North Star Football Conference Players of the Week

(September 11, 2013) - The North Star Football Conference has selected the Players of the Week for the East and West Divisions.  East Division School include: Bagley, Blackduck, Cass Lake-Bena, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, Pillager, Pine River Backus, and Prairie Valley.  West Division school are:  Fosston, Fertile-Beltrami, Red Lake County, Lake Park – Audubon, Mahnomen, Red Lake,  and Frazee.

East Division

Offensive Player of the Week – Cooper Jedlicka (Jr. , Blackduck) had 39 carries for 193 yards and a touchdown in a 12-19 loss to Bagley.

Defensive Player of the Week – Jared Adkins (Sr., Pine River-Backus) had 6 solo tackles, 5 assists, caused 1 fumble and recovered 2 fumbles in the Tigers’ 38-22 win over Prairie Valley.

Special Teams Player of the Week – Walker Cage (So., Bagley) had a 50 yard punt return for a touchdown and was 1 for 2 on extra point attempts in the Flyers’ 19-12 win over Blackduck.

West Division

Offensive Player of the Week – Hesston Bachman (Jr., Frazee) ran for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 12-0 win over Fertile-Beltrami.  He also added 2 interceptions on defense.

Defensive Player of the Week – Garrett Malstrom (Jr., Frazee) recorded 5 solo tackles, 5 assists and added 2 tackles for a loss in the Hornets win over the Falcons.

Other outstanding performances for the week include:  Jake Skansberg (Bagley), Zach Struss (Pine River-Backus), Mikey Ubert )Bagley), Trevor Smith (Blackduck) and Rob McLain (Red Lake).

Lynx to Host Fan Appreciation Night on Sept. 14

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Lynx today announced that its game on Saturday, September 14 against the Chicago Sky will be its annual Fan Appreciation Night, presented by Best Buy. All fans in attendance will receive a 2013 Minnesota Lynx team poster courtesy of Best Buy. Throughout the game, the Lynx will also give away hundreds of dollars in prizes to show their appreciation for another successful season.

To kick off Fan Appreciation Night, all fans in attendance will receive a complimentary team poster courtesy of Best Buy. Following the game, the entire Lynx roster will stay on the court and will hold a 30-minute autograph session for all fans in attendance. The post-game celebration will also include a highlight video looking back at some of this season’s most memorable moments.

Entering Thursday’s game against Los Angeles, the Lynx are a WNBA-best 25-7 this season. Minnesota clinched the first overall seed in the Western Conference and homecourt advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs for the third consecutive season with its 73-60 win over Seattle Tuesday night. The win also secures Minnesota's third straight 25-win season, joining Houston (1998-2000) and Los Angeles (2000-02) as the only teams in WNBA history to record three consecutive 25+ win seasons. The Lynx still have a chance to equal the Sparks’ league-record for wins over a three-year span (81, 2000-02).

Tickets for Fan Appreciation Night, as well as the upcoming Western Conference Semifinals, are available by calling the Lynx Front Office at 612-673-8400, by visiting http://www.lynxbasketball.com or in person at the Target Center box office. Playoff strips, which include tickets for all potential postseason games, are also available.

Timberwolves Announce Athletic Training Staff Hires

Minneapolis/St. Paul - The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the hiring of Koichi Sato as the team's Director of Sports Performance and Mark Kyger as Director of Athletic Therapy. Both Sato and Kyger will report to Timberwolves Head Athletic Trainer Gregg Farnam. "We are pleased to welcome Koichi and Mark to our training staff," Farnam said. "They both have many years of experience in working with athletes and will help us achieve the highest standard possible in the physical preparation and maintenance of our players."

Sato will be responsible for overseeing all areas relating to performance enhancement. He comes to the Wolves from the Washington Wizards where he was the team's Rehabilitation Coordinator/Assistant Athletic Trainer since 2008. Prior to that, Sato was an Assistant Athletic Trainer/Performance Specialist for Athletes' Performance in Los Angeles for one year. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tokyo International University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Illinois University. Sato received his Master's degree in Exercise Science/Physical Education from Arizona State in 2001. From 2000 to 2006, Sato was an Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Sun Devils. He has been a speaker and instructor on different areas of training for the last 10 years.

Kyger will play an integral role in the health care of the Timberwolves players. He comes to the Wolves from Arizona State University where he was the Sun Devils' Rehabilitation Coordinator, providing physical therapy and athletic training for athletes in the school's 21 varsity sports since 2007. Prior to that, Kyger was employed by Physiotherapy Associates in Tempe, Ariz., from 2005-07 where he specialized in sports therapy. Kyger received an undergraduate degree in Human Performance and Wellness from Mesa State College and received a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Regis University Ruekert-Hartman School for Health Care Professions. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, National Athletic Trainers' Association, and National Strength and Conditioning Association. Kyger played college basketball at Mesa State, earning four letters and serving as the team's co-captain in 2000-01.

