Bison Illustrated December 2020

CONTENTS

16

COVER STORY 16

PRIDE OF THE PRAIRIE

12/2020

39

FEATURES 39

2020 IN REVIEW

RECURRING

A look back at 2020’s best moments and a look ahead to 2021.

8 Editor’s Note 14 Bison Shots 54 Team Makers

In relation to the rest of the country, North Dakota is considered “small”.

Within this “small” state are towns and cities that were built on hard work. They have passed down the gift of hard work and perseverance from generation to generation, carrying these North Dakota towns into the future. The population may label them as “small town” North Dakota, but the life within these areas is anything but minuscule.

North Dakota State seems to find top-tier student-athletes in these areas. With the value of hard work instilled in them, they consistently thrive in Fargo. They are the pride of the prairie.

18 22 28 32 36

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57 Interactive 58 Swany Says

Isaac Huber Emily Dietz Jackson Hankey Kari Wolfe Statewide Bison

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Leaving You Stumped FROM NOLAN P. SCHMIDT

When I was a young kid, I would obsessively watch Stump The Schwab on ESPN Classic. I would spend hours upon hours in my basement in Bismarck watching “The Schwab” dominate competitors in sports trivia games. Hosted by Stuart Scott (rest in peace), I’m not sure too many people remember that show as fondly as I do. To this day, I still firmly believe I could beat “The Schwab” too. I thought that when I was a kid and I’ll probably hang onto that opinion as long as I live.

Maybe not as ornery or crass as the original Schwab, but I dreamt of cooking amateurs in sports trivia. Truthfully, I’d quit this job in a heartbeat if I was guaranteed that opportunity today. Perhaps I’ll get my big break as I grow older...

I even thought that one day I could be “The Schwab.”

Did he know everything about geography?

That show was built upon one man having a tremendous amount of knowledge on a specific topic.

The Schwab knew sports, but I always wondered if he was as knowledgeable in other topics as he was sports.

FROM THE EDITOR

Did he know everything about politics?

Did he know everything about rocket science?

The answer is obviously a resounding “no.” If he did, he wouldn’t be relegated to a TV show on ESPN Classic, he would probably be president or something.

The Schwab taught me a lot of needless information about sports. Unfortunately, this is information I still know offhand when I should be storing more important tidbits.

They started the show the same way, with a game called “Leading Off.” Essentially, they would find a statistical list and have competitors and The Schwab name off all the athletes (or teams) in the list.

An example would be “Name All The NBA Players Who Have Scored Over 50 Points In A Single Game?” In which case, the competitors and The Schwab would name off one by one the list (Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, etc.). If you said a wrong name, you were out for the question.

I wonder how well The Schwab would do if he were

asked to name all of the North Dakota cities represented on NDSU rosters. I cannot imagine The Schwab is particularly adept in North Dakota geography, but the list is rather lengthy.

In fact, the list is 39. As in, 39 different North Dakota cities are represented across the student-athlete population at NDSU. Of those 39, I believe only eight would be considered “large” cities by North Dakota standards.

Meaning, that of the North Dakotans on NDSU rosters, most of them hail from Class B schools and small towns.

Not only that, but it seems as though every North Dakotan that competes at NDSU thrives on and off the field.

How, though?

That is a question that would stump the Schwab...

But North Dakotan’s work ethic is the simple answer.

DECEMBER 2020 | VOLUME 15 ISSUE 9 Bison Illustrated is a free publication distributed monthly (8 times a year).

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bisonshots

f

ullback Hunter Luepke leaps into the waiting arms of tight end Noah Gindorff following a touchdown on October 3 against Central Arkansas. The Bison’s lone fall football game ended in a 39-28 NDSU victory. Luepke played a major role in that victory, scoring two touchdowns.

The sophomore rushed for one touchdown and caught another from quarterback Trey Lance. Luepke is no stranger to the end zone either, scoring 95 touchdowns throughout his prep career at Spencer High School in Wisconsin.

Photo by Hillary Ehlen

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The 2010 census listed the population of Jud, North Dakota, at 72. The 2019 estimated population of the southeastern hamlet stands at 70 people.

Sophomore Isaac Huber was one of those 72 people counted in 2010.

So when Huber decided to attend NDSU to run cross country and track & field, Fargo seemed as big as any major metropolitan area in the United States. Huber even admits that some of his classes at NDSU featured more people than he had ever seen at once.

• Sophomore • Distance/Cross Country • Earned second-team AllSummit League honors in cross country in 2019.

• Hometown: Jud, ND [LaMoure County] (Population 70)

Jud Bismarck

Fargo

While that can come as a shock to some, Huber was undeterred by the eye-opening experiences Fargo brought. A decorated Class B runner, Huber won six state championships in various events throughout his junior and senior seasons. Due to Jud's size, Huber attended high school at EdgeleyKulm High School, about 30 miles from Jud. Huber also won a cross country state title his senior season as well.

He carried on succeeding in his first season at NDSU. He was secondteam All-Summit League in cross country last season after finishing 13th at the conference meet. Huber also finished in the conference's top ten in the mile and 3000-meter in his first indoor season.

