NDSU’s LeCompte Named Valley Football Special Teamer of the Week

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - North Dakota State punter Ben LeCompte was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week by the league office Sunday, Sept. 29.

LeCompte, a sophomore from Barrington, Ill., had seven punts for 310 yards and a 44.3 average.  He placed three punts inside the 20 and had two touchbacks.

LeCompte blasted a career-long 75-yard punt from his own 25 in the first quarter and added a 74-yarder from NDSU’s 8-yard line at the end of the first quarter.  He also handled four kickoffs with a 59.0 average including one touchback.

Youngstown State quarterback Kurt Hess was named Offensive Player of the Week, Youngstown State strong safety Donald D'Alesio was named Defensive Player of the Week, and Western Illinois running back J.C. Baker was named Newcomer of the Week.

North Dakota State (4-0, 1-0 MVFC) is scheduled to host Northern Iowa (4-0, 0-0 MVFC) in the annual Trees Bowl game at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

Timberwolves Announce 2013-14 Training Camp Roster

Minneapolis/St. Paul - The Minnesota Timberwolves today finalized the team's 2013-14 training camp roster by signing free agent A.J. Price. Today's signing completes the Wolves training camp roster, which stands at 18 players. Minnesota's training camp is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 1 - Friday, Oct. 4 at Bresnan Arena in the Taylor Center on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Price, 26, spent the 2012-13 season with the Washington Wizards where he averaged career-highs with 7.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 57 games (22 starts). He was drafted by Indiana in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft and played three seasons with the Pacers. In 2011-12, Price appeared in 44 games, averaging 3.9 points and 2.0 assists. He played in 50 games in 2010-11, averaging 6.5 points and 2.2 assists. In his rookie season, Price averaged 7.3 points and 1.9 assists in 56 games.

Price played three years at the University of Connecticut, compiling career averages of 13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists. In 2007-08, Price started all 33 games at point guard and was UConn's second leading scorer. He was named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's All-America Team, the First Team All-BIG EAST squad and also selected as USBWA District Player of the Year. In his final season with the Huskies, Price was the Huskies' leading scorer with 14.7 ppg. In the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament he was named Most Outstanding Player in the West Region.

Price's signing brings the Wolves training camp roster to 18 players. The Wolves will open training camp tomorrow at Bresnan Arena in the Taylor Center on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato.

NDSU Athletic Hall of Fame Induction

FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University will induct seven individuals into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame and the 1988 wrestling national championship team will join the Bison Athletic Hall of Champions on Friday, Oct. 11.

The 42nd annual induction ceremony will bring the number of individuals enshrined in the Hall of Fame to 258 and the number of teams in the Hall of Champions to six.

The newest Hall of Famers are national champion pole vaulter Ryan McGlynn (1993-96); baseball pitcher and designated hitter Steve Selk (1987-89), women's basketball guard and All-America sprinter Susan Faus (1988-92), women's cross country and track and field coach Jerry Gores (1987-99), national champion wrestler Lloyd Wurm (1990-93), volleyball All-America setter Pam Stencel (1993-96) and football All-America free safety Ken Clark (1987-90).

The induction will take place at the Holiday Inn in Fargo.  Lunch will begin at 11 a.m. with the induction ceremonies to start at 11:30 a.m.

A limited number of tickets will be available from the NDSU athletic department for a cost of $25 per ticket.  Please contact Helena Johnston at (701) 231-6172 or email Helena.Johnston@ndsu.edu.

The group will also be recognized at halftime of NDSU's homecoming football game Saturday, Oct. 12, against Missouri State.

Here's a look at inductees:

1988 Wrestling National Championship Team
North Dakota State University, with the lowest winning point total in nearly two decades, outdistanced host Nebraska Omaha to win the 1988 NCAA Division II national championship...The Bison advanced three wrestlers into the championship finals with Rick Goeb's victory at 126 pounds giving NDSU the necessary margin to win by 6 ¼ points...Dave Calliguri was the runner-up at 118 pounds and Matt Palmer placed second at 190 pounds for NDSU...The Bison had entries in 9 of 10 weight classes including Dan Collins (134), Jeff Ocel (142), Bourck Cashmore (150), Gene Green (158), Pat Johannes (177) and Ellis Wojciehowski (heavyweight)...Calliguri, Goeb, Johannes and Palmer went on to the Division I national tournament at Iowa State, where Palmer went 2-2 and Johannes went 3-2 to place seventh...Head coach Bucky Maughan completed his 24th season at the helm of the Bison with an 11-1 record in dual meets...NDSU edged out Omaha by five points to win its eighth North Central Conference championship, and the 1988 title was the seventh in a string of nine straight titles by Bison teams.

