2023-24 WBB Home Game Day Program

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

2023-24 SCHEDULE

NOVEMBER

WED - 1

FRI - 10

SAT- 11

FRI - 17

SAT - 18

TUE - 21

@ DRAKE UNIVERSITY #

@ MO WESTERN ST UNIV

@ SE OKLAHOMA STATE UNIV

@ TRUMAN STATE UNIVERSITY

MARYVILLE UNIVERSITY

CONCORDIA UNIV- ST. PAUL*

DECEMBER

FRI - 1

SAT- 2

FRI - 8

SAT - 9

THU- 14

SAT - 16

TUE - 19

SOUTHWEST MINN STATE*

UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS*

@ WAYNE STATE*

@ AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY*

MINNESOTA STATE MANKATO*

@ MINNESOTA DULUTH*

MICHIGAN TECH

JANUARY

SAT - 6

FRI - 12

SAT - 13

FRI - 19

SAT - 20

FRI - 26

SAT - 27

TUE - 30

NORTHERN STATE*

@ UNIV MINN CROOKSTON*

@ BEMIDJI STATE*

@ UNIVERSITY OF MARY*

@ MINOT STATE*

MINN STATE MOORHEAD*

ST CLOUD STATE*

@ CONCORDIA UNIV - ST PAUL*

FEBRUARY

FRI - 2

SAT - 3

FRI - 9

SAT - 10

FRI - 16

FRI - 23

SAT - 24

@ UNIV OF SIOUX FALLS*

@ SOUTHWEST MINN STATE*

AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY*

WAYNE STATE*

@ NORTHERN STATE*

BEMIDJI STATE*

UNIV. MINN. CROOKSTON*

MEDIA INFORMATION

WATCH: NSIC NETWORK

LIVESTATS: WINONASTATEWARRIORS COM

L, 94-60

L, 90-63

L, 75-74

L, 83-59

L, 62-52

L, 53-52

W, 76-61

L, 53-49

W, 61-43

W, 53-44

L, 66-48

L, 65-37

W, 59-56

L, 85-58

L, 77-69

W, 44-43

L, 76-50

L, 59-45

L, 75-62

L, 55-41

L, 57-59

W, 68-59

L, 78-61

W, 64-52

W, 70-59

L, 61-47

5:30 PM

3:30 PM

Winona State (8-17, 7-13 NSIC) vs. Bemidji State (6-18, 3-17 NSIC) Friday, Feb. 23 | 5:30 pm | Winona, Minn. vs

Winona State (8-17, 7-13 NSIC) vs. Minnesota Crookston (9-17, 6-14 NSIC)

Saturday, Feb. 24 | 3:30 pm | Winona, Minn.

History vs. Bemidji State

Winona State defeated Bemidji State earlier this year 44-43, an exciting one-point win on Jan. 13. The Warriors hold a 16-5 record vs BSU dating back to Dec. 12, 2008. WSU holds an 8-2 record at home against the Beavers.

History vs. Minnesota Crookston

Winona State will look to defend its home court against the Golden Eagles and earn the season split this Saturday. The Warriors were defeated earlier this season against UMC, 69-77 The current WSU - UMC series began on Nov. 28, 2009, and WSU holds a 10-7 record against Minnesota Crookston over that time period.

Senior Salute

Winona State will honor five seniors on Saturday; Emma Carpenter, Alex Dornfeld, Ava Sergio, Kaitlyn Schrimpf, and Vanessa Alexander

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

WARRIOR BASKETBALL

2023-24 SEASON

TEAM STATS QUICK GLANCE

POINTS/GAME: 56 8

REBOUNDS/GAME: 35 2

ASSISTS/GAME: 9.1

STEALS/GAME: 5 4

FIELD-GOAL %: 37.6

FT %: 68 3

3-POINT FG %: 28 2

3-POINTER/GAME: 6.2

AST / TO RATIO: 647

WARRIOR BASKETBALL

INDIVIDUAL SINGLE GAME RECORDS

POINTS: 39, ABBY BUSCH V AUGUSTANA 2/23/2014

REBOUNDS: 20 LISA PARSONS V LEWIS ILL 1989

ASSISTS: 22, PAT NEDER V MINNESOTA- MORRIS 1/09/1988

STEALS: 11, NICOLE REISNER V MINN CROOKSTON 1/11/2002

BLOCKED SHOTS: 11, KAYLA TIMMERMAN V CONCORDIA- SP 2/13/2016

3-POINTERS MADE: 9, BECCA FRIESTLEBEN V BEMIDJI STATE 1/18/2013

WARRIOR BASKETBALL PROGRAM HISTORY

NCAA DII TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES: 3- ‘09, ‘11, ‘16

