UMC Men's BB 2017-18 Schedule

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston men’s basketball program officially released their 2017-18 schedule Fri., Aug. 25. Their slate features a 22-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule, including 11 games at Lysaker Gymnasium. In addition, the U of M Crookston will play five non-conference games including three at home.

“I think this year’s schedule has a little bit of everything, with non-conference games that will put us to the test and an always difficult schedule in the NSIC” said Head Coach Dan Weisse.

Minnesota Crookston will lift the lid on the season with an exhibition Nov. 4 against Drake University, an NCAA Division I foe in Des Moines, Iowa. The game will be at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs are led by first-year head coach Niko Medved and are coming off a 7-24 mark last season.

“We open up the season with an exhibition against a Division I opponent in Drake,” Weisse said. “It will be a nice experience for our players to play in that environment and good for Minnesota Crookston to get some publicity doing it.”

The Golden Eagles will play their first regular-season games at the Arkansas Tech University Tournament in Russellville, Ark. They will play the Wonder Boys of Arkansas Tech at 7 p.m. Nov. 10. They went 21-8 last season on their way to a NCAA Tournament berth. Minnesota Crookston will continue play in the tournament Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. as they face University of Arkansas at Monticello. The Weevils went 23-7 last season, advancing to the NCAA Tournament where they lost in the first round to Augustana University.

“With our non-conference schedule, we are always looking to challenge our players and get us ready for the conference season,” Weisse said. “With that, I think there is no better way to do that then by facing two teams that made the NCAA tournament last season in Arkansas Tech and Arkansas-Monticello.”

Minnesota Crookston continues their non-conference slate Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium against Oak Hills Christian College out of Bemidji, Minn. The game will mark the home opener for the Golden Eagles. The Wolfpack fell to the U of M Crookston 83-37 last season.

The Golden Eagles will then host NSIC foe University of Sioux Falls in a non-conference game Nov. 18 at 3:30 p.m.

“We are excited to play a non-conference game against an NSIC opponent in Sioux Falls,” Weisse said. “We wanted to bolster our scheduling a bit and because we only play USF once a year, us coaches got together and thought it would be a good idea to play them in a non-conference game.”

Minnesota Crookston will trek to University of Jamestown Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. and face-off in the brand new Newman Arena. The Jimmies posted an 18-14 mark last season. The U of M Crookston will wrap up non-conference play Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at home versus Mayville State University. The Comets are coming off a 9-18 mark last season.

“We also make a trip to Jamestown in their new arena and host Mayville State,” Weisse said. “It is good to play local teams and there is no question we will get those team's best shots.”

Bemidji State

The U of M Crookston will open up their NSIC slate Nov. 25 at 3 p.m. against Bemidji State at Lysaker Gymnasium. They will also take on the Beavers Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. in Bemidji, Minn. Bemidji State went 10-18 last season. Minnesota Crookston split the season series with the Beavers, taking the game at Lysaker Gymnasium 82-81.

St. Cloud State

The Golden Eagles will take on the Huskies Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium and Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. in St. Cloud, Minn. St. Cloud State is coming off a 19-14 record during the 2016-17 season.

Minnesota Duluth

Minnesota Crookston will face Minnesota Duluth Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium and Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. in Duluth, Minn. The Bulldogs posted a 4-25 mark last season.

MSU Moorhead

The Golden Eagles take on Minnesota State University Moorhead at 8 p.m. Dec. 8 in Moorhead, Minn., and Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium. The Dragons are coming off a 24-6 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Northern State

Minnesota Crookston will face Northern State University Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. in Aberdeen, S.D., and Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium. The Wolves were 22-8 last season.

Winona State

The Golden Eagles will play a single-game against Winona State University right out of their holiday break Dec. 30 at 3:30 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium. The Warriors are coming off a 11-16 mark last season.

Upper Iowa

Minnesota Crookston will take on Upper Iowa University in a New Year’s Eve contest Dec. 31 at 3:30 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium. The Peacocks finished last season with a 22-11 mark and ended U of M Crookston’s season in a hard-fought game in Fayette, Iowa in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament.

