Bison Illustrated January 2017

BISON ILLUSTRATED JANUARY 2017

January 2017

G et F it The

W ith

B IS ON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURE

28

BISON FITNESS North Dakota State’s strength and conditioning staff takes us through 17 different workouts that are used by six different teams at NDSU. From grip strength all the way to the neck, we pump some iron with the Bison.

56 THREE PERIODS OF HELL Editor Joe Kerlin is put through an intense wrestling conditioning drill by assistant strength coach Ryan Napoli.

72 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Nic Obey played baseball for the Bison six years ago.

Today, he’s training Division I student-athletes at Georgia Southern.

WHAT’S INSIDE 24

Bison Shots

94

Bison From Across the Country

54

The Veteran

96

Team Makers

55

The Rookie

100

Swany Says

60

Ryan Napoli

102

How Well Do You Know?

68

Strength and Conditioning Tree

105

Games

86

Pro Bison Update

110

Pop Quiz

90

Tailgating

112

Sports Calendar

THE NEXT GENERATION

FOLLOW US

16

info@spotlightmediafargo.com

@bisonmag

bisonillustrated.com

facebook.com/bisonillustrated

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

80 Senior wide receiver Eric Perkins has spent a lot of time in the weight room as a studentathlete. After graduation, he plans on staying there.

MEET THE

TEAM ANDREW

MIKE

Meet Spotlight Media’s Other Magazines

JOE

Design & Living Magazine

RYAN

ERICA

NICOLE

TRACY

PAUL

JESSE

If the new year has you on the search for a heavy dose of design inspiration, don’t miss this year’s Look Book. Over the last year, we had the honor of touring some of the area’s most beautifully designed homes, many of which deserved a second glance. Go ahead and cut out your favorites, mark it up and maybe even steal a few clever ideas - we dare you.

Fargo INC! SARAH

LUCAS

JENNY

PAUL

HEATHER

NATE

RYLEE

SAM

TANK

BRITTNEY

DEVIN

ETHAN

LEARN MORE BRADY

18

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

When you’re in a commodity business like payment processing, how do you set yourself apart from the competition?

It turns out the answer is simple: do more for your customers than anyone else. The team from West Fargo-based BNG fills us in on the secrets, challenges and frustrations that come with building a million-dollar business.

Fargo Monthly With so much motivation to improve ourselves at the change of a calendar, it’s no surprise that many people have similar New Year’s resolutions.

From losing weight and eating healthier to spending more time with family and saving money, Fargo Monthly explores some of the more common types of resolutions this month and gives some local suggestions for making them happen in 2017.

JANUARY 2017 | VOLUME 11 ISSUE 6 Bison Illustrated is a free publication distributed monthly (12 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 Spotlight Media PRESIDENT Mike Dragosavich EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Andrew Jason EDITOR Joe Kerlin DESIGN/LAYOUT Ryan Koehler, Sarah Geiger, Brittney Richter CONTRIBUTORS Josh Swanson, Joe Kerlin, Paul Bougie, Ethan Mickelson COPY EDITORS Erica Rapp, Ethan Mickelson MARKETING/SALES Tracy Nicholson, Paul Hoefer, Tank McNamara, Jenny Johnson, Lucas Albers PHOTOGRAPHY J. Alan Paul Photography, Paul Flessland BUSINESS OPERATIONS Heather Hemingway MANAGER SPECIAL THANKS Ryan Perreault, Wes Offerman, Ryan Anderson, Jeff Schwartz, Colleen Heimstead, NDSU Athletics DELIVERY Mitch Rapp, Hal Ecker, Nolan Kaml

FOR ADVERTISING CALL 701-478-SPOT (7768) or email info@spotlightmediafargo.com

Bison Illustrated is published monthly by Spotlight Media LLC. Print quantity exceeds 40,000 per issue. Printed in the U.S.A. Bison Illustrated does not necessarily endorse or agree with content of articles or advertising presented. Bison Illustrated assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Bison Illustrated is NOT an official publication of North Dakota State University.

Send change of address information and other correspondence to: Spotlight Media LLC. 15 Broadway N, Suite 500 Fargo ND, 58102 or info@spotlightmediafargo.com

EDITORIAL

EDITOR’S NOTE

One Simple

Gesture

How would you have handled losing after all these years of winning?

FROM JOE KERLIN

joe@bisonillustrated.com

bisonillustrated

@bisonmag

@joebisonmag

very Bison football game ends in similar fashion.

Players on both teams merge together around midfield to pay respect for one another in an inspiring gesture of sportsmanship before the Bison congregate at the logo on the 50yard line to take a knee and pray.

