DRAGON ATHLETICS
Dragon TALES
DRAGON TALES
By Larry Scott, MSU Moorhead Sports Information Director
Minnesota State Moorhead punched its ticket to the 2007 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Final Four volleyball tournament this weekend with a 30-25, 30-19, 27-30, 30-27 victory over Winona State University on Tuesday night at Alex Nemzek Hall. MEGAN NORLING had a club high 17 kills for the Dragons. MSUM, 18-9, will meet number one seed Concordia (SP) on Friday night at 7:30 at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul.
Three Dragons were named to the 2007 All-NSIC team. Senior JULIE VANCURA was a first team selection while juniors Norling and CALLA OFTEDAHL were honorable mention picks. Meanwhile, freshman LAURA TVRDIK remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Vancura became the Dragon career leader this fall with 5,251 lifetime assists.
MSUM MEMOS. . . . . Three key contributors to the Dragons’ magical post-season soccer ride---JENA REED, RICHELLE ROSS and ALISON WANNER---were named to the 2007 NSIC All-Tournament team. A sixth seed, MSU Moorhead fell 1-0 to University of Mary in the championship game on Sunday. . . . . The MSUM swimmers and divers will enroll in the CSP/SJU Invitational on Saturday at Collegeville. . . . . Dragon men placed ninth and MSUM women 10th at the 2007 NCAA Division II North Central Regional Cross-Country Championships on Saturday at Vermillion, SD. . . . . MSUM will stage the Dragon Open wrestling tournament at 3 p.m. on Thursday at Alex Nemzek Hall. Dickinson State University, St. John’s University, Itasca Community College and Ridgewater Community College will join the Dragons. . . . . A Metrodome Classic Tailgating Party is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday in advance of the MSU Moorhead-Southwest Minnesota State game. The party will be staged near Gate D at Metrodome. . . . . FRED DAHNKE, a member of the Dragon track and cross-country staff for a combined 16 years, is the new mayor of Barnesville. . . . . MSUM quarterback DUSTIN LONG is fifth in NCAA Division II in passing yards, 2,912, and seventh in passing yards per game, 291.2, and total offense, 308.8. Wide receiver JABARI TAYLOR is fourth in receptions per game, 7.6, and 12th for receiving yards per game, 96.1. MSUM linebacker JONATHAN MILLER is tied for 12th in solo tackles, 6.1, and 16th for total tackles, 11.2. . . . . Long has become the Dragon career leader for pass attempts, 743, completions, 462, and yards gained passing, 5,437, and touchdowns, 51. Taylor has established new MSUM single season records for pass receptions, 76, and receiving yards, 961. . . . . Twelve Dragons will make their final appearance Saturday, including KYLE ANDERSON (LB), AARON CRIBB (OT), ERIC FROST (SB), CASEY GIBSON (OT), TRENT JOHNSON (LB), CASEY KANNEL (LB), DUSTIN LONG (QB), MATT MARCH (OG), MATT OACHS (DT), BERT SMITH (SB), PATRICK WILLIAMS (LB) and DAMON WOLFE (C). . . . . The Dragon women open the much anticipated 2007-08 basketball season November 16-17 at the North Dakota Classic in Grand Forks, ND. MSUM meets Metro State and MSU Billings. The Dragons open at home against North Dakota November 24. . . . . Dragon men make their debut at Concordia College November 20. . . . . The Dragons rank 15th on the NCAA Division II Coaches’ pre-season wrestling poll. JARRETT HALL, 174, is ranked sixth individually. . . . . 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, continues to flourish in professional basketball abroad. Beeson put together a triple-double in just 28 minutes of play with 19 points, 11 boards and 10 assists last week for Archena, Spain. . . . . The next Dragon Fire luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, November 14, at the Courtyard by Marriott 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. . . . .