Ryan McGlynn, men's track and field, pole vault/multi events, 1993-96
One of the most decorated men's track and field athletes in NDSU history...Winner of the 1995-96 Albrecht Presidential Trophy as NDSU's top male student-athlete...1996 NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient...Named the 1996 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track Coaches Association...Captured the 1996 NCAA Division II indoor pole vault title, clearing a school record 17 feet, 4 ½ inches...Set the NDSU outdoor pole vault record at 17 feet, 2 ¾ inches and still holds both pole vault records...Nine-time NCAA Division II All-American, claiming six honors in the pole vault and three in the decathlon...Runner-up in both the decathlon and pole vault at the 1995 NCAA outdoor championships...Also placed fourth in the pole vault and fifth in the decathlon at the 1996 NCAA outdoor...Three-time North Central Conference indoor champion in the pole vault...21-time placewinner at the North Central Conference championships, including outdoor pole vault and decathlon titles in 1995 and a 1996 indoor pentathlon title that set the NCC record...Finished his career No. 2 on the NDSU all-time list in the decathlon and ranks fifth today...Set the NCAA Division II national record in the decathlon pole vault...Participated in the Olympic Development Program in San Diego in the summer of 1995...Two-time Academic All-NCC selection...Won a Minnesota high school state title in the pole vault at Stephen High School in 1992...Still holds Stephen's pole vault, high jump and 200m dash records...Currently manages the Red River Valley region for Winfield, a major distributor of chemical and seed products...Past president of the North Dakota Agricultural Association...Resides in Grand Forks, N.D., with his wife, Cheryl, and three children, Ellie, Owen and Liam.

Steve Selk, baseball, pitcher/designated hitter, 1987-89
Left-handed pitcher and left-handed designated hitter who is the only two-time batting champion on record in North Central Conference history... All-NCC in 1988 and 1989, and shared the NCC's Most Valuable Pitcher honors in 1989...Hit .542 in league play his junior year and .441 his senior year...His .483 career batting average in NCC play is second best in conference history...Set NDSU records for batting average in a season (.444) and a career (.377) and still ranks third in both categories...Also graduated as NDSU's record holder in career on base percentage (.471) and was third in innings pitched (181.2) and strikeouts (161)...Graduate of Morris (Minn.) High School, where he was the school's senior athlete of the year...Spent one year at Minnesota-Morris before transferring to NDSU and became the ace of the Bison staff as a sophomore in 1987, leading the team in starts (11), innings (60) and strikeouts (51)...Earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from NDSU in 1989 and was a general store manager at Kmart for 19 years managing in 10 stores...He spent four years as a professional recruiter specializing in the gas and oil service industry, and currently is an inventory manager for Dish Network in the Rocky Mountain region...Resides in Denver with his wife Melinda, sons Jacob, Andrew and Bryce, daughter Kayla, stepsons Aaron and Adam, daughter-in-law Alaina, and granddaughter Charley.

Susan Faus, women's basketball/track and field, guard/sprinter, 1988-92
Dual-sport standout in women's basketball and track and field at North Dakota State from 1988-93...Played in all 33 games for the 1991 NCAA women's basketball championship team and started all 33 games for the 1992 NCAA runner-up squad...Four-time Division II All-American in track...Ran on the 1991 NCAA outdoor All-America 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams and also placed seventh in the 400m dash, helping NDSU to a seventh-place team finish at the national meet...Ran on the third-place 1992 NCAA outdoor 4x400m relay team...1991 North Central Conference outdoor 400m dash champion...Also ran legs on the 1991 league champion 4x100m and 4x400m relays...Bison won NCC outdoor team titles in 1991 and 1992...Ended her career as NDSU record holder in the outdoor 400m (55.90), outdoor 4x400m relay and indoor 600m...All-NCC honorable mention selection in basketball in 1992...Ranks No. 7 all-time at NDSU in free throw shooting at 78.8 percent and is seventh in offensive rebounds with 322...Also ranked among the NDSU top-10 in career assists...Over her four-year basketball career, NDSU posted a record of 108-18...Minnesota high school state champion in the 400m and 4x400m relay in 1987 for Rocori High School...Holds Rocori school records in the 200m and 400m...Two-time conference Most Valuable Player in basketball, scoring over 1,000 points in her high school career...Inducted into the Rocori High School Athletic Hall of Fame...Currently serves as the assistant director of parks and recreation for the city of Edina, Minn., after working at the YMCA in Lexington, Ky., and the Twin Cities for 12 years.

Jerry Gores, women's cross country/track and field head coach, 1987-99
Led North Dakota State to 18 North Central Conference championships as head women's track and field and cross country coach from 1987-99...Received 12 NCC Coach of the Year awards and six NCAA Division II Central Region Coach of the Year awards...Coached 49 athletes to 195 All-American honors during his career at NDSU, including 22 All-America relay teams...Honored as the 1999 National Indoor Coach of the Year...Led NDSU to 20 top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Division II Championships...Guided teams to four top-four finishes at national meets...In 1995 and 1996, his teams were ranked first nationally in the indoor national dual meet rankings...NDSU finished in the top 10 as a team at the NCAA Indoor Championships for nine consecutive years from 1991-99, including a third-place finish in 1995 and fourth-place finishes in 1996 and 1999...From 1991-96, NDSU won 12 straight NCC team titles between indoor and outdoor track & field...Coached 65 individual NCC champions...In 1991, he led the Bison women's cross country squad to a fourth-place finish at the national meet...Coached U.S. Olympic Trials participants Edie Boyer, Kris Ihle, Julie Shorter, along with Lisa Kresky and Jane Loskot at the Canadian Trials...Made coaching stops at Northern Arizona (1984-85) and Minot State (1985-87) prior to starting at NDSU in 1987...Founded the NDSU Archery Club in 1991...Awarded Lecturer of the Year by the university...Built a successful career as an executive pharmaceutical sales representative at Eli Lilly and Company in Fargo following his coaching career, being named National Sales Representative of the Year in 2005...A 1974 graduate of Cando (N.D.) High School, Gores lives in Fargo with his wife of 13 years, Gail...He has one stepson, Max Erdle and two sons, Grant and John Gores.

