Tag Archives: sports

Women’s Basketball Profile: NDSCS Lady Wildcats

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After losing four of their first seven games to begin 2012, the North Dakota State College of Science Lady Wildcats are looking to get back into the Mon-Dak Conference race.

Last two games

NDSCS has earned their first two wins of the conference season during the past week (January 30 – February 5). The Lady Wildcats improved to 2-3 in the Mon-Dak Conference with victories over Bismarck State College (82-74) on January 30 and Dakota College Bottineau (72-66) on February 2.

In the game against Bismarck State, NDSCS rallied late in the game to pick up the victory. The game was tight throughout as there were eight lead changes and six ties in the game. Leading the way for the Lady Wildcats was freshman Katie Wangberg with 14 point on 6-of- 7 shooting. Wangberg also grabbed four rebounds and came up with three steals. Sophomores Kaylin Sheets and Michelle Reif each contributed 13 points for NDSCS. Sheets also added four rebounds and five assists while Reif came up with four steals. Sophomore Dericka Griffis and freshman Chanel Dickenson hauled in 9 and 7 rebounds respectively.

NDSCS won their second straight game with a 72-66 victory over the Dakota College Bottineau. Griffis, who finished the game with 20 points and 7 rebounds, contributed 12 points in 12 minutes of action in the first half to propel the Lad Wildcats take a 37-32 lead into halftime.

Sheets, who leads NDSCS in scoring with 14.8 points a game, came alive in the second half as she continuously drove to the bucket. Sheets, who was 6-of-6 from the foul line, finished the game with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Freshman point guard Sierra Benning contributed 9 rebounds and 6 assists.

Season overview

The Lady Wildcats, 15-9 overall, have had an up-an-down season in 2011-12. NDSCS has had two winning streaks of at least three games with their longest being six-games. Although the Lady Wildcats haven’t lost more than two in a row, they have gone 2-4 in six-game stretches twice.

In addition to leading the team in scoring, Sheets leads the team in rebounds (5.9) and assists (3.3) per game. The Lady Wildcats other top scorers include Griffis (11.3 PPG and 5.7 RPG) and freshman Katie Campbell (9.5 PPG).

Wildcat Volleyball announces signing class

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Krissy Marlen, Kayln Schneider, Danielle Brewer, Emily Pender and Logan Schwartzwald have made a commitment to play volleyball for North Dakota State College of Science beginning in the fall of 2012, according to a recent announcement by head coach Jane Passa.

“We are excited to have these outstanding athletes join our program here at NDSCS,” said Passa. “They bring a tremendous level of experience and we’re looking forward to the fall when they can put their skills to work.”

Krissy Marlen is a 5-9 middle hitter from Frazee, Minn. The three-year letter winner at Frazee High School, under head coach Abigail Masten, was also named Heart O’Lakes All-Conference honorable mention. In her 2011 season, Marlen racked up 240 kills and 55 blocks. She was named a Conference Ace winner with 68 aces and had a .71 serving percentage.

Kayln Schneider, a 5-8 middle hitter from Linton, N.D., collected a number of accolades during her prep career. She was a three-time South Central Conference player, a three-time All-District 6 player and a three-time State Volleyball participant.  Schneider was also named District 6 and Region 3 Outstanding Senior Athlete, was a two-time All-State selection and was a finalist for Tribune Sportswomen of the Year.

Danielle Brewer, a 5-5 setter from Fargo N.D., is a product of Fargo North High School where she helped the Spartans to a third place finish at the State Volleyball Tournament in her senior season.  Brewer was named to the 2011 Eastern Dakota All-Conference Volleyball Team. Her team nominated her as Most Improved Player in 2010 and Most Consistent Player in 2011.

Emily Pender, a native of Glyndon, Minn., is a 5-10 outside hitter who averaged 2.3 kills per set in her senior season.  Pender was named to the Heart O’ Lakes All-Conference team in 2010 and 2011, where she successfully claimed the Heart O’ Lakes Championship title both years.

Logan Schwartzwald is a 5-8 outside hitter from St. Francis, Minn. Schwartzwald earned a great deal of athletic and academic recognition during her high school years.  She was a two-time North Suburban All-Conference player and academically, was a North Suburban Conference Academic All-Conference selection and in 2011, qualified as an All-State Academic member.

The Lady Wildcats finished 29-7 this past season and were Region XIII and Mon-Dak Conference champions.

NDSCS Volleyball to host districts, hoping to make nationals

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The No. 19 NDSCS Wildcat volleyball team secured the Region 13 championship, as they breezed by Gogebic Community College (3-1) and Williston State College (3-0, 3-0) last weekend in Bottineau, ND. This adds to their list of season accomplishments and is the tenth regional volleyball title for the College.

This season, the team produced three Mon-Dak Conference players of the week: Heather Kakes, a second-year player from Bryant, Wis., Kaylee Pender, a first-year middle-hitter from Glendon, Minn., and first-year Moriah Skroch, a 5’7″ outside hitter from Lidgerwood, N.D.

The team secured the title of Mon-Dak Conference champs, as they produced a 8-1 record in the conference and 29-5 record overall. Kakes and Skroch were also named to the Mon-Dak All Conference team; Kakes was named conference MVP.

During the season, the Wildcats also made it into the national rankings and are currently ranked No. 19.

The Wildcats have three players who average over two kills per set, in Heather Kakes (2.5), Moriah Skroch (2.2) and Katelyn Wangberg (2.0). Kakes leads the team with 283 kills on the season, while Skroch has 242 and Wangberg has 219.

