Bulldogs, Saints crush opposition

Posted on February 13, 2010 by college

The Minnesota Duluth women’s basketball team chalked up a solid NSIC road win on Friday night, while the Saints women downed Crown in record-setting fashion. The UMD men, meanwhile, will continue to struggle. It’ll be interesting to see how they bounce back today.

COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Booker leads UMD to rout
Jheri Booker had 24 points and nine rebounds to lead Minnesota Duluth to a 82-55 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rout on Friday at Minnesota-Crookston.
Crookston (8-14, 6-10) scored the first eight points before UMD (15-8, 10-6) took command with a 12-2 run just before halftime.
Sophomore guard Lindsay Miller added 12 points and six rebounds, while junior forward Katie Haas had a career-high 11 points. The Bulldogs player at Minnesota-Moorhead (17-6, 11-5) at 6 p.m. today in a key conference matchup.
* Kirsten Haukom had six points and a career-high 12 rebounds as St. Scholastica (10-12, 5-6) set a program-record with 74 rebounds in rolling past Crown 61-23 on Friday for an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference home victory.
Haukom is now six rebounds from becoming the first St. Scholastica women’s basketball player to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists. The Saints’ previous record for rebounds was 61. They led 30-8 at the half and set a school-record by holding Crown (1-16, 0-11) to nine field goals.

COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Crookston tops UMD
Matthew Heier scored 18 points as Minnesota-Crookston beat Minnesota Duluth 78-64 on Friday for the Golden Eagles’ first NSIC victory of the season Friday in Crookston, Minn.
Jason Servaty added 16 points as Crookston (4-18, 1-15) had five players reach double figures in scoring.
Dylan Rodriguez had 18 points, while Ryan Rasmussen chipped in with 13 for the Bulldogs, who trailed 42-22 at the break and were outrebounded 35-26.
* Brett Tester made two free throws with three seconds remaining to lift St. Scholastica to a 73-71 UMAC victory over Crown College on Saturday in Duluth.
Chris Hamers had 18 points to lead the Saints, including 4-for-9 from 3-point range, while Logan Schultz had 14 points. Danny Schmitz (13) and Tester (12) were also in double figures for St. Scholastica (8-14, 5-6).
Jake Jarvis had 12 points to lead Crown (3-19, 3-8).

COLLEGE HOCKEY
Saints’ title hopes vanish
St. Scholastica’s chances for a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association men’s title vanished Friday night in a 3-2 loss to Wisconsin-Eau Claire in front of 742 fans at Mars Lakeview Arena.
The No. 4-ranked Saints (17-4-4, 11-3-4 NCHA) had an eight-game unbeaten streak broken and finished the regular season in second place. No. 3 St. Norbert defeated Wisconsin-Stout 6-1 Friday in DePere, Wis., to clinch the NCHA regular-season championship, and plays Wisconsin-River Falls today. St. Scholastica is two points behind.
Jeremy Dawes gave the Saints a 1-0 lead after one period and Aaron Spotts put St. Scholastica up 2-1 nine minutes into the third period.
But Eau Claire (8-13-3, 4-10-3) rallied to tie the game just 10 seconds after the Spotts goal, on a score by Isaiah Bennis. Ross Janecyk provided the winning goal with 7:04 to play. Eau Claire led in total shots on goal 24-23.
* Wisconsin-Superior scored three goals in the first period and three in the second, and led in shots on goal 53-8 Friday night, on the way to beating Marian College 6-0 in an NCHA women’s game in Fond du Lac, Wis.
Forwards Jasmine Pollack, Jodi Holland, Brittany Bembeneck and Teagan Cassan each had a goal and an assist for UWS (12-8-2, 6-5-2). Marian (2-18, 1-12) used two goalies, who combined for 47 saves.

FREESTYLE SKIING
USSA event at Spirit Mountain
The U.S. Ski Association Central Division Freestyle Championships are today and Sunday at Spirit Mountain for skiers from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada.
Slopestyle skiing begins at 10 a.m. today, followed by aerials competition. Half-pipe competition is 10 a.m. Sunday followed by single and dual moguls.
Qualifiers advance to the U.S. Junior Olympics in March in Waterville Valley, N.H.
r To salute the 2010 Winter Olympics, which began Friday in Vancouver, British Columbia, a smaller scale opening ceremony will be held at noon today at Spirit Mountain with a flag demonstration and the United States and Canadian national anthems. A ceremonial Olympic torch will be lit and carried down the Gandy Dancer hill by Mark Lind.
NEWS TRIBUNE