While Jud still holds a key place in Isaac Huber's heart, he is looking to further his running success at North Dakota State.

What do you think instills the hard work ethic seen throughout small towns in North Dakota?

The biggest thing is that we're not like the bigger schools and we don't necessarily go to the big meets. Occasionally, we'll be able to go those big meets, but in Class B North Dakota, you kind of have to work with what you're given.

There are going to be some really bad days and really good days, but you have to take personal responsibility to succeed. You're at the bottom of the totem pole and you have to keep working hard and finding joy in that.

How much did growing up in a small town mean to you, especially when you made the choice to attend NDSU? It means a lot. Growing up, they always said it takes a village to raise a child. I grew up living on a farm and representing a really small school, I had 20 kids in my graduating class, where you know everyone and their families. So once I committed to NDSU, I had so many texts, calls and emails saying how happy people were for me. I was staying close to home. People truly care in a small town and here at NDSU. That's really nice because it gives NDSU that family feel that a small town has.

Jud is a town of 70 or so people. Fargo has close to 125,000 people living in it. Was coming here eye-opening or challenging at all?

It was definitely a change. The biggest thing for me was school. There were more people in one area than I've ever seen in my life. You learn to adapt to that and take advantage of what you can. It's important to find resources that help and that made it not as big of a jump.

It definitely had its challenges though.

Where have you seen yourself improve over the past year?

Coming in as a freshman, I had some goals and some injuries took those to the side a bit. Now, with COVID-19 happening and whatnot, I'm trying to get better every day. It's going to be an uphill battle. We don't know if we'll

have a season or not, so it's important to come in each day and try to get better.

We have to trust that all the work we've been putting in is going to pay off in the end.

Growing up in small-town North Dakota, was NDSU always the goal for you? Did you always want to attend here?

When I was in elementary school, I wanted to play basketball here. Then I never grew after sixth grade and found running. I had some guys ahead of me like Alex Bartholomay and Elliott Stone, who are Class B guys that made it big at NDSU. I thought that if they could do it, coming from middle-of-nowhere North Dakota, then I could too. I really have to thank those guys for paving the way. It's up to me now to keep their legacy going on.

The track & field program has numerous athletes from Class B schools. Why do you think Class B kids continue to come here and how do they continue to succeed at NDSU? The coaching staff here is top-notch and some of the best in the nation. They don't look for the flashiest athletes all the time, but they look for the athletes that will come in and do work. That way, when they're ready to compete, they compete at a high level. The Class B kids just work hard, but that's how we were raised. Whether it's competing or waking up and getting your chores done, we just do it.

A lot of things are still up in the air as far as your seasons go. What are some goals you have set for yourself this season?

RICHARD SVALESON

The biggest goal for me is to try and make a national meet in the steeplechase.

That is my top goal, but I want to get some conference titles too. We want to have some more team success as well.

We have a really good team here and continuing our dominance is important.

Individual awards will come along the way, but it's all about getting those team awards.

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In the grand scheme of things, Emily Dietz has had a truly remarkable basketball career at North Dakota State.

Dietz herself was not expecting to even play basketball in college. An all-state performer at Fargo’s Shanley High School, Dietz had the talent to play at the next level. However, that dream did not come full circle until she received her first recruiting call. Growing up in a family that did not revolve around sports, playing basketball collegiately was a new experience for Dietz and her family.

• Senior • Foward • Racked up seven doubledoubles in 2019-20 • Hometown: West Fargo, ND [Cass County] (Population 37,058)

West Fargo Bismarck

While playing for NDSU is the ultimate goal, especially for an athlete from the Fargo-Moorhead area, Dietz views things a little differently. She views her time at NDSU as the ultimate gift and she has been set up to succeed thanks to the athletic department around her.

With that help and her own work ethic and talent, Dietz has seen her game expand every year she’s been on campus.

She is one of those student-athletes that you can see improve on a game-to-game basis. With the help of head coach Jory Collins, Dietz became a vital piece to the new-look Bison in 2019-20. She is now looking to build on that success in her final campaign as a Bison.

Perhaps more importantly, Emily Dietz looks to represent the community that made her.

RICHARD CARLSON/INERTIA

There’s a great amount of pride coming from North Dakota kids at NDSU. It’s probably elevated even more because obviously, you’re a hyper-local kid. What kind of pride do you carry into being a student-athlete at NDSU? Knowing that not only you’re from the state, but you’re from the same city that the university is in?

I definitely have a lot of pride in North Dakota and representing my own hometown. There’s just a character around North Dakota, where people work hard and they do what’s right. And I take a lot of pride in representing that here at NDSU. I think it’s been a tremendous gift to have that opportunity to play in my own hometown.

You hear that a lot about North Dakota, whether it’s from a small town or a bigger town is that you have that sense of community pride.

How do you feel that community pride rallying around you and around NDSU on a day-to-day basis?

The amount of support that we have, not only from local people from around Fargo, but the whole state is incredible.

