Bison Illustrated February 2021 by Spotlight Media

F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 1

C O M P L I M E N TA RY

overcoming the odds is part of the bison dna.

t n e l a T > k r o W d r Ha

CONTENTS

COVER STORY 14

THE UNDERDOGS

Everyone loves a good underdog story in sports. There is just something about an athlete or coach who has to work extra hard to find success within the field of competition. North Dakota State is not without those figures. Look up and down Bison rosters and you’ll find a host of student-athletes who were lightly recruited, had to overcome injury or just showed up one day and ended up making the team. In the face of adversity, these student-athletes made the most of their opportunities and are finding themselves competing and succeeding at the Division I level.

02/2021

FEATURES 40

RECURRING

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

The Bison are back to work on the gridiron this spring.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Junior Reneya Hopkins finds success at NDSU after transferring from junior college.

8 Editor’s Note 54 Athletics Calendar 56 Team Makers 58 Interactive 60 Swany Says

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Big Ups FROM NOLAN P. SCHMIDT

One of the reasons I enjoy doing this magazine each month is getting to highlight student-athletes from every athletic program on campus. It means so much to be able to tell various stories from across this wide landscape that is Bison athletics. This month, in particular, was especially fun. Getting to profile student-athletes that worked their tails off to get where they are now. That is not to say that is not the case for every studentathlete on campus. We all know that Bison athletes work harder than just about any in the country. However, the student-athletes featured in this issue had to overcome

a great deal of adversity to get to NDSU. They were underrecruited, some just showed up to a try-out and some had to scratch and claw for a scholarship. It is that ideal that helped define this issue. We are showcasing that at NDSU hard work beats talent every day of the week. The mantra is embodied by every student-athlete, especially the ones featured within. It is also embodied throughout the athletic department. Now, we often profile student-athletes and coaches in this magazine. Occasionally, we’ll profile wings of the athletic

FROM THE EDITOR

department that may go unrecognized by the common fan. I use this space this month to bring awareness to the incredible work being done inside the NDSU athletic department right now. This is not a normal year and with every single sport program playing at the exact same time, the workload for the NDSU athletics staff has been confined to a five (or so) month stretch rather than a 12-month stretch. This means that the staff within the athletics department is working tirelessly in an effort to bring every Bison athletic program to you in a safe manner.

They must do this while catering to their other dayto-day duties. For example, the sports information department has to cover multiple events, write press releases, update social channels and more in an eight-hour window. Within that eight-hour window are also media requests from rubes like me. Every single athletic department staff member is dealing with that same schedule in relation to their position. In short, these folks are busy, but yet they continue to make their lives more difficult to make ours easier and more enjoyable. So, if you see a member of the NDSU athletics

staff at an event, on social media or at the grocery store, take a moment to say thank you. Whether it is athletic training or nutrition or academics or compliance or any branch of NDSU athletics, these people are grinding right now. As we know, hard work is the only thing Bison know how to do. The least we can do is show our appreciation for that hard work. In the context of putting this magazine together, I will take this time to thank Ryan Perreault, Wes Offerman, Ryan Workman, Colleen Heimstead, Troy Goergen and Josh Hartman. I obviously

appreciate everyone in the athletics department so much, but these folks really take extra time out of their busy days to help us make this magazine. I can never thank them enough. Whatever you do, work hard at it.

FEBRUARY 2021 | VOLUME 16 ISSUE 2 Bison Illustrated is a free publication distributed monthly (8 times a year). Our mission is to help promote North Dakota State University Athletics, provide a quality and fun reading experience and to improve the way of life in our community. The publication is mailed to homes across the US and has newsstand distribution throughout North Dakota and Minnesota.

Publisher Mike Dragosavich Drago@spotlightmediafargo.com EDITORIAL Editor Nolan P. Schmidt Graphic Designer Kim Cowles Contributors Josh Swanson Creative Strategist Josiah Kopp INTERACTIVE Business Development Manager Nick Schommer nickschommer@spotlightmediafargo.com Digital Marketing Strategist Tommy Uhlir Social Media Content Specialist Emma Bonnet Videographer Tommy Uhlir, Laura Alexander Executive Sales Assistant Kellen Feeney Graphic Designer Ben Buchanan ADVERTISING VP of Business Development Paul Hoefer Paul@SpotlightMediaFargo.com Senior Leader of Digital Solutions Brady Sprague Sales Representative Al Anderson Client Relations clientrelations@spotlightmediafargo.com Client Relations Manager Jenny Johnson Marketing Designer Christy German ADMINISTRATION VP of Human Resources Colleen Dreyer Account Strategist Cassie Wiste DISTRIBUTION Delivery John Stuber

FOR ADVERTISING, CALL 701-478-SPOT (7768) or email info@spotlightmediafargo.com Bison Illustrated is published by Spotlight Media, LLC. Copyright 2020 Bison Illustrated & bisonillustrated.com All rights reserved. No parts of this magazine may be reproduced or distributed without written permission of Bison Illustrated. Bison Illustrated and Spotlight Media, LLC is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on such information. Spotlight Media, LLC accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by the advertisers. Send change of address information and other correspondence to: Spotlight Media LLC. 15 Broadway N, Suite 500 Fargo, ND 58102 or info@spotlightmediafargo.com

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The s g o d r de

n U

Everyone loves a good underdog story in sports. There is just something about an athlete or coach who has to work extra hard to find success within the field of competition. North Dakota State is not without those figures. Look up and down Bison rosters and you'll find a host of student-athletes who were lightly recruited, had to overcome injury or just showed up one day and ended up making the team. In the face of adversity, these studentathletes made the most of their opportunities and are finding themselves competing and succeeding at the Division I level.

By Nolan P. Schmidt | Photos By Nolan P. Schmidt 15

BISON ILLUSTRATED F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 1

Asset>Addition

ike many prospective students wanting to attend North Dakota State University, Aba Turner was attracted to the academic standing of the school. She wanted to go into engineering and with NDSU being one of the premier schools in the nation for engineering, it seemed like an easy selection. While Turner was an all-conference softball selection in high school, she believed her softball days were complete. Her career at Jackson Country Central High School saw her hit for a .379 average with 16 RBIs in her senior season. However, academics came before softball and the same applied to her college decision. Turner chose NDSU under the impression that she would only be a student and not a student-athlete.

After showing up to an open tryout, Aba Turner is relishing every moment with Bison softball.

That was before Turner took another shot at softball. Hearing about an open tryout, Turner opted to show up and attempt to make Darren Mueller's roster. Her expectations were just that, to try and see what happens. What ended up happening is Turner proving herself to be a Division I talent on the diamond. She was asked to join the softball program after a series of tryouts. "First and foremost for me was an education just because I've always liked school, as nerdy as that sounds. I knew I wanted to go to school and go to a good school and get an engineering degree. I looked all around the Midwest and a couple of schools in Colorado and NDSU was the most affordable and it

I wanted to get better, I wanted to be a valuable asset to this team instead of just an addition. I just want to come in and work as hard as I can."