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More honors for Bulldog football

Posted on February 9, 2010 by college

The season has been over for two months, but the awards keep coming in for Minnesota Duluth football (I’ve attached the briefs running in today’s paper below). The best thing for Bulldogs fans is that Odim and Aurich are just juniors, and UMD only lost 11 players to graduation. UMD could be scary again next season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
More honors for UMD’s Odim and Aurich
Minnesota Duluth junior running back Isaac Odim and junior linebacker Robbie Aurich have earned All-American honors by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette.
For Odim, it is the fifth All-American first-team honors he has earned for 2009, a first in the 77-year history of the UMD football program. The Harlon Hill Trophy finalist from Rochester, Minn., set single-season records for rushing yards (1,808), touchdowns (33) and 100-yard rushing games (12).
Aurich, of Spring Lake, Mich., earned third-team honors after leading one of the top defensive units in NCAA Division II with 93 tackles.

COLLEGE HOCKEY
UMD men fall to No. 7, women move to No. 2
The Minnesota Duluth men’s and women’s teams remained among the top 10 in Division I in U.S. College Hockey Online poll voting Monday.
The UMD men (18-11-1) split games at Michigan Tech and dropped one spot to No. 7. The Bulldogs are off this week before resuming play Feb. 19-20 at No. 11 North Dakota.
The UMD women (21-7-2) swept Minnesota at the DECC to move into a tie at No. 2 with the Gophers. The Bulldogs are home Friday and Saturday against Ohio State.
r In Division III men, St. Scholastica remained at No. 4 after a tie with No. 3 St. Norbert and a win over Wisconsin-Stout. The Saints (16-3-4) are at Wisconsin-Superior on Thursday and finish the regular season Friday at home with Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

SNOCROSS
Hibbert finishes season in style
Tucker Hibbert closed out his 2009-10 snocross racing season in style, sweeping the professional classes this past weekend at the Eastern Nationals in Farmington, N.Y.
After being challenged in his heats, it was all Hibbert in the finals as the rider from Goodridge, Minn., beat Ross Martin in Pro Open and Tim Tremblay in Pro Stock for his 54th and 55th career victories. The eight-time Amsoil Duluth National Snocross champion will now focus on motocross and cross-country mountain bike racing rather than completing the snocross season.
Duluth rider Carl Schubitzke, who now races out of Madison, was the top Northland finisher in Farmington, taking 11th in Pro Stock.

COLLEGE TENNIS
Saints get season started
St. Scholastica’s tennis teams began the season Saturday and split their first two matches.
The St. Scholastica women opened by edging St. Thomas 5-4 on Saturday at Arrowhead Tennis Center as Callee Conda, Danni Sonnenfeld, Katie Motley and Angela Shields all won in singles play. The St. Scholastica men fell 8-1, with sophomore Jacob Engelstad being the lone winner for the Saints.
The Saints then hit the road, with the women winning 8-1 over Hamline University on Sunday in Lakeville, Minn., as Conda teamed with Milly Che Leon, a freshman from Lima, Peru, to win in No. 1 doubles. The St. Scholastica men, meanwhile, were edged 5-4 as the team of Kevin Hilpert and Tim Dean were the lone doubles team to win for the Saints.
NEWS TRIBUNE

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Bulldogs lose heartbreaker

Posted on February 7, 2010 by college

Minnesota Duluth is having one of those years where nothing is going right, but Bulldogs coach Gary Holquist saw progress on Saturday night despite a tough loss (see below).
 

COLLEGE MEN
Golden Bears rally to stun Bulldogs
Junior guard Courtney Tyler converted a 3-point play in the closing seconds as Concordia-St. Paul rallied to beat Minnesota Duluth 86-85 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game on Saturday at Romano Gymnasium.
Ryan Rasmussen got UMD (7-15, 4-11) off to a great start with 16 points in the first half, while freshman forward Dylan Rodriguez had 15 points and five rebounds before fouling out. UMD led by five points with about 40 seconds left before Concordia (12-10, 9-6) rallied.
“This team is coming together,” said UMD coach Gary Holquist. “We played hard, and I’m proud of our effort. We did everything we needed to do — except win.”

COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
First-place Golden Bears hold off Bulldogs
Maurika Hickman scored 18 points and Concordia-St. Paul used a 16-4 run in the second half to beat Minnesota Duluth 83-72 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game on Saturday at Romano Gymnasium.
With the win, the 23rd-ranked Golden Bears (18-4, 12-3) maintained first-place in conference play.
Jheri Booker had 18 points to lead UMD (14-8, 9-6). Starters Monica Mayry (12), Kelsey Hewitt (12), Shelly Stemper (11) and Lindsay Miller (11) were also in double figures as the Bulldogs shortened their bench.
* Laura Amys had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and St. Scholastica outscored Presentation 45-21 in the second half en route to a 70-46 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference victory on Saturday in Aberdeen, S.D.
Kirsten Haukom added 14 points, and Kelly Cinquegrani added 10 points and five assists for the Saints (9-12, 4-6).
Chelsey Stanley had 11 points to lead Presentation (7-13, 3-7).
* Kelly Hams of Littlefork had 24 points to lead Hibbing Community College to a 72-40 victory over Fond du Lac in Minnesota College Athletic Conference play Saturday in Cloquet.
The Cardinals improved to 10-13 overall and 6-4 in the MCAC.
Darian Bushey of Barnum had 23 points to lead the Thunder.

COLLEGE HOCKEY
Saints roll past Stevens Point
Senior goalie Zach Kleiman continued his stellar play with 39 saves to lead St. Scholastica to a 6-2 Northern Collegiate Hockey Association victory over Wisconsin-Stevens Point, helping the Saints close the gap with St. Norbert in league play.
Six players scored for the St. Scholastica while Tyler Miller had three assists.
Jon Madden and Kent Detlefsen had goals for Stevens Point (10-12-1, 5-11)
Fourth-ranked St. Scholastica (16-3-4, 10-2-4) is now just two points behind third-ranked St. Norbert in the league standings with two games to play.
* Justin Faryna’s goal with 2:07 left in the third period sent the game into overtime and goaltender Bryan Dalbec made three of his 21 saves in the extra session to preserve Wisconsin-Superior’s 1-1 tie against third-ranked St. Norbert in an NCHA men’s game at Wessman Arena.
Peter Fylling’s goal 3:30 into the game gave the league-leading Green Knights (17-3-3, 12-2-2) the advantage and B.J. O’Brien’s goaltending kept the Yellowjackets (9-10-4, 3-10-3) off the scoreboard until Faryna’s game-tying goal.
* Melissa Kunzelman had a 14-save shutout to lead Wisconsin-Superior to a 2-0 NCHA women’s victory over Finlandia on Saturday in Hancock, Mich.
Ashley Martin and Shana Katz had goals for the Yellowjackets (10-7-2, 4-5-2).
Stephanie LaMore stopped 27 shots for Finlandia (5-15-0, 1-10).

COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD
Local runners victorious
St. Scholastica’s Jake Turman won the 600-meter run and Tyler Rien captured the high jump, while the Saints women won three relays and Tara Connolly took first in the 800-meter run at the Border Battle indoor track and field meet Saturday in Superior.
Randy Khieu of Wisconsin-Superior was victorious in the men’s long jump.
NEWS TRIBUNE

 

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UMD men lose, women win

Posted on February 6, 2010 by college

After a rough week, the Minnesota Duluth women’s basketball victory over St. Cloud has the Bulldogs back on the right path toward securing an NCAA Division II playoff berth. In other news, the UMD baseball team began its season on Friday (yes, in February!!!). Below are our local names and news briefs from today’s paper.

COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Rasmussen scores 41 in UMD loss
Buoyed by big nights from star junior guard Taylor Witt and senior center Matt Schneck, St. Cloud State handed Minnesota Duluth its fifth straight Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference loss 83-68 Saturday at Romano Gym.
Witt scored 23, and Schneck had 27 points and 14 rebounds for the Huskies (17-4 overall, 11-3 NSIC) to offset a career-high 41 points by UMD’s Ryan Rasmussen, who was responsible for more than 60 percent of the Bulldogs’ scoring output. Rasmussen, who made 17 of 18 free throws and was 6-for-10 from 3-point range, has averaged 22.7 points per game the last six contests.
The Bulldogs (7-14, 4-10) fell behind by a dozen points early and trailed 46-26 at halftime.
“I thought we played terrible in the first half, and in the second half we battled back,” said Bulldogs coach Gary Holquist, whose team committed 11 of its 16 turnovers in the first half. “There’s always one aspect where we fall apart.”
* Eric Dalbey scored 25 points to lead Minnesota-Morris to a 71-57 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference victory over St. Scholastica on Friday night in Morris, Minn.
The Cougars (9-10, 6-3) made eight 3-pointers compared to one for St. Scholastica, and they outscored the Saints bench 28-7.
Brett Tester had 18 points to lead St. Scholastica (7-13, 4-5), while Jonah Dahlman added 10.

COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
UMD cruises past St. Cloud
Minnesota Duluth held St. Cloud State to five field goals in the first half Friday night, coming away with a 79-51 NSIC victory at Romano Gym. The 28-point margin of victory was the largest of the season for the Bulldogs.
UMD (14-7, 9-5) led the Huskies (8-13, 3-11) by 22 points at halftime. Senior forward Jheri Booker scored 18 of her 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting in the opening half. She added seven rebounds and two of UMD’s 12 steals.
Talisha Barlow, St. Cloud’s leading scorer, was held to two points. She entered the game ranked fifth in the conference in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per game.
UMD continues its homestand at 6 p.m. today against Concordia-St. Paul.
* Senior guard Kirsten Haukom scored 12 points and became the 11th St. Scholastica women’s player to top 1,000 career points, but the Saints lost 58-51 at Minnesota-Morris in a UMAC game.
Haukom, who has 1,002 points, is 24 rebounds from becoming the first women’s player in school history to score more than 1,000 points, grab 500 rebounds and have more than 200 assists.
The Saints (8-12, 3-6) shot 21 percent in the first half and fell behind 16-2 en route to setting a school record for fewest first-half points with 10.
Katie Christensen (Sr.-Elk River, Minn.) led the Saints with 13 points. Laura Amys had 11 points and nine rebounds. Steph Roggenbuck led all scorers with 18 points for the Cougars (13-6, 8-1).

COLLEGE HOCKEY
UWS ends drought
Jesse Junkermeier scored two goals and Bryan Dalbec stopped 24 shots as Wisconsin-Superior upended Wisconsin-Stevens Point 5-2 in a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association game Friday night at Wessman Arena.
Junkemeier’s goals were part of a four-goal third period for the Yellowjackets (9-10-3, 3-10-2). Braden Desmet broke a 1-1 tie with an unassisted goal 1:18 into the third period and Talon Berlando added an empty-net goal — his 12th of the season — in the final minute.

COLLEGE BASEBALL
UMD falls to Mustangs, clock
Minnesota Duluth (1-2) battled time as well as Southwest Minnesota State on Friday, and were bested by both. UMD dropped the first of two scheduled nonconference matchups 5-1, before time negated the second contest at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.
Cody Curry’s two-out, bases-loaded single in the first inning scored a pair of runs to give the Mustangs (2-1) all the offense they needed.
Bulldogs sophomore Collin Stinogel took the loss, giving up five runs on seven hits. Junior Josh Taran and sophomore Mark Shaver held the Mustangs hitless over the final three innings.
UMD was three outs from earning a split for the second straight day — the Bulldogs won 7-2 and lost 5-2 to Southwest on Thursday’s opening day — in the nightcap. The time limit, strictly enforced by Metrodome staff, came before the last out with the Bulldogs holding a 9-1 lead. NCAA rules stipulate that a contest must complete seven innings to count as an official game.
The Bulldogs resume play March 12 in Winter Haven, Fla.

BOXING
Kolle wins by TKO
Andy “Kaos” Kolle defeated Pat “The Cat” Coleman Friday with a sixth-round TKO at First Avenue night club in Minneapolis, the main event of a card dubbed “Fight Night at First Avenue.”
Kolle (20-2, 15 KOs), a 27-year-old Minnesota middleweight champion from Horton’s Gym in Duluth, has won 11 of his past 12 bouts.
Coleman (29-16, 20 KOs), a 39-year-old from San Diego, has lost eight straight and hasn’t won since 2002.

NEWS TRIBUNE

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Horton’s boxers have busy weekend

Posted on February 5, 2010 by college

Once in awhile I deviate from the college scene to highlight an item from my other beats (for folks not familiar with the journalism lingo, by "beats" I don’t mean music but the areas we cover and specialize in for the paper). I’ve attached a boxing release below.