You see these coaches, and they go on these trips around to these small cities where there are these big donors and all these people that are working hard and donating to our school. I think it just shows that sense of community and that sense of pride in North Dakota for the support that is shown for all athletics and the school as a whole.

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Was the transition for you from coming from Fargo Shanley to NDSU a little bit easier, because you are from here. Ask a kid from a small town and they said it was a bit of a shock seeing this many people in Fargo. Was the transition from the prep to the college game and the college experience a little bit easier? Because you grew up in this community specifically?

Yeah, I would say so. I mean, just the fact that I could step out onto the court here at NDSU and look in the stands and see my family and see friends and friends of friends from Shanley and from around Fargo, I think that made the transition a lot easier. Just having that familiarity around and that continued support.

You’ve seen your game grow over the course of the last four years. From your perspective, where have you seen your biggest strides over the course of the last few years?

I think personally would be my own knowledge of the game and also awareness of what to do in certain situations. I think my development as a post player as a whole has grown so much. Even that first summer that Jory [Collins] came in, the growth I had was tremendous in just a short amount of time. I would say just kind of personal growth in my ability to play my position and to play it well.

Was coming and playing basketball at NDSU the ultimate goal for you. Was that always going to be the end game for you?

I didn’t really grow up in a family that was super involved in sports. Neither of my parents played sports and my older sister did golf, tennis and debate. I was kind of the one that out of blue, told my mom that I wanted to try basketball in third grade. As I transitioned into middle school and high school, I played for an excellent team and we had a lot of success at Shanley. I also played AAU for the sake of having fun and getting better. I actually never even realized that playing in college was a possibility for me until I got my first call.

My dad went to NDSU and a lot of my family and extended family has ties to NDSU. It was definitely an exciting thing when I got that call. It was exciting to hear that, but I hadn’t even considered that I was at that standard or that

ability level to play at a place like this. It’s been a gift ever since I had that opportunity.

I hear a lot from athletes that as soon as you come to college, it really humbles you quickly. You can be the best player on your high school team, but you’re humbled immediately when you come to college. From your perspective, not necessarily expecting to end up at a place like this and play basketball, how much gratefulness and how much humility does that give you now that you’re in the position that you’re in?

It’s incredible. I was blown away that I even had the opportunity to play in college, let alone to play at a Division I program and in a successful overall athletic program like NDSU. Especially as a local kid, I couldn’t be more grateful to play in my hometown and to be around family.

You come into freshman year and I think it’s humbling for everybody, just because the pace and the physicality of the game are so much different. There’s not a possibility to be a student-athlete here and fail though. We have the greatest support system I’ve ever seen, whether that’s academics or athletics. They just support you the whole time as you grow as a player and grow as a person.

Last year I felt like you guys really found your footing as a program. What’s next for you guys as a program? What are some goals that you’ve set for yourself as a program to take that next step?

I think one of the biggest things we talked about last year was confidence. This is my fourth year of this and I think personally and collectively as the team, my first few years, we just didn’t have the confidence that we would need to be able to go into a game and even have a chance to win it.

We’d kind of get defeated towards the end of the game.

We started to find our footing and find that ground. I think this year now it’s having that trust that we have that foundation built and we have the talent and the work ethic. We have the right people, the right coaches and the confidence to be able to come into a game believing we will compete. I think that’s been the biggest thing in the next step. We want to walk into that game and have the confidence stepping into that game that we can beat these teams.

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“The Town With A Heart.”

That is the moniker plastered on the homepage of Park River, North Dakota’s website. The town, located in northeastern North Dakota, was founded in 1884 on the values of heart, grit and hard work. Those values shine through in its residents.

NDSU linebacker Jackson Hankey is one of those residents that embodies Park River’s mantra. The junior showcases his heart, grit and hard work every time he steps on the field. It also affirms that Hankey belongs in the vital position of middle linebacker.

Hankey led the Bison in tackles in 2019 with 127. That mark was third-best in school history behind NDSU great Nick DeLuca and Grant Olson, who also happens to be Hankey’s position coach.

What Hankey has shown on the field is impressive and it illustrates the hardworking attitude he grew up with.

However, Hankey also mirrors his onfield accomplishments off the field.

• Junior • Linebacker • Led NDSU in tackles in 2019 with 127. Thirdmost in a season in school history.

• Hometown: Park River, ND “The Town With A Heart” [Walsh County] (Population 1,338) Park River

Bismarck

Hankey is the true definition of a “student-athlete”. He graduated at the top of his class at Park River Area High School. He has carried that success in the classroom to NDSU as well. An agricultural economics major, Hankey has been featured on the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Honor Roll three years running. He also has two MVFC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence awards and multiple trips to various AllAcademic lists.

All of this is bookmarked by Hankey’s NCAA Elite 90 award in 2019, an award given to student-athletes who compete at a national championship while also upholding the highest academic standard.

Fargo

What we see from Jackson Hankey today, both on and off the field, is thanks to that “town with a heart”.

TIM SANGER

Small towns in North Dakota are built on the values of hard work and perseverance. From your perspective, where do you think that mentality comes from?