NDSU’s loss to James Madison in the semifinals this past December was no different.

E

As the Dukes sprinted toward the northwest corner of the Fargodome to celebrate with their fans, Bison players in green and gold held hands and thanked their Lord for protecting them throughout the game in a moment of reflection.

Whether you’re religious, atheist or agnostic, this type of gesture is one that symbolizes the family that is Bison football.

Every year, the growing expectations out of the 18- to 22-year olds in Bison uniforms expand to insurmountable heights. The pressure from fans, alumni and apparel companies printing “Six Pack” t-shirts in February is unlike any other in college sports. There’s a faux expectation that anything less than a

22

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

ring deems the season a failure. Frisco or bust. Win a championship or the season was all for naught.

It’s all noise. The Bison know that and even when they lost, the way the team carried themselves after defeat was inspiring.

Any team can stick together after a win, but not many can remain as strong after a loss. That’s why we appreciate the Bison and how they handle their business, win of lose.

How many teams would hold hands

in unity for everybody to see after a heartbreaking loss?

Everyone, not just football players, show their true colors when they’re down and out. The Bison colors screamed loud with pride after the loss to James Madison. You can’t help but respect them for that.

SINCERELY,

Joe Kerlin

BISON SHOTS

BISON SHOTS

P

Photo by Paul Flessland

layoffs come once a year, and these Bison fans weren’t wasting any time decking out the Fargodome from head-to-toe with holiday cheer, during the game against James Madison. Move over reindeer, because the Bison are coming to town.

The third and final playoff game of the season didn’t end well for NDSU and their 22-game playoff winning streak was snapped. At least the Bison made it home for the holidays.

We hope you had a safe and joyous Holiday Season, Bison Nation!

Did We Miss Something?

Let us know and send us your pictures: joe@bisonillustrated.com

24

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

BISON SHOTS

25

BISON FITNESS INTRODUCTION

28

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

BISON FITNESS INTRODUCTION

BISON FITNESS N

By Joe Kerlin Photos J. Alan Paul Photography

orth Dakota State’s strength and conditioning staff would like to introduce you to their new dojo. Assistant strength coach Ryan Napoli along with Adam Mead, Jason Miller and Jim Kramer take us inside the Bison weight room to show us the exercises and lifts that mold regular student-athletes into champions. They examine each part of the body and explain some of the important niche muscle groups for each sport. At NDSU, developing strength is the goal, but creating a healthy culture is imperative. Here’s how they do it. *Special thanks to Tyler, Nathan and Andy for modeling the workouts.

Fitness Guide - Page Football - 30 Wrestling - 34 Volleyball - 38 Golf - 42 Track & Field - 46 Basketball - 50 The Scene Assistant strength and conditioning coach Ryan Napoli stands on nearly one ton of iron inside the weight room at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.

29

BISON FITNESS NECK STRENGTH

Nick DeLuca’s head goes into the backside of an Illinois State ball carrier during the 2014 FCS Championship game.

NECK STRENGTH

Photo by Darren Gibbins

Preparing for the Collision

By Joe Kerlin Photos Paul Flessland

The larger the players get on the field, the more NDSU has to focus in the weight room.

But it’s not always about the size of the chest, arms and legs. It’s the neck where the NDSU football team wants to out-lift its opponents.

30

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Did you know?

Football Workouts Named After Former Bison Zach Vraa (2010-15) “Vraa Curl” Hamstring Strength Craig Dahl (2003-06) “Dahl Neck” Neck Strength Michael Sheppard (1999-2003) “Shep Crossover”

BISON FITNESS NECK STRENGTH

Exercise

Exercise

Manual Neck

1

Dahl Neck

2 1

3

4

Step 1: Lay back on bench with partner and coach pressing a towel against head.

Step 3: Slowly resist against partner’s towel as you bend your head back to starting position. Do this for 10 reps.

Step 2: Left chin to chest with partner applying mild pressure on forehead.

!

Step 4: Flip on your side and repeat on all four side of your neck cylinder.

Tip – Partner should be careful not to apply too much pressure to neck to avoid a strain of any kind.

“We believe we’re doing the right things and we take a lot of pride in what we do and how we do it, so if it’s in the program, it’s in there for a reason. We just don’t put stuff in to look pretty. Everything that’s put in has a purpose.”

- Ryan Napoli, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

2 Step 1 – Stand with a 25-pound plate in your hand and your other hand over your head.

Step 2 – Shrug shoulder while applying pressure to your head, stretching it away from shrugging shoulder, resist for a count of three seconds.