- Aba Turner

had a super good program," Turner said of her decision to attend NDSU. "Then, I found out about their softball team, which was also super good. I reached out to Darren [Mueller] the summer after I graduated. I was just wondering about tryouts because other schools hold open tryouts, but they're just not advertised. I figured I'll try and whatever happens, happens. If I do make it that would be awesome and I'll love every

second of it. Obviously, if I didn't make it, I'm still here for an education. I'm still here to better myself otherwise, but it originally came down to getting an education. NDSU has definitely exceeded my expectations so far for that part and playing softball is a nice bonus added to that." Turner made contact with head softball coach Darren Mueller before coming to NDSU. Asking about open tryouts, Turner was able to get her name in the mind of the Bison coaching staff. The next step was having a strong performance at that tryout, but the sophomore was in awe of the program's success originally. That, the culture and a little push from her mother, is what sold her on trying out for the Bison. "I just felt like I couldn't pass on the opportunity. I loved softball in high school, I loved everything about it. I loved the games, I loved winning, I even liked losing just because I got to play. I did want to continue that. I was not great about the whole recruiting process in high school because I definitely pushed a lot of that off. I thought if

I wanted to keep playing softball, I got to figure this out," Turner said. "It ended up becoming a big leap, I think. I talked to my mom and she asked me, 'What are you like if you aren't playing softball? How do you see yourself?' and I didn't know. I kept checking online literally every single day just refreshing and waiting for them to say what day tryouts were. It just got me more hyped up to do it too." The tryouts were scheduled a few weeks into the softball season last year. Turner arrived at the tryout along with three other hopefuls. "I took a couple of reps at a couple of different positions. That next morning, they called me and asked if I can come back for the rest of the week. They wanted to see how well I worked with the team and see some other skills," Turner said. That is exactly what she did. Turner recalls the slight awkwardness of that week at Bison softball practice. "Practice with the team was very weird because obviously, when you go to practice, everyone's in matching attire and I'm just there in a t-shirt and shorts," Turner said, laughing. As she finished up practice that week, Turner received a call from Darren Mueller on that Friday after practice. It was a call she could not believe she received. "He told me that I had made it and that was very cool. I didn't cry

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Aba Turner laughs while recalling Darren Mueller’s best dad joke.

then, but I didn't even know what to do. Whom do I call? Do I call my mom first? Is it my mom or my old softball coach?" she said, recalling the craziness of the moment. "From there, it went by so fast. My classes had changed, I got a locker, I got my bag and all the clothes. Everything happened so fast, it was crazy. It was a good crazy though." Making the team may have turned out to be the easiest part of Aba Turner's journey. The team was already in-season when she was asked to join the roster. That left her at a disadvantage and a time crunch to develop a relationship with her coaches and teammates. "The most challenging part was getting close with all the girls because they had started practicing with these girls in the summer. A lot of them came on official visits years in advance. So the current roster knows who you are or they talked for a long time before they even arrived on campus. It was a little intimidating to try and get into that like group. All the girls are so nice and even the first two days I was there they were asking me where I was from and being very helpful," Turner said of the challenges of integrating into the program. "That helped me warm up to the team for sure. I love every single one of them now, so it makes sense that they're so nice, but mentally I didn't want to feel like I was pushing any of them out. That's not my goal and also seeing their skill level was also intimidating because they're all so good. They were all recruited for a reason. Seeing the difference in skill level, the pace was faster, the throws

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are harder and pitches are faster. Getting up to speed with that was another challenge." Turner was able to get up to speed thanks to her tremendous work ethic. It is part of what got her to where she is now and she takes that mentality into every aspect of her life. "Go in and work hard. Go and try your best and you can't help anything from there. Once we hit winter stuff, then I wanted to get better, I wanted to be a valuable asset to this team instead of just an addition. I just want to come in and work as hard as I can. One of the phrases we have is 'ball out or get out' and I have that on repeat in my head," she said of her mindset. "If you make a mistake, it's okay. You can really overanalyze even the smallest mistakes, but I think if I work as hard as I can, I can't really control anything other than that, honestly." The Jackson, Minn., native was able to pinch run in one game last season against Florida A&M before the softball season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The extended time away from the field provided Turner the opportunity to really dive deeper into getting to know her teammates and the program. "I think there were some good things because it did slow everything down. I think the disadvantage was not getting those two or three extra months with the team just going with the flow. We had Zoom calls over the summer and we texted all the time during that quarantine time, too. I think it did help. It's such a crazy

circumstance that you can definitely bond over that. We came together over it and I think that was helpful," Turner said of the pandemic. "You go through a big event with someone or a group of girls and you can get close over that. It was good in slowing things down and to take time to breathe and actually analyze what happened." Growing up watching softball on television, Turner never would have thought she would be playing Division I softball. Let alone in an illustrious program like North Dakota State. She recalls one moment in the spring that brought the whole experience full circle for the sophomore. "You don't have to be like an all-star or anything, you just have to work at it. The first time I walked into the e Florida Gators stadium, that is when it really hit me. I was literally there. I watched great teams play on this field on TV," she said. "I got to play on the University of Minnesota field and I've gone there hundreds of times when I was little. Getting to play on those big stages was really surreal for me." From attending NDSU for purely academic reasons to playing on some of the most iconic fields in collegiate softball, Aba Turner considers herself lucky. Not everyone gets the opportunity she was given, but she seized that chance. The payoff will be a lifetime of memories on the softball diamond.

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Fortitude>Fear

ach Kubas is one of those student-athletes that has North Dakota State in his blood. Both of his parents attended the school with his dad playing defensive line for the Bison football team. His younger brother, Jake, is a sophomore offensive lineman for NDSU currently. The youngest Kubas sibling, Abbey, just recently committed to play basketball for the Bison as well. Wherever Zach Kubas turns he sees green and gold. Growing up in a home that was surrounded by Bison athletics, it seemed like fate for Kubas to attend NDSU. Not only that, it seemed inevitable that he would play football as his father did years before. While Kubas was a tremendous talent at Dickinson Trinity High School, earning all-conference and allregion honors, joining the North Dakota State football program was easier said than done.

Senior guard Zach Kubas embraces tradition after walking on to the Bison football program.

It was the family Bison tradition that kept NDSU top of mind for the senior offensive guard. “We went to Bison games all the time when I was growing up from elementary school all the way through high school. Even before I

Zach Kubas discussing former offensive line coach AJ Blazek’s recollections of the “glory days.”