Southwest Minnesota State

The Golden Eagles will take on Southwest Minnesota State University Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. in Marshall, Minn. The game is part of Midco Sports Network’s extended NSIC basketball coverage and will be aired as part of a double-header with the women’s basketball team. The Mustangs posted a 28-6 mark last season on their way to the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the finals of the NCAA Central Regional before losing to Northwest Missouri State University.

Sioux Falls

Minnesota Crookston will face University of Sioux Falls for the second time on the season Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D., after playing them in non-conference. The Cougars posted a 15-17 mark last season.

U-Mary

The Golden Eagles will take on NSIC North foe University of Mary Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium and Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. in Bismarck, N.D. The Marauders went 12-17 last season.

Minot State

Minnesota Crookston will face Minot State University Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium and Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. in Minot, N.D. The Beavers posted a 14-15 record last season.

Minnesota State

The Golden Eagles will face Minnesota State University, Mankato in a single game Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. in Mankato, Minn. The Mavericks went 21-10 last season.

Concordia-St. Paul

Minnesota Crookston will head to St. Paul, Minn., to face Concordia University-St. Paul Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. The Golden Bears went 6-25 last season.

Augustana

Minnesota Crookston will host Augustana University Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. in Crookston, Minn. The Vikings posted a 24-9 mark en route to an NCAA Tournament berth. They were eliminated in the second round by eventual National Champion Northwest Missouri State University.

Wayne State

The Golden Eagles will take on Wayne State College Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at Lysaker Gymnasium. The Wildcats went 10-19 last season.

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

Summit League Cross Country Preseason Polls

NDSU Men Voted 2nd in Summit League Cross Country Poll

ELMHURST, Ill. – The North Dakota State University men’s cross country team has been picked to finish second in The Summit League’s preseason cross country poll released Wednesday.

Defending champion South Dakota State was selected as the preseason favorite, earning the maximum five first-place votes. The Bison were picked second in front of South Dakota, Fort Wayne, Western Illinois and Oral Roberts.

NDSU junior Elliott Stone, a two-time All-Summit League second team honoree, was selected as an “Athlete to Watch” by the league’s head coaches. The Bison men return six of their top seven finishers from last year’s conference meet in Stone, Derek Warner, Evan Kottsick, Brant Gilbertson, Camron Roehl and Connor Schank.

The 2017 cross country season begins Sept. 1 with the Bison Open at Rose Creek Golf Course in Fargo. The Summit League Championships are scheduled for Oct. 28 in Vermillion, S.D.

2017 Summit League Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
Rank	School (1st)	Points
1.	South Dakota State (5)	25
2.	North Dakota State (1)	21
3.	South Dakota	17
4.	Fort Wayne	11
5.	Western Illinois	9
6.	Oral Roberts	7

Bison Women’s Cross Country Picked 3rd in Summit League Poll

ELMHURST, Ill. – The North Dakota State women’s cross country team has been voted to finish third in The Summit League this season, according to the poll of league head coaches released Wednesday.

Defending league champion South Dakota was picked to finish first again this year, edging South Dakota State by a single point in the poll. NDSU was a close third, ahead of Fort Wayne, Omaha, Oral Roberts and Western Illinois.

Junior Emma Kusch Dahle was named an “Athlete to Watch” after being NDSU’s top finisher at the NCAA Midwest Regional last season and placing eighth at the Summit League Championships.

The NDSU women bring back five of their top seven runners from last season with Kusch Dahle, Melina Kuerschner, Kayla Huhnerkoch, Annika Rotvold and Ashley Perez.

The 2017 cross country season begins Sept. 1 with the Bison Open at Rose Creek Golf Course in Fargo. The Summit League Championships are scheduled for Oct. 28 in Vermillion, S.D.

2017 Summit League Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
Rank	School (1st)	Points
1.	South Dakota (4)	33
2.	South Dakota State (2)	32
3.	North Dakota State (1)	28
4.	Fort Wayne	20
5.	Omaha	17
6.	Oral Roberts	10
7.	Western Illinois	7

UMC Volleyball Announces Morgan as Assistant Coach

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball program announced the addition of Anna Morgan as assistant coach. Morgan comes to the U of M Crookston after spending the last four seasons coaching at the high school level in Wisconsin.

