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We would like to thank all of the scholar athletes who participated in our scholarship program. Please look for the May/June issue of High School Sports View where we will publish the names of each scholarship recipient.
ROSTER
6
F E ATU R E S tHEY SAY HE’S a gAMER
12
26
Jake Krause
32
Detroit Lakes’ Zane Freeman Preps for a Third Run at State
Being better
Coach Simpson’s Influence Extends Beyond the Court
BY Anne Dunham
40
then & Now Bill Rose
BY craig olson
46 They Say He’s a gamer: Fergus Falls’ Isaiah Lemke Photography by: Janssen photography
C o v er
BY Tomi Thompson
Vaulting back to state Perham’s Jordan Martinson
BY Jackie jenson
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A Conversation with craig BY Craig olson
Diving In
www.highschoolsportsview.com Volume 3 No. 4
sch o l ar at h l e t es
Otter QB and Point Guard Isaiah Lemke BY Norm Newell
MAR / APR 2016
Craig’s “A” List BY craig olson
05 05 23 23 25 25 31 31 37 37 39 39 43 43 45 45
PELICAN RAPIDS: MACKENZIE KORF UNDERWOOD: OLIVIA KOLLAR wadena-deer creek: Tyler Wheeler battle lake: lucas Radermacher alexandria: chad blank fergus falls: isaiah lemke perham: annie ingebrand detroit lakes: dani Unruh frazee: Whitney Janu Rothsay: Cody Molter breckenridge: Treyton Hought ashby: Taylor Koefod West Central Area: Ben Anderson Brandon-Evansville: Katie Kokett barnesville: heather johnson Hillcrest: Hans frank-holzner
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Scholar Athlete > PELICAN RAPIDS
VIKINGS
Mackenzie Korf volleyball - basketball - track Nickname: Kenzer Favorite School Subject: Chemistry and Anatomy Grade Point Average: 3.9 Groups and Organizations: Student Council, SADD, National Honor Society, Student Lighthouse Team
Notable Academic Accomplishment: A Honor Roll I Root For: Minnesota Gophers Pets: Cat, Puffin In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Working.
Scholar Athlete > UNDERWOOD
ROCKETS
Olivia Kollar volleyball - track Nickname: Liv, Livvy Favorite School Subject: Chemistry Grade Point Average: 3.822 I Root For: Valley City State (Brother Plays Football) Pets: A Dog Named Lola
Groups and Organizations: Interact, Knowledge Bowl, Business Professionals of America, Youth Group, Band, Choir, National Honor Society In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Working in a city creating logos for companies
isaiah lemke
R
eadings about leadership contain a continuous thread of debate about whether individuals are born with leadership traits or whether they develop them. There’s an analogous debate with athletes, isn’t there? Whether people are born with athletic ability or can become great athletes through work, experience and practice. Many believe it’s a combination, that to be a good leader and a good athlete you need to have the natural ability, but also must put in the work and the practice. Fergus Falls football and basketball player Isaiah Lemke exemplifies both components of a good athlete and a good leader. He has natural leadership and athletic abilities and he has put in the preparation, hard work, practice and study to be a leader and highly accomplished in both his sports. He was the quarterback for a successful football team (7-2 record) this last fall, and the point guard for his highly-ranked basketball team this season (21-4 at the time of this writing). Experienced coaches can spot natural athletic ability right away. Leadership qualities become more evident over time, but coaches can spot that in certain individuals also. Assistant basketball coach Derek Abrahams recalls coaching Isaiah in 7th grade, “I immediately saw someone that had natural instincts you can’t really coach. We knew right away Isaiah had point guard intangibles such as leadership, instinctive actions and reactions, helping his fellow players with advice and getting them into the right spots. He would mold his game to the needs of the team, preferring to distribute the ball to others and make them successful, but scoring and taking charge when he felt the team needed it. He studied and learned from the varsity point guards and picked up on things quickly. He’s a very efficient player.” Prior to 7th grade, Lemke had lived, and played youth basketball, in Breckenridge where he played
8 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
by Norm Newell • Photography by Janssen Photography
various positions. But Coach Abrahams quickly put him in the point guard position, and in 8th grade the coaches moved him up to be the point guard on the 9th grade team. As a freshman, he started the season playing JV, but soon earned more varsity time with his steady and smart play and finished the year as the first player off the bench for the varsity. He became the starting point guard for the Otters his sophomore year and he hasn’t looked back. Otter basketball coaches Matt Johnson and Derek Abrahams both acknowledge Isaiah’s abilities as a “smart player,” “has the game figured out,” and is “a coach on the floor,” they say. “He’s not a loud rah-rah guy, but he communicates a lot with his fellow players on the floor, in the huddle and on the bench and he’s so well respected that when he talks, the other players pay attention,” says Coach Abrahams. Coach Johnson states, “Isaiah’s a very cerebral player; he sees the game unfolding and what needs to be done. His natural tendency is to distribute the ball to make his fellow players successful, but he will put the team on his back and score or do whatever he has to do to win a ball game. We coaches and the players have a great deal of respect for him.” Johnson adds, “When I first came here, I talked with Activities Director Gary Schuler about the team and about Isaiah and he used the oldschool term of ‘he’s a gamer’ which is hard to put in words, but means basically he’s got the skills, he’s got the knowledge of the game, and he’s got that intangible thing of hating to lose that makes him give everything he has to win.”
“I like distributing the ball, keeping everyone involved, and like the pressure of finding the right opportunity at the right time for a successful score for the team.�
Isaiah Lemke
isaiah lemke
by Norm Newell • Photography by Janssen Photography Coach Olson went on to note that Lemke was an excellent team captain, is a natural leader, and that teammates respected him. “He’s more athletic than you would first observe and deceptively quick when he sees the hole to run through,” stated Olson. “Great credit goes to him for his preseason preparation in the weight room and for his pregame preparation during the season.”
along the way. “From about 5 years old I could tell Isaiah was athletic,” explains the elder Lemke. “He actually liked T-ball and baseball early on and it was quite evident he didn’t like to lose.” Isaiah would constantly challenge his dad to one-on-one basketball games and his dad says, “I didn’t let him win, I wanted him to embrace the challenge and he really did that, again hating to lose.” He continues, “By 7th grade, Isaiah was starting to win those one-on-ones
He’s intelligent, he sees things quickly as they develop, and like a coach he can spot weaknesses in the other team’s defense.
Otter Head Football Coach Steve Olson
When asked about Lemke, the first words the Otter football coach Steve Olson had to say were exactly, “He’s a gamer.” Coach Olson went on to explain, “He’s intelligent, he sees things quickly as they develop, and like a coach he can spot weaknesses in the other team’s defense. Because of that we gave him the freedom to pull the ball away from a called play and keep it based on his own read.” Olson continued, “Many of his running touchdowns this past season 10 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
were from an instant decision to change the play based on his own read and keep the ball, exploiting an opening in the defense. He had numerous passing and running touchdowns (he ran for 8 and passed for 16 TD’s) that were run-pass options where he made a decision on the field about what to do. Conversely, we could count on one hand the times all year he may have made the wrong read.”