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started football I knew this was where I want to go to school,” Kubas said. “Luckily enough, I was able to have an opportunity to come here and play football. The way I looked at it, they had the major I wanted to go into and it was a perfect fit being not too far away from home, but far away enough. It just kind of felt like it was a perfect fit.” That major was civil engineering and while that can be a challenging major for some, Kubas was able to transition well to college life. “I built my own sense

of having to fit my schedule in with sports and stuff growing up throughout high school. Couple sports with having to balance schoolwork and everything,” he said. “A lot of the skills that I acquired in high school really helped transition to college. Being able to plan out my schedule, I kind of get in a rhythm, I just got to find a plan. Whether it’s practice, lift, free time, study time or anything, I need that plan. Getting in a rhythm and finding my schedule is really what helped me along.” Kubas added football to that plan upon arriving at North Dakota State. However, he did it as a member of the Bison walk-on program. Despite being a walk-on, Kubas was surprised at how Bison football treated each studentathlete the exact same, regardless of recruitment status. “Your goal is you want to get on scholarship, that’s the main goal of every walk-on. The nice thing about NDSU football is they treat every player, whether you’re the highest-rated recruit coming in or you’re some walk-on kid from a small town, you’re going to be treated the same. You’re given the same opportunity to succeed,” Kubas said of his walk-on opportunity. “The biggest thing is making the most of those opportunities that are given to you. It’s about being on top of everything when it comes to school, sports, your training, your nutrition, everything. Being on top of everything and making sure you’re in the right spot for when those opportunities come to you.” Part of the challenge for Kubas was adjusting to the college game. Coming from a (then) AA school in Dickinson Trinity, the competition level and speed of the game were far greater. It was the fast-paced nature of college football that initially challenged the elder Kubas brother. “All those players come in and they are best out of their high school. That

was the biggest thing I was told coming out of high school. I had coaches tell me that everyone’s the best when I would get there. You can’t expect to be an All-American as soon as you get there, you got to take your baby steps. Like we always say in the program it’s about attacking the process. Eventually, the game starts to slow down for you and that comes with also learning the system,” Kubas said. “It’s just kind of a slow thing that happens. You realize how we do things in this program and that allows you to play fast. Once you get a really good understanding of what’s going on and how you do things, the game really slows down.” Part of that “slowing down” process for Kubas came from his redshirt year in 2016. Not only was he able to fully understand how Bison football works, but he was also able to get in phenomenal physical shape. It goes without saying, but the Bison redshirt program has been one of the unsung heroes of the Bison dynasty. That developmental year is extremely vital for the future of every student-athlete. “That redshirt year is huge. It’s tough not being able to play because that’s what you came here to do is play games. That redshirt year is invaluable and it really is coach [Jim] Kramer. You think you know how to lift coming out of high school, you get a general idea. He teaches you how to really put in the work and get the most out of the weight room. Not only that but what you eat, as well as the nutrition and everything. You always got to get your meals in at the dining center, get the food in, because you need that food to build,” Kubas said of the redshirt program. “You get to see how players handle things like professionals like how you handle a game day, how you handle a week of practice, how you handle the situations with classes, finals and everything. That redshirt year just really helps slow the game down as well. It’s huge for developing guys because it’s not easy to 25

You’re going to get knocked down every once in a while, but whether you get up, that’s what really defines people. That’s one thing that I really used when I had a tough day. Being able to get up and go in the next day and try to get better all the time is really what I’ve used.”

- Zach Kubas

lift four times a week and then you got to practice. It’s tough, but you really build big chemistry that’s really huge later on in the years.” Part of what has helped Kubas through that redshirt year and into the rest of his Bison career is his work ethic. One cannot truly comprehend the amount of work it takes to be a student-athlete let alone one that walked on to a program. For Kubas, it’s important to take each day as it comes. “I really take it day by day and I want to get better every day. You got to be tough to handle adversity because not every day is going to go your way. You’re going to have rough days, days where maybe you had a tough practice, tough game or whatever. Or maybe you didn’t do so well on a test, but you got to be able to push through those things,” Kubas said. “You’re going to get knocked down every once in a while, but whether you get up that’s what really defines people. That’s one thing that I really used when I had a tough day. Being able to get up and go in the next day and try to get better all the time is really what I’ve used.” That adversity can take many forms for Kubas. One obstacle that the Bison offensive line group, Kubas included, has gone through is a fluid coaching situation. When Kubas originally came to NDSU, his position coach was Conor Riley. After Riley left for Kansas State, the program brought in AJ Blazek, who turned out to be a true player’s coach. Blazek departed NDSU for Vanderbilt this fall leaving running backs coach Dan Larson to handle the illustrious rams. Through

all of that, Kubas believed tradition has carried the group forward. “The rams have quite the tradition going on. No matter who the coach is, the message is always the same. We want to be the toughest, most physical group in the country. No matter who comes in, it’s always going to be the same. I think that got passed down from the generation ahead of us,” Kubas said. “It was Zack Johnson, Jack Plankers, Landon Lechler and all those guys teaching us how to do things. They taught us we got to be some tough son of a guns. You got to be able to push through things. The tradition with the Rams is kind of unmatched. It’s really a brotherhood inside the brotherhood of Bison football.”

slate of games to play instead of just one,” Kubas said. “I look forward to getting after the guys. We’ve been working at this for over a year now since Frisco to just get a full season. It’s an exciting time.” His family heritage is what guided him to North Dakota State, but upon arrival, nothing was guaranteed for Zach Kubas. Rather than crumble in the face of adversity, Kubas used it as a stepping stone. Five years later, Kubas is now a vital leader in the Bison locker room. He got to this point by not staying down for long and moving forward with the opportunities he was given.

The goal is to have that tradition carried on into the future. It’s a sentiment held by Kubas and the entire offensive line room. “The legacy you leave behind is not so much about the championships and all the wins. That is great and that plays a big part, but your big legacy is what you leave behind with those young guys,” Kubas said of passing on the tradition of Bison football. “The biggest thing is just getting to know them and teaching them stuff away from the field. That will make them comfortable around you. Once they are comfortable, then we can teach him how to play football.” With the potential spring football season on the horizon, the senior is excited to finally get back to some normalcy on the gridiron. “We’re all excited to get going here this season and finally get a full 27

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Determination>Doubt

After being overlooked in high school, thrower Alex Talley is showcasing his worth at NDSU.

e will look back one day and continue to be puzzled at how Alex Talley was overlooked by Division I track & field programs. To this day, it does not make too much sense when you break it down. He won multiple state championships in both shot put and discus in high school. His career at West Fargo High School is as decorated as they come. He only proved that when he arrived at North Dakota State. Currently, Talley is a two-time Summit League champion as well as a two-time NCAA qualifier. He was the only thrower in the country qualify to for both throwing events at last year’s NCAA Indoor Championships. And yet, throughout his high school career and over the course of his recruitment, he had gone overlooked. To the point that he had settled on attending one of only three schools all within the Summit League. One of those schools was North Dakota State and obviously, Talley eventually decided to stay close to home in Fargo. “I looked at a couple of different schools in the area. I looked at UND, SDSU and NDSU. I was actually kind of torn between whether I wanted to play football or track. Alex Renner ended up doing the Packer Power training camp for my high school in the summers,” Talley said of his recruiting journey. Renner is still one of NDSU’s most decorated throwers to date. “I kind of got known through that and I began to look up to the guy and Alex became a

big mentor for me. I took my visit there and he was there. Then I met everybody else on the team and they all acted as he did. I was like, I got to be here. I knew Renner was the real deal, so I knew the program was too.” Knowing Renner was the biggest reason why Talley committed to North Dakota State. However, that did not mean he did not have to work to get there in the first place. In many instances, Talley said he had to get his film in the hands of coaches, considering some coaches were not seeking him out. “I was really trying to seek out some coaches. I wasn’t really familiar with the recruiting process. I did have my mom make a little bit of a highlight tape for my throws and I would just send it to some coaches,” Talley said of his self-advertising approach. “Obviously, I went to a couple of camps. I was really looking for that coach to take a chance. Luckily, coach [Justin] St. Clair kept in touch with me after camps and would talk to me after meets and stuff.” Growing up mere miles away from NDSU’s campus, Talley was relatively unaware of the track & field program’s success over the years. When he would have discussions with throws coach