Lloyd Wurm, wrestling, 1990-93
North Central Conference and NCAA national champion at 134 pounds as a junior in 1992...Three-year starter for the Bison...Finished 21-1 in his championship junior season and went 50-12 in his career...Two-time All-American...Won 23 matches (23-6) as a sophomore and placed fourth in the nation...Came to NDSU from Maple Lake (Minn.) High School where he was a five-time state tournament placewinner including a state title in 1986...Won 171 matches in his prep career and was a two-time Greco-Roman Junior Nationals All-American...Graduated from NDSU in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in physical education, earned a master's degree in education from St. Mary's University in 1988, and his administrative licensure from St. Mary's in 2000...Recently celebrated his 20th year teaching in the Stillwater (Minn.) school district and is an assistant coach with the Stillwater High School wrestling team...Resides in Hudson, Wis., with his wife, Jill, and daughter, Lindsey...Oldest daughter, Cassie, attends NDSU and is a member of the women's golf team.

Pam Stencel, volleyball, setter, 1993-96
Two-time AVCA Division II All-American and ASICS/Volleyball All-American, earning first-team honors in 1995 and 1996...Two-time AVCA All-Region...Two-time NCAA Regional all-tournament team...Four-time All-North Central Conference selection...1993 NCC Freshman of the Year...AVCA Division II National Player of the Week in 1995...Four-time NCC Player of the Week...Four-year starter, who overcame reconstructive knee surgery after her freshman year...Just the 12th NCAA Division II setter to surpass 5,000 career assists...Her NDSU records of 5,408 assists and 11.86 assists per set still stand...Graduated third in digs (1,214) and remains 10th in digs and ninth in service aces (117)...Held the four-set school record of 70 assists for two year, and twice had 73 assists in five-set matches during career... NDSU won the 1993 North Central Conference regular season championship and advanced to three NCAA regionals in her four seasons...Graduated from Marshall (Minn.) High School, where she was a three-year starter...Earned Class 2A all-state tournament honors after a 1992 runner-up finish...Earned a bachelor's degree in child development and family science from NDSU in 1999...Currently in her 10th year as assistant volleyball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and has worked for 12 seasons at Scheels All Sports  as a sport shoe manager before moving into shipping and receiving...Also runs a volleyball camp business and coaches for the Eau Claire Air club volleyball team...Resides in Eau Claire, Wis., with her son, Avery, and daughters Ashlynn and Addison.

Ken Clark, football, free safety, 1987-90
Free safety who was the first defensive back in school history to lead the Bison in tackles, and he did it his junior and senior years...First team All-America by the Football Gazette in 1990...First team All-North Central Conference and Academic All-NCC in 1990...Made 26 tackles against Nebraska Omaha in 1989, a school record that stood until last year...Two-year starter on the Bison defense...Finished with 288 career tackles in regular season play and 384 including 10 playoff games...His 135 tackles as a junior in 1989 was the sixth largest total in school history...Captain of the 1990 NCAA championship team and part of NCAA title teams in 1986 and 1988...Made 10 tackles in the 1990 title victory...Was a walk-on to the Bison program in 1986 out of Bismarck (N.D.) Century High School...Earned a bachelor's degree in biology from NDSU in 1991...Coached high school teams in the Twin Cities area for seven years...Currently owns and manages his own commercial and residential real estate business...Resides in Fargo with his four daughters, Faith, Anna, Jordan and Sarah.

UND Men's Hockey selects captains

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota Men’s Hockey Coach Dave Hakstol announced today that senior defenseman Dillon Simpson has been named team captain for the 2013-14 season. Hakstol also announced that junior forwards Michael Parks and Stephane Pattyn will serve as assistant captains.

Simpson, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, has collected nine goals and 43 assists in 114 career games. Last season he was named UND’s Most Improved Player after leading the team’s defensemen with a career-high five goals and 19 assists in 42 games. In his three years as a collegian, Simpson has helped lead UND to three straight NCAA regional championship game appearances and a 2010-11 berth in the NCAA Frozen Four.

A managerial finance and corporate accounting major, Simpson was a three-time All-WCHA Academic Team selection and a two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete. He was a fourth-round draft pick (92nd overall) of the Edmonton Oilers in 2011. Simpson’s father, Craig, won two Stanley Cups with Edmonton during a 10-year National Hockey League career that also included stops in Pittsburgh and Buffalo.

Parks, a native of St. Louis, Mo., was UND’s Rookie of the Year in 2011-12 when he collected 12 goals and 10 assists in 42 games. Last season he scored seven goals and one assist in an injury-plagued season that limited him to just 25 games. A general studies major, Parks has received UND’s Engelstad Family Foundation Endowment in each of the last two seasons. He was selected by Philadelphia in the fifth round (149^th overall) of the 2010 NHL draft.

Pattyn, who hails from Ste. Anne, Manitoba, has missed just one game through his first two seasons at UND, amassing six goals and five assists in 83 games. Last season, both of Pattyn’s goals came against top-12 opponents, while three of his four goals as a freshman in 2011-12 were game-winners. An entrepreneurship major, Pattyn has previous captaincy experience having served as team captain for Portage in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in 2010-11 before arriving at UND.

UND takes to the ice for the first time on Sunday, Oct. 6, when it hosts the University of Manitoba in exhibition action. The regular season begins the following weekend when non-conference foe Vermont visits Ralph Engelstad Arena Oct. 11-12.