First impressions when meeting Isaiah are that he is an unassuming guy. He appears pretty reserved, answers in a quiet voice, makes no big deal out of his accomplishments, and doesn’t know or remember any of his basketball or football stats regarding points, assists, touchdown runs or passes. Even though he plays the high profile positions of quarterback and point guard, where the ball is constantly in his hands, Lemke simply says, ”I’m not real comfortable being the center of attention but on the other hand, I feel comfortable being in the team leadership position and really like that challenge. I’m just doing what I can to lead our team to victory.” It’s apparent watching his games and from the coach’s comments that he embraces the challenge of figuring out what the other team is doing and coming up with winning solutions. Sounds like the definition of a leader.
and I was proud of how he would never give up, got better, and met the challenge.” Since that time there have been many football and basketball contests where Isaiah’s parents have proudly sat on the sidelines as he has taken on challenge after challenge on the field or court.
Isaiah came up the ranks in the usual way, playing youth basketball and youth football since third grade. His father, Matt Lemke, a former Otter basketball star in the early 90’s, helped coach him in both sports
Lemke was happy with the run-pass option offense that gave him the opportunity to use his creativity and decision making on the football field, and especially enjoyed the freedom to call a fade route pass to
“I feel I’ve put in the practice time, weight room time, and preparation time that I don’t mind the pressure at either quarterback or point guard,” states Isaiah. “I enjoy the decision making, have confidence in myself and my teammates, and I expect the best outcome.” With both the football team and basketball team, Lemke says, “The team chemistry has been great, it’s fun playing with your friends who are dedicated to doing their best.” He likes the current motto for the basketball team, “All In”, and as a captain, he works each day to ensure he and all his teammates live by that motto.
“His natural tendency is to distribute the ball to make his fellow players successful, but he will put the team on his back and score or do whatever he has to do to win a ball game.”
Otter Basketball Coach Matt Johnson
wide receiver Tosten Mann, one of his best friends, whenever they saw a defensive weakness. The two of them hooked up for a team high 11 pass combinations for touchdowns this past season. In basketball, the team plays a wide open full court defense and motion offense that also fits Lemke’s decision making abilities. “I like distributing the ball, keeping everyone involved, and like the pressure of finding the right opportunity at the right time for a successful score for the team.” Lemke credits both the football and basketball coaching staffs, “They are passionate about what they do and want the players and the program to be better.”
He’s spent his spring and summer months in the weight room, noting “Coach Ratz is the best at getting us strengthened.” Isaiah has also attended some football camps and spends much of his time doing summer basketball two or three days a week, as well as many weekend tournaments. “I think the basketball team was like 26-4 or something this summer, so we were really looking forward to the season this year.” He agrees with the coaches who have stressed that the work you put in during the offseason determines how well you’ll do during the regular season. Lemke also is strong in the classroom with a 3.3 GP. He enjoys his English and public speaking classes,
citing teacher Mindy Christianson as a favorite, saying, “She makes the class fun and we learn a lot at the same time.” He knows he will go to college but hasn’t made a decision yet. He’s had contacts from some area colleges for both football and basketball, including M-State in Fergus Falls, where he would play both football and basketball if he attended. He expects he would want to go into teaching and would really like to be a coach, which sounds quite natural considering that he already thinks like a coach on the field and court. Isaiah is involved in his church group and Young Life and enjoys all his school activities, including his being the master of ceremonies for the
Homecoming show this year. Coach Johnson noted, “I see Isaiah being involved around the school and always with a group of kids and that’s great for the younger kids who look up to him to see. It’s just another example of his unassuming leadership.” When asked if there was anything that most people wouldn’t know about him, Isaiah had to think for a moment but finally came up with “I like to play sports video games and I’ve never lost to anyone in the Xbox game NCAA 14 Football.” Sounds like someone who hates to lose … and who loves to be … a gamer.
zane freeman
D
by Jackie Jenson • Photography by Thru Him Photography
iving for more than nine years, Detroit Lakes’ Zane Freeman is putting his experience to work as he prepares for a run at the upcoming Class A Minnesota State High School League Boys Swimming and Diving State Competition to be held at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center on March 5-7 in Minneapolis, Minn. Last year as a sophomore, Freeman placed sixth in state, earning 13 points for his team and compiling an individual score of 379.20.
“[To make my goals] I need to be bullet proof in the head. Diving is a real mentally challenging sport. I need to be in the zone.”
“My goal is to break 400 this year,” notes Freeman.
Freeman has a similar attitude with regards to diving. With a good shot at taking state this year, he is readying his dives to be as competitive as possible. Success, says the young diver, comes with the ability to con-
To do so, Freeman says he needs to be very mentally as well as physically tough.
U.S.A. Diving Coach Ron O’Brien once said, “What keeps me going is not winning….but the pursuit of excellence.” Coaching five Olympic dive teams from 1972 to1988, O’Brien embraced that philosophy to its core, amassing an impressive 12 gold, three silver, and four bronze Olympic medals during his coaching tenure.
tinually improve. Freeman likes his chances. So does his coach.
to take everything in order, one step at a time.”
“His chances are pretty good to medal at state this year,” says Detroit Lakes High School Diving Coach Bobbi Jo Koons.
“First and foremost, I have to do well in sections,” explains the young diver. “Then I have to perfect the dives I bring to state.”
“As for the top state finishers from last year – those that placed above me – two were seniors and have graduated and another moved to class AA, so it puts me in a good position,” sums up Freeman. “There are always new divers to compete against though,” he continues.
Currently, Freeman is readying an Inward Double and a Back Twister for competition. The double has a 2.8 degree of difficulty; the twist, a 2.7.
In this respect, Freeman notes getting to state is a unique task, something you take day by day and can’t get ahead of one’s self. “The key to making it to state,” says Freeman, “is
Diving is a sport with a lot of moving pieces, says Freeman. From a long list of categories including forward, back, reverse, and inward, to the varying degrees of difficulty associated with each dive, there a number of ways to get to the top of the leader board in diving, mak-
“I started practicing dives on the trampoline when I was really young. I owe a lot of my early success to trampoline work, yoga and gymnastics belt work."
Zane Freeman
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zane freeman
ing each competitor’s dive sheet a unique map to victory. “True team sections and state diving competitions involve 11 dives; for most invites you need six,” explains Freeman. “Either way, a diver drops their top and bottom scores and the remaining dives are added together after they have been multiplied by their degree of difficulty. Highest score wins.” The key to winning, explains Freeman, is the ability to make consistently clean dives. “I have a 1-1/2 Inward Flip that is very clean and a Back Dive that is my go to. I was featured in the Pioneer Press last year after state with the Back Dive,” says Freeman. Then there is just good old-fashioned practice in and out of the pool. Being able to practice dives in the air is a great advantage, remarks Freeman, who says he goes back and forth between board and trampoline.
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by Jackie Jenson • Photography by Thru Him Photography
“First and foremost, I have to do well in sections. Then I have to perfect the dives I bring to state."
Zane Freeman “I started practicing dives on the trampoline when I was really young. I owe a lot of my early success to trampoline work, yoga and gymnastics belt work,” explains Freeman. “We practice at the Minnesota Flyers Gymnastics in the belt in the air. It’s very helpful and very cool.” “Zane is a hard worker and when it comes to swimming or diving,” expounds coach Koons. “He is a good competitor, and he likes the challenge of other athletes doing well. He is humble about his talent and willing to help others out as well.”