Justin St. Clair, he had little knowledge of just how qualified and impressive St. Clair’s résumé was. “Oddly enough, when I was in high school, I didn’t realize how good the team was. I knew they were good because I’ve been to their meets and I knew they did very well. I didn’t realize the scale of it though,” Talley said. “At the time, I didn’t really look at coaching accolades because I went more off of what the team was like and whether I was going to have fun with those guys. Obviously, I fit in here and that’s really what drove me to NDSU. I fit in with the team well and I can tell they’re all genuinely good people. That’s when I knew I was going to have a good time here.” While Talley knew he would fit in with the program, that did not come without its growing pains. He had to learn a new form of throwing, which proved to be a challenge early on. “I learned to spin because I glided when I was in high school. Coming here, I learned an entirely new form. On top of that, I wasn’t used to the different styles of throwing, I had never realized those,” he said. “I realized that I’m kind of a shorter, stockier dude and I may not be able to keep up with someone like Max Otterdahl, who’s 6-foot-10. Learning how to fit into my own body and throw in a way that fits my body type.” Luckily for Talley, that shift in form more than paid off given his success. However, once he conquered the spin, Talley wanted to continue to improve.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Talley said it was a challenge not being able to lift on a consistent basis. He used the downtime to work on the technical side of his throwing. “I really took that time to focus on some of the things I wasn’t so good at. I couldn’t really get in the gym because of shutdowns and whatnot, but the fields were open. You can always go work on footwork,” Talley said. “I remember doing form in a CVS parking lot. I think there were definitely some opportunities to get better. I’m still always working towards a better form and always building strength.” While he continued to work on the physical side of his throwing, Alex Talley also faced a mental hump as well. He had just been the only man in the country to qualify for both throwing events at last year’s NCAA Indoor Championships. That event was canceled while Talley was in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to compete in that meet. Obviously, this was followed up by the entire outdoor season being canceled. Those mental gymnastics became Talley’s biggest struggle throughout the pandemic. “When you have that long of a break between competition, it’s easy to skip a day or take some time off. That’s one thing that my teammates stepped up in, I think,” he said. “Every couple of weeks to get a message about what they did that day was really encouraging and helped build our team up a lot. It was not even coaches doing the reaching out, it was teammates or friends keeping you mentally sharp.” One of Talley’s goals beyond winning a national title is to do his due diligence as an upperclassman. He feels it’s his place to bring the younger throwers up to speed, most notably in the weight room. One thing Talley notes as a challenge for him was getting adjusted to throwerspecific lifting. “One of the hardest

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Alex Talley remembers the time Michael Keogan Was Instructed to power clean 95 pounds instead of Keogan’s usual 195 pounds.

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I fit in here and that’s really what drove me to NDSU. I fit in with the team well and I can tell they’re all genuinely good people. That’s when I knew I was going to have a good time here.”

- Alex Talley

things coming into college was getting adjusted to the weight room, and how to lift hard, how to eat properly. People like Steffan Stroh and Alex Renner really stepped up in that aspect for me. I needed that when I was a younger kid,” he said. “I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to grow and be so successful is to learn that right away. Being able to pass that on to the younger kids is really my goal. I want to get them good physically that way coach St. Clair can do what he does best.”

just feel excited and ready to be going again. It’s also awesome to see your friends do well. We’re having the time of our lives,” Talley said.

Since returning to the track, Talley has captured meet wins at the Bison Cup Classic, the UND Open, Dakota Quad and the Jim Emmerich Invitational. Currently, Talley is fourth in the country in the shot put, smashing a career record of 20.54m at the UND Open. Not just that, Talley is potentially the best overall thrower in the country. At the time of printing, he holds the second-best NCAA weight throw mark at 22.90m. He’ll likely be in similar distinction come outdoor season where he will throw shot put and compete in the hammer throw.

“I want to keep practicing hard, lifting hard and get to sleep every night. That’s another big one is I have to sleep every night. One thing I kind of struggle with is I have a hard time resting,” he said. “I have a hard time taking the days off to recover because I want to just keep going. Just because you are throwing more does not mean they will go farther. In reality, that’s not always how it works.”

For Talley, it just feels good being able to compete again. “Just to feel that electric feeling in the air is indescribable. I really

Talley takes a different approach to goals. He obviously wants to be a conference champion again and a national champion too. However, he is more focused on the steps needed to attain those accolades. If he takes those steps, Talley will be where he wants at season’s end even if it means taking a day off here and there.

In reality, the answer does not matter much because NDSU did not let Alex Talley slip through the cracks. Now, they’re both reaping the benefits with Talley being one of the country’s best overall throwers.

Whether he is taking a rest day or competing, Alex Talley always seems to be “on.” The copious amount of victories in his Bison career are evidence enough of that fact. Which raises this conundrum: how did he slip through the cracks? How was he overlooked this greatly? 33

BISON ILLUSTRATED F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 1

Confidence>Complacency

Lightly recruited and battling injuries, Aly Cole is ready to guard the net for Bison soccer.

ly Cole did not have the most traditional path to college athletics. She went through her high school career unsure of if she even wanted to play beyond a prep career. That level of uncertainty led to her recruiting journey beginning a little later than most athletes. First, Cole needed to prove to herself that she was good enough to play at the collegiate level. In hindsight, that was the only person she needed to prove as coaches were impressed with her skills as a goalkeeper at Andover High School in Minnesota. Attending a summer camp at Bemidji State was the turning point for Cole in her journey to North Dakota State. “For a while, I didn’t even think about playing college soccer because I wasn’t really sure if I was good enough. I had a coach back home that told me to go to this camp at Bemidji State. I went there and I kind of realized that I was good enough to play,” Cole said of that revelation. “After that, I thought I better reach out to some schools. I had been interested in NDSU because of its engineering program. So I reached out and sent some film to the coach at the time. It kind of just all fell into place after that.” The coach at the time was Mark Cook, who got a verbal commitment from Cole in the fall of her junior season of high school. As she began to send coaches film in her sophomore season she realized that her recruiting process would need to be expedited compared to the traditional athlete. It also put a tremendous amount of responsibility on Cole to reach out and do much of her recruiting on her own time.

Aly Cole wondering who does the best Mike Regan impression (the answer is Marian Taiwo).

