With visions of grander stages in mind, NDSU ⚾️ and track & field went into the previous week. But before the competitions began the school confirmed some news that had been awaited.
The previously-scheduled game against Oregon is now set for Sept. 2 2028. Along with that, they set dates with East Tennessee in 2024 (a) & 2026 (h). The year between St. Thomas will make it's way to Fargo for the first game between the two since 1966. They also added Austin Peay for a game in 26. They're events to plan for but also gives the coaches another tool in recruitment.
And yet, those were just the appetizers!
The men got things started in College Station on Wednesday with four top-13 finishers. But only top-12 performers will make their way to Eugene, Oregon for nationals. So perhaps freshman Max Otterdahl will add to the first-family-of-throwing's legacy and move into the 12th spot between now & mid-June.
As it stands, three secured their right to go already. Alex Talley will go to the NW after a fourth-best throw of the hammer.
Benji Philips was one spot off that when he finished with the Javelin.
Kristoffer Thomsen was lucky 7 with the shot put to round out the group.
The women nearly doubled the first-day qualification as Akealy Moton had the best javelin toss of all the competitors and the third-best shot put. Shelby Gunnells was eighth-best with the rock while Kari Wolfe had the seventh-best throw with the spear. Madde Nilles rounded out the group with the fourth-best hammer throw. They'll need to replicate & improve upon their performances but NDSU may yet be able to squeeze a national championship out of this school year!
With all that throwing success it isn't a surprise that their coach would be poached. The fact that it didn't happen earlier is surprising because it's not exactly a new phenoma!
Halfway home, ⚾️ started their march toward the national tournament in Nebraska. Omaha was a challenge but the Mavericks couldn't tame them, 3-1. In the semi-final it was 1 vs 2 but the perennial champs from Tulsa couldn't muster the March magic, losing 5-0 as Cade Feeney & Zach Smith had more total strikeouts than hits given up.
Which left NDSU one win away from the big dance.
The Eagles were not happy to oblige the second-seed, winning 15-5 and setting up a winner-take-all second game on Saturday.
It started with a 2-run first inning and ORU couldn't get closer to a one-run deficit the rest of the way, in the fourth inning. The answer was 3-run fifth & sixth innings to put it out of reach, when combined with Parker Harm's 1 hit allowed over the final 3 innings.
That all came after the accolades.
Bennett Hostetler, Jake Malec, Feeney & Harm were on the all-conference first team. Tucker Rohde, Jack Simonsen, Max Loven & Evan Sankey, were on the second, with Hostetler being named Player of the Year to boot.
But it put even more pressure on them to perform and now the wait for the bracket is on.
In the meantime came a bit more to add to the bios. BH was selected as the All-Tournament shortstop while Nick Emanuel got the catcher nod & Jake Malec was the tourney MVP from the outfield. In addition to them, Max Loven, Parker Harm & Cade Feeney made it as the pitchers.
Nadir Yusuf ended a great college career in nearly storybook fashion, taking fifth place in the 10,000 meter. It may not have the panache of other Olympic events but running six miles in 29 minutes is a feat that merits admiration! His life story isn't finished but those lines are a crescendo worth talking & writing about, far beyond this amount!
Chris Cook also out-performed many would-be champions, finishing in a tie for seventh. It gave him his third first-team All-American honor. His best jump was 2.75 inches lower than the top finisher.
Concordia's track & field ended the year with some history of their own!
Both of the women had solid experiences in Greensboro. Josie Herrmann finished 13th in both the 1500 & 800 M while Cayle Hovland was less then four inches from All-American honors in the shot put, 11th overall & 16th in the discus.
Jesse Middendorf was the lone representative for the men but he did what groups of others may not have managed. He finished as the first track athlete to earn All-American for the college since 1992. His fifth place finish was also the highest since 96, and that was done by Cobb of famer Aaron Banks finishing top 3 in two events.
So yeah, that's pretty good company to be in!
Minnesota had a chance to win three straight series.
Kansas City was not a compliant third opponent.