To balance out the independent nature of diving as well as stay in shape for the winter diving season, Freeman participates year round in other sporting endeavors. He plays soccer and football in the fall and runs track in the spring. Through the years, he has also participated baseball, swimming and golf. “I like to keep busy, so I do other sports like track and soccer,” explains Freeman. “I also like that they are team sports, very social,” continues the diver. “Diving is so independent. We have a small team, and
we practice at the Center in Detroit Lakes. I rely on Getty (Austin Gedrose), a real good buddy and diver, as another motivator. He makes practice bearable being able to laugh with a teammate and friend. ” In addition to lots of practice and being prepared, Freeman says he has two secret weapons he is taking to state this year: a positive attitude and a great coach. “I start each dive the same way,” explains Freeman. “I take a deep breath and smile to stay positive. Smiling gets me prepared to do well.” As for Coach Koons, she offers Freeman valuable feedback so that he can keep improving and moving forward in the sport of diving. Freeman notes, “Bobbi understands us and knows us each personally. She challenges us to do better. She knows what we have to work on and what we need to do it. Bobbi is one
of the most positive people you’ll ever meet. She makes everything more fun and enjoyable. We need more coaches like her around.” Active in the sport of diving since the second grade, and with the twists and turns of competition getting more challenging, Freeman believes it is important to get away from the sport for a while to actually do his best.
“Diving is very mental as well as physical,” he explains. “I‘m in the pool every day so it’s great to get away from it for a while and play hockey with friends or shred down Detroit Mountain snowboarding – anything to take diving out of my head for a while.” Freeman placed 13th at the Minnesota State High School League Boys
Swimming and Diving State Competition when he was a freshman and took sixth as a sophomore. Now as a junior, he is ready to dive in and build on past state accomplishments, laser-focused on the 2016 state competition.
breath, smile and cleanly do a Front 2 -½ Pike with a degree of difficulty of 2.6.” he notes. “It will be my new go to dive.”
“My goal this year is to make it back to state and improve on that sixth place finish. I’m going to take a deep
MARCH / APRIL 2016 SPORTS VIEW 17
18 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
chargers girls basketball
A
s the Brandon-Evansville girls basketball team wraps up practice, they head into a circle, and veteran Head Coach Dick Simpson passes off a calendar quote book to senior Elizabeth Vinson. Vinson clears her throat, and shares the quote of the day. “Everyone’s allowed an occasional failure – except a skydiver of course,” Vinson reads. Simpson shares these quotes after every practice, and has a different quote book for games. “We’re supposed to guess who the quote person is, when you’re a senior you get a lot better at it,” jokes senior Melissa Haseman. The team thinks Coach Simpson shares the quotes as a stress reliever intended to inspire and build camaraderie. “It kind of gets your mind off the stress of the game,” Vinson says. Inspiration from Coach Simpson doesn’t stop at the quote books. In his 43 years coaching basketball, he’s spent the majority of his career leading the Brandon-Evansville Chargers girls varsity team. Players past and present agree Simpson has earned their respect.
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“He doesn’t yell or raise his voice,” says Heather Strese, a former Charger and current starter for the Minnesota State University Moorhead women’s basketball team. She says, “He coaches by knowing the girls respect him, and value what he has to say.”
by Tomi Thompson • Photography by Janssen Photography
of kids almost every year. Some of these kids have been here a long time but I’ve got a different offense almost every year just to fit the personnel.” Nestled in the heart of small town Minnesota, Brandon-Evansville is
“I coach how I wanted to be coached.”
Dick Simpson “I think as the coach conducts him or herself, the team reflects how you coach,” Simpson says. “I figured if I’m getting upset and riled then kids are going to too. I think that it’s important for kids to see how to be sportsman, to get along with referees.” Growing up in Graceville, MN, Simpson has spent most of his life coaching or playing small town basketball. He’s seen many different coaching styles, but his overall philosophy about coaching is simple. “I coach how I wanted to be coached,” Simpson says. “I don’t necessarily have a system. You get somebody new or a different batch
a member of the Little 8 Conference that includes Ashby, Rothsay, Battle Lake, Underwood, Hillcrest, and Parkers Prairie. Even though the conference is ‘little’ it boasts big competition. “I’d say everyone in our conference is a rival,” Vinson says. The girls say Brandon-Evansville’s strengths are in their depth and shooting game. “We have so many players that are good and capable of a role. We might have multiple people step up,” Haseman says. The team’s strength begins with the emphasis placed on fundamentals
and practice. “I like practice better than games,” Simpson says. ”There’s no expectation as far as somebody having to play. It’s just the kids, so you can do different things and concentrate on one specific aspect.” The current seniors have a long history playing together. “We’ve been playing together since we were in fourth grade. We all know each other’s strengths and how we play. We play well together,” Vinson says. Vinson notes that programs in Brandon-Evansville like Junior Chargers and Gym Rats get the girls in the gym playing basketball as early as third grade. “We’re building teammates young. We’re building good team relationships from the very beginning,” she adds. Simpson’s passion for practice translates to his players. “Without him I probably would have not woken up and had encouragement to go to morning basketball,” Senior Katie Kokett says. Kokett credits Coach Simpson for providing the spark that led her to the weight room, and a desire to improve and grow in all of her sports. Senior Toni Wright says Simpson doesn’t have his players stop with missed shots. “He always tells you
to have confidence and keep shooting. Even if you don’t make the baskets – he tells you to keep shooting,” she noted. “I think the foundation of our program is built on character,” Haseman says. The character of the team has been tested this season. Starting out 7-0 and falling into a mid-season slump, the girls have had to dig deep and fight back in tough games.
Games haven’t necessarily been the biggest challenges the girls have faced this season.
“Jim Rolf and Mr. S are two really close friends that love the game of basketball,” Strese says.
Recently, junior shooting guard Carrigan Okerlund was sidelined with a broken wrist. Another teammate lost her mother to a long battle with cancer. Coach Simpson says that his team took it upon themselves to attend their teammate’s mother’s funeral as a team. “We’ve been blessed with quality character girls,” Simpson says.
For the majority of Simpson’s career, he had Rolf by his side. Strese and her older sister Megan, both collegiate athletes at MSUM, were both moved up to the Varsity team at a young age. Strese says that Rolf was good at preparing girls for a higher level of play.
Simpson says throughout time, the players are what make him really enjoy his job as a coach.
“Mr. Rolf used to say, ‘I would get the girls ready and then Mr. S would take them from me,’” Strese recalls.
In her career at MSUM, Strese says that Rolf continues to keep tabs on and support her as a former Charger. “He also attends a majority of my games. I think last year he came to more home games than my parents did,” Strese says smiling. “I remember seeing him walk in when he came to the first game and I was excited for him to see me play. Mr. S and (Rolf ) are two truly amazing coaches.” The girls say that Simpson has a special gift for combining lessons of basketball and lessons of life. “I’d rather have the players develop some mental toughness and be able
“We’re building teammates young. We’re building good team relationships from the very beginning.”
