DRAGON ATHLETICS
Dragon TALES
DRAGON TALES
By Larry Scott, MSU Moorhead Sports Information Director
Minnesota State University Moorhead basketball patrons will get an up close and personal look at one of the certified strongholds in college basketball on Friday night when Winona State University men make their annual display in Alex Nemzek Hall. The 2006 NCAA Division II national champ and a runnerup last spring, the Warriors are once again well stocked with talent and experience, including 6-8 senior center John Smith, the pre-season Division II Player of the Year. The Warriors, 16-1 overall, 5-0 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and number five on the latest national poll, return three starters from last year’s club that dismantled the University of Minnesota at Williams Arena. The Warriors’ appearance is part of a crowded home attraction that includes doubleheaders with Winona State on Friday and University of Upper Iowa on Saturday, beginning at 6 p.m.
MSUM MEMOS. . . . . Sophomore ANN GUSWELLE of Minnesota State Moorhead has been decorated as Swimmer of the Week in the North Central Conference. Gusewelle won a pair of individual events and helped MSUM to a third place finish at last week's Orange Bowl Classic at Key Largo, FL. MSU hosts University of Minnesota, Morris in a 6 p.m. dual on Friday night. . . . . Junior JEREMY WERNER has been named the latest Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Week. Werner pinned Augsburg’s reigning NCAA III national champion Seth Flodeen in just 11 seconds in Thursday’s 25-13 loss. MSUM is one of 16 NCAA Division II teams that will compete in the prestigious AWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals at University of Northern Iowa on Saturday. . . . . Dragon men and women will compete at the Northwest Open indoor track meet at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse on Saturday. Two Dragons--JENNIFER HENSEL and ASHLEY ROEMER—have already provisionally qualified for the 2008 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships. . . . . Concordia University, the Dragons’ January 26th date at Alex Nemzek Hall, has climbed to third place on the latest NCAA II Women’s basketball poll. University of North Dakota remains number one. . . . . Northern State head basketball coach Don Meyer tied legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp for third place on the all-time NCAA list with his 876th career victory on Saturday, a 75-63 victory over MSU Moorhead on Saturday. Meyer was a finalist for the head coaching post at MSUM in 1972. . . . . Kelsey Oja, daughter of former Dragon All-NIC second baseman and assistant football and basketball coach DARYL OJA, is starting at guard for the St. Olaf women’s basketball team. . . . . Dragon quarterback MARC TRESTMAN has been named head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Trestman previously served as an assistant coach with 10 NFL clubs, including a stint as offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. Trestman followed ED SCHULTZ, the NCAA II national passing champ, at quarterback for Moorhead State in 1978. . . . . JESSICA FESENMAIER is ranked third in the NCAA II in field goal percentage, .647, while ALLISON SWENSON is 13th, .608. Fesenmaier is 12th in blocked shots, 2.4, while KRISTA OPHEIM is 62nd in assists, 4.7. . . . . Fesenmaier has climbed to eighth on the Dragon career scoring chart with 1,219 points while Swenson is ninth at 1,213 points. Fesenmaier is the Dragons’ career shot block leader with 187. . . . . BLAKE STROUTH became the newest member of the 1,000 point club at MSU Moorhead December 8 with 14 points in the 70-49 victory over Minnesota, Crookston to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Strouth has scored 1,057 points in four seasons at State. . . . . The Dragons have unveiled a new athletic website designed by TOM CHALLEY. . . . . The next Dragon Fire luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, January 23, at the Courtyard by Marriott in Moorhead. . . . . Dragon basketball games are broadcast over ESPN Radio 1660 AM. STEVE d’EUSTACHIO returns as play-by-play announcer. All Dragon games are also available on the World Wide Web at www.msumdragons.com. .