Auditions to be held for national anthem singers at UND

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota Athletics Department will hold open auditions to perform the national anthem at UND sporting events during the remainder of the 2013-14 sports season. The auditions will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at Ralph Engelstad Arena from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to participate and pre-registration is not required.

A panel of representatives from the UND Athletics Department and Ralph Engelstad Arena will evaluate the performances based on vocal talents and fit with the atmosphere of sporting events.

Following the tryout, the participants selected to perform the national anthem at sporting events will be contacted with a schedule of available dates for the remainder of the 2013-14 season.

Those who cannot make the auditions, but would like to be considered for available dates, should send a link of a video hosted on services such as YouTube to jason.namanny@athletics.UND.edu.  However, in-person auditions are strongly preferred.

Participants are asked to enter the main doors of the REA and proceed to the concourse area, where a member of the athletics department will be there to take registration information.

For more information, contact UND Athletics Assistant Marketing Director Jason Namanny at jason.namanny@athletics.UND.edu.

T-Wolves Sign Brown, Add Hummel, Jeffers to Training Camp Roster

Minneapolis/St. Paul - The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed 2013 second-round pick Lorenzo Brown. The Wolves also today signed Robbie Hummel and Othyus Jeffers. Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

Brown, a 6-5 guard, was selected by the Wolves with the 52nd overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and appeared on the team's 2013 Las Vegas Summer League team, averaging 8.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists. At North Carolina State, Brown started 95 of the 101 games he played during his three-year career and averaged 11.6 points. He left the Wolfpack as one of only three players in school history to record over 500 career assists (589). Brown was selected Second Team All-ACC as a junior and a Third-Team All-ACC as a sophomore. In 2012-13, he averaged 12.4 points and led the ACC in assists (7.2 apg – 6th in the nation) and ranked second in the conference in steals (2.0 spg).

Hummel, originally selected with the 59th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by Minnesota, heads to training camp with the Wolves after appearing on the team's 2013 Las Vegas Summer League team, averaging 8.6 points and 5.8 rebounds. The 6-8 forward also spent time on the Wolves' 2012 Las Vegas Summer League entry. He spent the 2012-13 season with Obradoiro CAB in the Spanish League where he averaged 10.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in 30 games. Hummel averaged 14.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in 127 games over his four-year collegiate career for the Purdue Boilermakers.

Jeffers, a 6-5 guard, played for the Wolves in the 2013 Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 8.2 points and 3.8 rebounds. Jeffers played for the Iowa Energy of the NBADL in 2012-13, averaging 14.7 points, on .486 shooting, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists. In 2010-11, he played 16 games with the Washington Wizards, averaging 5.7 points and 4.1 rebounds, and saw action in one game with the San Antonio Spurs. That year, Jeffers played in 38 games for the Iowa Energy, averaging 21.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Jeffers split 2009-10 between Cantu in the Greek League, Iowa and the Utah Jazz. He appeared in 14 games with the Jazz, averaging 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds. He played in 47 games with Iowa in 2008-09, averaging 21.0 points, on .535 shooting, 9.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists en route to earning Rookie of the Year honors. He appeared in the 2009 and 2011 NBADL All-Star Games.

Today's transactions bring the Wolves training camp roster to 17 players. The Wolves will host the team's annual media day on Monday, September 30 from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. before heading to Mankato, Minnesota for training camp at Bresnan Arena in the Taylor Center on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato from Tuesday, October 1 through Friday, October 4.

MN Lynx Maya Moore Receives WNBA Cares Community Assist Award

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2013 -  Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx was awarded the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by State Farm for her contributions to the community in September. This marks the first time Moore has received the honor.

Through her Maya Moore Academy, Moore, who helped the Lynx to the 2011 WNBA title, hosted young girls (ages of 12 to 17) to an exclusive basketball experience, which included valuable life lessons of leadership and building character. Moore also works with United Way to emphasize the importance of education and teaching youth how to read, in hopes of providing them with opportunities to advance in the world.

Additionally, through Lynx initiatives, Moore appeared at The Minneapolis YWCA summer basketball camp and MidCountry Bank camp, as well as led the Lynx annual Faith and Family night program, guiding the group in prayers and song.

“I was given a lot growing up, people helped and guided me to get opportunities to be the best that I could be,” Moore said. “Because of that I want to do my best to bless others, especially through basketball camps with my Academy. The pillars of my academy are basketball, leadership, character and service, and instilling those things into our next generation gives me a lot of joy because it makes a huge impact in their lives.”

In recognition of her efforts, the WNBA and State Farm are donating $5,000 to the United Way and Athletes in Action.

The WNBA Community Assist Award presented by State Farm is awarded monthly during the season to the players that best reflects the WNBA’s passion to make a difference in the community. Please visit wnba.com/statefarmcommunityassist for more information on the award and its recipients.

MN Lynx Players Name To All-WNBA Teams

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The WNBA today announced that Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen and forward Maya Moore were selected to the All-WNBA First Team, while guard Seimone Augustus earned All-WNBA Second Team honors. This season is the third time in Whalen’s 10-year career she’s earned All-WNBA First Team honors, the first for Moore and the fourth time Augustus has been named to the All-WNBA Second Team. This year marks the first time in franchise history the Lynx have had two representatives selected to the All-WNBA First Team.

Moore, 24, finished second in MVP voting this season after averaging career highs in points (18.5 ppg, 3rd in WNBA), rebounds (6.2 rpg, 15th), field goal percentage (.509, 10th) and three-point percentage (.453, T-1st). She became the first player in WNBA history to lead the league in both made three-pointers (72) and three-point accuracy. Moore was named Western Conference Player of the Month twice (August, September) and Western Conference Player of the Week three times (Aug. 12, Aug. 26, Sept. 16). She posted two 30+ point games.