Kasi Eisenzimmer averages 4.7 assists per set and has 358 this year, while Jessica Finck has 320 and averages 4.5. Kaylee Pender has a team-high 80 blocks on the year, while Katie Goetzinger has 723 digs this season. At the service line, Shellina Irwin has 25 ace serves and Finck has 24.

Head Coach Jane Passa was honored as the Mon-Dak Conference Coach of the Year and also the Region XIII Coach of the Year. Under her supervision, the team has captured seven consecutive conference championships.

The Cats host the District Tournament this weekend in Wahpeton, N.D. with high hopes of producing a couple of wins to solidify their ticket to nationals.

The weekend is a double-elimination format. The team will play Columbus Central Community College at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 4 in the Clair T. Blikre Activities Center.

The teams will match up again on Saturday at 11 a.m.  If one team has not produced two wins, a second match will be played on Saturday, starting a half-hour after the first game is completed.

The winner of District G will move onto the NCJAA Division II National Championship held at Owens Community College in Toledo, Ohio on November 17-19.

Follow the Wildcats progress at ndscswildcats.com.

 

 

Wildcat volleyball to host annual Dig Pink match October 19

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Replacing the traditional red and black jersey for pink

The North Dakota State College of Science volleyball team will replace the traditional Wildcat red and black for pink on October 19 as the College recognizes National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  NDSCS will hold their annual Dig Pink match as they take on Dakota College at Bottineau.  The match will begin at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Clair T. Blikre Activities Center in Wahpeton, N.D.

Dig Pink is a national breast cancer awareness rally that is taking place throughout the month of October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Colleges across the country are hosting Dig Pink matches to help educate and raise funds to help the fight against breast cancer.

A number of events will take place throughout the evening:

  • face painting
  • serving contest between games two and three
  • t-shirt and gift card giveaways
  • a cupcake and cookie sale.

Contributions will be taken at the game to raise funds to support breast cancer education programs and research efforts.  These contributions will assist the Side-Out Foundation in its on going mission to raise money and awareness about breast cancer.

The Side-Out Foundation has raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research nationally through volleyball tournaments, clinics and rallies. Funds are currently devoted to targeted therapies and molecular profiling which is where there is a hot bed of research activity. Their name underscores the purpose of the organization — “Side-Out” in volleyball occurs when one team wins a point while its opponent is serving, thereby regaining serve or control of play. Likewise in the war against breast cancer, the Side-Out foundation will support health care professionals in their pursuit of practical solutions for women and men with this dreadful disease, thus enabling those affected to regain control of their lives and living them to the fullest.

Make a donation to the NDSCS Dig Pink game: http://www.side-out.org/application/ous/fundraising_page/2918

Kuykendall welcomed as men’s basketball assistant

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Photo of Connor Kuykendall
North Dakota State College of Science welcomes a new face to the Wildcat men’s basketball team.  Scott Schumacher, head NDSCS men’s basketball coach has announced the addition of Connor Kuykendall, the new men’s basketball assistant coach for the 2011-12 season.

Kuykendall spent the last two years as a graduate assistant coach at Angelo State University (ASU), a Division II school in San Angelo, Texas.  Previously, he spent two seasons on Ken DeWeese’s staff at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) out of Belton, Texas.

Some of his coaching achievements include helping the ASU Rams to the Lone Star Conference Tournament, coaching former Ram Division II All-American LaMarshall Corbett and guiding the UMHB Crusaders to both the American Southwest Conference championship in 2008 and the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship tournament.

A native of Midlothian, Texas, Kuykendall played at Midlothian High School under Glenn Hartson and holds single-season records for made three-pointers (93), made free throws (135) and free-throw percentage (84.0). He’s also the Panthers’ career record holder for three-pointers made (267).  In his post-secondary career, he spent four seasons as a UMHB Crusader, helping the team to four consecutive conference tournaments and a trip to the NCAA D-III tournament during his senior season.

“I am excited to further my coaching career with the Wildcats and learn from such a successful college coach,” says Kuykendall. “I’m looking forward to the season and am grateful to be a part of the Wildcat tradition.”

Kuykendall earned his bachelor’s degree from UMHB in sports management and earned his master’s degree in sports administration from ASU. In addition to coaching at NDSCS, he will be teaching courses in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation department.

Wildcat softball signs top N.D. softball recruit

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North Dakota State College of Science head softball coach Mark Mattson has announced the signing of a top North Dakota softball recruit. Kacie Johnson of West Fargo, N.D., has signed a letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic careers at NDSCS.

Johnson graduated last spring from West Fargo High School. A four-year letterwinner, she was also a four-time All-Eastern Dakota Conference pick and was named to the all-state team four times in her prep career. Johnson received the North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year and North Dakota Powerade Player of the Year for her 2010-11 season; both awards recognize not only outstanding athletes, but also those who have a high standard of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated off the field. The center fielder was also a standout on the ice, as she was named to the all-state and all-conference hockey teams three consecutive years. During her senior year, West Fargo H.S. named Johnson female athlete of the year.

“Kacie is a welcome addition to this program and we are excited to sign a player of her caliber,” Mattson said. “She is an outstanding athlete and student, and we are looking forward to her having a successful career as a Wildcat.”

Johnson was also a three-year member of the National Honor Society and student council and sat on the National DARE Youth Advisory Board for two years. She is planning to pursue nursing when she arrives in the fall.

NDSCS softball finished the 2011 season with a Mon-Dak Conference Championship and a 15-17 record overall.