Step 3 – Repeat until you reach 10 reps and switch sides.

!

Tip – Give your neck a good stretch while performing lifts to avoid any neck stiffness that can lead to further injury.

31

BISON FITNESS NECK STRENGTH

Exercise

One-Arm Shrug

Building a Foundation for Injury Prevention

H

alfway through the fourth quarter, it was third-and-goal from the NDSU 8-yard line with the Bison nursing an eight-point lead in Macomb, Illinois. Western Illinois quarterback Sean McGuire dumped a short pass to wide receiver Lance Lenoir who was gliding his way into the end zone after the reception before he hit a wall made up of grit, strength and fearlessness. Senior linebacker M.J. Stumpf dropped Lenoir just before he crossed the goal line and the Leathernecks failed to find the end zone.

1

It was a vicious hit. Stumpf had no choice but to lead with his head to stop the first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference receiver. They both lied on the turf for a moment following the collision, each finding their bearings after the necessary violence only football could produce.

2 Step 1 – Sit on bench with a plate in one hand.

Step 2 – Shrug your shoulder upward like you would for a regular shrug rep.

Step 3 – Perform 10 reps three times on each side.

!

32

Tip – Try stabilizing the other side of your body during this exercise so you’re isolating the neck muscles you’re trying to work.

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

It’s harsh, it’s brutal—it’s football, and in this era of concussion awareness and hot button topics like CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), strength and conditioning staffs around the country are attempting to implement preventive methods in the weight room. Of course, concussions are unavoidable in some instances, but one way NDSU is addressing the issue is strengthening the base where the head sits—the neck.

“In every sport there’s a concussion risk,” assistant strength and conditioning coordinator Ryan Napoli said.

“So every sport does some sort of neck and trap training to train those qualities.”

According to Napoli, there are 30 to 40 muscles in your neck that allow you to chew, rotate and stabilize your head. The latter is why the emphasis on neck strength is in full bloom at NDSU. During the winter workouts, where the Bison football players’ main focus is adding muscle mass and strength, they’ll train their necks three times a week, in various different exercises like the manual neck, one-arm shrug and Dahl neck.

During the season, lifting continues on a much lighter basis to two times a week, but the emphasis on making sure your melon is perched concretely on your shoulders is never forgotten.

Stumpf stayed in the game after his collision at the goal line. In fact, he didn’t miss a snap for the rest of the game.

Was it the one-arm shrugs he did in the offseason? Maybe.

But at the end of the day, there’s never been a more important muscle group to strengthen than the neck region.

* * *

BISON FITNESS GRIP STRENGTH

125-pound senior Josh Rodriguez uses his grip strength to grapple head-to-head with his opponent on the mat.

GRIP STRENGTH Grappling to Victory

By Joe Kerlin Photos Paul Flessland

Wrestling has its own unique corner in NDSU Athletics, literally and figuratively. Next to its unique practice area on the second floor in the northwest corner of the Sanford Health Athletic Complex, it’s also the only sport that can truly call itself combative. This is why grip strength is essential.

34

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Did you know?

By simply using a thicker bar during lifts, Napoli has found grip strength improving among student-athletes.

BISON FITNESS GRIP STRENGTH

Exercise

Fat Bar Reverse Curl

Step 1 – Select fat bar, grip with palms facing down and begin with bar chesthigh.

Step 2 – Lower bar with elbows tucked into sides.

Do this on a fivecount.

1

Step 3 – Curl bar back to the chest as fast and steady as possible.

Step 4 – Repeat with sets of 10, 15 or as many as you can.

2

3 35

BISON FITNESS GRIP STRENGTH

Exercise

Plate Grip

Gripping Success

W

hen asked who has the strongest grip on the team, assistant strength and conditioning coach and wrestling strength coach Ryan Napoli lists the usual suspects that have experienced the most success on the mat at NDSU. NCAA Championship qualifying wrestlers Clay Ream and Josh Rodriguez stand out in Napoli’s mind as the ones leading the pack during workouts.

Imagine grabbing a 25-pound plate and holding on for dear life with only your fingertips for a minute and a half. The strain and cramping, the fatigue aching through your hands like you have just handwritten 100 high school graduation card thankyou letters. That’s the pain of winners on the Bison wrestling team.

The grip strength and success during the plate grip exercise has equated to wins on the mat for many Bison wrestlers.

“When we think about grip, we think about the forearm,” Napoli said. “But your hand, just like your foot, has a bunch of muscles. With grip, you have a

Which bar should I go with?

1 Step 1 – Grab weight plates for each hand.

Step 2 – Stand with good posture, shoulders slightly back, chest up and hold.