They still managed to have a winning week but the questions that have been asked will not go away just because of that, especially because of the finish. They will have the chance to win another week with Baltimore & KC back on the schedule in the upcoming days. With absences mounting the losses may soon swallow the team up, if they haven't already but maybe they can at least be background-noise worthy...
It's a low bar, but such is this Summer by the big club.
In the wake of the season the 🏒 team was peppered by postseason awards.
Aaron Huglen & Brennan Boynton were named co-MVPs
Jack Braccini & Jack Peart were named co-ROYs
Then came the draft and the announcements of the players they hope will help them go from runner-up to champion.
On both day 1 & day 2 they added players from near & far which will only improve the atmosphere at the Arena next Winter!
All in all it was a great way for them to head into the offseason!
A strong mid-May lead to Kevin McGovern being named the association's Pitcher of the Week while Kevin Herget's contract was transferred to Cleveland after a 10-strikeout performance.
The team didn't miss a beat in the wake of the move
But it did open the door for them to sign a pair of other pitchers, lefty Nathan Foriest & righty Logan Nissen.
Fargo blistered the ball all week, scoring four runs & one run just once each while putting up double-digits twice, 17 & 11. They also held Chicago & Houston to no more than five runs in any of the six games!
Pitch well
Play quality defense
Score
It's a simple formula that can be very successful!
They won't have to wait long to continue it with a double-header set for Gary, Indiana Monday.
The one blemish to the week came in the final game against Chicago. They were held to five hits & one run. It was the wholly the exception though, as they managed 9 or more hits in all five of the other games, including 16 hits in the 17-run game.
Like I said, they blistered the ball!
Trying to make sure nothing is missed
But this week of high school action was kind of like trying to drink from a fire hydrant
So comment any missing items!
The track & field championships went off in Bismarck, and fittingly the West won a lot. Kindred pulled off the class B team title.
Central Cass brought back the 4 x 200 girls, class B
Northern Cass won the 4 x 200 boys, class B
Davies' Cece Deebom had the best class A 100 & 200m while Central Cass' Elise Wisnewski won the class B races. Deebom also had the best performance in the 100m hurdles.
Hillsboro/CV took home the 4 x 400 class B relay. H/CV/s Kaden Pastian won the class B shot put. Pastian also won the discus.
Davies' Ellen Donat won the class A long jump
West Fargo's Taylor Lee won the class A pole vault and Laiken Sturn won the triple jump
South's Trehvon Montgomery won the class A long jump
Then there are the little matters of the championships that have yet to be decided
Central Cass got the 2 seed in the ⚾️ tournament and will open it up against Renville County. The Squirrels softball team is the 1 seed and will go against Wilton-Wing. Kindred/Richland is the 3 and will start against M/L/S/K. With wins they would meet in the semi-finals.
In class A West Fargo is the 2 and will face Bismarck while Sheyenne is third, hooking Dickinson.
Shanley came from behind to beat Sheyenne in the EDC championship game while West Fargo punched it's ticket with a 1-run win over North. Davies also had a chance to make state but Red River rode a 5-run first inning to victory.
On the 🎾 court Davies cruised to the EDC team title while Sheyenne's Mimi Gu won the individual. Sheyenne & Davies will be the lone local representatives in GF for team play while the bracket for the individuals is still TBA.
Sheyenne will head to Grand Forks with the 1 seed from the East with Shanley, Davies & West Fargo rounding out the rest of the pool in that order. Not bad! They will face Jamestown, Bismarck, Mandan & Minot.
Moorhead's postseason will start with the softball team in Brainerd Tuesday while ⚾️ will be in Elk River Wednesday. The girls lacrosse will host Sauk Rapids/Rice at midweek while the boys will get a visit by Becker Thursday.
Like so many teams before it, the Fuze hit a scheduling speed-bump this week. Instead of the first of two home double-headers the women's match was pushed to a yet-to-be-determined date. That still allowed the men to get out on the turf for their second home game, this time against Sioux Falls.
The final score was not in their favor, 4-1, but they created many quality photo opportunities during the match. So take a look!
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