Senior Elizabeth Vinson “Over the years we have had quality kids who make my job easier. You win with people.” Simpson and Heather Strese also say that long time assistant coach Jim Rolf was a big contributor to the program.
Even after he retired from coaching, Rolf is still very involved in the sport. Even though he currently lives in Moorhead, Rolf still travels to Brandon-Evansville away games to do the book and keep up with the team.
to handle adversity and that sort of stuff. Basketball is a medium to do that,” Simpson says. Kokett says playing for Simpson helped her gain confidence in her abilities and perseverance. “Always go after something you want – it MARCH / APRIL 2016 SPORTS VIEW 21
chargers girls basketball might be hard, but keep pushing, you’ll always make it.” Wright added that Simpson’s coaching style doesn’t allow players to doubt themselves. “He believes in you and knows you can do it, and he wants you to believe that you can do it too.” Haseman says when she was younger, she missed some summer basketball practices for a mission trip. She says Simpson was quick to point out there are some bigger things in life, like going out to help other people. “He just has a kind heart.
by Tomi Thompson • Photography by Janssen Photography
“It’s so nice to see that he sees our potential as a player, and as a person,” Haseman notes. This year, Vinson and Haseman have had the opportunity to see a team from the coaching perspective. Haseman coaches 5th grade, and Vinson coaches a 6th grade team. “When I coach my girls, I try to coach like Mr. S coaches us,” Vinson says. “He is a big reason I started coaching. I have always thought that Mr. S was good guy and I want to be like that for the girls I’m coaching.”
Looking into the future, Okerlund hopes to make a strong comeback and grow with her team and upon the fundamentals that have been instilled by Simpson. “I’m really excited to play with all of the juniors as seniors. Another year with Mr. S just makes you a better person. I think that coming back from an injury will be easy, it’s just an injury to me, she adds.
It kind of makes all of us want to be better people and kinder and focus on the big things in life; focusing on more than just yourself.” “Anybody can teach them how to shoot layups and shoot and all that kind of stuff but there’s more to it than just the physical part. It’s the relationships that you build and teaching them how to win with class, and lose with class, and to be a sportsman,” Simpson says.
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Their final season came to a close more quickly than the two seniors expected. “I remember seniors telling me – don’t take it for granted, it’s going to be over before you know it, so it’s kind of weird to see it come to a close. It’s weird to know it’s not you anymore,” Haseman says. Kockett enjoys watching her teammates grow into new positions as her class moves on. “It’s fun seeing other kids come up and step up.”
Through team and personal successes, strong health and injuries, and even the occasional failures, the girls believe Coach Simpson and their time as Brandon-Evansville Chargers gave them skills they’ll be able to use for a lifetime. “He really stresses to us not to just be good players or teammates, but to be good people and I think that’s what each of us is going to take out of it,” Haseman notes. “Maybe we each take a different aspect of character or a different aspect of Mr. Simpson and what we saw in him, but every person that has come into this program has come out a better person.”
Scholar Athlete > wadena-deer creek
wolverines
Tyler Wheeler football - Wrestling - Baseball Nickname: Wheels Favorite School Subject: Algebra and Trigonometry Grade Point Average: 3.84 Groups and Organizations: Band, National Honor Society, Knowledge Bowl
Notable Academic Accomplishment: Spotlight on Scholarship I Root For: Minnesota Gophers, UND Fighting Hawks, Minnesota: Vikings, Wild and Twins In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Starting my residency in anesthesiology. Having a wonderful family and enjoying life.
Scholar Athlete > battle lake
battlers
Lucas Radermacher cROSS COUNTRY - TRACK Favorite School Subject: Biology and Chemistry Grade Point Average: 3.96 Groups and Organizations: FFA, Knowledge Bowl, Trap Shooting, National Honor Society
I Root For: University of Minnesota, Gophers Pets: Two Dogs, Maggie and Biba. Cat, Schmitty In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Working in the medical field.
24 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
Scholar Athlete > ALEXANDRIA
CARDINALS
Chad Blank Swimming - golf Grade Point Average: 4.0 Favorite School Subjects: Humanities / Social Studies Notable Academic Accomplishment: EXCEL Award Recipient I Root For: University of Minnesota Gophers Pets: Two Cats, Puck and Milo
Currently Listening To: Taylor Swift (Always) as well as Halsey, Hedley and the 1975 Your Role Model: Either my brother, Kyle, or my Dad, Tom In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Hopefully married and working in the golf industry.
Scholar Athlete > FERGUS FALLS
OTTERS
Isaiah Lemke football - basketball Nickname: Zay Favorite School Subject: English Grade Point Average: 3.25 Groups and Organizations: Youth Group I Root For: The New England Patriots
Pets: A Dog, Muffin In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Have a nice, happy family with an English bulldog.
A CONVERSATION Jake Krause Wadena-Deer Creek > Football Jake Krause, a 2013 graduate of Wadena-Deer Creek High School, was a three-sport athlete in football, baseball and hockey, earning All-Conference honors in all three sports. He was a two-time All-Section selection in baseball, and earner 9 athletic letters and 2 for choir during his high school career. Jake’s family, parents Jon and Mary Krause and his two sisters Kayla, now 23, and Laura, now 13 moved to Wadena from Frazee in 2005.
26 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
by Craig Olson Craig follows area sports throughout the year at www.craigolsonsports.com
CRAIG OLSON: What are your earliest memories of playing football?
CO: When you think of your high school on field participation, what stands out?
CO: When did you decide that playing college football was a goal?
Jake Krause: I’ve always been a huge fan of football. I get it from my Dad. I remember throwing the football around with him when I was 5 years old. Playing schoolyard football at Frazee Elementary School during recess was always the highlight of my day. But my first experience actually playing organized tackle football came when I was ten years old. I joined the Wadena Area Football League (WAFL), which was a 4th - 6th grade football league. And as I had expected, I loved it.
JK: Getting to experience playing nearly every offensive position on the field stands out the most to me. I started out playing OL my sophomore year. The next season I moved to TE and also got some WR in, I also took some snaps at QB. Then my senior season, I was the starting RB, but I also played some OL that year as well. I also was a starting DL and OLB. In addition to that I was the kicker, punter, and long snapper. Getting to experience the game at a lot of different positions was definitely cool.