BISON ILLUSTRATED F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 1

“I played on a club team that wasn’t crazy good or anything. That kind of made it even harder for me to be seen by coaches because we didn’t do ID camps, scouting tournaments and stuff like that. I kind of had to do it all on my own,” Cole said. “I was lucky, my high school team was actually very good in my junior and senior year, so I used game film from high school games and sent that to them. It was tough and I did camps on my own. When I went to NDSU, I just had to do it myself, basically.”

Over the course of her high school career at Andover, Cole had an impressive 30-4-2 record in goal. Despite that success, she still had to forge her own way to Division I college soccer. Having put in that extra work to even be seen by coaches, Cole’s work ethic translated when she did arrive in Fargo for her freshman year. “In high school, there were three goalkeepers that were all my age. We were constantly fighting for the starting spot and I think that really helped me when I did get to NDSU,” Cole said “Every day, to go into practice and try to win the starting spot. I think that carried over into not only soccer but school too. Working hard for everything kind of taught me a good lesson, you know?” When she came to Fargo in 2018, she was not expected to become the starting goalkeeper initially. In fact, the

program already had a mainstay in the goal in Monica Polgar. Graduating after last season, Polgar is third in program history in both saves and wins. Having an established veteran ahead of her helped Cole improve and find out what it takes to be a collegiate goalkeeper. “It was so helpful. It was just immensely helpful to me to watch her. Playing at the level I did at the club level, I don’t want to say that I was at a disadvantage, but it was a big jump in the skill level. Watching her, learning from her and having her push me through practice was very important,” she said of Polgar’s influence. “It was my goal to just keep up with Monica. I thought if I could keep up with her that’s good. That’s what I want to keep striving for.” Constantly pushing herself and holding herself at the same level as Polgar has led to Cole becoming a significantly better goalkeeper. It has also bled into her academic life too, especially in the midst of a pandemic. “I just think I’m a better player than before. I am faster and stronger. I’ve had to overcome some knocks and stuff, but I just think I’m better in every aspect of goalkeeping,” Cole said. “Off the field, I continue to just try and be better and find new ways to study especially with online school. It’s interesting being an engineering student online, but it is what it is. You got to just keep adapting and learning ways to study and stuff.” Those “knocks” Cole speaks of are battling through injuries. The most serious of these was a UCL tear in her 37

In high school, there were three goalkeepers that were all my age. We were constantly fighting for the starting spot and I think that really helped me when I did get to NDSU. Every day, to go into practice and try to win the starting spot.” - Aly Cole elbow during her freshman season. An injury that serious could have ended Cole’s career for good. Yet, she took it as an opportunity to advance other facets of her game. “I learned how to play with my feet only and that was good. For me, it’s good for goalkeepers to have good foot skills. It was good for me and I was able to work on my fitness more. It was tough. It was a long, long road with three or four months of straight running,” she said. “You can’t get scared. When you’re scared, that’s when you get hurt again. By the time I finally was able to practice again, I was so ready to go. I was just going to go for it and I knew it would be fine. I wore a brace for probably a year after when I was playing. It was a great day when I finally got the brace off.” With soccer moving their season to the spring, Cole has had some extended time to prepare for the season. She will be looked upon as the starter at goalkeeper for the Bison and it is an opportunity she is ready to take on. “I’m already so excited. Especially for me, because I’ve played some spring games and some preseason games or whatnot. This is my first real

game and so I’m very excited to really get into it and see what everyone can do. I’m excited about this team, for sure,” Cole said. The extended time away from the pitch has allowed Mike Regan’s club to get up to speed and improve on the little things. While a fall season was always ideal, the season moving to the spring is something that is being embraced by Cole and her teammates. “We always strive to have good team chemistry. It’s great that the freshmen can hold the seniors accountable and the seniors can hold the freshmen accountable,” she said. “It’s the same for anyone in between. I’m very excited for the season.” Aly Cole has consistently paved her own way over the course of her life. She went the extra mile in her recruiting to make sure she ended up in the right situation. That situation ended up being North Dakota State. Now, all of that hard work to get here has paid off as she gets set to suit up in goal for the Bison this spring.

Back To Work

Cordell Volson Can you speak to that chemistry the offensive line has and how it helps you guys going through this transition phase with a new position coach? That's something that all of us take a lot of pride in. It's the Kubas brothers, Zach Willis, Cody [Mauch], a bunch of North Dakota kids that grew up watching North Dakota State play football. I don't think it matters who's at the helm, it's going to be us playing for each other because we're only as good as our weakest link. It's always just playing for the guy next to you. In the offensive line room, it doesn't matter if one guy messes up, the whole unit looks bad. We have a really tightknit group and a really good brotherhood. I think that is what continues to make the Rams a special group. It's been that way, my whole time here and I hope it continues to be that way after I'm gone.

How much easier does the situation get because your new position coach was someone already on staff? Does having a relationship with coach Larson help the transition? Having a familiar face is always a good thing. Being an older guy, I think it makes for more challenges, too. Now, we're taking coaching from a different point of view. We're learning schemes a different way and we're learning from a different teacher. It helps you kind of refocus and sharpen the pencil even more with locking into the little details. It just helps us stay sharp too. Having a familiar face, it's huge because we're already comfortable with him and we already have a relationship with him. It's not some, you know, guy that we've never met, right? He understands how we do

Photos By Nolan P. Schmidt 40

BISON ILLUSTRATED F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 1

#67 Cordell Volson - senior Offensive Tackle

things in this program. You could be the sharpest o-line coach and come in here and not fit in. It's just the way that we do things around here, it's just different. That's why I think it's great to have a familiar face in the room.

How much accountability have you taken on yourself to bring some of those young guys along to help the positions that are now open? I want to leave the place better than I found it, but that has been a new challenge. We're going to really rely on a lot of the younger guys this year. I've really tried to take that on myself to help make sure that those guys are ready to play. In this game, one guy could go down and it's always the next man up. Being ready when your number is called is something that we want to work on.

What have been some of the biggest challenges for you specifically over the course of this extended break that you guys have had? It's been a struggle for me because I'm a fifth-year senior. I know the NCAA put some things in place now where you can come back and play in the fall, and whatnot, but right away I thought I was done playing football. That was kind of the biggest burden for me is because I grew up playing this game and you never know when that last opportunity

is going to be out there. It didn't really hit home until this fall. I'm really glad that Zach Kubas is still here. He is a guy that I came in with and we're really good friends. He's like a brother to me and it's great to have him around just to lean on each other through this. It's one of those things where you just take it day by day, improve every single day because you never know what tomorrow is going to bring.

Have these circumstances made you cherish the little moments even more? Definitely. Even if it's just a couple of guys who want to go eat one night, you jump on the opportunities that you maybe would have put on the backburner before. Hanging on to the little things because those are the things that you're going to remember. I mean, you're not going to remember what pressure South Dakota State brought on third and nine. You're going to remember those times that you spent in the locker room with your teammates and the real relationships that you built.

Back To Work

josh hayes What have been some of the biggest challenges for you over the course of the last three, four months now, since the last time you guys did play? For me, it’s really just the routine of things. Playing here for three seasons and now going into my fourth, and things just kind of shut down for a while there. This school is very detail-oriented with everything down to the minute. Having to be able to fluctuate and move and be flexible with things was honestly the hardest thing. It has just been hard to stay focused and keeping our eyes on the task at hand.