UND Hockey Fan Fest to be held Sept. 22

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota Department of Athletics is proud to announce that the fifth annual North Dakota Hockey Fan Fest, presented by Midco Sports Network, will take place on Sunday, Sept. 22, at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The event starts at 3 p.m. at ice level in the main arena.

Both the men's and women's hockey teams will be in attendance and will take part in autograph sessions, a skills station (for 8th-graders and younger) and question-and-answer sessions on the media stage.

A free lunch will be provided to fans courtesy of Midco Sports Network, and the first 500 fans through the doors will receive a Midco Sports Net Freezer Koozie. Two lucky fans will also be selected to win a 32-inch, high definition television.

Other fun-filled activities include:

-         Get autographs from all your favorite North Dakota men’s and women’s hockey players!

-         Be the first to see the special edition North Dakota Strong hockey jersey that will be worn by the men’s hockey team for one game only on October 26^th!

-         Take part in the Jr. Champions activities area or sign up if you're not already a member! Jr. Champions members can also register to be the Captain of the Game at select hockey games.

-         Students and fans can learn more about NoDak Nation and the North Dakota Champions Club!

-         Sign up for the chance to ride the Zamboni at select men's and women's hockey games!

-         Pick up FREE promotional items!

Fans will be limited to one outside item for autographs. UND Athletics will be providing materials to be used for autographs.

Parents are encouraged to register their children for one of the skills sessions upon arrival as space is limited for each session.

For more information, contact the UND Athletics marketing office at 701.777.1373.

UMC's Looker Selected to All-Tournament Team

CROOKSTON, Minn. – University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball player Brittany Looker
(Jr., OH, Rochester, Minn.) was selected to the Hilltopper-Rattler Classic All-Tournament team for her play during the tournament which took place Sept. 6 and 7 in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. Looker was one of 11 players selected to the All-Tournament team from UMC, University of Central Missouri, Adams State University, Texas Woman’s University, Western New Mexico University, St. Mary’s University (Texas) and St. Edward’s University.

Looker got off to a ferocious pace to the 2013 season. She was instrumental to leading the Golden Eagles to a 3-1 record at the tournament with their only loss to coming to No. 8 University of Central Missouri. The UMC outside hitter averaged 3.79 kills per set, which was the seventh-best performance in the NSIC.

Looker had great performances with a double-double of 16 kills and 22 digs in a win over St. Mary’s University (Texas). St. Mary’s went 17-12 last season. She added seven kills in the loss to UCM. Her best performance of the weekend came with a career-high 20 kills in a 3-1 win over St. Edward’s University. Looker added 11 digs against the Hilltoppers, who were 18-10 in 2012. Looker rounded out the tournament with 10 kills against Merrimack College. In addition to averaging 3.79 kills per set on the weekend, she also averaged 2.71 digs per set.

The Golden Eagle volleyball team will partake in the Superior Oasis Wildcat Open in Marquette, Mich. Sept. 13 and 14. UMC will face Lake Superior State University and Northern Michigan University Sept. 13 and then Michigan Tech University and Quincy University Sept. 14.

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).

All-Tournament Team
MVP - Julia Bates, S, University of Central Missouri
Haley Thompson, MH, University of Central Missouri
Annie Reilly, Lib., University of Central Missouri
Carly Sojka, OH, University of Central Missouri
Deprece Washington, MH, Adam State University
Lindsay Stindt, OH, Adams State University
Brittany Looker, OH, University of Minnesota Crookston
Mallory Kuechle, OH, Texas Woman’s University
Shannon Rich, MH, Western New Mexico University
Victorria Martinez, Lib., St. Mary’s University (Texas)
Ashley Rappaport, Lib., St. Edward’s University

NDSU Wrestling 2013-14 Schedule

The North Dakota State wrestling program has finalized its competition schedule for the upcoming 2013-14 season, NDSU head coach Roger Kish announced Monday, Sept. 9.

The Bison schedule features 16 duals and three tournaments during the regular season, all leading up to the NCAA West Regional in Orem, Utah, on Mar. 8 and the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Mar. 20-22.

“We wanted to put together a tough schedule that would challenge our guys and help them prepare for the postseason,” said Kish. “Our goal is to have the guys wrestle some tough opponents during the year and ultimately have them ready to perform at the NCAA Championships.”

“We’re confident that this schedule will allow our guys to be physically and mentally prepared going into the NCAA Tournament,” said Kish.

NDSU opens the season with a stiff test, hosting Missouri for a dual in the Bison Sports Arena on Nov. 1. Missouri has qualified wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in all 10 weight classes for two straight seasons, and the Tigers were ranked as high as No. 4 as a team in the 2012-13 season.

