DRAGON ATHLETICS
Dragon TALES
DRAGON TALES
By Larry Scott, MSU Moorhead Sports Information Director
Now comes the real test.
Fresh from a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference weekend sweep on the road, Minnesota State University Moorhead returns to the comforts of Alex Nemzek Hall for a volleyball homestand against Southwest Minnesota State University (Friday) and Wayne State College (Saturday).
While NSIC stronghold Concordia University, 13-1, continues to attract much of the national attention, Southwest Minnesota State has quietly emerged as a serious contender for the league title and a major regional force as well. The Mustangs, ranked seventh nationally, breezed to a three-game sweep of 13th-ranked Minnesota State, Mankato on Tuesday night to lift their overall record to 11-2.
Senior outside hitter Erin Contons is the latest NSIC Player of the Week, receiving the award for a 10th time. The 5-10 Contons averaged 5.5 kills in a pair of matches last weekend to keep the Mustangs (3-0) in hot pursuit of the Golden Bears (4-0) in the NSIC race.
MSUM, 8-3 overall and 3-1 in the NSIC, hosts third-ranked Concordia University October 6th.
MSUM MEMOS. . . . . KELCI GUENTHER ranks first on the latest NSIC volleyball chart in blocks at 1.56, while JULIE VANCURA is fourth in assists, 11.51, and CALLA OFTEDAHL fourth in digs, 5.3. . . . . Following matching eighth place finishes at last weekend’s St. Olaf Invitational at Northfield, Dragon cross-country runners are idle this weekend and return to service September 29 at the Roy Griak Invitational at Falcon Heights. . . . . Junior All-American free safety JOSH JONES has been lost for the year with a broken arm. Freshman BRANDON LARSON is expected top replace Jones in the starting lineup on Saturday at Wayne State. . . . Freshman TRICIA VANYO is tied for sixth in the NSIC in goals scored, 0.43. MSUM host Rocky Mountain in a 3 p.m. non-conference soccer match on Saturday afternoon and visits Jamestown College next Wednesday. . . . . MSUM women golfers will compete in the Mustang Invitational at Marshall on Saturday and Sunday. CHELSEY OUREN shot a 73 to claim medalist honors on Friday in a 330-352 dual meet victory over Concordia College at the Meadows in Moorhead. . . . . Former MSUM track and cross-country standout DANE MORELAND is attending graduate school at West Virginia University. . . . . JESSICA TRAUTWEIN, a former basketball and track letterwinner at MSU Moorhead and an Academic All-American, received another major award recently. The Fargo, ND native was named one of eight female regional winners of the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. . . . . Minnesota State Moorhead men climbed to ninth place on the latest NCAA Division II regional cross-country poll. . . . . The Dragons have unveiled a new athletic website designed by TOM CHALLEY. . . . . BRETT BEESON, the NCAA Division II Player of the Year and a national scoring champ at MSUM in 1995-96, will continue his professional basketball career overseas again this winter. Beeson will play for Archena, Spain. Last season at Sabadell, Beeson led the league in scoring with 19.2 ppg. . . . . Women’s swimming and diving practice at MSUM began officially on Monday, September 17. . . . . The next Dragon Fire luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, September 26, at 12 noon at the Courtyard at Marriot in Moorhead. . . . . Dragon football games are broadcast over ESPN Radio 1660 AM. Steve d’Eustachio returns for his 10th season as play-by-play announcer while Mike Larson will provide commentary. All Dragon games are also available on the World Wide Web at www.msumdragons.com. . . . .