Step 3 – Grip plates with fingertips in intervals of 30 seconds.

lot of small things going on so we have to strengthen the small muscles and tendons to hold on, to try and get that good grip.”

Napoli, a former wrestler at Simpson College (Iowa), has gone as far as using what he calls a fat bar in the weight room. The difference between a fat bar and a standard 45-pound bar is the thickness. A fat bar is roughly two inches in diameter, allowing for users to barely wrap their hands around the bar. This puts strain on the hands and fingers, the exact place on your extremities Napoli wants to fortify.

Along with replacing the standard bar during curls and extensions, the fat bar can be used for exercises such as bench presses and shoulder shrugs.

“Wrestling is so much about gripping things,” Napoli said, “It’s not so much about just holding things but being able to move and grip things. That’s what gets fatigued first in wrestling.

You’re always grabbing an arm, grabbing a head, so your grip is going to get fatigued first.” * * *

According to the Built Lean program

Standard Bar – Traditional strength and power exercises, bench press, squat deadlift, etc.

Olympic Weight Lifting Bar – Used to enhance performance and reduce injuries, this bar uses more whip-action to enhance lifting.

Trap Bar – Shaped like a trapezoid so you can position yourself in middle, used for deadlifts Safety Squat Bar – Attached “arms” to ease pressure on shoulders and back Cambered Bar – Similar to safety bar, challenges stability that forces you to keep midsection tight during squat Fat Bar – Focus on forearm and grip strength. Similar to a standard bar, thicker grip, generally around 2-inch diameter and 10 pounds lighter.

Swiss Bar – Used for upper body exercises such as curling, pressing, etc.

Curl Bar – More comfortable to use for curls and triceps extension

36

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

BISON FITNESS SHOULDER STRENGTH

Junior Jessica Jorgensen winds up her shoulder and attacks the ball earlier this season against Fort Wayne.

Photo by Kimberly Hill/NDSU Athletics

SHOULDER STRENGTH Bringing the Power

By Joe Kerlin Photos Paul Flessland

The weight room can easily become a place where individuals come to work and focus on strengthening their weaknesses independently.

NDSU has combated that way of thinking with something they call the 90 percent rule.

38

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Did you know?

Frontline volleyball players play the majority of the match with their hands up. This is why shoulder strength is essential.

BISON FITNESS SHOULDER STRENGTH

Exercise

Med Ball Blocking Drill

Exercise

Alternate Dumbbell Incline Press

1 1

2

3

2

3

4 5

4

Step 1 – Grab two dumbbells and adjust the bench to lay at a 45-degree angle.

Step 2 - To get into the starting position, bring both dumbbells up above your head, but slightly positioned over the front of your body, locking your elbows.

Step 1 – Grab a 6-to-10-pound medicine ball and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.

Step 3 - Lower your right arm until it’s back on your chest, just below your shoulder. Keep your left arm in the locked position above your head.

Step 2 - Your first movement will be to jump up, holding the med ball above your head.

Step 3 - Once you land, sidestep to your right.

Step 4 - Jump once again, holding the med ball above your head.

Step 4 - Lift right arm back to the starting position and repeat the motion with your left arm while keeping your right arm locked.

Step 5 - Once you land, sidestep back to the starting position and repeat the exercise.

Step 5 - Continue to alternate the motion with your right and left arm until you reach six reps for each arm.

6

39

BISON FITNESS SHOULDER STRENGTH

Exercise

Overhead Press

The 90 Percent Rule

N

DSU Athletics has a simple philosophy they follow for every team. Jason Miller, the director of athletic performance for Olympic sports, calls this philosophy the “90 percent rule.”

“If we’re going to pick exercises, 90 percent of the team is going to be able to do those exercises,” Miller said. “We want our athletes to train as a team. We want to work together, we want to work hard and we want to be able to push each other. If you’re training a group as individuals, they won’t be into it as much.

So, if they’re training as a team in practice, you train them as a team in here (the weight room).”

1

The 90 percent rule goes back to building the Bison culture.

The list of training principles is one of the five key factors Miller has defined for developing a successful program culture at NDSU. The fourth key inside the training principles is to make everything about the team. If you train them as a team in the weight room, they’re more likely to play as a team during competition.

Along with training as a team, the other keys inside Miller’s

training principles are believing in your own message, to remember that development is a progression, always master the simple things and to never change for the sake of change.

The Bison volleyball team introduces various types of athletes every season. Some freshmen have more experience in the weight room than others, but the evaluation of the student-athletes remain the same before every season.