Busy Weekend on the Road for local Horton’s Gym fighters

What do Silver Glove fighter Dawson Wrazidlo, Golden Glove fighters Trevor Marmon and Will Matthews, and professional Minnesota Middleweight Champion Andy “Kaos” Kolle have in common?: They all train out of Horton’s Gym and will be fighting on the road this weekend.
Minnesota State and Region Silver Glove Champion Dawson Wrazidlo of Horton’s Gym in Duluth competes at the National Silver Gloves Tournament in Independence, MO. Fast hands, swift feet, quick minds and thunderous power will prevail when the opening bell rings at the 2010 National Silver Gloves Amateur Boxing Tournament. The three-day event will run from February 4th – February 6th and will match-up the top 350, 10-15 year old amateur boxers in the country. The result is unparalleled competition that showcases the sport’s best young athletes from across the nation.
Horton’s Gym Golden Glove fighters, Trevor Marmon and Will Matthews, fight on February 6, 2010 at Eastview Recreation Center in St. Paul. Gates open at 6 p.m. and Fights start at 7:30 p.m.
MN middleweight champ Andy "Kaos" Kolle (19-2, 14 KO’s) will headline against veteran Pat “The Cat” Coleman (29-15 20 ko’s) on the earlier mentioned fight card being held at First Avenue in Minneapolis on February 5th. " I don’t really know much about my opponent but I know that he is a vet with over 40 fights so he knows what he’s doing in the ring" said Kolle. In a recent interview with Minnesota boxing.com Kolle remarked " As with all my fights, I don’t really worry to much about what they are going to do. Just like always, I have been in the gym 5 days a week since my last fight, doing a lot of sparring and working on some different things so I know I won’t have to worry about any ring rust. I am as hungry as I have ever been so I just can’t wait to get back in the ring and hit somebody!

 

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Bulldogs bring in quality class

Posted on February 4, 2010 by college

I’ve never seen a coach not get giddy about their incoming recruiting class, but this year’s Minnesota Duluth football crop should help the Bulldogs keep their level of success going strong for years to come, based on the feedback I’ve been getting.

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY: Bulldogs go big with 2010 recruiting class.

JON NOWACKI
jnowacki@duluthnews.com
Six-foot-eight, 300-pound pitcher Marc Dahlin must look like a giant when he takes the mound for Edgewood High School in Madison.
“I get that a lot,” he says.
But fortunately for Minnesota Duluth, the behemoth is an even better football player.
Dahlin is one 18 recruits UMD announced Wednesday as part of National Signing Day, and the theme for 2010 was size. The Bulldogs only lost 11 players to graduation, but five of those were linemen, including three starters, so the Bulldogs helped shore up that area by bringing in four offensive lineman, including Dahlin.
That bodes well for UMD, which featured one of the top rushing attacks the past two seasons as the Bulldogs went on to a national championship in 2008 and a national quarterfinal appearance last season.
“I definitely prefer run-blocking over pass-blocking,” Dahlin said. “I like getting into peoples’ faces and moving them out.”
The four offensive line recruits are at least 270 pounds and two top 300. Players bulk up in college, meaning the Bulldogs’ future line could be downright scary for the opposition.
Bulldogs coach Bob Nielson said this is likely the highest quality class in his seven years at UMD and said just about every recruit received at least minimal interest from Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division 1-AA) schools. He said the Bulldogs’ national success has allowed them to extend their recruiting reach. This year’s class includes players from Illinois, Michigan and Washington.
Nielson expects all but one or two of the players to redshirt as freshmen and said the Bulldogs could still bring in another prep or college player.
“The thing that is a little different now is we’re able to bring in guys from beyond our traditional recruiting area,” Nielson said. “We’ve played on national television, and that has given us increased exposure. Players hear about our program and want to learn more, and that allows us to find the right guys we feel will mesh within our program. I’m really excited about this class.”
Dahlin will be coming to Duluth from more than 5 hours away, but he has strong local connections to the Twin Ports. His father, Dave, graduated from Superior High School in 1973 and from Wisconsin-Superior in 1978. Marc Dahlin’s older sister, Lauren, was born at St. Luke’s.
Marc Dahlin is a highly touted long snapper who said he received strong interest from Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schools as well as Illinois State and North Dakota State.
Minnesota offered Dahlin an opportunity as a preferred walk-on, but, ultimately, the Bulldogs coaching staff helped sell the Dahlin family on becoming Bulldogs.
“I’m not trying to stoke their egos or make Duluth feel good, but when you get people the quality of Bob Nielson and his coaching staff to come into your house, you quickly tell they’re at another level,” Dave Dahlin said. “They care about their recruits not just as football players, but as people.”
* Nielson said with the bulk of recruiting completed, he hopes to have his defensive coordinator position filled within the next two weeks.

