010 national champions, which started the 2011 season with four straight losses but finished with six wins to end the season, is ranked 12th. 

The national runner-up from the 2010 season to EWU was Delaware and the Blue Hens are ranked next to them at the number 13th spot. 

The fourth CAA team in the poll is 2011 FCS playoff quarterfinalist New Hampshire at the 14th spot. 

The SoCon’s third team in this year’s preseason poll is Wofford to finish out the top 15.

Defending Big South champion Stony Brook is 16th, who gave Sam Houston State their toughest contest before the national championship game in their quarterfinal loss to the Bearkats. 

Next comes two MVFC teams in Youngstown State at #17 and Illinois State at #18. YSU handed national champion NDSU their lone loss last season and ISU was likely the last team to miss the playoffs despite having the favored seven-win total. 

Maine is the final and sixth CAA team in the Top 25 at the #19 spot. The Black Bears are coming off a FCS playoff quarterfinal loss to Georgia Southern. 

Rounding out the Top 20 is the Ohio Valley’s Eastern Kentucky, who may have been considered the last at-large FCS playoff team into the field a season ago. 

Central Arkansas, who is coming off the team’s first FCS playoff appearance and playoff win, comes in at the #21 spot to begin the year. 

Finishing out the poll is the MVFC's fifth team, Indiana State at No. 22, Liberty from the Big South comes in at 23, while the OVC’s Murray State appears at 24, and Stephen F. Austin makes the third team out of the Southland Conference at 25.

College Sporting News 2012 FCS Preseason Top 25

1. North Dakota State 

2. Sam Houston State

3. Georgia Southern

4. Montana State

5. James Madison

6. Appalachian State

7. Towson

8. Old Dominion 

9. Northern Iowa

10. Montana

11. Lehigh

12. Eastern Washington

13. Delaware

14. New Hampshire

15. Wofford

16. Stony Brook

17. Youngstown State

18. Illinois State

19. Maine

20. Eastern Kentucky

21. Central Arkansas

22. Indiana State

23. Liberty

24. Murray State

25. Stephen F. Austin

Others receiving votes: Bethune-Cookman, Harvard, Chattanooga, Grambling State, Norfolk State, Southern Illinois, Villanova, Jacksonville State.

(By Kent Schmidt College Sporting News )

T-Wolves tip off their 24th season on Nov 2nd

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves will tip off their 24th regular season in the NBA by hosting the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2 at Target Center. Full-season memberships are still available by visiting www.timberwolves.com or by calling 612-673-1234.

The Timberwolves will open the 2012-13 season with five of their first six games against Eastern Conference opponents, including home visits from Orlando (Nov. 7) and Indiana (Nov. 9). The Wolves will enjoy two long homestands, including a six-game stint from Jan. 30 through Feb. 8 highlighted by visits from Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers (Jan. 30), Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers (Feb. 1) and No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Hornets (Feb. 2). The Wolves will also host a four-game homestand (beginning a stretch where they will play seven of eight games at Target Center) from March 27 - April 1. Other notable home games include Dec. 20 and March 29 vs. Oklahoma City, a visit from LeBron James and the defending NBA champion Miami Heat (March 4) and a trip to Target Center by Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics on April 1.

The Wolves will play 14 nationally-televised games this season, most since the 2005-06 campaign, including seven home contests: Dec. 20 vs. Oklahoma City on TNT, Jan. 17 vs. Los Angeles Clippers on TNT, Feb. 1 vs. Los Angeles Lakers on ESPN, Feb. 2 vs. New Orleans on NBA TV, Feb. 6 vs. San Antonio on ESPN, March 4 vs. Miami on NBA TV and March 10 vs. Dallas on NBA TV.

On the heels of a season highlighted by significant attendance growth, including 11 capacity crowds (most since 2003-04 season) and an average attendance of 17,491 (highest number since 2003-04), the Wolves head into the 2012-13 campaign with 8,100 full-season ticket members - their largest number since the 2004-05 season. More than 95 percent of the Wolves' season ticket members have renewed their season memberships for the 2012-13 season and 1,200 new members have joined the pack since the conclusion of the 2011-12 campaign.

Minnesota’s 2012-13 local television broadcast schedule will be released at a later date. Following are key facts regarding the Wolves' 2012-13 regular-season schedule.