At the end of the day, Miller’s goal isn’t to have all the volleyball players lifting the same amount of weight. His goal is to develop stronger studentathletes across the board and to make them better and stronger movers when they’re on the court.

Miller doesn’t want to focus on sports specific exercise, either.

The three exercises shown here are popular with the volleyball team, but developing shoulder strength is a must across the board at NDSU. He says he’ll leave the sport-specific skill training for practice. * * *

2 Step 1 – Grab the barbell and place it in front of your shoulders. You should have a slight bend in your knees with feet shoulder-width apart.

Step 2 - Lift the bar up with your arms only. Do not bend knees or arch back to help lift.

Step 3 - While pushing up, make sure the bar is slightly in front of your body to ensure a safe motion to avoid shoulder impingements.

Step 4 - Control the bar back down in front of your shoulders and repeat lifting motion.

40

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

“We want to work together, we want to work hard and we want to be able to push each other.”

- Jason Miller, Director of Athletic Performance for Olympic Sports

BISON FITNESS BACK STRENGTH

Sophomore Will Holmgren tees off during the UNO Invitational this fall. He placed a team-high seventh in the tournament.

BACK STRENGTH

Photo by Dennis Hubbard

Overpowering the Fairway

By Joe Kerlin Photos Paul Flessland

When you think of golf, lifting never comes to mind. That is, until you’re golfing for the Bison where NDSU’s strength coaches always have the student-athletes ready to hit the links.

42

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Strengthening the back for the never-ending twisting and turning.

Exercise

Alternating Dumbbell Row

1

2

3

4

Step 1 - Lay chest first at a 45-degree angle on the bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand.

Step 3 – Extend one arm down while keeping the other at a 90-degree angle, then slowly pull up.

Step 2 – Raise both dumbbells to your chest so that your arms are at a 90-degree angle.

Step 4 – Repeat with the other arm.

Exercise

1

Pendlay Row

2

Step 1 - Begin with feet hip-width apart, holding bar shoulder-width apart and your hips and knees bent with your back flat.

Step 2 – Lift bar so it is shin high while keeping you back flat and backside out.

3 Step 3 – While keeping your back flat, lift the bar by bending at the elbows and raise the bar to your chest.

Step 4 – Return to starting position and repeat.

BISON FITNESS BACK STRENGTH

Exercise Neutral-Grip Pull-Up

Emphasizing Movement Based Training

O 1

2

ne of the biggest misconceptions the public has about athletes lifting in the weight room is that they’re doing exercises and workouts that bodybuilders or your runof-the-mill gym-goer do.

These individuals tend to focus on body part training.

You see this with people talking about chest, leg or arm day.

What student-athletes at North Dakota State are doing is movement-based training.

3

4

Step 1 – Place the resistance band around the lower-bar supporter on the weight rack.

Stand on the resistance band with your hands placed in a neutral grip with palms facing inward.

Step 2 – Pull yourself up like you are doing a chin-up.

Step 3 – Slowly push your body down until your arms are straight and legs are locked.

Step 4 – Begin the chin-up motion again and repeat.

!

44

Tip – These are advanced lifts and Adam Mead recommends you try the horizontal row machine before advancing to these lifts.

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Take golf, for example.

These athletes need to keep their core and back in proper shape to last several rounds of golf in a short period of time. So when they go to train their back, for instance, they aren’t cramming in as many back lifts as possible. Assistant strength and conditioning coach Adam Mead will have them focus on two pulling movements: vertical and horizontal.

The alternating dumbbell row and neutral grip pull-up are great examples of what Mead would call vertical pulling movements. These exercises work muscles in

a unique way and reaches areas that aren’t hit hard if they were to do seated row exercises.

Diversifying the movements golfers use in the weight room will also help them avoid an injury.

In golf, there’s a lot of twisting of the torso.

Mead says he avoids that movement as much as possible in the weight room.

“They do so much of that stuff, we try to strengthen things around that (area),” Mead said. “We’ll do a lot of anti-rotational stuff.

We’ll do a lot of stuff with the back so they’re able to decelerate up top. So they’re not just following through and they can stay strong on top so they can slow down after they make contact with the golf ball (on the course).”

It’s obvious to say Mead’s goal is to strengthen the golfers just like any other student-athlete at NDSU. What Mead is hoping to accomplish is having them exercise smartly and efficiently so they can apply the proper strength on the course. * * *

“We’ll do a lot of anti-rotational stuff. We’ll do a lot of stuff with the back so they’re able to decelerate up top.”

