MN Lynx Sign First-Round Pick Alexis Jones

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the signing of first-round draft pick Alexis Jones (12^th overall).

Jones, a 5-9 guard from Irving, TX., averaged 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season en route to being selected as a 2017 Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American and a unanimous first team All-Big 12 selection. She finished her career with 1,278 points, spending the first two years of her career at Duke and then her final two years of eligibility at Baylor.

The MacArthur High School product finished her career at Baylor ranked second in three-point field goal percentage (.411), fourth in assists per game (4.6 apg), eighth in three-point field goals made (132) and ninth in three-point field goal attempts (321).

The redshirt senior recorded the Big 12 Conference’s only triple-double of the year with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against Oklahoma. Jones became the second player in program history to record a triple-double in a game (Brittney Griner, 5x) and the first to record a points-rebounds-assists triple-double.

The Lynx will tip off the team’s 19th season in the WNBA with their home opener on Sunday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.  Full-season memberships, which include tickets to all 17 home games and priority playoff seating, are still available by visiting www.lynxbasketball.com/membership or by calling 612-673-8400.

R&J Broadcasting Inc. Twins Fun Bus Trip

The 3^rd Annual R&J Broadcasting, Inc. Twins Fun Bus Trip will be held on Saturday, June 17^th as the Twins will host the Cleveland Indians for an afternoon game at Target Field. The cost is $89 per person, and must be paid when signing up. There will be no refunds. The price includes game ticket, transportation on a luxury motor coach from Buffalo River Coaches of Glyndon, and subs on the bus, courtesy of Subway in Fosston. Passengers will need to bring their own beverages (coolers are welcome on the bus). Passengers will be picked up starting in Fosston, then in Mahnomen. The bus will return home following the game. There are only 50 spots available, so sign up now by calling one of the R&J Broadcasting, Inc. stations: KRJB-Ada 218-784-2844; KRJM-Mahnomen 218-935-5355; or KKCQ-Fosston 218-435-1919.

UMC Football to Hold Spring Game Saturday

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston football team will hold their annual Spring Game Sat., April 22 at 2 p.m. at Ed Widseth Field. The event is open to the public.

The game will pit the offense against the defense in a four quarter game with a 15 minute running clock. The Spring Game will feature a special scoring system. The offense will score six points for a touchdown, one point for a 30-yard PAT and three points for all field goals. The defense will score two points for a stop, four points for a takeaway, six points for a defensive touchdown and one point for a PAT after a defensive touchdown.

The Golden Eagles have 56 players on the roster going into the Spring Game. Mark Dufner is the Interim Head Coach for Minnesota Crookston. The offensive assistants are Dave Volk and Michael Orts, while the defensive assistants are Levi Bullerman, Tom Miller and Sam Smith.

MN State High School Clay Target League's 2017 Season

Minneapolis, MN – 11,040 student participants from 343 high school teams are participating in the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League's (MNSHSCTL) 2017 spring season, which began April 2nd. Those are the highest numbers ever for the state, according to League officials.

“This League continues to be the fastest-growing activity in Minnesota schools,” said Jim Sable, Executive Director of the MNSHSCTL, "such high participation shows the continued demand for alternative high school activities related to Minnesota's longstanding outdoor traditions."

The League's co-ed and adaptive nature are key attractions to high schools in Minnesota. The League is fully Title IX compliant with both male and female athletes competing on the same team. Additionally, it's an 'adaptive' sport, which allows students with physical disabilities to take part.

Upon completion of the Spring League’s regular season, all student athletes are invited to participate in individual and team competitions at the 2017 State Championships. The Trap Shooting Championship - the world's largest shooting sport event with about 7,000 competitors expected - is scheduled for June 12th-20th at the Alexandria Shooting Park, while the Skeet Championship will be held at the Minneapolis Gun Club in Prior Lake on June 25th.

The trap shooting season culminates with the State Tournament presented by the Minnesota State High School League on June 24th in Prior Lake. The State Tournament provides the opportunity for the highest qualifying individuals and teams from the clay target league to compete for the ultimate recognition as Minnesota State High School League State Champions. The Minnesota State High School League was the first state high school interscholastic athletic association in the United States to provide support and recognition for a high school trap shooting state tournament.