One of the biggest things about being from a small town is that you become a lot more appreciative of where we’re at now. Obviously, being from a small town, we’re probably not expected to be able to play at this kind of level.

The fact that we’re here and we have gotten this opportunity makes us more appreciative. Small towns definitely have a different set of values that are much more predicated on hard work, perseverance and earning everything you get.

There is also a certain amount of pride you take in your community. What is it about small-town pride that is so special?

We’re not as expected to have success at this level, it’s much less likely. There will always be a sense of pride because it does not happen often where we’re from. When it does happen, it’s a little more special and it means more to the community.

Growing up in Park River, was playing football at NDSU always the endgame for you? Was that a goal you had?

NDSU was my goal. When I grew up, this is exactly where I wanted to play. I realized early on that I probably wasn’t going to get a lot of opportunities at other places just due to where I am from.

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I was always hoping I would get an opportunity to play here and fortunately I was given that opportunity. I am very grateful.

Do you think getting to NDSU was aided by how Class A (the level you played at) is structured?

Just based on personnel alone, most kids have to play on both sides of the ball. Was that to your advantage?

You get to develop many skill sets, and you get to play a lot of positions. For me, when I was in high school, I played quarterback, running back, fullback and wide receiver. So I got to develop a lot of those skill sets and all of those positions have different movements and different things required. Being able to do that and play defense, you not only get to develop certain things, but you also get a better look at the mental side of the game from both sides.

Once you did get to NDSU, was it a challenge to hone in on that linebacker spot since you were so used to playing every position?

I had always wanted to play linebacker when I came here. Ever since I got the opportunity to play middle linebacker here, I wouldn’t want to play any other position. It is my favorite position on the field and it comes with a lot of responsibility. That is one part that I really like about it too. It was a little different honing in one specific spot, but I am very glad and satisfied with the position that I am in.

high level of strength and conditioning program and that can develop you a lot. I feel like that has been a huge stride forward for me. Another area would be communication and understanding the game. Being a middle linebacker here, you are required to have a very strong understanding of our defense. You have to be able to communicate that understanding at a very high level. I had to make very big strides in those two areas.

I have to imagine this time we’re living in is extremely challenging, especially as an athlete.

How have you been able to brave the challenges this world offers on a daily basis?

It’s been very challenging. It’s been emotionally challenging and physically challenging. We do not know what is going to come tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, etc. For me, it’s important to be grounded in something other than football. That would be faith in Jesus, to be honest. With the coronavirus, I have had a lot of time and I’ve been able to really hone in on that and learn how important it is. Also, how much it has helped me, but given me clarity on things in life and the way I see the world.

Where have you seen your biggest improvements since coming from Park River to Fargo?

The biggest one would probably be with coach [Jim] Kramer. All of the sudden, you get to a very

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Kari Wolfe is a firm believer that you have to earn everything.

Whether it be sports or in life, Wolfe learned that lesson growing up in Harvey, North Dakota, a town of roughly 1,700 people. The centrally located town forged Wolfe into the tough competitor she is today for North Dakota State track & field.

Yet, in many ways, Wolfe had to carve her own path. Her track & field career seems to have flowed forward thanks to those Harvey values. Wolfe did not begin throwing javelin until her junior season of high school. The following season, she was a North Dakota state champion in the event.

• Junior

As she moved on to North Dakota State, Wolfe was a self-proclaimed “project” for coach Justin St. Clair.

In her true freshman season, she was the Summit League’s runnerup in the javelin. The following year? Wolfe found herself as the conference champion in the event.

• Javelin

Not bad for a “project”.

• Summit League champion and NCAA West Preliminary qualifier in the javelin in 2019.

However, Wolfe has been able to climb the ranks in collegiate javelin thanks to an attitude she learned in Harvey. She learned from an early age, that you can’t expect things to go your way 100 percent of the time. It’s hard work that allows you to succeed.

• Hometown: Harvey, ND [Wells County] (Population 1,646)

Harvey

Bismarck

Fargo

In that sense, Wolfe has earned all of her success. It was not given nor was it handed to her, it was self-made thanks to her small-town values.

And after an extended absence from competition, Kari Wolfe is ready to pick up where she left off.

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Growing up in Harvey, how did you put into action that small-town work ethic we are all used to hearing about?

The biggest contributor to that hard work ethic is that there isn’t anybody to tell you to do something. We don’t have any trainers saying these steps will make you better. There is no coach that specializes in one event.

If you want to be better, you have to do everything you can on your own.

It’s basically all up to you. In a Class B school, there are no kids in the weight room, there is nobody putting in extra work. Usually, the kids that put in the work are the ones that get to go to a Division I program.

There is obviously a lot of pride when a small-town athlete goes to a big school like NDSU. How special is it to have your entire community behind you while you compete here?

When you walk into the grocery store, you’re going to know every single person there. That is an advantage because everyone is watching for you in the newspaper and online. I know basically the whole town of Harvey follows BIson Throws on Instagram.