- Adam Mead, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

BISON FITNESS EXPLOSION STRENGTH

Senior multi-event athlete Angus Stoudt spent last season recovering from an injury. The Excelsior, Minnesota native won the Summit League indoor heptathlon championship and the Summit League outdoor decathlon championship in 2015.

EXPLOSION STRENGTH The Origin of Speed

By Joe Kerlin Photos Paul Flessland

Speed doesn’t necessarily come from practice on the track. Adam Mead explains why every runner at NDSU is getting after it in the weight room to improve their explosiveness.

46

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Track and field finds a balance on the track and in the weight room

Exercise

Romanian Deadlift (RDO)

1

2

3

Step 1 - Begin with feet hip-width apart, holding the bar shoulder-width apart and your hips and knees bent with your back flat.

Step 2 – Begin exercise with the bar at your shins, keeping your back straight and chest out. Lift up.

Exercise

1

Step 3 – Come to a stop when your body is straight, take a breath and hold.

Don’t shrug or lean.

Step 4 – Control your body on the way down and keep your back straight until you arrive in the position you started in.

Sled March

2

3

Step 1 - Grab sled on each side and slightly lean into the sled without moving it and begin your march.

Step 3 – As you place your foot down with each marching step, your foot should push into the turf, not pull.

Step 2 – During your march, your raised leg should form a 90-degree angle, and your toes should be pointed up.

Step 4 – Steps should be short in length and explosive. Continue march for 15 yards.

BISON FITNESS EXPLOSION STRENGTH

Exercise

Reverse Hyperextension

Gluteus Maximize Your Explosiveness

T

here’s an easy explanation as to why Usain Bolt is one of the most famous international athletes in the world. Not only is he the fastest man on the planet, he competes in an event that consists of less than 10 seconds of power, vigor and explosiveness. No other sporting event compares.

1

There may not be any Bolts wandering the tundra in Fargo, but inside the Shelly Ellig Indoor Track Facility, NDSU is home to some of the top track athletes in the Midwest.

2 Step 1 – Rest torso on the hyperextension bench with your hips on the front side of the curved pad, hands holding the grips.

Step 2 – Squeeze medicine ball between your feet with ball and feet dangling.

Step 3 – Steadily raise legs, keeping them straight until they are parallel to the ground.

Step 4 – Hold for a three-count and slowly drop legs back down and repeat.

!

Tip – Do not raise legs above your torso. This will cause unneeded stress on your back.

“I have a ton of fun with them. They’re twitchy athletes so they’re really explosive athletes, which is a lot of fun for us.”

- Adam Mead, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach 48

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

The Bison track and field team spends three days in the weight room during the offseason and two during the season, honing their explosiveness to maximize their power on the track.

For every sprinter, this comes from their backside and hamstrings, says assistant strength and conditioning coach Adam Mead.

“We get after it,” said Mead, who oversees the women’s basketball and soccer teams, both track squads and the golfers. “We’ll get after it but then we also tone back during different times because of the volume they are getting on the track.”

Therein lies the intricacies of training track athletes.

College track is split into two different seasons: indoor and outdoor. The challenge stems from knowing the appropriate

times to peak these athletes’ performances as the season progresses.

For example, during the holidays and as the calendar turns, many of the runners are on their own, training moderately with an average amount of volume, according to Mead.

When the season starts kicking back into gear in January, a lot of the strength is being built as a foundation for the rest of the season. Training will slowly taper off in the weight room as the runner trains more on the track.

The goal, ultimately, is for the athletes to be in peak condition for the indoor conference championships in March.

“We talk to the coaches,” Mead said. “They all know what we’re doing in the weight room. We know what they’re doing on the track in terms of a plan.”

The volume of training in the weight room continues again in between seasons but there isn’t much time.

Then, the basic training re-enters the athletes’ regiments so they’re peaking again in May, for the outdoor conference championships.

“It’s taught me a lot,” Mead said. “I have a ton of fun with them. They’re twitchy athletes so they’re really explosive athletes, which is a lot of fun for us.” * * *

BISON FITNESS REAR STRENGTH

Junior A.J. Jacobson elevates as he shoots a three-pointer from the corner during the semifinals of the 2016 Summit League basketball tournament in Sioux Fall, S.D. against IPFW.

REAR STRENGTH The Round Mound of Rebound

By Joe Kerlin Photos Paul Flessland

Whoever said basketball isn’t a contact sport has never laced up the sneakers and attempted to gather a rebound in the paint.

Here’s what NDSU is doing to make sure their basketball players have a solid foundation for absorbing contact.

50

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

We’re not talking about Charles Barkley, we’re talking about crashing the boards.