NSIC TOURNAMENT TITLES: 2011

NSIC REGULAR SEASON TITLES: 2016

Name

Olivia Gamoke

Sadie Jarmolowicz

Emma Carpenter

Lindsey Hahn

Mattie Schimenz

Alex Dornfeld

Hailey Markworth

Naomi Breunig

Ava Sergio

Kaitlyn Schrimpf

Paige Peaslee

Vivica Bretton

Malia Nelson

Emma Kilpatrick

Megan Schuman

Vanessa Alexander

Stephanie Dasbach

Head Coach: Ana Wurtz

Assistant Coach: Hannah McGlone

Assistant Coach: Emily Kieck

Yr. Jr Fr. Sr Jr Jr Sr So Jr Sr Jr So. Fr So. So Fr. Jr Jr.

Hometown

Onalaska, Wis

Freedom, Wis. Eagan, Minn

Western Springs, Ill Milwaukee, Wis

Markesan, Wis

LaGrange, Ill Sauk City, Wis

Geneva, Ill Oregon, Wis

North Branch, Minn.

Rochester, Minn

Dover, Minn. Kimberly, Wis

Brillion, Wis.

St Michael, Minn Lombard, Ill.

High School

Onalaska HS

Freedom HS

Eastview

Lyons Township

Brown Deer Markesan

Lyons Township

Sauk Prairie

Batavia

Oregon North Branch Lourdes

Dover - Eyota High School

Kimberly HS

Brillion HS

St Michael-Albertville

Willowbrook

NSIC STANDINGS

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

HOMETOWN

HIGH SCHOOL

PREVIOUS SCHOOL

Olivia

Sadie

Emma Carpenter

Lindsey Hahn

Mattie Schimenz

Alex Dornfeld

Hailey Markworth

Naomi Breunig

Ava Sergio

Kaitlyn Schrimpf

Paige Peaslee

Vivica Bretton

Malia Nelson

Emma Kilpatrick

Megan Schuman

Vanessa Alexander

Stephanie Dasbach

Onalaska, Wis.

Freedom, Wis.

Eagan, Minn.

Western Springs, Ill.

Milwaukee, Wis.

Markesan, Wis.

LaGrange, Ill.

Sauk City, Wis.

Geneva, Ill.

Oregon, Wis.

North Branch, Minn.

Rochester, Minn.

Dover, Minn

Kimberly, Wis

Brillion, Wis

St Michael, Minn

Lombard, Ill

Onalaska HS

Freedom HS

Eastview

Lyons Township

Brown Deer

Markesan

Lyons Township

Sauk Prairie

Batavia

Oregon

North Branch

Lourdes HS

Sioux Falls

Minn. Crookston

Dover - Eyota High School

Kimberly

Brillion HS

St Michael-Albertville

Willowbrook

Sage Ganyo

Kendra Syverson

Alayna Suprenanad

Tieryn Plasch

Isabel Majewski

Sydney White

Rachel Koenig

Sam Pogatchnik

Sammie Buss

Beth Bolte

Ashlynne Guenther

Brooke Theis

Ella Giorgi

Alyssa Hill

BEMIDJI STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

HOMETOWN

Menominee, Mich.

St. Francis, Minn.

Britt, Minn

Waubun, Minn Fond du Lac, Wis

Lake Nebagamon, Wis

Pulaski, Wis

Andover, Minn Nodine, Minn

Protor, Minn Neenah, Wis

Bemidji, Minn. Duluth, Minn.

Shawano, Wis.

Coon Rapids, Minn.