The 43rd annual Bison Open will be held on Nov. 9 in the Bison Sports Arena, with national power Minnesota expected to compete.

NDSU will wrestle three duals in the last week of November, with a triangular between Northern Iowa and Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Ill., on Nov. 23 and a non-conference dual at South Dakota State on Nov. 30.

Iowa State, a perennially ranked team, comes to Fargo on Dec. 14 for a dual with the Bison, and NDSU will close 2013 at the Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill., for the third straight year.

January features duals at Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Boise State and top-10 Oregon State before NDSU opens the Western Wrestling Conference portion of the schedule by hosting Air Force on Jan. 24.

Big Ten foe Wisconsin appears on the NDSU schedule for the first time since 1993. The Bison and Badgers will wrestle a dual in Madison, Wis., on Feb. 2.

In February, NDSU has road conference duals at Utah Valley and Northern Colorado and home league duals against Wyoming and South Dakota State. The Bison will also participate in the NWCA National Dual Championships in Columbus, Ohio, on Feb. 16-17.

2013-14 North Dakota State Wrestling Schedule

Date                  Opponent                                                 Location                                     Time

Nov. 1               Missouri                                                    Fargo, N.D.                               7 p.m.

Nov. 9               Bison Open                                              Fargo, N.D.                               All Day
Nov. 23             Northern Illinois                                     DeKalb, Ill.                                 10 a.m.
                          Northern Iowa                                        DeKalb, Ill.                                        
Nov. 30             South Dakota State                               Brookings, S.D.                        6 p.m.
Dec. 7                Dragon Open                                           Moorhead, Minn.                  All Day
Dec. 14             Iowa State                                                Fargo, N.D.                               7 p.m.
Dec. 29-30       Midlands Championships                   Evanston, Ill.                            All Day
Jan. 4                 Cal Poly                                                      San Luis Obispo, Calif.          3 p.m.
Jan. 6                 Cal State Bakersfield                             Bakersfield, Calif.                   9 p.m.
Jan. 17              Boise State                                               Boise, Idaho                             8 p.m.
Jan. 19              Oregon State                                           Corvallis, Ore.                          4 p.m.
Jan. 24              Air Force *                                                Fargo, N.D.                               7 p.m.
Feb. 2                Wisconsin                                                  Madison, Wis.                         1 p.m.
Feb. 7                Utah Valley *                                           Orem, Utah                              8 p.m.
Feb. 9                Northern Colorado *                            Greeley, Colo.                         3 p.m.
Feb. 16-17       NWCA National Duals                           Columbus, Ohio                      All Day
Feb. 21             Wyoming *                                              Fargo, N.D.                               7 p.m.
Feb. 23             South Dakota State *                           Fargo, N.D.                               2 p.m.
Mar. 8               NCAA West Regional                            Orem, Utah                              All Day
Mar. 20-22      NCAA Championships                          Oklahoma City, Okla.            All Day

Home events in bold held in the Bison Sports Arena.

* Western Wrestling Conference dual

All times Central.

Timberwolves make coaching changes

Minneapolis/St. Paul - The Minnesota Timberwolves today promoted David Adelman to assistant coach and hired Bobby Jackson as player development coach.

"David is a bright young coach and has demonstrated the past two years that he is ready to take on additional responsibilities," said Flip Saunders, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. "In Bobby Jackson, we are bringing a Minnesota basketball icon back to our state. Bobby has the respect of players around our league and did a great job working with the young Kings players this past season. Both Rick Adelman and I are very familiar with Bobby and are excited to have him on our coaching staff."

Adelman spent the past two seasons as the Wolves' player development coach where he was responsible for assisting in all of the team's player development initiatives. This past summer he served as head coach of the Timberwolves Summer League entry and was co-head coach of the team in the summer of 2012.

Prior to joining the Wolves, Adelman went 83-53 in five seasons as head basketball coach at Lincoln High School in Portland, Ore. He led the Cardinals to Portland Interscholastic District Championships in the 2006-07, 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, while also reaching the Oregon Class 6A state championship final in 2009.

Prior to coaching at Lincoln, Adelman was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Jesuit High School in Portland, from 2001-06, helping the team win a state title in 2005.

Jackson returns to Minnesota after serving as assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings the past two seasons. Prior to that, Jackson worked in a regional scout/player development capacity in 2010-11 and was the team's first-ever Ambassador in 2009-10.

Jackson finished his 12-year NBA career in 2009 after playing for six teams: Denver, (1997-98), Minnesota (1998--00), Sacramento (2001-05, 2008-09), Memphis (2005-06), New Orleans (2006-08), and Houston (2007-08). In his two seasons with the Wolves, Jackson averaged 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 123 games (10 starts). He won the NBA's Sixth Man award in 2002-03 while playing for the Kings.