JK: Even before I started playing organized football, I knew that I wanted to play college football. It was just a matter of where I ended up. Although it did take some luck with me growing to the size that I am today. My mom and dad always knew I was going to be big. I guess that speaks to the accuracy of a parent’s intuition. CO: Were there any specific people (teammates, coaches, parents, others) who gave you motivation or inspiration to do what it took to become a player who could reach the next level?
a conversation with craig
JK: Both parents were driving forces behind me playing college football. I was a very intrinsically motivated person when it came to playing college ball as well. I started lifting when I was in 7th grade and I owe a lot of that to one of my close friends, Austin Bjorge; and also his father Tim Bjorge, who was our principal. Tim would take us to the weight room at 6 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That was the time in my life when I realized how important lifting was in order to achieve my goal of playing college ball. And I have been doing it ever since. I also had two great head football coaches in high school, Tom Van Erp and Howie Kangas, who were a big help in getting my name out to college coaches. CO: Take us through your bout with cancer and how you dealt with that situation? JK: It was my freshman year of college, and I was loving it. It was fun playing the game I loved with my new teammates who loved it just as much. I was beginning to adjust to college athletics, and I started to realize that I could play at this level.I started to feel the symptoms around the time school started. My
28 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
skin itched terribly, I had bad night sweats, and I also would out of nowhere get severely sick and feel perfectly fine the next day. I ignorantly attributed the itchy skin to the lifting clothes that I was wearing, the night sweats to the scorching hot dorm rooms, and the sickness to your common 24-hour bug. But then I noticed a lump on my neck, which alarmed me. It was about two weeks after I noticed the lump that I finally went home and saw the doctor. At first, there was no diagnosis. But after a biopsy they found that it was Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After further testing, they found out that is was in stage 4. Which meant that it had spread down to my pelvic area. The synopsis was six rounds of chemotherapy with two treatments per round. So in total I had 12 sessions of chemotherapy. I was deemed cancer free after my 4th round, and the same has shown in my tests over the last two years. I would not have been able to get through the treatment without the support of my family and friends, and my football family. My parents were there for me through then entire process. But the one thing pushing me forward was knowing that I got to go back and play football when I was done.
jake krause CO: Was there ever a time during that battle where you wondered if you would be able to play football again?
Since my return, I have started on the OL since my freshman year, and I am also on the Dean’s List.
JK: I couldn’t let myself think that. My fight wasn’t just about surviving but also about returning to the game that I love. My motivation to return to the football field was the silver lining in this dark storm cloud. I would lift every day the week that I did not have chemo and take the week off that I did have chemo so that I wouldn’t lose too much of what I gained. It was also a good way to get me out of the house and keep me from going insane. So no, there was never a moment where I didn’t think that I was going to get to play again.
CO: What was the recruiting process like and how did you decide on Bemidji?
CO: After what you went through what did it mean to you to become a Bemidji State University (BSU) Beaver and to walk onto the practice field and play in games at that level?
some from a couple NAIA schools and a couple more from the Division I FCS level. In the end, I narrowed it down to UMD, BSU, and NDSU. Those were my top three, which eventually came down to BSU and NDSU. I would have gotten a preferred walk on to NDSU, but I took the partial scholarship from BSU. In the end, I just felt more at home in Bemidji, and we have some family ties to the team as well, which was a big thing for me.
JK: Having cancer can be construed as a negative thing, which it is, but I did not want to think of it that way. I saw it as a way to reflect on my life, almost like a transition from a boy to becoming a man. And it was just that. When I came back to BSU I did not take anything for granted. I realized that persevering through tough times can benefit you in the long run. And after going through what I had gone through, nothing seemed as tough anymore. All the lifting and running and school work that I have to do just seem like mere practicalities to becoming a successful person.
JK: Recruiting started just after my sophomore year when I attended the NDSU football camp. It was there that I was exposed to college coaches for the first time. After that, it was all my coaches sending out tape and making recommendations to coaches. I started receiving a lot of letters from colleges that were interested my junior year. A lot of them came from NSIC schools, but I also got
CO: You started the majority of BSU’s games this past season at left guard. Tell us about your offensive line and how you played as a unit during your 7-4 season. JK: If I could describe my OL in one word it would be chemistry. The
majority of us have played together for three years now and we are all pretty good friends. We have classes together, fish together, hunt together and just in general hang out. I think our strong connection and experience was a big part of our success this year. We were able to run the ball effectively and protect our quarterback. All I see is good things for us in the future. CO: You were a part of a team that won the NSIC Northern Division title for the second time in school history. Was this something you and your teammates thought you could accomplish going into the season? If so, why did you have that confidence? JK: I definitely believed that we could accomplish that goal. There was no doubt that our team always had the talent to get it done, it was just a matter of putting it all together. And this year I think it finally clicked and we accomplished what we expected of ourselves. I would say that we even under-achieved this year. We lost two games early in the season by a combined total of 7 points when we weren’t really gelling well together yet. And then we lost a close one to UMD by 5 points on a day when we just didn’t perform well. So I expect big things next year. It’s just a matter of how bad we want it as a team, and I think we want it pretty dang bad. CO: Any games that stand out from this past year? JK: The Moorhead game stands out for sure. Were went into the half down by 21 and we came out and beat them 42-28 on their homecoming. That was the moment I think we all realized that things were finally starting to click. CO: You made the Academic AllNSIC team, how are you able to balance your school work and your football commitment to make that happen? JK: I love the game of football, but I know that when I play my last collegiate snap that my football playing days are over. So I know that if I want to be successful and live comfortably that I need focus on my studies and future career. When it comes to balancing the school work and football, I try to be as efficient with my time
as possible. During the offseason it’s fairly easy because we just have weights, but in season you definitely have to take advantage of the free time that you get and do as much studying as you can. CO: What do you like most about BSU and Bemidji as a community? JK: I like that it’s a small community. Coming from a small town I have learned to love the quiet peacefulness of a smaller community. CO: Do you have an energized fan base that supports your team? JK: Absolutely! We have great fans at BSU; especially during our homecoming games. CO: How have you improved as an offensive lineman during your first two years of college? JK: I’ve gotten a lot stronger. I’ve grasped the concept of reading defenses and how to do it. My feet are a lot better. I’ve learned how to communicate on the OL a lot more effectively. CO: What type of an off season workout regimen to you have? JK: We currently are on a 3 days a week work out and conditioning plan. We workout for two hours each day and we also have a position meeting. We will be starting spring ball at the end of March.
minor in Business Administration. I love everything about sports. More specifically I love what sports have done for me in terms of opportunities and life lessons. My dream career would be a High School Athletic Director. I want to show kids how important sports can be in their lives, and provide them with every opportunity to be successful. There is no better way to do that in my mind than to be a High School AD. CO: Do you see coaching at some level as something that might interest you after your playing days are over?
JK: Just being responsible for every single decision that I make and being self-sufficient, for the most part.
JK: I do have some coaching experience. I was an assistant boys varsity hockey coach for a season the winter I was going though chemo. It was very rewarding and I enjoyed the experience, but I would like to impact kids on a larger scale. That is why would like to become an Athletic Director.
CO: How do you spend your down time?
CO: What is your favorite eating place in Bemidji?
JK: Mostly I just hang out with my roommates and do homework. But on the good days I go fishing, bowling, to movies, to restaurants, etc...
JK: There are a lot of good restaurants in Bemidji, but if I had to pick one it would have to be MN Nice. It has some of the best breakfast food that you will ever eat.
CO: You are currently majoring in Business Administration. What would your ideal job be after graduation?
CO: What would be your ultimate travel destination for a vacation?
JK: I actually have changed my major to Sport Management with a
JK: I had a foreign exchange student my senior year who was from Hun-
CO: What about the college experience has been the most difficult adjustment?
gary. He goes to school now in the Netherlands. I think it would be cool to go visit him and travel northern Europe. CO: If you weren’t playing college football and could have played any other sport at this level, what would it be? JK: I definitely would have chosen baseball. It is my second love, and I still play baseball for my local town ball team, the Deer Creek Shockers. CO: After the success your team had this year, what are your goals looking ahead to the final two years? JK: I just want to continue to improve as a player and as a team. If we can consistently get better each year for the next two years, I think we could be a top team in the NSIC. CO: How has your battle with cancer changed your outlook on life in general? JK: I appreciate things a lot more than I did before. I’m also a lot more disciplined with my time and in the activities that I do. I don’t take anything for granted. And probably the most important change is that my faith in God is stronger than it has ever been in my life. He has a plan for me and I think that my bout with cancer is sending me down the path that he wanted me on.