Negaunee, Mich.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Chelsea Stoltenberg

Associate Coach: Erica Gartner

Assistant Coach: Sean Daniels

High School Menominee

Cambridge-Isanti

Mountan Iron-Buhl

Mahnomen-Waubun

Winnebago Lutheran Academy

Northwestern HS

Pulaski

Andover

Luther HS

Proctor

Xavier HS

Bemidji

Duluth East

Shawano

Coon Rapids

Negaunee

Previous School

Sioux Falls

Andrew Millis, MD

Randall Norgard, MD

Adam Fletcher, MD

Garrett Fooshee, PA-C

BEMIDJI STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

HOMETOWN

Emma Dudycha

Emma Miller

Hope Dudycha

Taryn Frazer

Nicole Hernandez

Natalie Mikrot

Ainsley McLain

Rayna Klejeski

Janie Tormanen

Lily Orazem

Riley Jenkins

Olivia Walsh

Austin, Minn.

Albertville, Minn.

Austin, Minn

Cass Lake, Minn Oak Creek, Wis

Willow River, Minn

Grafton, N D

Barnum, Minn Menahga, Minn

Onamia, Minn Galesburg, Ill

Austin, Minn.

Austin

High School

St. Michael- Albertville

Austin

Cass Lake-Bena

Moose Lake- Willow River

Grafton

Barnum Menahga

Onamia

Austin

Previous School

Lidenwood Univ. (Mo.)

Univ of Illinois-Springfield

Coaching Staff

Associate

Assistant

Bryant Friskop

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WBB: LAST TIME OUT

Winona State women's basketball falls at Northern State

ABERDEEN, S.D. - The Winona State University women's basketball team traveled west for the final regular season NSIC road trip of the year, taking on Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota on Friday, February 16.

Winona State led at the break, 28-23, but a cold-shooting second half saw the home side Wolves move into a lead five minutes into the second half and eventually defeat WSU, 61-47.

Winona State (8-17, 7-13 NSIC) was led by Mattie Schimenz with 13 points, while Warrior teammate Alex Dornfeld added eight points and seven rebounds.WSU was held to 4-of-29 (13.7%) from the floor in the final two quarters of play.

How it Happened:

Winona State and Northern State were tied 9-9 at the 3:34 mark of the opening quarter when WSU's Olivia Gamoke delivered a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 12-9 lead. Alex Dornfeld would deliver the final basket of the first 10 minutes, hitting a mid-range jumper in the key with 30 seconds left in the first frame, ending the period with a 17-11 advantage.

WSU would continue to connect in the second quarter, opening up a 10-point Warrior lead on back-to-back baskets from Ava Sergio and Emma Carpenter, setting the scoreboard at 21-11 In a sign of things to come, however, Northern State would net the final six points of the first half, including a Wolves triple from Abbey Holmes with under 20 seconds remaining before the halftime buzzer

At the Half: WSU 28, Northern State 23

The third quarter saw Winona State go cold from the floor, shooting just 1-for-13 in the run of play WSU would tally a jumper from Mattie Schimenz midway through the stanza and Hailey Markworth added a free throw followed by a 2-for-2 foul line effort by Kaitlyn Schrimpf moments later, accounting for the only Warrior scoring In contrast, NSU enjoyed a 22point third quarter to take a 45-34 lead after three

In the fourth frame, Vivica Bretton looked to spark a WSU comeback, scoring a layup at the 3:19 mark, followed quickly by a 3-pointer 50 seconds later. Winona State would be unable to further dent the Northern State lead, eventually falling 61-47 in Waxhs Arena.

WSU Stats Standouts:

Mattie Schimenz 13 points

Alex Dornfeld 8 points, 8 rebounds

Team Stats Comparables:

The Northern State bench outscored the Warrior reserves, 22-12

WSU shot 15-of-57 (26.3%) from the field, while NSU was 21-of-58 (36.2%) in the game.

Beyond the Box Score:

NSU earned a sweep of WSU in the 2023-24 season, with a 85-58 win over the Warriors in Winona on January 6

Alex Dornfeld's double-double streak was stopped at two games, scoring 8 points and grabbing 7 boards WSC and WSU are now 5-5 in their last ten meetings

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WOM Head Coach

Ana Wurtz

Wurtz has served for the past ten seasons on the Warrior staff, first as an assistant coach before being elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2018-19 season. Either as a player or coach, Wurtz has been been an integral part of many of the most important moments in program history, including all three of the NCAA Division II tournament appearances by the Warriors, first in 2009, followed by bids in 2011 and 2016

In the fall of 2021, Wurtz accepted her Winona State Hall-of-Fame spot on Oct 4, joining a class of five other impactful Warrior student-athletes who were also honored.