Whalen, 31, had perhaps the best season of her career, averaging a career-best 14.9 points, 5.8 assists (3rd in WNBA) and 4.4 rebounds per game. She dished out a career-high and franchise-record-tying 14 assists on September 4 against Los Angeles, and with her 25-point, 11-assist effort against Tulsa on July 13 became the first player in WNBA history with two 25+ point/10+ assist games in a career. Whalen notched her 4,000th career point on September 7 in Seattle, becoming the just the second player in WNBA history with 4,000+ points, 1,500+ assists and 1,000+ rebounds in a career (Becky Hammon).

Augustus, 29, had another stellar season for Minnesota, averaging 16.3 points on a career-best 51.6% shooting. She poured in 20+ points in eight games, including scoring a season-high 29 against Tulsa on August 16. She became the fourth fastest player to reach the 4,000 point plateau in a career (Taurasi, Pondexter and Jackson), one of just 19 players in league history to accomplish the feat. The longest tenured member of the Lynx and already the franchise leader in scoring (4188), Augustus surpassed Katie Smith as the franchise leader in games played this season.

Single-game tickets for the Western Conference Finals start at just $21. Playoff strips, which include tickets to all potential postseason home games, are also available for purchase for as low as $131, a discount of as much as 25% from the single-game price. Playoff tickets are available by calling the Lynx at 612-673-8400 or by visiting lynxbasketball.com/lynxtix.

North Star Football Conference Players of the Week

(September 24, 2013) The North Star Football Conference has announced the Players of the Week for last week’s games.

East Division

Offensive Player of the Week – Dezmond Berndt (Pillager HS) gained 167 yards on 16 carries and scored 3 touchdowns in a 39-18 win over Bagley.

Offensive Player of the Week – Jake Skansberg (Bagley HS) had 4 receptions for 162 yards against Pillager.  Three of the catches were for touchdowns including ones for 31 yards, 39 yards and 71 yards.  The Flyers fell to Pillager 18-39.

Defensive Player of the Week – Tyler Jablonski (Blackduck HS) had 15 tackles (7 solo and 8 assists), 2 tackles for a loss and one forced fumble in an overtime loss to Prairie Valley 14-20.

Special Teams Player of the Week – Brandon Mager (Pine River-Backus) The enior wide receiver returned a kickoff for 85 yards and a touchdown in Pine River-Backus’s win over Cass Lake-Bena.

West Division

Offensive Player of the Week – Matt Tangen (Frazee HS) was 6 for 11 passing for 98 yards and a touchdown in the Hornets 34-15 win over Lake Park-Audubon.

Defensive Player of the Week – Cory Wokasch (Frazee HS) recorded 4 solo tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, a fumble recovery and one additional solo tackle against Lake Park-Audubon.

UND picked 2nd in inaugural NCHC preseason poll

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The University of North Dakota was ranked No. 2 in the first annual National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) preseason media poll released today at NCHC Media Day at Target Center.

North Dakota received five first-place votes and 109 points, totals topped only by preseason league favorite Miami, which garnered seven first-place votes and 115 points. St. Cloud State received the remaining four first-place votes and was picked to finish third.

Denver, Western Michigan, Minnesota Duluth, Colorado College and Nebraska Omaha were ranked fourth through eighth, respectively.

UND, entering its 10^th season under head coach Dave Hakstol, returns 18 letterwinners from last year’s team that went 22-13-7 (14-7-7 WCHA) and advanced to the NCAA West Region championship game. UND joins the new NCHC having won a league-record 15 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) regular season titles, as well as an additional 11 WCHA playoff titles.

Sophomore Rocco Grimaldi (40 GP, 13-23--36) and junior Mark MacMillan (42 GP, 13-12-25) are the team’s top returning scorers, while senior Dillon Simpson (42 GP, 5-19—24), junior Nick Mattson (38 GP, 3-12—15) and sophomore Jordan Schmaltz (42 GP, 3-9—12) anchor the defensive unit.

UND also returns a pair of letterwinners between the pipes in senior Clarke Saunders (13-9-4, 2.29, .917) and sophomore Zane Gothberg (9-4-3, 2.46, .920).

UND opens the season Oct. 6 with a home exhibition game against Manitoba. The regular season begins Oct. 11-12 against non-conference opponent Vermont and UND makes its NCHC debut Oct. 18-19 at Miami.

NCHC Preseason Poll

1. Miami (7) 115

2. North Dakota (5) 109

3. St. Cloud State (4) 99

4. Denver 66

5. Western Michigan 61

6. Minnesota Duluth 43

7. Colorado College 42

8. Nebraska Omaha 41

North Star Conference Selects Players of the Week

(September 17, 2013) The North Star Football Conference has announced the Player of the Week award winners for last week’s efforts.

East Division

Offensive Player of the Week – Henry Krecklau, from Pine River-Backus, rushed for 127 yards and scored 4 touchdowns in a win over Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.  Henry also added one completion in two attempts for 24 yards for the game.

Defensive Player of the Week – Dylan Dexter, from Blackduck, was involved in 17 tackles (9 solo and 8 assists) along with a fumble recovery in the Drakes 27-18 win over Pillager.