BISON FITNESS REAR STRENGTH

Exercise

Exercise

Side Lunge

1

Rear-Foot-Elevated Split-Squat

2 1

3

4

Step 1: Begin standing up with your feet shoulder width apart and holding a dumbbell in each hand.

Step 3 – Return to the middle.

Step 2 – Lunge directly to the right, sinking your hips, keeping your back straight and pause.

Step 4 – Lunge directly to the left, sinking your hips, keeping your back straight and pause.

Step 5 – Return to the middle and begin the sequence over until you reach six to eight reps on each side.

2

“(The side lunge) puts a little bit more emphasis on the muscles in the hips to stabilize their knee.”

- Jason Miller, Director of Athletic Performance for Olympic Sports

!

Tip – If you’re feeling unbalanced during this exercise, try holding one dumbbell with both hands in front of your chest before trying the exercise with two dumbbells.

Step 1 – Stand up holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lift one foot onto the bench at a 90-degree angle and your foot on the ground slightly past your hip.

Step 2 – Bend at the knee with your straight leg into a regular squat position without your other knee touching the ground.

3 Step 3 – Straighten your bent knee as you pop up, pushing your chest up and keeping your back straight.

Step 4 – Repeat 6 to 10 times before switching legs.

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BISON FITNESS REAR STRENGTH

Exercise

Hip Raises

Developing Progression Through Secondary Workouts

W

ith all the running, cutting and jumping the NDSU basketball team does on the court and in conditioning, strength coach Jason Miller has incorporated creative ways to lessen the impact on joints during strength exercise. The most notable of these workouts is hip raises.

1

This exercise allows the student-athlete to strengthen their rear and hamstrings without wasting away at their knees and other important joints. The minimal impact has turned injury prevention into a fun and unique workout.

2 Step 1 – Lay on the ground with the barbell above your midsection with your knees bent. Make sure the bar is just below your waist at the bottom of your hip bone.

Step 2 – Tighten your rear and core and push up, raising your hips and lower back off the ground.

Step 3 – Pause at the top and make sure your shoulder blades are still on the ground and toes are in the air.

Step 4 – Lower your back to the ground and repeat.

!

52

Tip – If you’re trying to strengthen your rear and hamstrings without stress on your knees, this workout is for you.

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Every exercise shown here for the basketball team is what Miller considers secondary exercises and very rarely does he incorporate all of them on the same day. But one or two of these exercises can go a long way in strengthening muscles around the areas where squats and deadlifts work the most.

Secondary workouts not only attack larger muscle areas, they work the smaller muscle fibers

around muscles like the hamstrings. The rearfoot elevated split squat is an exercise NDSU uses across the board for all its sports teams. It challenges balance and improves stabilization around the core and hips along with working the hamstring muscle.

“It also puts a little bit more emphasis on the muscles in the hips to stabilize their knee,” Miller said. “So you’re not favoring one side over the other.”

With a sport like basketball, flexibility and elasticity are so important. Whether the athletes are jumping for a rebound, maneuvering their way past a defender or absorbing contact for a layup, these secondary workouts develop the strength they need while still being able to move freely. * * *

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TRAINING

The Veteran

Emily Spier

A

s Emily Spier’s playing time has grown at NDSU, so has her impact on the court.

Throughout her four years on the Bison basketball team, Spier has seen her scoring and rebounding averages improve every season.

She’s developed from an asset off the bench to a perennial threat in the low post.

Spier is no stranger to the weight room, so we asked her some questions, from a veteran’s perspective, what it’s like in there for a Bison student-athlete.

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Q&A Q: What can you tell us about your strength coach Adam Mead?

A: “He’s pushing us really hard. He’s making sure we’re getting in and getting out.

We’re getting our lifts in and doing it the correct way.

He’s also making sure we’re getting breakfast in, that’s a huge thing, just making sure we’re eating and replenishing our bodies and that kind of thing.”

Q: What are some of the differences between inseason and offseason workouts?

A: “Offseason, we spend a lot more time with heavy lifting and getting more muscle tone to us, meaning stronger. We do a lot more conditioning in the offseason. In season, we lift maybe once or twice

a week and it’s basically to keep our flexibility and keep ourselves moving, bending and keeping up as much strength as we can.”

Q: Do you feel like you need to take control in the weight room because you’ve been around the block a time or two?

A: “I do take a little more responsibility and push them harder. I can, not necessarily be mean, but have more of a harsher sense to me. I’m just making sure we’re moving along with good pace and that we’re getting things done.”