Wurtz has tutored some of the top players in Warrior history, including recent Winona State standouts Taylor Hustad and Allie Pickrain, both of whom were all-NSIC selections following the 2019-20 season Hustad was also an all-conference pick following the 2021-22 campaign Her recruiting and teaching skills paid off for WSU in the form of 2020-21 D2SIDA Women's Basketball Preseason mention, when the Warriors earned 'Receiving Votes' status among the NCAA Division II Central Region ranks

Wurtz helped turn around the WSU basketball program during the 2014-15 season with a 20-8 overall record and a 15-7 conference record, finishing third in the NSIC South and fourth overall. The .714 win percentage on the year is the third-best winning percentage in the program's history

While at Wisconsin-Oshkosh during the 2012-13 season, Wurtz helped orchestrate an impressive turnaround, leading the team to a 20-6 overall mark after the Titans went just 7-18 in the season before her arrival The team went 12-4 in conference play to finish second in the WIAC. Both of the Titans’ starting guards earned all-conference honors while the team finished third nationally in free throw percentage.

Wurtz spent two seasons as a graduate assistant with the Winona State program, helping lead the team to a 21-9 record during the 2010-11 season and the 2011 NSIC Tournament Championship The Warriors also qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament that year, just its second trip to the NCAA postseason in school history She also helped WSU post an 18-11 mark during the 201112 campaign

One of the best shooters in Winona State history, Wurtz was a two-time all-conference player while graduating as the school’s alltime leader in 3-pointers made with 254. She is fourth on the WSU career scoring charts with 1,355 points.

She led the Warriors to a program-record 24 wins during the 2008-09 season and helped the team earn its first-ever spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament Wurtz was an all-region selection and was named the Winona State Female Athlete of the Year that season.

Wurtz graduated from Winona State in 2010 with a degree in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Sports Management from Winona State Ana and her husband, Louis, reside in Winona

Ana Wurtz, a Winona State Universit ext head coach of the Warrior basketba

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Assistant Coach

Hannah McGlone

Assistant Coach

Emily Kieck

Hannah McGlone was tabbed as the full-time assistant women's basketball coach at Winona State University in July, 2022

McGlone previously served as the WSU graduate assistant coach for three seasons before moving to Milwaukee School of Engineering for the 2021-22 season, where she served as an assistant coach

McGlone played in 123 games for Winona State, joining the 1,000-point club her senior season, finishing her career with 1,071 points. The Streamwood, Illinois, native hauled in 949 rebounds during her four seasons at WSU, averaging 7 72 rebounds per game in her career The 949 boards is the WSU career record McGlone notched 25 career double-doubles, including 13 in her final season

McGlone was a key component of the 2015-16 Winona State squad which qualified for the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament, earning an at-large bid following a 29-3 regular season WSU defeated Fort Hays State 60-55 in the first round before falling to Emporia State, 66-62 in the second round

The combination of Wurtz and McGlone on the WSU sideline is believed to be the first time two 1,000-point scorers have gone on to serve as the head coach and top assistant coach at their alma mater for a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) women's basketball program.

ck joined the Winona State women's basketball coaching staff in August, 2023, a standout playing career for the Warriors.

ent-athlete, Kieck twice earned NSIC All-Academic honors. Over her WSU career, Kieck SIC in assists-per-game ratio (4.6) and surpassed the 1,000 point mark in the 2021-22

n Twice Kieck notched a career-high of 26 points in a game and started every Warrior n the 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons

o, Wis product, Kieck also competed in tennis and track & field at Baraboo High eck graduated from Winona State with a bachelor's degree in accounting

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Season Outlook

BURNSVILLE, Minn. - Minnesota State University, Mankato was selected by the league coaches as the preseason favorite in the NSIC for the 2023-24 season. The Mavericks received 196 points, garnering 14 first places votes to sit 31 points ahead of second place Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs, a 2022-23 national finalist, had 165 points and the other first place vote. The University of Mary was third with 162 points.

NSIC coaches rank each team from 1 to 14 with a first-place vote receiving 14 points, second place 13, third place 12, etc. Coaches do not rank their own team or vote for their own players in the preseason poll.

The NSIC regular season championship will be based on the 22game schedule. Each team will play eight teams twice and another six teams once. An NSIC Champion will be awarded to the team with the highest win percentage in the 22 games played.