They are always looking for my name and that is a very humbling feeling.

It’s something to be proud of and you get held to those expectations which betters you as an athlete and as a person. That really instills good values.

Was NDSU and being a part of this throws program on your radar at all in high school?

I was really new to javelin because I had only started throwing it at the end of my junior year of high school.

So, I really didn’t know what I was doing. When I came on my visit, coach [Justin] St. Clair told me that if I came to NDSU that he would make me the best I could be. That really sat with me and that weekend, I signed. I really had no doubts.

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Was coming to Fargo an eye-opening experience since you were coming from a smaller town?

I remember walking around campus and thinking that this campus is basically my whole town. It was a little scary because there are a bunch of random people compared to in Harvey where you know everyone. I was always comfortable in Harvey and I think NDSU made me become uncomfortable, but I think that was the best thing for me.

People talk a lot about the lack of competition due to COVID-19. You have waited even longer considering you last competed in the spring of 2019. What have been some of the challenges in this extended break you have had?

I haven’t competed since outdoor of sophomore year which is a long time. It really was a downer when the season got canceled. I was really sad because the training was going so well, but I knew I had to keep training all summer. I had to keep that hope and keep that drive. If I lost it, it would be a lot harder to come back and show up ready to go. Keeping that drive and motivation and hope that there will be a season this spring.

You touched on how you didn’t start throwing javelin until your junior year of high school.

In that vein, where have you seen yourself improve in your time here?

do everything I could whether that was listening or being really coachable. If you looked at my freshman year, people probably had a lot of doubts about me.

Obviously, it has paid off because the last time you competed, you were Summit League champion. How have you gone about setting goals for yourself for this season and beyond?

I really think the COVID-19 break was a real blessing for me. It gave me a lot more training time and time to grow. I would say my goals are to be one of the top competitors in the nation this year. I have already proven it, I know I can do it.

I just need to stay focused and trust my training and my coach. I’ll be ready.

In your mind, what is the best part about growing up in a small town?

The biggest advantage of growing up in a small town is that you are always humbled. No matter your accomplishments, how big they are or what sport you play, you know sports is not your life.

There is a lot more to life than sports and I think growing up in a small town those values are instilled in you. No matter if you get last place, the world is not over and all you have to do is keep with it and keep working hard. I think that is what got me here.

I have gained a lot more body awareness because in high school, you don’t really train anything specific. One day you could be running and that is your practice. My biggest leap is everything, honestly. When I came here, I was throwing the javelin like a baseball and Justin said that I would be his project and that he was going to turn me into a real javelin thrower. I wanted to

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Saint John

Check out all of the North Dakota cities represented on Bison rosters.

Kenmare

Ro

Aurelia Rugby

Stanley Minot Williston Balfour

Harvey

Hazen

Mandan Dickinson Bismarck

Bowman

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Cavalier

olla Langdon

Park River

Devils Lake Grand Forks

Northwood

Thompson

Carrington

Mayville

Hillsboro Page

Harwood Jamestown

West Fargo Fargo

Casselton

Horace Jud

LaMoure Wyndmere

Wahpeton

Barney

Hankinson Lidgerwood

2020 In Review A look back at some of the best moments of 2020.

To kick off 2020, Matt Entz led the Bison to their eighth national title in nine seasons.

HILLARY EHLEN 39

HILLARY EHLEN

While there was no full football season this fall, the Bison were able to play one game. They defeated Central Arkansas 39-28 on October 3.

Richman guided the NDSU men to a 25-8 record in 2019-20 which culminated in the program's second consecutive Summit League title.

Quarterback Trey Lance was named Most Outstanding Player of that national title game. Lance has opted to leave NDSU and prepare for April's NFL Draft where he will be a high first-round selection.

HILLARY EHLEN

Tyson Ward and Dave Richman embrace following NDSU's win over North Dakota in the Summit League Tournament Championship.

DAVE EGGEN/INERTIA

DAVE EGGEN/INERTIA 41

RICHARD CARLSON/INERTIA

In his first year as head coach, Jory Collins guided the Bison women to their second Summit League Tournament victory.

Senior Shelby Gunnells concluded her indoor career in style by being named the Summit League Indoor Field Athlete Of The Year. Gunnells won the conference shot put title and place third in the weight throw.

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Bison wrestling made history in 2020 by sporting their first individual Big 12 champion. Senior Cam Sykora reached the top of the conference mountain at the 133-pound spot, capping off an incredible career.

NOLAN P. SCHMIDT RYAN WORKMAN

More recently, NDSU programs have had to find unique ways to compete.

Bison women's golf was able to play in a tournament in Nebraska in early October. NDSU won the tournament by 22 strokes.

While their season was cut short, Bison softball competed in tournaments in Texas, California, Florida and South Carolina.

NOLAN P. SCHMIDT 45

bison illustrated A look back on what we’ve done this year

Our January issue featured Bison quarterback Trey Lance on the cover. The inspiration behind the image came from the famous Sports Illustrated For Kids cover featuring Yao Ming. This kids issue profiled NDSU student-athletes teaching young kids about the qualities it takes to be a Bison. We were privileged enough to work with NDSU Extension to provide nutrition and other educational information in the issue.