Key Facts About the Timberwolves 2012-13 Schedule

· By month, the schedule breaks down as follows: November (7 home, 8 away = 15 total, December (6 home, 6 away = 12 total), January (6 home, 9 away = 15 total), February (8 home, 5 away = 13 total), March (9 home, 8 away = 17 total), April (5 home, 5 away = 10 total).

· By day, the schedule breaks down as follows: Monday (4 home, 7 away = 11 total), Tuesday (2 home, 6 away = 8 total), Wednesday (12 home, 8 away = 20 total), Thursday (2 home, 3 away = 5 total), Friday (9 home, 8 away = 17 total), Saturday (8 home, 5 away = 13 total), Sunday (4 home, 4 away = 8 total).

· The Wolves enjoy one six-game homestand (Jan. 30-Feb. 8), one four-game homestand (March 27-April 1) and one three-game homestand (Nov. 14-21).

· Minnesota has two four-game roadtrips: Nov 23-28 (POR, GS, SAC, LAC) and Jan. 9-14 (OKC, NO, SA, DAL). The Wolves will have three separate three-game stints on the road, all coming in the second half of the season: Feb. 26-March 2 (PHO, LAL, POR), March 19-22 (MEM, SAC, PHO) and April 9-12 (GS, LAC, UTAH).

·  Minnesota will play on national television 14 times this season, most since the 2005-06 campaign: Eight times on NBA TV (11/4 at TOR, 11/5 at Brooklyn, 11/28 at LAC, Feb. 2 vs. NO, March 2 at POR, March 4 vs. MIA, March 10 vs. DAL, March 15 at HOU), and three times each on TNT (Dec. 20 vs. OKC, Jan. 17 vs. LAC, 2/28 vs. LAL) and ESPN (2/1 vs. LAL, 2/6 vs. SA, 2/22 at OKC). The last time the Wolves played on TNT was March 16, 2006 at Golden State (last home game on TNT was Nov. 17, 2005 vs. Washington). The three TNT games are the most since the Wolves had six in 2004-05.

· The Wolves will play 22 back-to-backs: three home-home, 11 away-away, four home-away and four away-home. The 22 back-to-backs are the most since the team played 25 back-to-back sets during the 1993-94 season. Last year the Wolves had 16 back-to-back sets and two back-to-back-to-back stints.

· The Wolves will open their regular-season slate versus Sacramento on Friday, Nov. 2 at Target Center, marking the 12th straight season the club has opened at home. The Wolves are 13-10 in season openers, including 11-4 in season openers at home. Minnesota opened the 2011-12 campaign with a 104-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Target Center.

·  The Wolves will play 52 games against Western Conference and 30 games versus Eastern Conference opponents.

· Minnesota will play each Western Conference opponent four times (two home, two away), with the exception of Houston (two home, one away), L.A. Lakers (two home, one away), Memphis (one home, two away), and Sacramento (one home, two away). The Wolves will face off against each Eastern Conference team twice (one home, one away).

Ada-Borup sports meeting

The 2012-13 Ada-Borup High School Activities Meeting will be held on Thursday, August 9^th, 6:30pm at the school auditorium. The meeting is required for all students in grades 7-12 who plan to participate in extra-curricular activities during the school year.

At least one parent/guardian must also attend the meeting.

Students in grades 7 & 10 will need to have updated physicals on file.

Please plan ahead and feel free to call the Ada-Borup high school office at 784-5300 if you have any questions or concerns.

The official start date for volleyball & football for Ada-Borup is August 13^th.  

NCE Parent-athlete meeting

The Norman Co East High School parent-athlete meeting will be held on Thursday, August 2^nd, 7pm at the NCE High School in Twin Valley.

The purpose of the meeting will be to review the MN State High School League and NCE High School regulations for participating in activities during the 2012-13 school year.

Activity fee schedule, fall sports schedules, MN State High School League eligibility forms and physical forms will be available to the parents and students at this meeting as well.

Student athletes who participate in any of the sports offered at NCE are asked to attend this meeting, along with their parents.

Athletes are reminded they are required to have a new physical examination on file with the athletic director every three years.

Athletes are not allowed to participate in practice or games without a current physical on file. NCE recommends all 7^th and 10^th graders obtain a physical examination.

Physical exam forms may be downloaded from the website, mshsl.org, located under the “publications” section. Additional copies will be available at the NCE high school office, Nelson Chiropractic Clinic and the Twin Valley Sanford Medical Clinic.