“I am very excited to have Anna joining us,” said Head Coach Sarah Rauen. “Her energy and enthusiasm will be a great addition to our gym and the Golden Eagle Volleyball program. Anna has been a tireless worker so far, and I look forward to seeing the impact she has on our student-athletes, campus and community.”

“I would like to thank Sarah Rauen for taking me on as her assistant this year,” Morgan said. “I’m excited for this opportunity at Minnesota Crookston and look forward to learning and growing both as a coach and a person.”

Morgan spent last season as the freshman volleyball coach at Arrowhead Union High School in Hartland, Wis. She was the varsity coach for Hayward High School in Hayward, Wis. In 2015 and was previously a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater Northwestern High School undr Charlie Hessel during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Morgan was a collegiate athlete, playing three sports in her career. She started her career as a volleyball player at Division I Chicago State University in 2010. She would play women’s basketball at both University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and University of Wisconsin-Superior and played softball at Wisconsin-Superior.

Morgan, a native of South Range, Wis., earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from Wisconsin-Superior in December of 2015. Her emphasis was elementary education with a minor in special education. She has also worked in the education field as a paraprofessional, long term substitute and instructional aid. Morgan was named to the Wisconsin-Superior Dean’s List for two semesters and the Chicago State Dean’s List for one semester.

She has obtained camp experience under Head Coach Kelly Scheffield at the University of Wisconsin, where she helped facilitate the direction of team camps, as well as individual skills camps.

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

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

The University of Minnesota Crookston is a NCAA Division II university located in the Red River Valley of Northwest Minnesota. Minnesota Crookston sponsors 11 intercollegiate athletic teams with membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate conference (NSIC) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The NSIC is a 16-team conference with schools situated in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.

NDSU Women’s BB Unveils 2017-18 Schedule

FARGO, N.D. – Fifteen home games at the Scheels Center inside the Sanford Health Athletic Complex highlight the 2017-18 North Dakota State University women's basketball schedule unveiled on Tuesday, Aug. 8, by head coach Maren Walseth.

"Once again our staff did a great job putting together a balanced non-conference schedule. Five home games to start the season will hopefully give our young team confidence prior to hitting the road," Walseth said. "WNIT tournament participant Colorado will be a great test early in the year as well. Overall, the schedule will prepare us for conference play."

The Bison will open the season with five consecutive home games, beginning with an exhibition contest against Minnesota Morris on Nov. 2. NDSU hosts Mayville State Nov. 10 for the regular season home opener prior to taking on NJIT Nov. 12 and UMass Nov. 17. The Bison close out their season-opening homestand with a contest against Valley City State Nov. 19.

North Dakota State travels to Annapolis, Md., for a pair of games in the Navy Classic Nov. 25-26 at the United States Naval Academy before trekking to Boulder, Colo., for a showdown at 2017 WNIT tournament qualifier Colorado Nov. 29.

The Bison open the month of December with a road game at Milwaukee Dec. 1 prior to returning home for a contest with UT Rio Grande Valley Dec. 5 and traveling to Grand Forks for a game at North Dakota Dec. 9.

NDSU wraps up its non-league slate with a pair of games in the Florida International Holiday Tournament Dec. 20-21 in Miami and a home game against Dakota State Dec. 29.

Summit League play tips off with a home contest against South Dakota Jan. 2 before three straight road games at South Dakota State (Jan. 6), Oral Roberts (Jan. 11) and Denver (Jan. 13).

The Bison briefly return home to the friendly confines of the Scheels Center for a contest vs. Fort Wayne Jan. 20 prior to traveling to Omaha Jan. 24 and Western Illinois Jan. 27.

Five of North Dakota State's final seven regular season games are at home, starting with a game against South Dakota State Feb. 1.

NDSU heads to South Dakota Feb. 3 before welcoming Oral Roberts and Denver to the Scheels Center Feb. 8 and 10.

The Bison close out their regular season slate with a road game at Fort Wayne Feb. 15 and a pair of home games against Western Illinois Feb. 22 and Omaha Feb. 24.

The Summit League Women's Basketball Championship is slated for March 3-6 at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.

You can find the complete schedule at www.gobison.com