West Division

Offensive Player of the Week – Mason Swegarden, from Lake Park-Audubon, went 4 for 7 passing for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns and also recorded 8 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown with a 2 point conversion in a tough, hard fought win over Fertile-Beltrami.

Offensive Player of the Week – Bob Bjorge, from Mahnomen, carried the ball for 119 yards on only 6 carries and scored 2 touchdowns in the win over Frazee as Mahnomen moved to 3-0 on the season.

Defensive Player of the Week – Nathan Hanson, from Mahnomen, had 6 tackles, one interception, and forced a fumble that led to a touchdown.  Nathan was all over the field from his safety position in the win over Frazee.

Other outstanding performances for the week were turned in by:  Dezmond Berndt (Pillager), Cooper Jedlicka (Blackduck), Lucas Culkins (Bagley), Garret Malstrom (Frazee) and Jonah Lange (Lake Park-Audubon).

Lynx Forward Maya Moore Named Western Conference Player of the Month

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The WNBA today named Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore its Western Conference Player of the Month for September. This is the second consecutive month that Moore has earned the monthly honor, previously being named the Western Conference Player of the Month in August. The award marks the fifth time in franchise history a Lynx player has been named Player of the Month, with Lindsay Whalen (August 2011), Seimone Augustus (July 2011) and Rebekkah Brunson (June 2011) also having previously received the award.

Moore continued her hot play in September, averaging 18.0 points (on 52.3% shooting), 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals in five September contests as the Lynx secured the best record in the WNBA for the third consecutive season. She topped the 20-point mark three times, including posting her fourth double-double of the season in the regular season finale against Chicago. Thanks in part to Moore’s play, Minnesota became just the third team in WNBA history to string together three consecutive 25+ win seasons (Houston, 1998-2000; Los Angeles 2000-02).

Highlights from Moore’s month include:

- September 4 vs. Los Angeles: Scored 11 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s win over the Sparks. She finished an efficient 6-for-11 from the floor, including 2-for-4 from three-point range.

- September 10 at Seattle: Swiped a season-high five steals as the Lynx clinched the top seed in the Western Conference with a win over the Storm. She added a game-high 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting, 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.

- September 14 vs. Chicago: Posted her third 20+ point/10+ rebound/5+ assist game and fourth double-double of the season with 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists

Playing in her third WNBA season, Moore wrapped up the regular season leading the league in both three-point accuracy (.453) and three-pointers made (72), becoming the first player in WNBA history to accomplish the feat. Moore averaged career-highs in points (18.5, third in WNBA), field goal percentage (.509, 10th in WNBA), free throw accuracy (.882, 7th in WNBA) and three-point percentage. She also finished the year sixth in steals (1.74 spg), 15th in rebounding (6.2 rpg) and T-16th in assists (3.0 apg).

The Western Conference Semifinals open up this Friday at Target Center as the Lynx host the Seattle Storm. Single-game tickets for the first round of the playoffs are on sale now and range from $16 ($11 for season ticket members and $13 for groups of 10 or more) to $195 ($170 for season ticket members). Playoff strips, which include tickets to all potential postseason home games, are also available for purchase for as low as $131, a discount of as much as 25% from the single-game price. Single-game prices are subject to change per market demand. Playoff tickets are available by calling the Lynx at 612-673-8400 or by visiting lynxbasketball.com/lynxtix.

UMC's Sheetz nets Hole-in-One at Lake Elmo Invitational

LAKE ELMO, Minn. - University of Minnesota Crookston sophomore women’s golfer Katie Sheetz (Grand Rapids, Minn.) shot a hole-in-one on the 155-yard par-three hole 13 at the Holiday Inn & Suites Lake Elmo Invitational hosted by Concordia University, St. Paul at Tartan Park Golf Course in Lake Elmo, Minn. The Golden Eagles finished 15th in the tournament but were led by Sheetz, who carded an 84 and an 82 in the two-round tournament to finish in a tie for 25th.

15 teams competed in the tournament with University of Central Oklahoma taking home the team crown after shooting a team score of 608 over the two days. Central Oklahoma was led by Bethany Darrough, who placed first with a two-over par score of 146 and Taylor Neidy, who placed in second. NSIC schools Augustana College (S.D.), Concordia-St. Paul, Minnesota State University, Upper Iowa University, Southwest Minnesota State University, St. Cloud State University, University of Sioux Falls, Winona State University, Bemidji State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead also competed in the deep tournament field. The field also included Missouri Western State University, University of Nebraska-Kearney and
Delaware State University.

In addition to Sheetz, freshman Baillee Hauser (Raymond, Minn.) tured in a 189 for the two rounds to finish tied for 79th. Jacy Christenson (Sr., Shoreview, Minn.) turned in a 196 over the two days while Rikki Roscoe (So., Big Stone City, S.D.) carded a 211. Kelly Gustofson (Sr., Hermantown, Minn.) rounded things out with a 239.

The Golden Eagles return to action at the Mustang Invite in Marshall, Minn., Sept. 21-22.

MSHSL Clay Target League

Minneapolis/Saint Paul - The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League (MSHSCTL) announced that 800 participating student athletes from 33 high school teams are participating in the 2013 Fall League in September and October at shooting ranges throughout Minnesota.

"Last year we had about 200 student athletes from 11 teams participate in the Fall League," said Jim Sable, Executive Director of the MSHSCTL. "With a 400% growth in the number of student athletes from last year that will be trapshooting this fall, we continue to see how much the schools, coaches and students enjoy a sport they will participate in for a lifetime."