How much accountability have you taken upon yourself to help the fellow defensive backs in the room through this time? I’ve tried to put everybody on my back in a sense. Just try to help everybody in one way, shape or form to help them develop and grow. I take it personally when guys mess up. I’ve taken it really personally, I think I’ve definitely stepped up in my leadership role due to the whole pandemic and everything.

Where have you seen some points of improvement in your game? And where do you want to be in this upcoming season? I just want to continue to grow with becoming detail-oriented. The smallest things can help

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josh hayes - senior Cornerback

equate to the biggest plays on the field, especially when it comes to defense. Just working on being more detailoriented and paying attention to the smaller things.

As an older guy, have you taken just the little things a little bit more seriously and cherished those moments? These are my brothers and being around them for the past four years, we’ve grown together, we’ve learned about each other. I really have cherished these last few months. With me, I’m getting close to ending my career and it is coming to the end of those things. I’ve really been able to step back and use the time that we’ve been given to cherish those relationships and keep building on them.

If you had to put it into words, how do you think you’re going to feel when you step back on the field this season? Excited wouldn’t even be the word. Being off for this past season probably felt like the longest couple of months. Being able to really get back into the groove of things, even if it is just an

eight-game schedule, is great. That’s just going to be nice to be back to playing football, how we normally would.

Back To Work

Zeb noland What’s been the biggest challenges for you over the last few months? I think for me it is just making sure my body’s ready to go. It’s going to be a long year and just staying healthy and being primed up ready to go from the start is important. On the mental aspect of it, it’s just staying locked in every day. Even if it’s a simple walkthrough or something that doesn’t seem very important, it actually is important, because it does matter come February 21.

How advantageous has it been for you to be with this program for a few years now that you’re stepping into this new role under center? First off, just learning what Bison Pride is all about. Learning what it means to play here, buying in and knowing your role, no matter what it may be. Whether you’re the starter or the 10th guy that gets on the field, it’s important to know your role and accept it. I just want to have pride every day and doing the right thing.

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zeb noland - senior Quarterback

Offensively, it’s probably as complex as anybody in the country, FCS or FBS. It was important to have all that experience and leading up to that last game with Trey [Lance], we attacked it the same way, no matter what. It’s just going to be a good carryover. It’s not like I just got here and I gotta learn how to prepare to play for this offense. I know exactly what it takes and know how much detail goes into it.

How much accountability have you taken in becoming a leader within the offense, not just in the quarterback room, but just offense as a whole? Making sure that every day we’re locked in on offense. One of our goals is to eliminate pre-snap penalties. It’s important every day to take pride in that and be the leader that can help accomplish that goal. It has been tough the last couple of months, but it’s fun to be around.

A few new names are going to have to step up and how have you gone about formulating good chemistry with those guys? One thing that was good about being the backup last year was I got to deal

with some of the guys who are going to step into those roles. They have heard my voice, and we’ve been there together a lot over the last two years. We’ve been able to practice a lot together. That helps to have that and then just step in there.

something to look forward to is tough right now. It feels like it’s endless.

Has it been easy formulating chemistry with the wide receivers and tight ends? It is nice that those guys have a big personality and they’re easy to talk to. Even when I wasn’t playing it was fun to be around them. It’s nice having a group of guys that have been together and we had all fall to really get to know each other. There’s never really much downtime.

If you could put into words how excited you are to finally get on the field and hopefully get into a full regiment, what would they be? We started like two weeks after last year’s title game. It felt like we haven’t really slowed down with our workouts over summer even though we had that one game we never got into the real routine. We miss it to this day just because we weren’t able to be with each other every day. It’s going to be nice to have a routine because not having

The Right Spark

Ask an 18-year-old Reneya Hopkins if she would have ever seen herself playing Division I college basketball. If you had the ability to travel back in time and ask her that question, the answer would likely be what it is today: No. Lightly recruited out of Midwest City High School in Oklahoma, Hopkins made the decision of playing at the junior college level. While she did not receive a copious amount of offers in high school, one school did come calling, frequently. The school? Emporia State. The head coach? One Jory Collins, the current head coach of North Dakota State's women's program. While Collins had placed an offer to Hopkins in high school, by the time she needed to make a decision, Collins had moved onto Kansas. Not wanting to adjust to new staff and without the familiarity with Collins, Hopkins opted to attend Redlands Community College in El Reno, Oklahoma. Hopkins went on to become an all-conference performer for Redlands, averaging 14 points, five assists and five rebounds for the Cougars.

Junior Reneya Hopkins is the latest to find success at NDSU after transferring in from junior college.

Her performance at the junior college level once again caught the eye of Collins, who was now at North Dakota State. The two rekindled their conversations and Hopkins opted to play for Collins and the Bison. Prior to talking to Collins, Hopkins had no knowledge of Fargo or North Dakota State. After taking a visit and seeing the culture of the athletic department, she was in. Despite jumping from the junior college level to Division I, Hopkins has proven to be a high-caliber talent for Collins. She has had seven games where she scored in double figures for the Bison while shooting a solid 36 percent clip from the field. Safe to say, plenty of coaches looked past Reneya Hopkins, but not Jory Collins. Now, she is in a position she never thought she would be.

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NOLAN P. SCHMIDT

I just remember my dad told me that only one of us is going to play at Division I. I wasn't thinking it was going to be me. I was the sophomore on the team playing with seniors. I was looking at them like they would be the ones to get to this level. I'm the only one from that team that went Division I. This is kind of unreal in a way for me." - Reneya Hopkins

What was your decision-making process to start out at a junior college? Coming out of high school, I didn't really have any offers. I was talking to Jory [Collins] when he was at Emporia State. That was really the only person I was talking to and everybody else, they weren't really giving me offers. Then Jory went on to Kansas and that Emporia State idea fell through. So, I went to Redlands, because that was my only offer at the time. How do you think junior college better prepares you for making that leap to Division I? That's a big leap, not only in the quality of play, but also the regiment that you guys go through. Junior college is every man for himself. Everybody is just playing extra hard at that level because they want to get to that next level. I just think of the toughness you need in JuCo. I think that prepared me for the toughness needed at this level. Once Jory came here, was NDSU a destination that you had your eyes set on because you had those previous conversations with Jory? I actually stopped talking to Jory for a minute. So I had no clue about NDSU. They came to a game and we were in Texas, and I start talking to him again. It just kind of just came out of the blue. What attracted you to NDSU besides Jory being here? I mean, I knew nothing about it until I came on my visit. I went to a football game and I loved like the culture here. 51

I think the culture itself attracted me here the most. I kind of just took a jump into the deep end without knowing too much about it. What have been some of the biggest challenges in you making this transition beyond maybe just the quality of basketball that you're going up against?

Just adapting to a whole new environment. I have never been in a place like this so it's just adapting to everything around me.

What are some of the strengths that you have in your game that you bring to the table for this program?