Climax-Fisher "Knight Out"

CLIMAX/FISHER

FALL ATHLETES (Grades 7-12), PARENTS, COACHES

JOIN US FOR THE 2012

KNIGHT OUT

Monday, August 13

Fisher School

Hotdogs, Chips, Bars, and Beverages will be served by the Fisher Booster Club beginning at 6:00.

Cost is $2.00 per person.

Free suppers will be served to individuals purchasing $25 Fisher Booster Club memberships or businesses purchasing $100 Fisher Booster Club memberships the evening of the Knight Out.

Fall sports information meetings will be held at 7 p.m. in the school gymnasium.

New Knight Accessories Will be Available in the Spirit Shop!

A-B Booster Club Golf Tourney

The Ada-Borup Booster Club 4th Annual Golf Tournament

WHEN:  Friday, August 17, 2012 Shotgun Start @ 1 p.m., Registration begins at noon.

WHERE:  The Heart of the Valley Golf Course in Ada

FORMAT:  4-person scramble

Golf Entry Fee: $40.00 per golfer

Fee Includes:

1. 18 holes of golf
2. Meal
3. Door prizes & awards
4. Chances to win hole and game prizes (Vegas Hole, Chipping Contest, Half the Pot and Others)
5. Opportunity to meet members of the Ada-Borup Coaching Staff and Administration

** REGISTER EARLY **

All Profits go directly to the Ada-Borup Booster Club!  

Contact Mike Kolness at 218-784-8590 or Jim Birkemeyer at 218-784-2844 with questions.

Shawn Smith Named new SID at UMC

(Crookston, Minn.)- University of Minnesota, Crookston athletic director Stephanie Helgeson has announced the hiring of Shawn Smith as the new sports information director for the Golden Eagles. Smith replaces Mitch Bakken.

“We are excited to announce Shawn Smith as our new sports information director,” says Helgeson. “He has a great background having worked in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). He also has the experience and vision we are looking for to lead our sports information department. It is very exciting that Shawn will become the first full-time sports information director in the history of the University of Minnesota, Crookston.”

Smith comes to the Golden Eagles from fellow NSIC school Bemidji State University (BSU) where he served as a graduate assistant for BSU’s sports information department the last two years while working toward a master’s degree in sports studies. He served as the primary contact for volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s tennis, women’s hockey and softball for the Beavers. Smith also worked as an intern at the University of Memphis (NCAA Division I) where he served as the primary contact for men’s soccer and men’s and women’s tennis and secondary contact for men’s basketball.

A 2008 graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in journalism and mass communications, Smith worked for the Cyclones as student-intern in the athletic communications department where he was the primary contact for women’s tennis and ran Stat Crew programs for women’s gymnastics and women’s tennis. He also worked as a summer intern at Nebraska Wesleyan University and has a host of volunteer experience including working at the NCAA Division I Baseball College World Series, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Sweet Sixteen and the Liberty Bowl.

"I am thrilled to be afforded the opportunity to work at a great university like the University of Minnesota, Crookston and in a great league like the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference,” says Smith. “Through my time at Bemidji State University, I became very familiar with UMC and have been very impressed with their vision as a University and as an athletic department. I am excited to be a member of the Golden Eagle family and the opportunity to lead the Sports Information Department moving forward."

Smith will begin his duties on Monday, July 30.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at http://webmail.loretel.net/scripts/webmail.exe?cmd=url&xdata=~2-e3542cf57aa5d72d411ed524fe7a94750184afc19fa1ab91988f9e959600&url=http!3A!2F!2Fwww.goldeneaglesports.com.

Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.

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).

30th Annual Anne Carlsen Center Benefit Golf Tournament

Get your clubs ready, because the annual Anne Carlsen Center Benefit Golf Tournament is coming up!

The annual golf tournament is celebrating its 30^th year in 2012. This event was established in 1982 and is North Dakota’s longest-running benefit golf tournament. Money raised by tournament players and sponsors will help fund ACC students’ week-long camping experience at Camp Grassick each year.

Kick off the tournament with a social event at the Jamestown Country Club on Friday, Aug. 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 8p.m. Reminisce about past tournaments with teammates and opponents while you enjoy an old fashioned summer picnic, compete in Splash for Cash, and participate in a variety of raffles and opportunities to win prizes.

Saturday’s events will begin at 8 a.m. at the country club with registration and a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Along with tournament play, contestants will compete for cash and prizes at each hole. Contests include hole-in-one, putting contest, first to hit the sand, and many more!