FOOTBALL
COLLEGE
National Signing Day Recruits
Minnesota Duluth
Player Pos Hometown
Jacob Brusehaver DL Hutchinson, Minn.
Marc Dahlin OL Verona, Wis.
Dan Desorcy DB Plover, Wis.
Aaron Esala OL Ashland
Gavin Grady LB Minnetonka, Minn.
Yusef Hassan LB Burnsville, Minn.
Kal Herzog WR Eau Claire, Wis.
Tyler Hilar WR Conover, Wis.
Greg Hynes QB St. Louis Park, Minn.
Michael Maguire TE Sammamish, Wash.
Kerwin McKay DB Kettle Moraine, Wis.
Ryan Miesbauer RB/FB South Range
Andrew Pattock OL Circle Pines, Minn.
Sam Renk DB Peru, Ill.
Philip Rutz OL Amherst, Wis.
Austin Sikorski RB Plover, Wis.
Mitch Van Effen WR Escanaba, Mich.
Mitch Ziegler TE Kenosha, Wis.

Other Area Recruits
North Dakota State
Zach Colvin DB Superior

St. Cloud State
RaRa Jones WR Cloquet

Minnesota-Crookston
Steven Perry DB Poplar
Shane Rasley WR Deer River

Minnesota State-Moorhead
Nick Adams QB Coleraine

Bemidji State
Offer of Admission Signee
Marcus Miranda RB Aurora

 

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Miesbauer heads list of UMD football recruits

Posted on February 3, 2010 by college

Today is always an interesting day in college football to see who lands where. While the dust hasn’t settled, my story in today’s News Tribune, which I’ve attached below, gives one a pretty good idea where some of the top local prospects are headed.

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY: Northwestern running back Miesbauer to sign with UMD.

JON NOWACKI
jnowacki@duluthnews.com
Northwestern High School running back Ryan Miesbauer had campus visits planned for Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State this past weekend, but after visiting Duluth on Saturday, Miesbauer woke up early the next day to call Bemidji and cancel his visit.
The 2009 News Tribune football player of the year was sold on UMD.
Miesbauer, who rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, will be one of the local highlights when the Bulldogs announce their 2010 football recruiting class today as part of National Signing Day.
“The more I saw of UMD, the more I liked it,” said Miesbauer of South Range, Wis. “The visit gave me a chance to see the locker room and weight room and just walk around campus. It will be nice going to school closer to home, but that’s not the determining factor. They just have a really good football program, and it’d be hard to find better facilities in all of Division II.”
UMD also offers Miesbauer’s major, exercise science, and is coming off an NCAA Division II title in 2008 and quarterfinal appearance last season.
Miesbauer overcomes a lack of size (5-foot-9, 210 pounds) with incredible strength and quickness. He has bench pressed as much as 340 pounds and squatted 570. The standout wrestler and track athlete also hopes to throw the shot put at UMD. He has a personal best toss of nearly 57 feet and placed second at the Wisconsin Division 2 state track and field meet last season.
Miesbauer also played linebacker but said the Bulldogs plan on using him mostly at fullback. His high school coach, Dennis Scherz, said there is a place for him somewhere on the football field.
“Ryan won’t grow any taller, but who knows what his potential is?” Scherz said. “I’d never underestimate him, I can tell you that. I could see him packing on some more weight and working even harder at the college level. He’s that kind of kid. If you had a team full of Ryan Miesbauers, you’d have yourself quite the football team.”
UMD NABS ESALA
UMD beat out some high-level schools to land Aaron Esala, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive lineman from Ashland.
Esala said he turned down offers from North Dakota, North Dakota State and South Dakota, all NCAA Football Championship Subdivision schools (formerly Division I-AA). He also said he received interest from Wisconsin, Wyoming and Illinois State as well as Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schools Winona State and St. Cloud State.
Esala has a lofty goal to start as a true freshman but understands if UMD chooses to redshirt him.
“UMD just felt like home to me, and obviously, winning a national championship was a biggie,” said Esala, who lived in Cloquet until the fourth grade. “I want to win football games.”
BEST OF THE REST
* Duluth Denfeld coach Frank Huie said center/defensive tackle Brad Hoder and fullback/defensive end Ivan Dakovic have received college interest from the likes of Bemidji State. 
* Duluth East coach Joe Hietala said defensive lineman Buma Foncham is interested in playing for the Bulldogs but is waiting for paperwork to clear. Hietala also said linebacker John Lafferty and lineman Anders Ryden were also interested in playing college football.
“Buma is the fiercest football player I’ve ever coached, and when he gets on that football field, it’s like flipping a switch,” Hietala said. “He’s just a great football player and an awesome kid, and he’s going to be a player wherever he winds up.”
* Superior defensive back Zach Colvin committed to North Dakota State in August and will sign a letter of intent with the Bison today. Spartans coach Bob DeMeyer said Colvin will be the first Spartans football player in more than 30 years to earn a Division I scholarship, joining the likes of Bruce Mathison, Larry Banks and Pat Paquette of the 1970s.
* Cloquet senior wide receiver RaRa Jones is expected to sign today with St. Cloud State. Jones, 6-3 and 190 pounds, has incredible potential but is still a bit raw. Lumberjacks coach Tom Lenarz said he hopes the Huskies redshirt him but said Jones will eventually be an impact player.
“RaRa has all the athletic ability in the world, but unfortunately, he was playing in a run-orientated system,” Lenarz said. “I don’t think he’ll be blocking too many defensive ends at the next level.”