The 2023-24 women’s basketball season gets underway in early November with non-conference action, while NSIC play begins

The 12-team

take place March 2-5 at the Sanford Health Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The top four seeds will receive a first-round bye. First round games will be played on campus on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

2023-24

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Alex Dornfeld named WSU Player to Watch

BURNSVILLE, Minn - The Winona State University women’s basketball team is set to start the 2023-24 campaign, led by senior Alex Dornfeld who has been named the Winona State Player to Watch in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC)

The NSIC released the 2023-24 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll and the Warriors were picked to finish 10th in the league The 2023-24 season will see the NSIC in a 15-team, single-division format rather than North and South Divisions as in previous years The NSIC regular season championship will be based on the 22-game schedule Each team will play eight teams twice and another six teams once An NSIC Champion will be awarded to the team with the highest win percentage in the 22 games played.

Dornfeld returns for her senior season at Winona State following an impressive 2022-23 campaign in which she averaged 28 minutes per game for head coach Ana Wurtz. The Markesan, Wis. product averaged over 10 points per game and hauled in over eight rebounds per contest. Dornfeld's 10.6 ppg and 8.3 rpg are the top WSU returning numbers for the Warriors.

Wurtz, heading into her second full season at the helm, said, “Alex has worked incredibly hard to continually develop and improve her game. She has extended her range to where she is a consistent threat from the perimeter and has the ability to take her defender inside off the bounce and the mid post. She is also one of our most versatile defenders which is a result of her strong work ethic. Alex is an absolute joy to coach and someone our team will look to for leadership this season.”

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION

Ken Janz Interim President

The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has named Kenneth Janz to serve as interim president of Winona State University The appointment becomes effective August 1, 2023

“Ken Janz is well regarded by faculty and leadership and has garnered the respect and trust of the broader Winona State University community during his time at WSU,” said Devinder Malhotra, chancellor of Minnesota State. “Both Chancellor Designate Olson and I are confident that he will provide effective and strong leadership to the university through this transition period ”

Dr Janz has served WSU since 2008 as associate vice president for Academic Affairs and CIO and added the role of dean of the library in 2015

In these roles, he provides leadership and vision for the planning and implementation of information services that support the teaching, learning, and research mission of the University and leads strategic planning efforts by working collaboratively with faculty, staff, students

Previous appointments include serving Indiana State University as the director of the Center for Instruction, Research, and Technology from 2003 to 2008, and as the director of information technology College of Education from 1998 to 2003

He holds bachelor’s degrees from Dickinson State University (ND), a master’s from North Dakota State University, and a doctorate from Indiana State University

Janz succeeds Scott Olson, who has served as president of Winona State University since 2012 and recently accepted an appointment to serve as the chancellor of Minnesota State. The search for a permanent president of WSU will be launched in the fall.

About Winona State University

Founded in 1858, Winona State University is a regional public university and the oldest member of the Minnesota State system With campuses in both Winona and Rochester, Winona State offers more than 200 majors and programs in five colleges: Business, Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing & Health Sciences, and Science & Engineering.

More than half of WSU’s 6,000-plus students are Minnesota residents, and the university also hosts international students from 42 countries. Winona State University’s mission is to enhance the intellectual, social, cultural and economic vitality of the people and communities we serve: a community of learners improving our world.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

Director of Athletics, Eric Schoh

Eric Schoh started with the Warriors on June 11, 2012. He has almost three decades of athletics experience in Division II, 17 as an athletic director in the NSIC, and is in his tenth year as the director of athletics at Winona State

During his time as an AD, Schoh served on the Division II Management Council from 2016-2020, serving as Vice Chair of the Council in 2018. Also, during that time he served on the DII Identity Subcommittee and acted as chairperson in 2019. Other NCAA committee involvement included the Championships Committee, Planning and Finance, DII Administrative Committee, DII Membership Committee, and the DII Committee for Legislative Relief

With a strong commitment to the student-athlete experience, Warrior student-athletes have continued to excel in the classroom and give back to the Winona area through community service During spring 2021, the average student-athlete term GPA was 3 43 (compared to 3.28 for the general student body) and the second highest on record. The average student athlete's cumulative GPA through spring 2021 was 3.37 (compared to 3.22 for the general student body). There were 101 Warriors with perfect 4.0 GPAs in spring 2021, with 196 making the Dean’s List The latest NCAA Federal Graduation Rate for the Warriors is 78%, which ranks first in the NSIC and 22nd out of 316 institutions in Division II

During the pandemic, the community service hours for the Warriors decreased dramatically However, normally the Warriors log more than 3,000 hours of community service each academic year.