Jackson starred at the University of Minnesota where he led the Golden Gophers to the 1997 Final Four. During that season he averaged 15.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists, and scored 36 points in an NCAA Tournament double-overtime win against Clemson.

A Salisbury, N.C. native, Jackson and his wife, Dona, are parents of Breann (19), Kendrick (17), Skyy (13), Sarah (10), and Sebella (4).

NDSU's Miller named Summit League Offensive Player of the Week in Soccer

ELMHURST, Ill. – North Dakota State women's soccer freshman midfielder Lauren Miller was named The Summit League Offensive Player of the Week after netting three goals in the Bison's pair of wins last week.

In Friday's 3-2 win against the Idaho Vandals, Miller scored the go-ahead goal in the 66^th minute with her one-timer from 20 yards out. On Sunday, she scored two of the three Bison goals in the 3-1 victory against the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. Her first strike occurred in the 38^th minute on a breakaway before her second goal found the back of the net in the 52^nd minute of the match.

For the week, the St. Louis Park, Minn. native tallied three goals, including a game-winner, for six points while all six of her shots were on goal.

The Bison return to the pitch Wednesday afternoon when they travel to Grand Forks to battle rival North Dakota beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Timberwolves Hire Milt Newton as General Manager

Minneapolis/St. Paul - The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the hiring of Milt Newton as the team's General Manager.

"We are pleased to add Milt Newton to our organization." said Flip Saunders, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. "I have followed Milt closely during his career and have always been impressed with his basketball knowledge, work ethic and professionalism. His front office experience in the NBA, as well as his ability to combine analytics evaluation with his basketball playing and scouting background will greatly benefit our organization."

 Newton brings a lengthy and varied list of basketball credentials to his General Manager position. He will assist Saunders in the evaluation and acquisition of players and in the overall management of all Basketball Operations for the Wolves. He spent the last 10 seasons with the Washington Wizards, most recently as the team's Vice President of Player Personnel.

Prior to joining the Wizards organization, Newton was instrumental in spearheading the creation of the NBA Developmental League. In that role, he worked closely with NBA Commissioner David Stern and served as the NBADL Director of Player Personnel for three years. Newton previously spent one year as a Scout with the Philadelphia 76ers and was also the Assistant Director for the USA Basketball Men's National Team programs from 1995-99. His duties with USA Basketball included coordinating the team trials, training camps, exhibition games and team competitions for the various level National Teams, and acting as liaison for the Men's National Teams at international competitions.

In college, Newton was a starter for the 1988 University of Kansas NCAA National Championship team. He was named in 1988 to the NCAA Midwest Regional and Final Four All-Tournament teams. After serving as Team Captain and being selected as the Kansas MVP in 1989, Newton played professionally in the Continental Basketball Association for the Rockford Lightning and Grand Rapids Hoops.

Minnesota Lynx Announce Multi-Year Contract Extension with Lindsay Whalen

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

“We are extremely excited to have extended the contract of a franchise cornerstone and one of the best players in the WNBA,” said Lynx Executive Vice President Roger Griffith. “Lindsay has become the top point guard in the league over the past several seasons and we are glad to have her playing in her home state of Minnesota. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to watch an outstanding individual like herself night in and out and we are thrilled that she’s decided to continue her career with the Lynx.”

In her 10th WNBA season and fourth in a Lynx uniform, Whalen is having perhaps the best season of her career, averaging career-highs in both points (14.7 ppg) and assists (6.0 apg, 3rd in the league). Already the franchise leader in assists (740), Whalen has posted the four best single-season assist totals in franchise history in her four years with the Lynx. Entering Saturday’s game against Seattle, she needs just nine more points to reach the 4,000-point plateau and become just the second player in league history with 4,000 points, 1,500 assists and 1,000 rebounds in a career (Becky Hammon).

Thanks largely to Whalen’s play, Minnesota has been one of the most dominant teams in the WNBA dating back to the start of the 2011 season, holding a league-best 77-21 record during that span, four wins shy of matching the three-year record held by Los Angeles (81, 2000-02). Minnesota (23-7) enters Saturday’s game against Seattle with the best record in the WNBA, seeking to become just the third team in WNBA history to reach the Finals in three consecutive seasons.

Single game tickets for the 2013 Lynx Playoffs presented by Medica Individual and Family Plans went on sale to the general public this morning. Ranging from $16 ($11 for season ticket members and $13 for groups of 10 or more) to $195 ($170 for season ticket members), tickets are available by calling the Lynx at 612-673-8400 or by visiting lynxbasketball.com/lynxtix. 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.