DRAGON ATHLETICS
Dragon TALES
DRAGON TALES
By Larry Scott, MSU Moorhead Sports Information Director
Minnesota State University Moorhead is proud to participate in the 2008 “Think Pink” Breast Cancer Awareness program sponsored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, according to Dragon head coach Karla Nelson and Director of Athletics Doug Peters.
“We’re excited about it,” said Nelson. “It will be a fun event, and our young ladies are excited to participate just knowing they are trying to be a part of the cure. If we can help bring awareness about breast cancer and educate some people, it will be a great thing.”
The Dragons have scheduled a variety of events for a February 8 game with Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rival Northern State University, including an online auction from February 7-10 with all proceeds going to the Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo, ND. The online auction can be found at www.msumdragons.com.
The Dragons have special-ordered pink game uniforms with part of the cost going to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer fund. In addition, pink roses and lapel pins will be distributed at the game, the Lisbon (ND) Acro Team will perform at halftime and breast cancer survivors will also be honored.
MSUM MEMOS. . . . . Senior guard BLAKE STROUTH has been lost for the season for the basketball Dragons with a serious ankle injury. Strouth closed his collegiate career with 1, 130 lifetime points. . . . . MSU Moorhead men and women host Northern State on Friday and University of Mary on Saturday in matching NSIC basketball doubleheaders at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. NSU, 20-2 overall, is ranked sixth on the latest NCAA II men’s national poll. . . . . JESSICA FESENMAIER is second in the NCAA II in field goal percentage, .652, 16th in blocked shots, 2.2, and 50th in scoring, 17.1. ALLISON SWENSON is 31st in field goal accuracy, .545, while KRISTA OPHEIM is 44th in assists, 4.8. . . . . . MSUM Director of Athletics DOUG PETERS is attending a Dragon Desert Alumni Reunion in Phoenix, AZ this weekend. . . . . Minnesota State Moorhead fell from seventh to 14th on the latest NCAA Division II wrestling rankings. Four Dragons rank individually, including TYLER TUBBS, sixth at 174, KELLY JANKE, seventh at 133, SHANE WALTON, seventh at 149, and ROCKIE STAVN, seventh at 165. MSUM, 10-6-0 overall, hosts NSIC rival Southwest Minnesota State on Thursday and braces for three matches in three days next week, beginning February 14 at Upper Iowa. . . . . MSU Moorhead will enter the Beaver Classic indoor track meet on Saturday at Bemidji. MSUM collected a pair of first place finishes at the Bison Open at North Dakota State last Saturday. In the women’s competition, ASHLEY ROEMER was first in the 800 meters, 2:14.17, and DANIELLE THOMPSON placed first in the 3000, 10:52.42, and the Dragons received runnerup finishes from SARA JULSRUD in the 600, 1:39.43, and ANNA VanWECHEL in the mile, 5:08.68. ADAM KNE was third in the men’s 3000 with a clocking of 8:59.48. MSUM men and women are ranked 14th on the latest NCAA II poll and JENNIFER HENSEL is second on the women's pole vault ranking. . . . . STAN EGGEN, a former Dragon football captain and most recently a member of the coaching staff at Texas A & M University, has been hired as linebacker coach at Louisiana Tech. . . . . MSU Moorhead women, 0-1, host Minnesota, Crookston on Friday night at 6 p.m. at Courts Plus in Fargo, ND and have a non-conference tennis date with College of St. Benedict’s at St. Cloud on Sunday. . . . . Three Dragons, including senior SARAH CHAUSSEE (Forest Lake) and sophomores ANN GUSEWELLE (Osakis) and KAYLA KOENIG, (Crookston), have reached qualifying standards for the 2008 NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. Chaussee and Koenig have qualified in one and three meter diving and Gusewelle in the 100 yard breaststroke. The Dragons are idle this week. . . . MSUM has unveiled a new athletic website designed by TOM CHALLEY. . . . . The next Dragon Fire luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, February 13, at 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. . .