Over the past nine years, Warrior Athletic facilities have seen many improvements, including a complete renovation of McCown Gymnasium; installation of new turf and state-of-the-art video board at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium; construction of a new gymnastics practice facility and locker room; an indoor training facility for men’s and women’s golf; new batting cages and practice mounds at softball; new infield, mound and scoreboard at baseball; complete renovation of Talbot Gymnasium, including a multipurpose synthetic floor; remodeled W Room for home volleyball and basketball games; and the installation of a film room for all teams. A comprehensive facility master plan for Warrior Athletics was completed in 2017 and the department continues to make strides toward completing the facilities outlined in the master plan.

In the field of play, the Warriors continue to be known as a conference, regional, and national contender, winning numerous regular season and conference championships over the past nine years Several teams have advanced to NCAA post-season play during Schoh’s tenure as well, including football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country, track and field, softball, gymnastics, men’s golf, and women’s golf. WSU hosted a football playoff game in 2017 and women’s softball regionals in 2014 and 2017.

Schoh served as athletic director at Wayne State College from 2004-12 At Wayne State, Schoh helped build Wildcat Athletics into a consistent presence on both the regional and national levels Wayne State won 13 NSIC regular season championships and six more conference tournament titles The WSC women’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2012 and ended the season ranked fourth in the nation More than 20 teams advanced to NCAA Tournament play under Schoh’s leadership

A native of La Crescent, Minn., Schoh holds both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Iowa State University. Schoh also has worked as the Associate Athletic Director for Development at California State University, Bakersfield (2002-04); the Associate Athletic Director at the University of South Dakota (1999-2002); and as an Assistant Athletic Director at Montana State University, Billings (1995-97)

Schoh and his wife Stephanie have three children and one grandson: Paige (31) and River (5), Eric (26) and Tyler (25)

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

Melanie was named Associate Athletic Director on May 17, 2018 and assumed her new role with the Warriors in July.

Previously, Brunsdon spent the past five years as the Assistant Athletic Director at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky where she oversaw compliance along with direct supervision over the men's and women's golf programs At Bellarmine, she was a member and chair of the Staff Council, served on the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee and the Title IX Committee

Brunsdon is also a member of the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) Division II Committee. Prior to her time at Bellarmine, she served as the Associate Athletic Director/Director of Compliance at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois from 2012-13.

Brunsdon's connection with the NSIC includes roles as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Student Life/Senior Woman Administrator at Minot State University from 2009-12 and serving as the Director of Athletic Recruiting at Upper Iowa University from 200809.

Brunsdon earned a pair of bachelor's degrees in sport management (with a coaching endorsement) and psychology at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa

The Brandon, Wisconsin native will reside in Winona with her husband, Paul, daughter, Madeline, and twin boys, Cade and Graham

Jill Bratberg is the Assistant Athletic Director for Development and has been part of WSU Athletics since 2012. She is responsible for securing corporate partnerships for Warrior Athletics and is also in charge of coordinating large events within the department, such as the Winona State Athletic Hall of Fame banquet, Scholarship Night Fundraiser, and the Warrior Club Golf Classic She also assists with ticketing and serves as the department's liaison to the Warrior Club

She grew up in Winona and graduated from University of Wisconsin – La Crosse with a degree in Sports Management in 1990. A former tennis student-athlete at UW-L and was inducted into the WIAC Century All-Time Women’s Team in 2012 and inducted into the UW – La Crosse Wall of Fame in 2014

Jill and her family live in Trempealeau, WI.

Bree Larsen is entering her seventh year as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Winona State University in 2021-2022.

Larsen is responsible for all aspects of compliance within the WSU’s athletic program Her main responsibilities include developing procedures and policies to monitor and ensure compliance with all NCAA and NSIC rules and regulations, verify student eligibility to participate in university athletics and process all student-athlete scholarships.