OTHERS LOOKING TO PLAY

* Hermantown coach Daryl Illikainen said linemen Pat Michelson and Zach Schade, and fullback/linebacker Marc Niemi have all received college interest.
* Two Harbors coach Tom Nelson said Scott Comrie, Ryan Guentzel and Tony Ankley were interested in playing college football but hadn’t committed the last time he spoke with them.
 

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Mustangs tame Bulldogs

Posted on January 30, 2010 by college

After playing well in recent weeks, the Minnesota Duluth women’s basketball team had a setback on Friday night (see the brief below). We’ll see how the Bulldogs bounce back on the road today at Minnesota State-Mankato, the defending women’s Division II champions who have had an up-and-down see this year.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Mustangs sweep Bulldogs
Megan Stadler had a layup and steal in the final 1:20 to lift Southwest Minnesota State to a 75-71 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women’s victory on Friday night in Marshall, Minn.
Tori Fink had 21 points to lead the Mustangs (12-7 overall, 6-6 NSIC), who beat UMD for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
Senior forward Jheri Booker and sophomore guard Lindsay Miller had 19 points each to lead the Bulldogs (13-6, 8-4), who outrebounded Southwest 43-32 but couldn’t overcome 20 turnovers.
* Taylor Huseby had 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead Southwest Minnesota State to a 63-47 NSIC men’s victory over visiting Minnesota Duluth.
The Mustangs (5-7, 10-8) held UMD to 32 percent shooting and outrebounded the Bulldogs 45-36 to snap a four-game losing streak.
Steven Duncan had 12 points to lead UMD (4-8, 7-12) and was one of the few Bulldogs with a good shooting night, going 5-for-8 from the field.
“Usually when you hold a team to 63 points, you’ve got a good chance to win, but not when you shoot 32 percent,” UMD coach Gary Holquist said.

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More awards for UMD football

Posted on January 29, 2010 by college

The awards continue to roll in for UMD football, even though the team has been done for two months (Below I’ve attached the briefs running into today’s paper). As you can see, it’s the second straight day where we’ve been bombarded with a smorgasbord of sports briefs of every variety.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Three Bulldogs named All-American
Senior center Tobias Lemke and junior running back Isaac Odim were named to the 2009 D2Football.com All-America first team, announced Monday, while junior linebacker Robbie Aurich made the second team.
Lemke, of Essen, Germany, was a two-time All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference selection who helped anchor the Bulldogs line the past four seasons, starting 45 games.
Odim, of Rochester, Minn., was one of nine finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy going to the top player in Division II. The NSIC offensive player of the year set Bulldogs single-season records for rushing yards (1,808), touchdowns (33) and 100-yard rushing games (12).
Aurich, of Spring Lake, Mich., was part of a defensive unit that allowed the second fewest points (12.4 per game) and fifth fewest yards (251) in Division II. The NSIC defensive player of the year led UMD in tackles for the second straight year with 93.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Bulldogs sixth in preseason poll
Defending Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament champion and NCAA Division II College World Series participant Winona State is the favorite to win the league in 2010, according to a coaches poll released Thursday.
The Warriors had 179 points and 11 first-place votes, with Wayne State second with 159 points and two first-place votes.
Minnesota State-Mankato was third with 151 votes and the remaining first-place vote, followed by Augustana (149), Southwest Minnesota State (143) and Minnesota Duluth (121). The Bulldogs, 26-23 overall last season, were seventh in the league at 16-10.

EXTREME FIGHTING
Fearless event Saturday at Black Bear
The Fearless Fighting Championship 3 is Saturday at Black Bear Casino Resort in Carlton, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and fights at 7 p.m.
Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock is expected to make a guest appearance.
Tickets are $100 for gold seating, $65 for silver and $35 for general admission and are available at ticketmaster.com, the Black Bear Casino box office, Third Base Bar and Benna Ford in Superior.
More information available at www.fearlessfightingchamp.com.