What have been some of your biggest growth points that you'd like to continue to see yourself grow in throughout the rest of this season? Adapting because it's not easy. Overcoming that and really growing into the area. Coming from Oklahoma to here, it's very different. It's just overcoming most of that stuff. Was there a moment where you took a step back, maybe in a game or in a practice, and noticed the level of basketball you were playing at? Did you ever take a step back and thought 'this is the pinnacle of college women's college basketball'? In JuCo, if a team was losing, they would have given up in a game like that. Here, we just keep playing and we keep grinding it out. Back in JuCo, we would have just lost. We would have just quit. Dating back to your junior college career or maybe the latter half of your high school, could you have ever seen yourself in a position like this? Not only playing Division I but playing against programs like Kansas and Iowa State? Every kid has that dream, but it feels like a one in a million shot to play at a level. I had that vision, but honestly, I probably didn't think I will be the one to do it. On our 2016 state 52

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championship team at Midwest City, I just remember my dad told me that only one of us is going to play at Division I. I wasn't thinking it was going to be me. I was the sophomore on the team playing with seniors. I was looking at them like they would be the ones to get to this level. I'm the only one from that team that went Division I. This is kind of unreal in a way for me.

Junior Hometown: Midwest City, Oklahoma

No matter how the game is going, whether it is good or bad, I just bring in some energy. I always want to uplift my teammates because maybe they'll get hot. Maybe I'm not having such a good game, but just being a sparkplug and that energy source for the team. I feel like that is my strong point. Where do you guys want to see yourselves improve and continue to take little steps here and there to make sure that you're playing the best basketball in March? We're a very young team and we are capable of making plays. The important thing is growing in our execution. Sometimes we just get out of whack and our talent alone gets us buckets. Executing what Jory is telling us to do is the most important thing. He is very smart and he knows what is best.

FEBRUARY/march

athletics calendar fEBRUARY 2/12 Men’s And Women’s Track and Field at SDSU Indoor Classic Brookings, S.D. Soccer vs Kansas City Fargo, N.D. 6 p.m.

2/13 Men’s And Women’s Track and Field at SDSU Indoor Classic Brookings, S.D. Wrestling vs. Utah Valley/Air Force Brookings, S.D. 11 a.m.

2/19 Softball vs Memphis Lake Charlies, La. 4 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs South Dakota State Fargo, N.D. 5 p.m. Soccer vs Western Illinois Fargo, N.D. 6 p.m. Softball at McNeese State Lake Charles, La. 6 p.m.

2/14

Men’s Basketball vs South Dakota State Fargo, N.D. 7:30 p.m.

Soccer vs Kansas City Fargo, N.D. 12 p.m.

Baseball at Western Kentucky Bowling Green, Ky.

Volleyball vs Oral Roberts Fargo, N.D. 2 p.m.

2/15 Volleyball vs Oral Roberts Fargo, N.D. 2 p.m.

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2/20 Men’s And Women’s Track & Field UND Indoor Tune-Up Grand Forks, N.D. Softball vs Louisiana Tech Lake Charles, La. 12 p.m.

Softball vs Boise State Lake Charles, La. 2 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs South Dakota State Fargo, N.D. 5 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs South Dakota State Fargo, N.D. 7:30 p.m. Baseball at Western Kentucky Bowling Green, Ky.

2/21 Softball vs Memphis Lake Charles, La. 11 a.m. Soccer vs Western Illinois Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m. Football vs Youngstown State Fargo, N.D. 2:30 p.m. Volleyball at South Dakota Vermillion, S.D. 7 p.m. Baseball at Western Kentucky Bowling Green, Ky.

2/22 Volleyball at South Dakota Vermillion, S.D. 6 p.m. Men’s Golf The Joust Jurupa Valley, Calif.

2/23 Men’s Golf The Joust Jurupa Valley, Calif.

2/25 Softball at Arkansas (Double Header) Fayetteville, Ark. 3 p.m.

2/26 Softball vs Texas Tech Fayetteville, Ark. 10 a.m. Softball vs Southeast Missouri State Fayetteville, Ark. 12:15 p.m. Soccer vs Omaha Fargo, N.D. 6 p.m. Baseball at Saint Louis Saint Louis, Mo.

Women’s Basketball at South Dakota Vermillion, S.D. 1 p.m.

Softball at Ole Miss (Double Header) Oxford, Miss. 3:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball at South Dakota Vermillion, S.D. 3:30 p.m.

Wrestling Big 12 Championships Tulsa, Okla.

Baseball at Saint Louis Saint Louis, Mo.

MARCH 2/27 Men’s And Women’s Track & Field Summit League Indoor Championships Brookings, S.D. Softball vs Texas Tech Fayetteville, Ark. 10 a.m. Football at Southern Illinois Carbondale, Ill. 12 p.m. Women’s Basketball at South Dakota Vermillion, S.D. 1 p.m. Men’s Basketball at South Dakota Vermillion, S.D. 3:30 p.m. Baseball at Saint Louis (Doubleheader) Saint Louis, Mo.

2/28 Men’s And Women’s Track & Field Summit League Indoor Championships Brookings, S.D. Soccer vs Omaha Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

3/1 Women’s Golf GCU Invitational Phoenix, Ariz.

3/2 Women’s Golf GCU Invitational Phoenix, Ariz.

3/5 Men’s And Women’s Cross Country Summit League Championships Macomb, Ill. Softball vs Southeast Missouri State (Double Header) Oxford, Miss. 9:30 a.m. Soccer at Denver Denver, Colo. 6 p.m. Volleyball vs Western Illinois Fargo, N.D. 7 p.m. Baseball at Northern Colorado Greeley, Colo.

3/6 Men’s And Women’s Basketball Summit League Tournament Sioux Falls, S.D.

Football at Missouri State Springfield, Mo. Volleyball vs Western Illinois Fargo, N.D. 5 p.m. Baseball at Northern Colorado Greeley, Colo.

3/7 Men’s And Women’s Basketball Summit League Tournament Sioux Falls, S.D. Softball vs Samford Oxford, Miss. 9:30 a.m. Wrestling Big 12 Championships Tulsa, Okla. Soccer at Denver Denver, Colo. 1 p.m. Baseball at Northern Colorado Greeley, Colo.

3/8 Men’s And Women’s Basketball Summit League Tournament Sioux Falls, S.D.

3/9 Men’s And Women’s Basketball Summit League Tournament Sioux Falls, S.D.

3/11 Men’s And Women’s Track & Field NCAA Indoor Championships Fayetteville, Ark. Women’s Golf Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational St. George, Utah

3/12-14 Softball Middle Tennessee State Invitational Murfreesboro, Tenn,

3/12 Men’s And Women’s Track & Field NCAA Indoor Championships Fayetteville, Ark.

Women’s Golf Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational St. George, Utah Soccer at North Dakota Grand Forks, N.D. 2 p.m. Volleyball vs Omaha Fargo, N.D. 7 p.m. Baseball at Dayton Dayton, Ohio

3/13 Men’s And Women’s Track & Field NCAA Indoor Championships Fayetteville, Ark. Football vs Illinois State 2:30 p.m.