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For the eighth time in nine years, we were able to put together a special championship issue. This is always one of our favorites to put together because it is always so well-received by readers and the Bison community. We try to put together a keepsake issue that can be stored alongside your other NDSU memorabilia.

Inspired by the chaotic Sports Illustrated "March Madness" preview issues, this edition focused on how crazy the month of March is at NDSU. Basketball, wrestling and track & field are all competing in postseason tournaments. On top of that, baseball, softball and golf are gearing up for their conference slates. While March ended up being a wild month for different reasons, we still feel this issue was a good way to capture the month.

With seasons falling by the wayside due to COVID-19, we had to adapt.

In our case, it was putting together a special book of some of our favorite photos from year's past. Though many in the NDSU community were hurting, we hoped that this would provide an escape.

Following our summer break, we were still unsure of what would happen in regards to fall sports.

Soccer, volleyball and cross country had all been postponed to the spring. We were still holding out hope of doing a football preview issue, but that also crumbled after NDSU's decision to not play fall football (outside of one game).

Drawing on our love for Bison history and tradition, we opted to tell some "untold" stories in Bison lore. The end result was truly rewarding given the circumstances.

We were finally able to sit down with studentathletes and talk with them in September.

Considering that opportunity, we desperately wanted to hear the studentathlete voice in the issue. Some were hurting as games and seasons were postponed with no clarity in sight. The remarkable thing is their continued dedication to their teammates, coaches and programs. We believe that shined through in this issue.

An annual tradition, our RISE issue did not disappoint this time around.

Featuring freshmen and sophomore student-athletes is something we love to do.

Not only does it boost the confidence of these young athletes, but it also showcases just how good NDSU is at developing talent. We mean it when we say it: these young kids are ready to be great right now.

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Looking Towards 2021 A quick look at what is on the docket for 2021.

Volleyball Volleyball had their season postponed to the spring of 2021. The Summit League opted to play only league games and have structured the schedule so that teams will play twice in a week at the same location. The same will ring true for the soccer and basketball conference seasons.

2021 Bison Volleyball Schedule Jan. 31 - at Kansas City - Kansas City, Mo. Feb. 1 - at Kansas City - Kansas City, Mo. Feb. 7 - South Dakota State - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 8 - South Dakota State - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 14 - Oral Roberts - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 15 - Oral Roberts - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 21 - at South Dakota - Vermillion, S.D. Feb. 22 - at South Dakota - Vermillion, S.D. Mar. 5 - Western Illinois - Fargo, N.D. Mar. 6 - Western Illinois - Fargo, N.D. Mar. 12 - Omaha - Fargo, N.D. Mar. 13 - Omaha - Fargo, N.D. Mar. 19 - at Denver - Denver, Colo.

Mar. 20 - at Denver - Denver, Colo.

Mar. 26 - at North Dakota - Grand Forks, N.D. Mar. 27 - at North Dakota - Grand Forks, N.D. Apr. 2-3 - Summit League Tournament - Sioux Falls, S.D. The Summit League Tournament will be held at the Sanford Pentagon.

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Soccer Soccer also had its season postponed to the spring of 2021. The Summit League followed suit with its scheduling model for women’s soccer.

2021 Bison Soccer Schedule Feb. 12 - at Kansas City - Kansas City, Mo. Feb. 14 - Kansas City - Kansas City, Mo. Feb. 19 - Western Illinois - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 21 - Western Illinois - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 26 - Omaha - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 28 - Omaha - Fargo, N.D. Mar. 5 - at Denver - Denver, Colo.

Mar. 7 - at Denver - Denver, Colo.

Mar. 12 - at North Dakota - Grand Forks, N.D. Mar. 14 - at North Dakota - Grand Forks, N.D. Mar. 26 - South Dakota State - Fargo, N.D. Mar. 28 - South Dakota State - Fargo, N.D. Apr. 2 - at South Dakota - Vermillion, S.D. Apr. 4 - at South Dakota - Vermillion, S.D. Apr. 9 - Oral Roberts - Fargo, N.D. Apr. 11 - Oral Roberts - Fargo, N.D. Apr. 15-17 - Summit League Tournament - Omaha, Neb.

Men’s And Women’s Basketball For both men’s and women’s basketball, Summit League schools will play a 16-game conference schedule. Teams will play the same opponent twice at one site to reduce travel, with each school hosting four weekends and playing on the road four weekends. The men’s basketball and women’s basketball league schedules are identical, with doubleheaders scheduled for all 16 games.