114 high school teams representing 195 schools and 3,400 student athletes participated in the 2013 MSHSCTL Spring League thanks to the support of schools, hundreds of volunteer coaches, and 57 shooting ranges.

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League attracts student athletes to participate in shooting sports while creating a "virtual" competition among high schools throughout Minnesota. Shooting practices and competition are conducted at a shooting range near the school's location. A true team scoring system is used in three shooting performance categories - top score, top 50% performer's average score and overall team average score. The numbers of athletes on a team are used to define the conferences that teams compete within. Scores are submitted and compared with other school's performances to determine the earned points for a team and then posted on the League's website.

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and the independent provider of shooting sports as an extracurricular co-ed activity to high schools for students in grades six through 12 who have earned their Firearms Safety Certification. The Minnesota State High school Clay Target League has three priorities - safety, fun and marksmanship - in that order.

For more information about the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League, visit
www.mnclaytarget.com.

Lynx Forward Maya Moore Named Western Conference Player of the Week

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The WNBA today named Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore its Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, September 9 through Sunday, September 15. This is Moore’s second consecutive Player of the Week award, third of the season and fifth of her career.

Moore started off the week with a game-high 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, as Minnesota clinched the top seed in the Western Conference with a 73-60 win over Seattle. She also swiped five steals, the most in a game by a Lynx player this season. Two days later, Moore tallied 17 points on 8-for-15 shooting in Minnesota’s 85-84 loss in Los Angeles. She closed out the week in Minnesota’s season finale on Saturday, scoring 22 points, including 13 in the first quarter, as the Lynx secured homecourt throughout the playoffs with a 79-66 win over Chicago. Moore added 11 rebounds and six assists, her fourth double-double of the season and fourth career 20+ point, 10+ rebound, 5+ assist game. She also finished 4-for-6 from three-point range, her 13th game of the season with 3+ three-pointers.

Moore wrapped up this season first in both three-point accuracy (.453) and three-pointers made (72), becoming the first player in WNBA history to accomplish the feat. She was also third in the WNBA in scoring (18.5 ppg), sixth in steals (1.74 spg), seventh in free throw accuracy (.882), 10th in field goal accuracy (.509), 15th in rebounding (6.2 rpg) and T-16th in assists (3.0 apg).

Washington’s Ivory Latta was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

After Saturday’s win over Chicago, the Minnesota Lynx wrapped up the 2013 regular season with the best record in the WNBA for the third consecutive season. Minnesota (26-8) became just the third team in WNBA history to string together three straight 25+ win seasons (Houston, 1998-2000; Los Angeles, 2000-02), and enters the postseason seeking to become just the third team in league history to reach the Finals in three consecutive seasons. The Lynx open up the Western Conference Semifinals on Friday, playing host to the Seattle Storm at Target Center (8 p.m. tip).

Single-game tickets for the Western Conference Semifinals range from $16 ($11 for season ticket members and $13 for groups of 10 or more) to $195 ($170 for season ticket members). Playoff strips, which include tickets to all potential postseason home games, are also available for purchase for as low as $131, a discount of as much as 25% from the single-game price. Single-game prices are subject to change per market demand.

MN Lynx Sign Seimone Augustus to Multi-Year Contract Extension

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has signed guard Seimone Augustus to a multi-year contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not released.

“We are thrilled to have extended the contract of one of the league’s premier scorers and a cornerstone for our franchise over the last eight years,” said Lynx Executive Vice President Roger Griffith. “Throughout her Lynx career, Seimone has been an integral piece of the development of our franchise, setting club records for scoring, field goals and games played. She’s considered one of the game’s most dangerous players with the ball in her hands and we are extremely excited that she will be continuing her career in a Lynx uniform.”

Playing in her eighth WNBA season (all with the Lynx), Augustus holds career averages of 18.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. She is already one of the most decorated players in franchise history, holding team records in games played (223), points (4,174), field goals (1,666) and minutes (6,985). A three-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Augustus was instrumental in Minnesota’s championship run in 2011, earning WNBA Finals MVP honors after averaging 24.7 points during the three-game Lynx sweep over Atlanta.
This season, Augustus is averaging 16.3 points (10th in the WNBA) on a career-best 51.6% shooting (8th), including averaging 17.8 points on 51.1% shooting since the All-Star break. She has posted eight 20+ point performances, including scoring a season-high 29 points on August 16 vs. Tulsa. Earlier this season she became the fourth fastest player in WNBA history to reach 4,000 points -- only Lauren Jackson, Cappie Pondexter and Diana Taurasi reached the mark faster.

With Augustus leading the way, the Lynx are a WNBA-best 79-22 since the start of the 2011 season, just two wins shy of matching Los Angeles (81, 2000-02) for the most wins in a three-year span on WNBA history. This past week Minnesota became just the third team in WNBA history to string together three consecutive 25+ win seasons (Houston, 1998-2000; Los Angeles, 2000-02).

The 2013 Lynx playoffs presented by Medica Individual and Family Plans kick off on Thursday, September 20 as Minnesota hosts the Seattle Storm at Target Center (8 p.m. tip). Single-game tickets for the Western Conference Semifinals, as well as playoff strips which include tickets to all potential playoff home games, are available now by calling the Lynx at 612-673-8400 or by visiting lynxbasketball.com/lynxtix.

NDSU Men’s Basketball 2013-14 Schedule

FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State men’s basketball program will play a 2013-14 schedule that features at least 12 opponents who took part in a postseason tournament a season ago, NDSU head coach Saul Phillips announced Wednesday, Sept. 11.