She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, earning her Bachelor of Science in exercise sport science/physical education teaching in 2003 She then earned her Master of Science in sport management from Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia in 2005

Larsen lives in Winona with her husband Corey, a former WSU student-athlete, their three sons, Riley, Logan, Colt and daughter Annabelle.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

Joey Mueller joined the Warrior Athletics staff in August 2021 as an Assistant Athletic Communications Director He currently serves as the Coordinator of Events and Ticketing for the Warriors.

The Hutchinson, Minnesota native earned his BA in Mathematics Education from Bethel University in 2021 At Bethel, Mueller competed on the men’s tennis team, was a student assistant coach for the Bethel women’s basketball team, and served as a member on Bethel’s StudentAthlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)

Mueller graduated with a master’s degree in Leadership Education: Sports Management in 2023.

Justin Loehr is the Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services and has been part of WSU Athletics since 2008. He grew up in Onalaska, Wisconsin and then, after two years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduated with highest honors from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with degrees in History and Political Science in 2007 Loehr then earned a Master’s degree in Education: Student Affairs Administration Emphasis, also from UW-L, in 2009.

His experiences in Student Affairs are vast and include stops in Admissions, Advising, New Student Orientation, Student Activities, Career Counseling, Residence Life, and Classroom Instruction

Justin lives in La Crosse, Wis. with his wife, Ginny, and their daughters, Ava, Hattie and their son, Louis

Danica Perner started as the Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services at Winona State in July of 2018 She previously served as the Student-Athlete Services Learning Specialist at WSU from 2017-2018

A native of Spencer, Wisconsin, Danica graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management from the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse in May 2017 While at UW- La Crosse, she was a member of the volleyball team, as well as a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Danica earned her Master of Science degree in Leadership Education: Sport Management from Winona State in May 2018.

Danica lives in Galesville, Wis with her husband, Jake, their son, Jaxon, and dog, Riggins

Dr Jason Kight, associate professor of business administration, was named the new faculty athletic representative (FAR) at Winona State University in July, 2023

Kight's main role as FAR is to serve as a liaison between the athletics department and the faculty while also representing the institution in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), and NCAA affairs. The purpose of the FAR is to ensure that Winona State establishes and maintains the appropriate balance between academics and intercollegiate athletics.

Kight will take over the FAR role from Dr. Kara Lindaman and assumed his duties on July 15. Kight's research interests include Social Media and Privacy Law, Safety and Healthcare Law, and Sports Law

A bearer of bachelor's degrees from Rockford College, Kight earned a Juris Doctor (J D ) degree from the Southern Illinois University School of Law, a Masters of Business Administration (M B A ) from Eastern Illinois University, and a Masters of Science in Sports Management (M S S M) from Minnesota State University, Mankato

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

Pete Watkins joined the Winona State University Athletic Department as the Director of Athletic Communications in the spring of 2020.

A resident of Winona since 2011, Watkins brings over 25 years of experience within college athletics to the Warrior staff Between 2016 and 2020, Watkins served the Minnesota State Colleges and University system as the executive director of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC).

Prior to his work with the MCAC, Watkins was a college soccer coach and instructor in sports management at four different NCAA institutions before retiring from coaching and teaching in 2016 Watkins completed his college coaching career with an overall record of 158-140-31, garnered across both genders and all three NCAA levels

Watkins is a professional member of CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America, as well as the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Watkins earned his bachelor's degree from MacMurray College and his master's degree from Aurora University Watkins earned All-SLIAC and Adidas Academic All-America honors in men’s soccer at MacMurray

Watkins and his wife Laura have three children; Campbell, Mae, and Seth, and the family resides in Winona.

Luke Martens joined the Athletic Communications staff in June of 2023. Martens will be assisting with all aspects of Warrior sports information, digital communications, and gameday management

Martens is a former Winona State men's basketball standout for the Warriors, competing for WSU between 2018-2023. The Apple Valley, Minn. product also competed in football in high school and was one of the top rebounders in the NSIC in the 2022-23 season.

Maria Averbeck joined the Warrior Communications team in June of 2023 Averbeck will be assisting with all aspects of Warrior sports information, digital communications, and gameday management

Averbeck comes to Winona State from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota where she worked in Residential Life. As an undergraduate at SMU, Averbeck competed in softball for the Cardinals between 2016 and 2019 Averbeck played softball, and basketball, at Lewiston - Altura High School and soccer at St Charles High School