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League attracts student athletes that have earned their firearm safety certification to participate in shooting sports while creating a "virtual" competition among high school teams throughout Minnesota at no cost to the schools. Family travel costs are minimal because practice and competition are conducted at a shooting range near the school's location. The League is also the safest sport in high school, with no reported injuries since the inception of the League in 2001.

Conferences are determined by team size rather than geographic location for fair competition. Athletes earn True Team® scoring points as determined by their performance and ranking against all athlete scores within their team¹s conference. The team score and overall standing are calculated by adding the earned points from qualifying athletes and posted on the League's website. Athletes and their families track their individual and team performance on their phone, tablet or computer via the Shooter Performance Tracker®.

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League is an affiliate of the USA High School Clay Target League, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The League is an independent provider of shooting sports as an extracurricular co-ed and adaptive activity for high schools and students in grades 6 through 12. The organization’s priorities are safety, fun, and marksmanship – in that order. Nationwide, over 18,000 student athletes representing over 600 school-approved teams participate in the League each year.

For more information visit http://mnclaytarget.com |http://usaclaytarget.com

UND tabbed to host 2018, 2019 regionals in Sioux Falls, Fargo

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced today that it has selected the University of North Dakota to host the 2018 NCAA Men’s Hockey West Regional Championship at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., and the 2019 NCAA West Regional at SCHEELS Arena in Fargo, N.D.

The sites were selected by the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee, which is made up of coaches and administrators from NCAA member schools and conferences, and approved by the appropriate divisional championships cabinets/committees.

“The University of North Dakota is extremely excited to be awarded these upcoming NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey regionals,” said UND Athletics Director Brian Faison. “It is an honor to be entrusted by the NCAA to host these championships and put on a great experience for student-athletes, coaches and fans. The 2018 regional is in a new location at Sioux Falls in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. Based on the successes of the 2015 and 2017 regionals in Fargo, we look to continuing the tradition of hosting outstanding regionals working with the staff at the SCHEELS Arena. We have the best fans in college hockey and this announcement gives them two more opportunities to potentially see our team play in the NCAA Tournament within driving distance.”

UND has previously hosted the NCAA DI Men’s Hockey West Regional at SCHEELS Arena in Fargo in both 2015 and 2017, playing to a sold-out venue to all six games over those two tournaments.

“SCHEELS Arena is honored to get the opportunity to partner with UND Athletics in hosting the 2019 NCAA West Regional Championship. This will be our third time as a host site for the event, which gives us the experience to make it an outstanding event for the athletes, coaches and fans,” said SCHEELS Arena General Manager Jon Kram.

The 2018 regional will mark UND Athletics’ first partnership with the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, which seats 10,678 for hockey.

“I had the pleasure of working alongside the University of North Dakota’s Department of Athletics for 14 years prior to relocating to Sioux Falls,” said Denny Sanford PREMIER Center Assistant General Manager Chris Semrau. “I know firsthand how big of a deal the NCAA DI Men’s Ice Hockey West Regional is and look forward to partnering with UND and the Sioux Falls Sports Authority in hosting this amazing event in an outstanding hockey facility, the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.”

Added Sioux Falls Sports Authority Executive Director Bryan Miller: “The Sioux Falls Sports Authority is beyond excited for the opportunity to partner with the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center and the University of North Dakota for the 2018 NCAA DI Men’s Ice Hockey West Regional. We look forward to building a relationship with the University and the DI Men’s Ice Hockey committee. Sioux Falls will once again be able to showcase the amazing hospitality that makes it an ideal location for NCAA championships.”

Ticket information, including on-sale dates and pricing, will be announced at a later date.

Lynx Wrap Up 2017 WNBA Draft

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx tonight wrapped up this evening’s draft by selecting Lisa Berkani from France with the 24th overall pick and Tahlia Tupaea from Australia with the 36th overall pick.

 

Berkani, a 5-9 guard from France, averaged 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game with her club team USO Modeville in France this past season. The team most recently completed their season after falling in the quarter-finals of the LFB (Ligue Féminine de Basketball) playoffs as she finished with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists on Apr. 4. The Beaumont, France native was part of the 2015-16 LFB league championship team that was coached by new Lynx assistant coach James Wade.