Ohio State, Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s (CA) and Southern Mississippi highlight a challenging non-conference slate for the Bison. Ohio State advanced to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament in 2013, while Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s each played in the NCAA Second Round. Southern Miss was a 2013 NIT quarterfinalist.

“This is one of the more challenging schedules we’ve put together at NDSU,” said Phillips. “Potentially over half of our games will be against teams that made the postseason last year.”

In all, the Bison are guaranteed 15 games against teams who played in the postseason in 2013.

The contests at Notre Dame (Dec. 11) and Ohio State (Dec. 14) are part of the 2013 Gotham Classic, as well as a road game at Bryant on Dec. 7 and a home contest against Delaware on Dec. 16.

NDSU opens the season with an exhibition game against Concordia Moorhead in the Bison Sports Arena on Oct. 30. Viterbo comes to Fargo on Nov. 8 for the regular season opener.

The Bison will travel to Moraga, Calif., on Nov. 14 to take on a Saint Mary’s squad that went 28-7 last season and defeated Middle Tennessee State in the NCAA Tournament First Four.

NDSU hosts 2013 NIT quarterfinalist Southern Miss on Nov. 18 before road games at Western Michigan on Nov. 20 and North Dakota on Nov. 24. Western Michigan advanced to the semifinals of the College Basketball Invitational last season after a first-round, overtime win over the Bison.

NDSU will take part in the 47th annual Cable Car Classic hosted by Santa Clara University on Nov. 29-30 in Santa Clara, Calif. The Bison will take on the host Broncos on Nov. 29 and then either Rider or Rice on Nov. 30.

Home games against Valley City State (Dec. 2) and Towson (Dec. 21) and a road contest at Utah Valley University on Dec. 23 will wrap up 2013 for the Bison. One final home game with Mayville State on Jan. 4 fills out the non-conference portion of the schedule.

NDSU opens Summit League action at Fort Wayne on Jan. 9. All league schools will play 14 conference games in 2014, with the departures of Oakland and Kansas City and the addition of Denver, who advanced to the second round of the NIT last season.

The Summit League Championship will run Mar. 8-11 in Sioux Falls, S.D. With Omaha not yet eligible to compete as part of its transition to Division I, the regular season league champion will receive a bye into the semifinals of the seven-team field.

 

Date          Opponent                                               Location                                 Time                           

Oct. 30      Concordia Moorhead (Exh.)            Fargo, N.D.                                 7 p.m.

Nov. 8       Viterbo                                                    Fargo, N.D.                           7 p.m.

Nov. 14     Saint Mary’s (CA)                                 Moraga, Calif.                        TBA

Nov. 18     Southern Mississippi                         Fargo, N.D.                                7 p.m.

Nov. 20     Western Michigan                               Kalamazoo, Mich.                   6 p.m. (CT)

Nov. 24     North Dakota                                         Grand Forks, N.D.                 5 p.m.                        

Nov. 29     Santa Clara ^                                          Santa Clara, Calif.               10 p.m. (CT)

Nov. 30     Rice / Rider ^                                         Santa Clara, Calif.               8 p.m./10 p.m. (CT)

Dec. 2        Valley City State                                  Fargo, N.D.                           7 p.m.

Dec. 7        Bryant #                                                   Smithfield, R.I.                 12 p.m. (CT)

Dec. 11     Notre Dame #                                       South Bend, Ind.                   6 p.m. (CT)               

Dec. 14     Ohio State #                                           Columbus, Ohio                  7:15 p.m. (CT)

Dec. 16     Delaware #                                        Fargo,N.D.                      7pm                                        

Dec. 21     Towson                                                    Fargo, N.D.                        7 p.m.                        

Dec. 23     Utah Valley                                             Orem, Utah                         8 p.m. (CT)

Jan. 4         Mayville State                                      Fargo, N.D.                           TBA

Jan. 9         Fort Wayne *                                         Fort Wayne, Ind.                 TBA

Jan. 11      IUPUI *                                                    Indianapolis, Ind.               TBA

Jan. 16      Omaha *                                                  Fargo, N.D.                         7 p.m.

Jan. 18      Western Illinois *                               Fargo, N.D.                             TBA

Jan. 25      South Dakota State *                         Brookings, S.D.                       4 p.m.                        

Jan. 30      South Dakota *                                     Vermillion, S.D.                   7 p.m.                        

Feb. 1        Denver *                                                 Denver, Colo.                     5 p.m. (CT)

Feb. 6        IUPUI *                                                    Fargo, N.D.                       7 p.m.                        

Feb. 8        Fort Wayne *                                        Fargo, N.D.                           4 p.m.                        

Feb. 13     Western Illinois *                                 Macomb, Ill.                           TBA

Feb. 15     Omaha *                                                  Omaha, Neb.                       4 p.m.                        

Feb. 22     South Dakota State *                         Fargo, N.D.                              TBA

Feb. 27     South Dakota *                                     Fargo, N.D.                           7 p.m.

Mar. 1       Denver *                                                 Fargo, N.D.                          7 p.m.

Mar. 8-9   Summit League Quarterfinals         Sioux Falls, S.D.                                                        

Mar. 10     Summit League Semifinal                 Sioux Falls, S.D.                                                        

Mar. 11     Summit League Championship       Sioux Falls, S.D.                                                        

 

^ 47th Annual Cable Car Classic (Santa Clara, Calif.)

# Gotham Classic

* Summit League game