MARCH / APRIL 2016 SPORTS VIEW 29
Scholar Athlete > PERHAM
YELLOWJACKETS
Annie Ingebrand hockey - softball Favorite School Subject: Accounting Grade Point Average: 3.8 I Root For: MN Wild, Vikings Notable Academic Accomplishments: A Honor Roll Pets: Dog, Dewey and Two Horses; Millie and Pearl
Groups and Organizations: National Honor Society, Student Council, Youth Group In Ten Years...I’ll Be: I would like to be a CPA and hopefully have a family of my own.
Scholar Athlete > DETROIT LAKES
LAKERS
Dani Unruh Tennis - hockey - track Nickname: Dani Grade Point Average: 3.72 Favorite School Subjects: Chemistry Notable Academic Accomplishment: Academic Achievement Award
Groups and Organizations: National Honor Society, Key Club I Root For: UND Hockey and the Chicago Blackhawks In Ten Years...I’ll Be: I would like to see myself working successfully in whatever career it is I decide to pursue and have a family
JOrdan martinson
W
hether it is vaulting at state gymnastics or pole-vaulting at state track, Jordan can do it.
As a seventh grader, Perham High School’s Jordan Martinson lived her dream of competing in the state gymnastics meet. Now as her team’s only senior, she is hoping to compete again at the University of Minnesota Sports Pavilion for the sixth consecutive year. She is also looking for her second trip to the state track and field meet. Somersault to Vault “We lived across from a park and Jordan always wanted to go there. She would spend about 90% of the time on the monkey bars. She was determined to get all the way across,” says her mom. Jordan’s mom, Jody, whom Jordan describes as “determined and successful”, works as the district engineer at MnDOT in Detroit Lakes. “One day I came home from work and there were pillows oddly stacked up against the wall. I moved the pillows and there was a hole in the sheetrock from her foot. ‘Practicing’ was her excuse,” says Jody. Jordan and her younger sister Emily
34 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
By Anne Dunham • Photography by Thru Him Photography
participated in gymnastics camps in elementary school. Emily, now a sophomore, no longer competes in gymnastics, but Jordan says that she was a strong motivator.
Jordan’s dad, Brian, a former Minnesota State University Moorhead football player and current Arvig employee, has not had to push her to be successful.
“It’s my senior year, I don’t want to have any regrets.”
Jordan Martinson “Emily and I had camps in Perham when I was younger. I remember coming to practice, having a good time, and wanting to go back to get better,” she says. “Having camps together was fun because she had a crazy personality; she always kept the team going.” “When Jordan was younger, her coaches called her a ‘gym rat’. She would be one of the last girls to leave the gym and would always attend optional practices,” says Jody. The moniker of ‘gym rat’ still applies to Jordan.
“Brian and I do not push her, she pushes herself,” says Jody. Hard work goes a long way Life lessons, hard work, and friendships have driven Jordan in athletics. In 2009, Perham gymnastics broke a Minnesota state record for most consecutive wins for any class school in any sport. The Yellowjackets won their eighth consecutive state championship. Jordan, then a seventh grader, competed in the 2009 state tournament and she became the hero. The meet came down to her on the beam. The team needed Jordan to stay on the beam
and land her flip to win state. “Pretty much everyone in the gym had their eyes on Jordan,” Jody says. “It was the last event of the meet and she was the last person to go. She did her back flip and landed it. Everyone went crazy. She will not admit it, but she could hardly hold back tears by the time she landed her dismount.” While a state participant as a ninth grader, Jordan faced a minor back injury in the second rotation. The injury kept her from competing the rest of the state meet. During the summer of 2015, her knee popped on vault and during cross-fit. She was told her that kneecap dislocates easily. The condition has caused her to have to wear a brace this season. “Unfortunately, I hurt my opposite knee recently. It is something that has been a battle this season,” Jordan says. Through this struggle, she has relied on her tough work ethic. “Jordan always has a positive attitude and has been a leader for the team. She plays the mother role for the girls,” says Coach Jenna Schmitz.
“Gymnastics helped me with pole vaulting. The body awareness and strength come in handy.�
Jordan Martinson
JOrdan martinson “She carries the respect and positive behavior outside of the gym as well.” One quality Schmitz admires most in Jordan is her work ethic. Last summer she put in countless hours at CrossFit Detroit Lakes in preparation for her senior athletic seasons. “It’s my senior year, I don’t want to have any regrets,” Jordan says. “Our coaches have mentioned regrets they have from high school, so I use that as motivation.” Working hard has helped Jordan be a successful captain for her team. She has been captain of the Yellowjackets for four consecutive years. “I get the team motivated before meets. I reassure them we can win
if we work together,” she says. “My teammates know gymnastics is a hard sport. I remind them it’s a sport where they are able to try new moves and routines everyday.” Jordan knows what it will take to return to state again. “I have to be consistent and confident during a routine. I cannot show I’m nervous,” she says. Vaulting does not stop there During the spring, Jordan competes for the track and field team as a pole-vaulter and sprinter. She joined track as a junior. She impressively placed sixth in pole-vault at the state track meet held at Hamline University. “I can say gymnastics helped me with pole vaulting. The body awareness and strength come in
“Jordan always has a positive attitude and has been a leader for the team.”
Coach Jenna Schmitz
36 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
By Anne Dunham • Photography by Thru Him Photography
handy,” Jordan says. “My mom ran track when she was in high school, so she encouraged me to join.” Jordan is waiting for her final season of track and field before deciding on a college. Pole-vaulting in college could be a deciding factor; otherwise she plans to attend the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. She has an interest in physical therapy and is currently carrying an impressive 3.9 GPA. “My parents have been supportive,” Jordan says. “If I have a rough meet, they reassure me that I will do better next time. They tell me not to look back on rough days, because I need to live in the present.” Besides her parents, she looks to former teammates as role models. Kelsey Vomacka and Mikaela
Eickschen were seniors when Jordan was a seventh grader. She keeps up to date with Olympians such as Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney. Vaulting into track season soon, she says, “I am going to miss my coaches and teammates, bus rides, and the support I get from family and friends.” “Teachers and coaches often compliment Jordan as a respectful, conscientious student-athlete. As a parent, it is wonderful to hear that about your kid,” Jody says. “Whether it is academics, athletics or work, Jordan is driven and goal oriented. Giving up is not in her vocabulary.”
Scholar Athlete > FRAZEE
HORNETS
Whitney Janu volleyball - basketball - softball Nickname: Whit Favorite School Subject: Government Grade Point Average: 3.69 Groups and Organizations: National Honor Society, Student Council
Notable Academic Accomplishment: Silver Award (Team), A Honor Roll Pets: Gauge, Cole and Sophie In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Hopefully graduated college and finding a job.