ALPINE SKIING
32nd Atmore Memorial opens Saturday
The 32nd Atmore Memorial FIS slalom races are set for Saturday and Sunday at Spirit Mountain.
Saturday’s start times are 8:55 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. for women, and 10:20 a.m. and 1:35 p.m. for men. Sunday’s times are 8:50 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. for men, and 10:45 a.m. and 1:50 p.m. for women.
Winners last year were Ben Brown of Houghton, Mich., and Christopher Acosta of Ashland, sharing the men’s title, Natasha Wood of Middlebury (Vt.) in the women’s division.
The Atmore Memorial began in 1979 by the Duluth-Superior Alpine Club to honor the memory of William Atmore and son, Mark.

NORDIC
Nordic Spirit race Sunday
The Nordic Spirit Ski Race and Tour, part of the Minnesota Skinny Ski.com series, is Sunday at Spirit Mountain. The 10-kilometer classical event is 8:50 a.m. followed by the 13K and 25K freestyle races at 9 a.m.
Entry fees are $45 through Saturday and $50 Sunday. More information available at www.duluthxc.com/nordicspirit.htm

HOCKEY
Duluthian Gilbert honored
The American Hockey Coaches Association named seven annual major award winners Thursday, including Duluth-born John Gilbert earning the Jim Fullerton Award, going to those promoting the purity of the sport.
Gilbert, 66, has worked as a sports writer at the News Tribune, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Budgeteer, and writes for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Web site, and has written a book on former University of Minnesota, North Stars and U.S. Olympic coach Herb Brooks.
The award will be presented at the association’s annual convention April 29-May 2 in Naples, Fla. Former News Tribune writer Bill Brophy won the Fullerton Award in 2007, Ted Brill of Grand Rapids in 1999 and WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod in 2004.
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UWS earns big sweep of River Falls

Posted on January 28, 2010 by college

Wisconsin-Superior got a big Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep on Wednesday night, the second such sweep the Yellowjackets have had this season. I think it’s safe to say that hasn’t happened in years at UWS.

While I call it a sweep, this wasn’t exactly a traditional doubleheader as the UWS women played at River Falls and the UWS men played in Superior. I haven’t quite figured this one out, but the WIAC continues to play home and away games on the same day. One would think in this day and age of tighter budgets, the league would play both the men’s and women’s games on the same day, at the same location. I think that would also generate more interest in the games.

BASKETBALL
UWS women grab win
Connie Urmanski scored on a layup with three seconds to play Wednesday night as the Wisconsin-Superior women rallied to beat Wisconsin-River Falls 55-54 in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at Karges Center in River Falls. Wis.
The Yellowjackets (7-11 overall, 2-8 WIAC) trailed 29-26 at the half before taking a 51-47 lead with 2:19 play. River Falls (14-4, 6-4) came back for a one-point lead with 15 seconds remaining on two free throws from Tiffany Gregorich. The game was tied five times in the second half.
Urmanski led UWS with 18 points and Bri Davis scored eight. Anna Peterson had six rebounds. Gregorich had 21 points and Taylor House seven. In the second half, UWS shot 42 percent from the field and River Falls 22 percent.

UWS tops River Falls
Wisconsin-Superior went on a 22-3 streak to close the first half Wednesday night on the way to an 87-72 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men’s win over Wisconsin-River Falls at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.
River Falls (8-11 overall, 2-8 WIAC) led 22-12 through the game’s first seven minutes before UWS (11-7, 5-5) went on a run and led 34-25 at the half. The Yellowjackets added 53 second-half points.
Five UWS players were in double figures — Dan Culy with 20 points, Jake Smith with 16, and Dwight Hill and Marcus Hellend each with 15. Helland also had nine rebounds. Wade Guerin had 23 points to lead River Falls.
Central Lakes rolls past Thunder
Yasin Jama had 14 points to lead Central Lakes, the top team in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference, to a 74-45 men’s community college victory on Wednesday in Brainerd, Minn.
LaDarius Frazier had 12 points to lead the Thunder (5-12).

COLLEGES
Saints lead UMAC academics
Seventy St. Schoalstica fall-sport athletes have been named Upper Midwest Athletic Conference all-academic for 2009. Students must have a minimum 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale to be eligible for the award. Martin Luther College of New Ulm, Minn., was second with 62.
St. Scholastica’s volleyball team finished with a cumulative 3.52 grade point average to lead the school’s teams, while women’s soccer had a 3.42 mark.

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