 

Tupaea, a 5-9 guard from Australia, currently plays for the Sydney Uni Flames in the Women’s National Basketball League. She won the WNBL championship this spring with the Flames and earned bronze medals at both the 2013 and 2015 FIBA U19 World Championships. The 19-year-old was limited to just 15 games in the 2016-17 campaign due to an injury early in the season but returned to average 8.2 points and 3.8 assists in the those games.

 

The Lynx will tip off the team’s 19th season in the WNBA with their home opener on Sunday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.  Full-season memberships, which include tickets to all 17 home games and priority playoff seating, are still available by visiting www.lynxbasketball.com/membership or by calling 612-673-8400.

UND Men’s Hockey 2017-18 schedule

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota men’s hockey coach Brad Berry unveiled the program’s 2017-18 schedule on Wednesday.

The 36-game regular season slate features four non-conference series against former Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) rivals: road matchups at Alaska Anchorage (Oct. 6-7) and Wisconsin (Nov. 3-4), a home series against Minnesota (Oct. 20-21), and a home-and-home set with Bemidji State (Jan. 12-13).

The Minnesota series will mark the Golden Gophers’ first visit to Grand Forks since Jan. 2012, when both were still members of the WCHA.

North Dakota’s other non-conference dates also include home series against St. Lawrence (Oct. 13-14) and Union (Nov. 24-25). It will be Union’s first-ever visit to Grand Forks.

The Fighting Hawks will open National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) play at Colorado College on Oct. 27-28 and will host its first NCHC series Nov. 10-11 against Miami.

Host sites for the 2018 NCAA Regionals will be announced by the NCAA on April 18. The Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., will host the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four.

UND went 21-16-3 overall in 2016-17 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 15th straight season, the second-longest streak in NCAA Division I men’s hockey history behind only Michigan’s 22 from 1991 to 2012.

2017-18 UND Men’s Hockey Schedule:

Date            Opponent                                   Time (CT)

Sept. 30       Manitoba (exh)                             7:07 pm

Oct. 6           at Alaska Anchorage                                TBA

Oct. 7           at Alaska Anchorage                                TBA

Oct. 13        St. Lawrence                                 7:37 pm

Oct. 14        St. Lawrence                                 7:07 pm

Oct. 20        Minnesota                                     7:37 pm

Oct. 21        Minnesota                                     7:07 pm

Oct. 27          at Colorado College*                                 TBA

Oct. 28          at Colorado College*                                 TBA

Nov. 3           at Wisconsin                                           TBA

Nov. 4           at Wisconsin                                           TBA

Nov. 10       Miami*                                          7:37 pm

Nov. 11       Miami*                                          7:07 pm

Nov. 17         at Denver*                                              TBA

Nov. 18         at Denver*                                              TBA

Nov. 24       Union                                             7:37 pm

Nov. 25       Union                                             7:07 pm

Dec. 1          Western Michigan*                       7:37 pm

Dec. 2          Western Michigan*                       7:07 pm

Dec. 8           at St. Cloud State*                                   TBA

Dec. 9           at St. Cloud State*                                   TBA

Dec. 30        U.S. Under-18 Team (exh)           7:07 pm

Jan. 5          Omaha*                                        7:37 pm

Jan. 6          Omaha*                                        7:07 pm

Jan. 12          at Bemidji State                                       TBA

Jan. 13        Bemidji State                                7:07 pm

Jan. 19          at Minnesota Duluth*                               TBA

Jan. 20          at Minnesota Duluth*                               TBA

Jan. 26        Denver*                                        7:37 pm

Jan. 27        Denver*                                        7:07 pm

Feb. 9          Colorado College*                        7:37 pm

Feb. 10        Colorado College*                        7:07 pm

Feb. 16         at Omaha*                                              TBA

Feb. 17         at Omaha*                                              TBA

Feb. 23         at Miami*                                                TBA

Feb. 24         at Miami*                                                TBA

Mar. 2          St. Cloud State*                            7:37 pm

Mar. 3          St. Cloud State*                            7:07 pm

Mar. 9-11      NCHC Quarterfinals (TBD)                       TBD

Mar. 16-17    NCHC Frozen Faceoff (Minneapolis)          TBD

Mar. 23-25    NCAA Regionals (TBD)                            TBD

Apr. 5-7        NCAA Frozen Faceoff (St. Paul)                TBD

* - indicates NCHC game

Home games in bold; all times Central

Schedule subject to change