Scholar Athlete > ROTHSAY
TIGERS
Cody Molter football - basketball Nickname: Ging Favorite School Subject: Anatomy Grade Point Average: 3.5 I Root For: NDSU Bison, Vikings
Pets: Ty and Sophie In Ten Years...I’ll Be: A field scientist for the DNR.
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Scholar Athlete > BRECKENRIDGE
COWBOYS
Treyton Hought football - wrestling - track & Field - TrapSHOOTING Favorite School Subject: Math Grade Point Average: 3.33 I Root For: University of Minnesota Crookston, K-State Pets: Two Dogs, Koda and Maya Groups and Organizations: Mathletes
Notable Academic Accomplishment: Rotary Student of the Month Groups and Organizations: Mathletes In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Working on the family farm.
Scholar Athlete > ASHBY
ARROWS
Taylor Koefod volleyball - basketball - softball Nickname: Tay Favorite School Subject: Science Grade Point Average: 3.897 Pets: Two Rabbits, Finley and Harrison; Two Cats, Diego and Max
Groups and Organizations: TAP, FCA, FFA, Mock Trial, Band, Choir, Relay for Life, Plays, National Honor Society, Student Council I Root For: Packers, Twins and Timberwolves In Ten Years...I’ll Be: In a good job starting a family.
The Rose Family
Bill and Darlene (seated) and their children (left to right) Toni, Tami, Terri, Tim and Tad The gymnasium at the new Rothsay school was dedicated to Bill Rose on Saturday, January 16, 2016 between the girls and boys varsity basketball games against Lake Park-Audubon. For Rose, the long-time coach and athletic director in Rothsay, and his wife Darlene, it was a very special moment that was shared with many family members and friends. That day was a culmination of over 25 years of coaching and teaching in the Rothsay School District. Over a quarter of a century of memories and lasting relationships that continue fifty years after Bill and Dar put their family roots down in Rothsay. When Bill grew up in Wimbledon, North Dakota, his high school basketball team went to state his junior year and then lost in the region finals when he was a senior. He met Dar at El40 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
lendale where he was attending college and they were married in 1956. Bill played football, basketball and baseball for three years, but after breaking his wrist playing football his senior year, he went on to coach the JV basketball team. “When I was a freshman in high school I decided that coaching might be for me,” said Rose. “We had a coach, Howard ‘Swede’ Solheim, move into town and he really encouraged me to pursue coaching. When I got the opportunity to coach that JV team in Ellendale my senior year, that kind of decided it for me.” Bill said his favorite sport to play was baseball and he did quite well in the sport, playing on a state amateur championship team in James-
Bill Rose
by Craig Olson
town, and playing in several state tournaments over the years.
“Bill has been a positive mentor to all of us,” commented Paton. “He is known for his fairness and respect for all of his players and coaches. He always put the team ahead of individual players. His genuine caring for athletes during and after their high school careers is matched by none. My greatest memories of Bill are, each morning following game nights he would have positive comments for the players no matter the outcome of their games.”
Bill and Dar had teaching/coaching stops in Rugby, ND, Courtney, ND and Strandquist, MN before landing in Rothsay in 1966. “A very good friend of mine who had a job as a salesman for Stan Kostka Sporting Goods told me about the job so I called Si Flan, who was on the school board, had an interview, got the job offer and I took it,” remembered Rose. “I taught social studies and phys ed. Then later on, I was the industrial arts teacher along with coaching and being athletic director. I also put in fifty years as a driving instructor between Strandquist and Rothsay. I really enjoyed it. I probably had 20 kids per year in the program.” Bill was head boys basketball coach from 1966 to 1984 and collected over 300 career coaching wins and several Little 8 Conference titles. He was inducted into the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1989. He also served as Rothsay’s Athletic Director for more than 25 years, being named Minnesota Athletic Director of the Year in 1993. “When I came to Rothsay, I was told I had some exceptional athletes to coach and that was the truth,” recalled Rose. “Dave Goltz was a standout four-sport athlete who of course went on to play Major League Baseball for several years. Kevin Carlsrud was an exceptional athlete. Jerome Wigdahl was 6-foot7 and was a very good player for us. Mike Jorgenson went on to play football at Concordia. Doug Carlsrud, Roger Peterson. All of them great athletes and good kids.” Kevin Carlsrud shares that, “As a coach, Rose taught us that if we learned the fundamentals of basketball and executed those fundamentals: play defense, run the offense, and concentrate on the details no matter how small, the victories will come. The result was 314 victories, six Little 8 Conference titles, and being recognized by his peers 42 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
by being voted into the Minnesota Coaches Hall of Fame. Coach Rose was a great coach and teacher that touched hundreds of student athletes during his 27 years of coaching.” Carlsrud continues, “The Rothsay fans were the greatest, too. It seemed like the whole town came to every game to support the teams, but the greatest fan had to be Dar Rose. As a player, it was comforting to hear her words (yells) of encouragement and also to hear how she instructed the referees on how they could do their jobs better. Connie and I cherish our friendship over all these years with Bill and Dar as do countless other students and athletes. I think of Bill Rose as a great coach, a wonderful person, and more importantly a good friend.” Rose matched up with several legendary coaches from the area over the years.
“Bill Colbeck at Hillcrest was an excellent coach and you knew you were always going to be in for a tough ballgame when you matched up with them,” said Rose. “It was enjoyable to coach against him and Dale Champ in Elbow Lake, Rex Haugen in Pelican Rapids, Gary Senske in Underwood and Chuck Evert in Battle Lake. You just really had to have your team ready to play whenever you went up against those guys.” As for his style of coaching, Rose liked to have his teams run and play pressure defense. He emphasized the fundamentals and always stressed the importance of being in great shape, which led to quite a bit of running, including the dreaded ‘mashers’ during practice. He also spent some time as the JV volleyball coach in Rothsay, working alongside long-time head coach Royce Paton.
Craig Samuelson spent twelve years in the Rothsay School District as a teacher and coach, but his first memory of Bill was in 1978 when Sammy was playing for Pelican Rapids and the Vikings traveled to Rothsay for a non-conference basketball game with the Tigers. “My teammate Jim Knutson had a phenomenal game and was on pace to break the school’s single game scoring record when Coach Rex Haugen took him out of the game with four or five minutes remaining. By then, fans and players knew that Jim was close to the record, and Bill hollered down to Rex to put him back in and let him go after it. Jim ended up with a couple more baskets for the record and had scored 49 points when he missed a free throw and Rex took him out for good. I thought it was kind of neat that the opposing coach didn’t see Jim’s effort to continue trying to score as unsportsmanlike, as he was the furthest thing from it. Samuelson recalls, “When I was teaching and coaching in Rothsay, Bill had completed coaching and was serving as AD. He gave coaches his full support and only wanted to see kids in Rothsay succeed. After my first couple of years, we got the football and girls basketball program turned around with a run of some good kids and Bill was excited to be a part of it, whether it was running the PA or coordinating travel for us. When we lost a double overtime section championship game to Verndale, he was one of the first people to offer some support to our kids and coaches. Bill treated everyone the same … fair. Today, he is still the same as he was when he coached and taught, an enthusiastic cheerleader of all Rothsay programs.”