TEAM MAKERS

Braving The Storm Team Makers raises $5.5 million for NDSU athletics despite pandemic.

(From left) Team Makers executive director Derrick Lang, athletics director Matt Larsen, Team Makers president Chris Haugrud and NDSU President Dean Bresciani.

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In the midst of one of the most tumultuous years, guided by the COVID-19 pandemic, NDSU Team Makers continued to thrive in 2020. Despite the absence of athletic competition for most of the year, the fundraising arm of North Dakota State athletics was able to raise $5.5 million over the past year. That mark will go directly to funding student-athlete

scholarships and program excellence within the athletic department. Team Makers executive director Derrick Lang and president Chris Haugrud presented the check to athletics director Matt Larsen and NDSU President Dean Bresciani on January 22.

Join Team Makers In 2021! Check out the new Team Makers benefits chart for 2021 and join now!

“In one of the most challenging years in our history, the Team Makers organization continued to support our student-athletes and programs at a record-setting level,” said NDSU director of athletics Matt Larsen. “Their sincere belief and collective investment in Bison Athletics has fueled NDSU’s success in the classroom as well as provided championship opportunities in competition. We are eternally grateful for the passion, commitment and support of Bison Nation.” To date, Team Makers has a membership base of 4,214. The 501C3 foundation guides studentathletes to a college degree through their scholarship assistance. Renewals for donations can be made online. This can be done by visiting ndsuathleticfund.com. While this can be used to renew past donations, it may also be used for new donations in 2021. Team Makers Donation Breakdown Design Note: Can this be a bar graph or some kind of graphic? Cash Donations = $5.2 million Good And Services = $420,000 Other Revenues = $600,000

Join Team Makers today and receive benefits such as a Bison flag, a Bison Illustrated subscription and a new Team Makers member sticker. Want to join? Visit ndsuathleticfund.com for more information.

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Volleyball Soccer Track 58

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Field Football Basketball

Baseball Golf Softball

Cross Country Wrestling

bisoncrossing 1

Across 2. Women’s basketball head coach Jory Collins was an assistant at this school before taking the NDSU position.

4. Last name of NDSU’s newest football assistant coach. 6. This former Bison was recently hired to Jon Gruden’s staff with the Las Vegas Raiders.

3 4 5

Down 1. Number of seasons Darren Mueller has coached at NDSU (not counting his run as an assistant). 3. Bison great Tyson Ward is now playing professionally in this country. 5. Name of NDSU alumni who blocked for Tom Brady in this year’s Super Bowl. 6. This former NDSU football coach made an appearance in this year’s AFC championship game Kansas 2. Beschorner 4. Bradley 6. Nineteen 1. Germany 3. Haeg 5. Babich 6.

SWANY SAYS

BY JOSHUA A. SWANSON *Swanson is a native of Maddock, N.D., a proud NDSU alum and a lifelong Bison fan.

A Simple Thank You Will Suffice This winter/ spring athletic season doesn’t have to be about the big picture or the grand scheme of things. It can be about something simpler. It can be about being grateful that there are even games we can enjoy on the road back to normalcy. It can be about the North Dakota State Bison having an opportunity to play with spring on the horizon, and a virus on the retreat. The fact NDSU and the Missouri Valley Football Conference and Summit League have managed to put together multiple seasons in every sport – for the studentathletes, coaches and their fans – is cause enough for celebration.

I shake my head when some wellmeaning fans complain, for example, that they can’t tailgate. Are you hearing

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yourselves if you’re among those fans mad that they can’t pound 12 beers in the west parking lot while it’s 5 degrees? Consider this. It’s not about you. There is a lot going on right now. Literally every sport at NDSU is “in season.” Football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, volleyball, softball, track and field, golf, cross country and soccer. There are games or meets nearly every day of the week. The leagues we’re in, our university and the athletic department are trying to create an environment to allow these games and meets to occur during what is, arguably, the largest public health crisis that our country has ever faced. The logistics are staggering, and if you really think about them, exhausting given the number of hours people are having to put in. Instead of complaining, try this one on. If you see someone in the athletic department, or one of our coaches – or, just as importantly, their spouses or significant others – give them an “atta boy or atta girl” and offer to buy them a drink, like a triple espresso or Red Bull.

Why? Because we owe them one for even pulling this off. It ain’t as easy as it looks, folks. If you think you’re busy, here’s what NDSU is looking at. Let’s take one February weekend as an example. Here’s what the docket looks like for NDSU Athletics the weekend of February 19–21, a Friday to Sunday. On February 19 and 21, soccer has Western Illinois. The baseball team has three games, February 19–21, against Western Kentucky. Basketball, men and women, each play on February 19 and 20 versus South Dakota State. That’s four games in two days at Scheels Arena, just for hoops. Track and field has a meet in Grand Forks. Softball has three games against Boise State, Memphis and Louisiana Tech on February 20 and 21 in Louisiana. On February 21 and 22, volleyball is down the road playing South Dakota. And, of course, on Sunday, February 21 at 2:30 p.m., football kicks-off its season against Youngstown State. As if this wasn’t a busy enough weekend, on Monday and Tuesday February 22 and 23, men’s golf has “The Joust” event in California. That’s 17 different athletic competitions spanning five days if you’re scoring at

home. That’s an average of 3.4 events or games, per day, while the majority of us are enjoying our weekends. From Fargo to California, down to Louisiana and over to Kentucky, and up-and-down I-29 in Grand Forks and Vermillion. And you, Bison fan, are up in arms because you can’t tailgate? Sheesh. I mean, double sheesh. Pull up a barstool at Herd & Horns, Labby’s, the Turf, Chubs or your own living room, and be grateful this is even happening. My twin brother worked in college athletics for nearly 20 years. I have friends that still work in college athletics. These games and events don’t magically happen with the flip of a switch. It is a grind. Some games take days to plan and prepare for, with scores of meetings and coordination between a team of people that you probably haven’t heard about. People like athletic trainers, ticketing staff, medical personnel, fundraisers, the stat-takers and scorekeepers, the officials, the public address announcer, the janitorial and building staff and the athletic staffer producing whatever game or event it is. For us, as fans, it all seems and feels seamless. We show up, sit down, cheer for a while, fire off some tweets and then adjourn to our homes or favorite watering holes to, most times, celebrate a Bison win. Meanwhile, the people that

put together the four basketball games against the Jackrabbits at the SHAC have to immediately flip the script and start on the football game across the road at the Fargodome. Then, the weekend after that, and throughout the rest of the spring into May, and hopefully another trip to Frisco, Tex., they have to do it all over again while trying to manage lives outside of work that involves their families, their own kids’ events, keeping the driveway clear of snow and worrying about their players in a global pandemic. This spring, I don’t want to hear any complaints from Bison fans. A simple and heartfelt thank you to our coaches, players, the athletic department and everyone else in between for even pulling this off will suffice. So, to all of you who are working those long hours and making this happen, thank you. You are the true Strength of the Herd. Everybody up for the kickoff, the march is on!