DRAGON ATHLETICS
Dragon TALES
DRAGON TALES
By Larry Scott, MSU Moorhead Sports Information Director
Make no mistake, a serious challenge awaits the nationally-ranked wrestling Dragons this week with a pair of taxing road duals and a date at home with a NCAA Division I affiliate. Minnesota State Moorhead, 11-6 overall, visits reigning Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference champion Upper Iowa University on Thursday, February 14, at 7 p.m. and Minnesota State University, Mankato on Friday, February 15, at 7 p.m. On Saturday, MSU Moorhead hosts Portland State University at 3 p.m. at Alex Nemzek Hall. MSUM closes its home slate against Augustana College February 20.
MSUM MEMOS. . . . . Dragon men and women invade Upper Iowa on Friday and Winona State on Saturday for a pair of NSIC basketball doubleheaders before closing the regular season at home against Wayne State and Southwest Minnesota State February 22-23. . . . . MSU Moorhead sophomore wide receiver JABARI TAYLOR has been named a second team All-American for 2007 by FOOTBALL GAZETTE. Taylor set Dragon single season records for pass receptions, 90, yards gained, 1,147, and touchdown receptions, 13, last fall. . . . . Bemidji State guard Heidi Matzke, the NSIC Player of the Week, is the daughter of the late BOB MATZKE, a starting forward for the Dragons in the late 1960s. . . . . Minnesota State Moorhead will enroll in the Bison Classic at North Dakota State on Saturday. Last Saturday MSUM withdrew from the Beaver Classic indoor track meet at Bemidji because of a winter storm and joined Concordia College for a dual at Concordia instead. MSUM women claimed 12 first place finishes and Dragon men 10 against Concordia. ASHLEY ROEMER was first in the 400, 58.52, and high jump, 5-5, ALISON STREYLE won the 200 meters, 26.94, and was a member of both the winning 4 X 200 relay, 1:49.07, and 4 X 400 relay, 4:06.15, while SARA JULSRUD was first in the 1000, 3:12.46, and a member of both winning relay teams as well. Julsrud was saluted as the NSIC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week. . . . . 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. . . . . JESSICA FESENMAIER is third in the NCAA II in field goal percentage, .638, and 22nd in blocked shots, 2.1, KRISTA OPHEIM is 52nd in assists, 4.7. . . . . . MSU Moorhead, 1-2 overall and 1-1 NSIC tennis play, hosts Northern State on Friday, February 15, at 6 p.m., and University of Minnesota Duluth on Sunday, February 17, at 8:30 a.m. at Courts Plus in Fargo, ND. MSU Moorhead posted a 9-0 victory over Minnesota, Crookston on Friday at Fargo, ND but fell to College of St. Benedict’s 7-2 on Sunday at St. Cloud. . . . . Minnesota State Moorhead tumbled 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. . . . . 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. . . . . 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 once again this week and will enter the North Central Conference Championships February 21-24. . . . MSUM has unveiled a new athletic website designed by TOM CHALLEY. . . . . The next Dragon Fire luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, February 27, 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. . .