Scholar Athlete > WEST CENTRAL
KNIGHTS
Ben Anderson football - basketball - baseball Nickname: Papa, Benny, Benji Favorite School Subject: Math Grade Point Average: 3.81 Groups and Organizations: National Honor Society, FFA, Student Council
Notable Academic Accomplishment: A Honor Roll I Root For: Vikings, Twins Pets: Dog, Sammie In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Good job with a family.
Scholar Athlete > BRANDON-EVANSVILLE
CHARGERS
Katie Kokett volleyball - basketball - softball Nickname: Kates Favorite School Subject: Math Grade Point Average: 3.8 Groups and Organizations: FFA, 4-H, BPA Notable Academic Accomplishment: A Honor Roll
I Root For: NDSU, University of Minnesota Pets: 3 Dogs; Roxy, Taylor and Macy In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Graduated from college with a family and a job.
Bill Rose
by Craig Olson felt such a great elation when they decided to build the new school. Things were quite crowded at the old school and this new building offers so many possibilities for the future students.” The old gym was named for Si Flan. Bill and Dar were great friends with Si and Virginia, and their family. “They were great friends to us. He kept book for me for several years and Darlene rode with them to road games all the time.”
Bill found out about the gymnasium being dedicated in his name over pizza at Ole and Lena’s in Rothsay. Bill remembers the day he found out about the dedication, “Tom Jensen called me up and said he wanted to buy us pizza so we went over and Dave Goltz, Mary Jensen, Gary Brandt and his wife, and Craig Samuelson were all there. When we were done eating pizza, Sammy stood up and said, ‘Well we are here for two reasons. One is to eat pizza, which was good, but the other reason is to tell Bill that the new gym is going to be dedicated in his name, and that a scholarship is going to be established in Bill and Dar Rose’s names.’ My wife said my mouth was open. Tears came down, and I just couldn’t believe it.” The scholarship has been established and is being funded by Rothsay High School alumni and friends of Bill Rose. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a graduating senior student. All five of the Rose children, Tad, Tim, Teri, Tami and Tomi, were able to attend the dedication ceremony, along with Bill’s sister, Katy, and her daughter, and several extended family members. “It was the first time in ten years we had our whole family together so that was quite a thing for us,” said Rose. “Leon Elseth came from San Antonio and that was special. To see my sister there was such a surprise to me and it was so good to see her. People in Rothsay are so wonderful.
44 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
We heard from so many people who sent cards to us. It’s an exceptional town. Everyone is so friendly. This new school is so impressive and such a great thing for the community. I
Rose spent over 20 years as the PA announcer at the games. This year he’s just a fan. He works out in the exercise room at the new school on a daily basis, and when he gave me a tour of the building he was constantly being greeted warmly
by students and teachers alike. The plaque that is displayed outside the new gymnasium reads “Thank you for your dedication to our students and community, your determination to nurture skills and talents of our athletes, and your ability to lead young people with passion, humor and integrity.” As Kevin Carlsrud said when he shared some memories at the dedication ceremony, “John Wooden, considered the greatest basketball coach of all time stated, ‘A coach is first of all a teacher’. That statement fits Bill Rose perfectly.”
Scholar Athlete > BARNESVILLE
TROJANS
Heather Johnson Volleyball Nickname: Heath Favorite School Subject: Accounting Grade Point Average: 3.78 Groups and Organizations: Student Council, DARE Role Model
Notable Academic Accomplishments: A Honor Roll I Root For: NDSU Bison In Ten Years...I’ll Be: In a career I like.
Scholar Athlete > HILLCREST
COMETS
Hans Frank-Holzner cross country - track & Field Nickname: Hansi, Hans Olsa Favorite School Subject: AP Euro, AP English Comp Grade Point Average: 4.0 Groups and Organizations: Student Council, Key Club, National Honor Society
Pets: Pepi and Gizzi (Dogs) I Root For: US Women’s Soccer In Ten Years...I’ll Be: Happily married, living life outside the box!
Abby VanKempen
WEST CENTRAL AREA > BASKETBALL West Central Area senior Abby VanKempen scored career point number 1,000 on Friday, January 8 in Barrett as the Lady Knights defeated Swanville by the score of 54-37. VanKempen scored 15 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, had 6 steals, 4 blocks and 3 assists in the win. VanKempen is averaging over 17 points and 14 rebounds per game. Abby is also closing in on 1,000 career rebounds. She is the female Triple A Award winner at West Central Area High School.
MATT BIEGLER
UNDERWOOD > BASKETBALL Senior Matt Biegler of the Underwood boys basketball team reached the 1,000 career point mark when he scored 16 points on Friday, January 22 in the Rockets 60-54 loss to the Verndale Pirates in Verndale. Biegler finished the game with a double-double as he also pulled down 12 rebounds. Biegler, who played on three state tournament football teams at Underwood, has also committed to the NDSU football program as a preferred walk-on at the tight end position.
jAMES hUWE
dETROIT lAKES > wRESTLING Detroit Lakes senior James Huwe reached a couple of wrestling milestones in one night for the Lakers. On January 19 in a quadrangular, Huwe recorded his 150th career win when he beat Simon Hoffbeck from Fergus Falls. One match before that, his 100th career pin occurred with his pin of Ben Cole from Ottertail Central. Huwe, an offensive guard for the DL football team will be attending Bemidji State University next fall and play football for the Beavers.
kATIE rILLA
BATTLE lAKE > BASKETBALL Katie Rilla led the Battle Lake girls basketball team to a 59-31 win over Ashby on Friday, January 22, scoring career point number 1,000 in the process. Rilla finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds in the game. She is averaging 17.1 points per game and 12.6 rebounds per game during her senior season. Rilla is undecided on a college at this time and is still considering whether she will play volleyball or basketball at the next level.
SKYLER qUINN
bRANDON-eVANSVILLE > BASKETBALL Brandon-Evansville senior Skyler Quinn scored 22 points on Thursday, January 28, leading the Chargers to a 55-32 victory over the Rothsay Tigers in Rothsay. Point number 22 came on a free throw that gave Quinn 1,000 points for his career. Quinn also led the team with 13 rebounds in the game. In the fall, Quinn was selected to the 9-Man All State Football team as a linebacker. Quinn will be playing football for U of M – Crookston this fall.
lUKE rAITZ
FERGUS FALLS > SWIMMING Fergus Falls senior Luke Raitz claimed an individual record and was part of a relay record at the Section 5A True Team Meet on Saturday, January 23 in Morris. Raitz set a new section record of :21.99 seconds in the 50 freestyle, replacing the record previously held by former Otter Dominic Jones. Raitz was also a member of the 200 freestyle relay team which established a new Section 5A record of 1:32.61, retiring a record the same team set a year ago. Daniel Kowalski, Dalton Mouritsen and Isaac Nadgwick were the other relay team members.
46 SPORTS VIEW MARCH / APRIL 2016
Get ready to take everyone by surprise. The 2016 Prius is here with a striking new look that will shake up the status quo. Its sleek shape has been engineered to cheat the wind and win over the crowd. Get more of what you want inside and out. All-new seats give everyone room to stretch out. And the center console has been reshaped to keep things feeling spacious. Now every drive can be a relaxing one.