Jan. 2 - Western Illinois - Macomb, Ill. Jan. 3 - at Western Illinois - Macomb, Ill. Jan. 8 - Omaha - Fargo, N.D Jan. 9 - Omaha - Fargo, N.D Jan. 15 - at North Dakota - Grand Forks, N.D. Jan. 16 - at North Dakota - Grand Forks, N.D. Jan. 22 - Denver - Fargo, N.D. Jan. 23 - Denver - Fargo, N.D. Jan. 29 - at Kansas City - Kansas City, Mo. Jan. 30 - at Kansas City - Kansas City, Mo. Feb. 5 - Oral Roberts - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 6 - Oral Roberts - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 19 - South Dakota State - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 20 - South Dakota State - Fargo, N.D. Feb. 27 - at South Dakota - Vermillion, S.D. Feb. 28 - at South Dakota - Vermillion, S.D. Mar. 6-9 - Summit League Tournament - Sioux Falls, S.D.

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TEAM MAKERS

Meet The Team Makers Executive Committee GET TO KNOW TEAM MAKERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. How did you first get involved with Team Makers?

I first joined Team Makers with a group of co-workers who all wanted to support Bison Athletics and attend football and basketball games. A few years later, I was visiting with Pat Simmers and asked how I could get more involved. He had me join a fund drive team, and after a few more years, he asked me to join the Team Makers Executive Committee.

What interested you about becoming a part of the Team Makers Executive Committee?

I wanted to learn more about the Team Makers Organization and to help it continue to grow in its support of NDSU Athletics.

Meet Kris Bakkegard Title: Past President

What would you say you enjoy the most about being on the Team Makers Executive Committee?

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Where would you like to see Team Makers go in the next 5-10 years?

We have worked hard for several years to move Team Makers towards a national brand, and I think the groundwork is there for great strides to be made in the next decade towards achieving that goal.

I have had a chance to meet so many great people who are passionate about NDSU Athletics. I’ve also had a chance to meet and interact with the student-athletes outside of their field of competition.

What are some of the rewards of being a member of the Team Makers Executive Committee? What are some of the challenges?

In your time on the Executive Committee, how have you seen Team Makers evolve?

The rewards are too numerous to list here; however, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting a backstage pass to watch NDSU Athletics succeed on so many levels.

For me, one of the most rewarding accomplishments Team Makers

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accomplished during my tenure on the Executive Committee was being able to fully fund the scholarship obligation for the entire athletic department.

This success was only able to be accomplished from the success of both the Athletic Department and Team Makers feeding off one another. One of the other initiatives we undertook a few years ago, was to move the Executive Committee to more of a forward-leaning strategic group. We’ve made great strides to accomplish this and with the team currently in place, I’m confident that as I step away the organization will continue to make this evolution.

One of my favorite events of the year was having the opportunity to watch the Green and Gold Gala. This night was about celebrating the success of student-athletes both in competition and in the classroom.

It’s a very classy event, so it’s great to see so many young adults getting dressed up to celebrate their many successes. One of the challenges I see moving forward is continuing to find enough people to keep this volunteer-led organization moving forward and growing. The needs continue to grow and therefore, Team Makers must also continue to grow.

In this crazy time (especially with no sports), what is the best way to support Team Makers?

For me, I always have to pause and remember that our mission is to support student-athletes. We see, or used to anyway, the athlete part on a regular basis.

Even though the competition side of things has been disrupted this year, the academic side has continued and we will only be able to accomplish our mission by continuing to support the students.

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Can you name the North Dakota town described?

Town4 Town in which Bison great Tanner Volson (and brother Cordell) is from.

__________________

Town1

Town5

Located in North Central North Dakota, this city is often coined “The Geographic Center Of North America”.

The International Peace Gardens are in close proximity to this North Dakota town of 771.

____________________________

_________________

tOWN3

TOWN2 City in Southwest North Dakota known for its Enchanted Highway.

_______________

This North Dakota town is the hometown of former NBA player Les Jepsen.

_____________

tOWN7 This Western town is also known as “The Brick City”.

town6 Home to 958 North Dakotans, this town also houses The World’s Largest Holstein Cow.

_______________

herenw&egoglod gree

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1. Rugby 2. Regent 3. Bowbells 4. Balfour 5. Dunseith 6. New Salem 7. Hebron

answers 57

SWANY SAYS

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

We’re Still Wavin’ That Flag Around Here t was midNovember, back in 1997. The Maddock A.S. Gibbens FFA Chapter was on our way back home from the National FFA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, the former longtime home of the organization’s national convention. It just so happened that North Dakota State was playing the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, a few miles off I-29, while we were passing through.

I

Prior to the convention, our FFA advisor, Dennis Wutzke, might have tipped off two of his sophomores that bled the FFA’s blue and yellow, and NDSU’s green and yellow, that on the return trip, if we stayed in Vermillion, we could go to the Bison game. That explains why yours truly and my twin brother, Justin, now a development officer with NDSU’s College 58

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of Agriculture, had our “Thundering Herd” Bison flag with the iconic snorty logo on that trip. We used to tape this iconic flag to the railing in front of our first row seats at the Fargodome around the 15-yard line on the home sideline from the inaugural season at the Dome in 1993 through 1996 when we moved back a few rows.

The game was a must-win for the Bison.