There is still time to register and also room for more sponsors. Player/Team Registration is due by July 20. Raffle tickets are also available at  ACC or from the Foundation. Prizes include a GPS system, a bistro table set, a large wine rack filled with bottles of wine, and more. To obtain sign-up information or to buy raffle tickets for $5.00 each, please contact Naomi Grueneich at 701-952-5156.

The Anne Carlsen Center provides assistance for individuals of all ages with a wide variety of developmental disabilities, including autism, and medical fragility. Through the care and expertise we provide on our Jamestown campus, and throughout our offices in North Dakota, we nurture abilities and change lives. Go to www.annecenter.org for more information.

T-wolves to Play Detroit in Winnipeg in 1st ever NBA Canada Series

Minneapolis/St. Paul - The NBA announced this afternoon in a press conference that the league will hold its first-ever NBA Canada Series this October with NBA teams playing preseason games in Montreal and Winnipeg. As part of the two-game series, the Timberwolves will face off against the Detroit Pistons on October 24 at 6:00 p.m. CT in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre. The Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks will play at the Bell Centre on Oct. 19.

Today's announcement follows the release of the Wolves' two-game Target Center 2012 preseason schedule, which features contests against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 13 and Israeli club Maccabi Bazan Haifa on Oct. 16.

"We're extremely excited to be a part of the first-ever NBA Canada Series," said Timberwolves President Chris Wright. "The NBA's outreach into Canada displays the league's commitment to expand basketball in the country and further demonstrates that this is truly a global game. We look forward to our trip up north."

NBA Canada Series marks the first time games are being held in the country as part of the league’s marquee international slate, which includes NBA China Games, NBA Europe Live and NBA Mexico Game.

The Wolves played their first international preseason game in the Dominican Republic in 2002, followed by games in Istanbul and London for 2007 NBA Europe Live, and games in London and Paris as part of 2010 NBA Europe Live. The team also traveled to Tokyo, Japan for the 1999 Regular Season Opening Games.

The remaining five games of the Wolves 2012 preseason schedule will be announced at a later date.

ANNOUNCED TIMBERWOLVES 2012 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIPOFF RADIO
Oct. 13 Chicago Bulls Target Center 7:00 p.m. 830 WCCO-AM
Oct. 16 Maccabi Bazan Haifa Target Center 7:00 p.m. 830 WCCO-AM
Oct. 24 Detroit Pistons MTS Center (Winnipeg, CA) 6:00 p.m. TBD
All times Central

New Online Course to Minimize Risk of Heat-Stroke Deaths in HS Sports

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 5, 2012) — In its ongoing effort to minimize the risk of participating in high school athletics, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has produced a free online course entitled “A Guide to Heat Acclimatization and Heat Illness Prevention.”

The course, which provides critical information designed to minimize the risk of activity-related heat stroke among high school athletes, is the fourth and latest free course in the NFHS Coach Education Program available online at http://www.nfhslearn.com/.

With fall football practice set to begin across the country in about a month and with record heat in many locations this year, the information contained in this course could help save lives, according to Tim Flannery, NFHS director of coach education.

“Heat stroke is the leading cause of preventable death in high school athletics,” Flannery said, “and results in thousands of emergency room visits and hospitalizations throughout the nation each year. Many times, deaths from heat strokes are preventable, and we believe this course can be just the tool that players, coaches and parents need to guard against serious illness or death.”

To provide more options for individuals to access the course, “A Guide to Heat Acclimatization and Heat Illness Prevention” can be taken on mobile devices, including iPads and tablets.

The heat illness course will serve as a great companion to the free “Concussion in Sports – What You Need to Know” course, which has been taken by more than 430,000 individuals since its debut in May 2010. The other free courses offered through the NFHS Coach Education Program are “Sportsmanship” and “The Role of the Parent in Sports.”

“We are very pleased to be able to offer this important course on heat illness free of charge,” Flannery said. “With more than 7.6 million participants in high school sports, minimizing the risk of serious illness and injury is a top priority, and we believe this course will help prevent unnecessary deaths from heat illness and heat stroke.”

The NFHS Coach Education Program offers 29 online courses, including the two core courses – Fundamentals of Coaching and First Aid Health and Safety for Coaches. The NFHS also offers 13 sport-specific courses and seven elective courses.

All NFHS Coach Education Program courses are available at http://www.nfhslearn.com/.