The Herd entered the contest against USD with a 6-2 record in the North Central Conference (8-2 overall). For the record, this was Bob Babich’s first year as head coach, when NDSU beat the University of North Dakota at Memorial Stadium in Grand Forks in the infamous “Bob’s Got Balls Game,” where Babich boldly opened the second half with an onside kick that NDSU recovered en route to a smashing 31-10 win. The Bison stumbled the following weekend in Brookings and needed to win their last three games for even a shot at the Division II playoffs.

The FFA group from Maddock sat in the old bleachers at the Dakota Dome, right by USD’s band and wellinebriated student section, consisting

of a collective sad sack of diehard ‘Yotes fans. At the time, a couple of naïve boys from Maddock didn’t fully understand or appreciate the ways of the world, or college football tailgating. Nor did we understand that rifling off sarcastic remarks and insults with a group of drunk college students, who spent all afternoon at Main Street Pub in downtown Vermillion, was not as funny to them as it was to us.

A trombone player for USD opened his spit valve on Justin’s head after a particularly caustic remark from the Swanson brothers. Wutzke kept a close eye on us, but probably figured it was a good lesson in humility as we tempered our remarks as the game wore on – although he did help us make a primitive flag pole from some PVC piping, or a broom handle we took from our motel, for the game.

For much of the game, though, it didn’t matter all that much. USD took a lead and was in cruise control midway through the fourth quarter as NDSU’s playoff hopes were slipping into the cold South Dakota night. While I couldn’t find any box scores on the game on NDSU or

USD’s website, if memory serves correct – and it should because I was too young to tailgate for the game, like I’d do with the Six Flags group in the grass fields outside the Dakota Dome some 17 years later (“Swany, you want a beer. No, it’s too early. We got IPAs. Pass one up.”) – the Bison trailed by two touchdowns, something like 21-7, and took possession with about 7:30 left in the game. The Bison offense was stagnant most of the night, and there wasn’t reason to suspect they were on the brink of an offensive explosion.

This is where things got interesting, and the night took a turn for the legendary on the Swany brother’s road to Bison fandom glory. Then quarterback Kevin Feeney marched the Herd down the field and scored to bring the Bison within a touchdown and overtime. The Thundering Herd flag started seeing its first prolonged action of the night. We waved it like a pirate flag unabashed, damn the torpedoes full speed ahead, in the enemy’s midst. Remember, this was a must-win. If the Bison lost, they’d have no shot at the playoffs.

I don’t remember specifically if it was an onside kick or the Bison defense that got a stop and the ball back to the offense, that set the stage. Nonetheless, with only a handful of minutes on the clock, the Bison went to work. With around a minute left in the game, NDSU tied the game 21–21, setting up overtime. The Swany brothers amplified our efforts in the face of the USD student section and band onslaught, waiving our Thundering Herd flag high and mightily, with the snorty logo omnipresent in the ‘Yotes fans mugs.

USD got the ball first in the extra session.

Again, if memory serves correct, the ‘Yotes managed to move the ball inside NDSU’s two-yard line with a first-andgoal. It looked like they’d punch ahead by a touchdown. But then they didn’t. The Bison defense, which included Maddock native Mikel Kallenbach at safety, kept USD out of the end zone. They lined up for the equivalent of a two-foot putt field goal, but the kicker pushed it wide. The Bison were now an overtime score away from the playoffs. Much like USD, NDSU moved the ball to the doorstep of the end zone, but couldn’t get the game-winning touchdown. And, like the ‘Yotes only moments earlier, lined up for a chip shot 61

field goal. Unlike USD, the Bison kicker snuck the game-winner just inside the left upright.

Pandemonium. At least for the Swany brothers and the Bison sideline. Without any discussion or debate, Justin and I stormed the field and started proudly waving that Thundering Herd flag. Not one of our smarter decisions, sure, but what were we supposed to do, just sit there? Before you could make an option pitch to the trailing tailback, we were literally on the turf, surrounded by angry USD students reeking of cheap schnapps who tried grabbing us, and our flag. Uh oh. Someone get the ice packs, the odds were not in our favor.

It looked like along with the Bison victory, the two loudest NDSU fans inside the Dakota Dome that night were about to receive a good, and arguably deserved, lesson in Vermillion justice. That is until our FFA advisor, the aforementioned Dennis Wutzke suddenly emerged in the middle of the fray and put the fear of Jesus into those USD students. I mean he cowered them, getting in their faces so fast they had that deer in the headlights look, it was full-on shock and awe.

Maybe it was Wutzke’s allegiance or fandom to NDSU. Or, maybe it was not wanting to deal with the headache of taking two of his more boisterous students on the way home from the National FFA Convention to the local hospital after getting mauled.

That Thundering Herd flag now proudly hangs in my garage, almost three decades after Justin and I pooled our money together and went halfsies on it sometime back in the early 1990s at the Varity Mart. Every time I see that flag, I chuckle thinking about the time it almost led to the Swany brothers getting into a fight on the Dakota Dome turf in Vermillion, only to be saved by our FFA advisor.

Maybe one day we’ll learn our lesson.

Everybody up for the kickoff, the march is on!

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