* * *

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TRAINING

The Rookie

Reilly Jacobson

T

rue freshman forward Reilly Jacobson is already seeing a lot of playing time for the Bison this season. The Waukee, Iowa, native is playing over 20 minutes a game and logged a season-high 27 minutes in a 9344 beatdown of Mayville State.

Jacobson tied her career-high with 11 points in that game and recorded a career-high 12 rebounds.

We asked Jacobson about the adjustment in the weight room from high school to college and what she’s focusing on the most.

Q&A Q: What was it like getting ready for the season at NDSU compared to when you were in high school?

A: “In high school, we weren’t required to lift or do any of that stuff. We did some conditioning before preseason for a couple weeks. Coming here over the summer, it really picked up. I knew it was going to so I was prepared mentally, but it was hard getting into it because my body was really sore and all the running was way more than I have ever done.”

Q: How long did it take for you to become truly comfortable in the weight room this summer?

A: “At the beginning of the summer, Adam Mead, our lifting coach, was really good at explaining it to us, making

sure we knew what we were doing before he got us into more weight or let us off into our own. So, I mean, maybe a couple weeks and we’re all pretty much there.”

Q: Anything you’re trying to focus and improve upon?

A: “I think I need to work on my arms and all that. I would say benching because I was just benching 75 pounds pretty much all summer and then coming into the season, I just got up to 95 pounds.”

Q: Why is that important?

A: “College is way more aggressive. In high school, I could just turn and make a layup, now I have to make a move and everything and be more aggressive.” * * *

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WRESTLING CONDITIONING WORKOUT

JOE UMLAUF NDSU Wrestler

THREE PERIODS OF

HELL 56

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

By Joe Kerlin Photos Paul Flessland

W

ithin the walls of the Sanford Health Athletic Complex, it’s common to hear conversations among student-athletes about the sport that they could never do. Whether you’re a track athlete, football player or shoot basketballs for your scholarship, the consensus is, the work the wrestling team does in the weight room is the most daunting. Well, why is that? We asked wrestling strength and conditioning coach Ryan Napoli to put us through a normal conditioning drill and boy, did we find out why wrestlers are a different breed of athlete.

WRESTLING CONDITIONING WORKOUT

ME

Oblivious nonathlete

RYAN NAPOLI

NDSU Strength Coach

It’s the final day of dead week at North Dakota State. When our photographer Paul and I arrive inside the weight room at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex, the fitness area is sparsely filled with random student-athletes from every sport. Football player Nate Tanguay is in the corner doing curls as he nurses a knee injury and there are a few baseball players scattered around jumping bench to bench in the middle of whatever head coach Tod Brown has asked them to do to remain in shape before the spring season.

Former women’s basketball players Brooke LeMar and Marena Whittle are going through a lift together. Both are back for alumni weekend and have another few more months before returning overseas to continue their professional careers. They wince when I tell them the reason I’m in the weight

room. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I’m a washed up athlete about to be put through a hellacious session with one of the many hardcore, intimidating strength coaches or the fact they’ve seen college wrestlers, athletes at the top of their game, barely survive what I’m about to do. Either way, I’m in for the workout of my life.

the turf. “We won’t put you through the full conditioning workout,” he says, casually.

Assistant strength and conditioning coach Ryan Napoli emerges from his office and walks past the nutrition bar, where I’ll likely belly up later if I can still walk after what he’s about to put me through. He smiles as we make eye contact and meet in the turf area separating the weight room and the countless stationary bicycles, elliptical and treadmills.

He pulls out a tire from a door I thought led to the trainer’s room, again, another room inside the SHAC I might end up if I have the misfortune of not making it to the nutrition bar. Napoli sees my distasteful body language and says, “Don’t worry, it’s only, like, 75 pounds.”

Napoli begins to throw weights on a sled-like piece of equipment resting on

Confident, I quip, “Why not? That’s what I’m here for.”

He smiles and says through a smirk, “Liability issues.”

Period one begins.

CONTINUE TO WORKOUTS...

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WRESTLING CONDITIONING WORKOUT

PERIOD I PERIOD I

“Get after it, Joe,” yells Kyan Brown, the firstyear men’s assistant basketball coach, who is about to begin his own lifting session at the SHAC. I’m not sure what “it” exactly is, while I strain for breath after two sets.

I just finished pushing a 95-pound sled 50 yards and I was jogging back to the tire I was about to flip over and over again for 20 seconds.

PERIOD II

The first period consists of two exercises with a 30-second break in between. It starts with flipping a tire as fast as you can up and down the turf, getting about 10-15 yards every session. From there, you run to the sled, which is on one end of the turf. Napoli has you push the sled to the other side as fast as you can before taking another break and getting back to the tire. He has you do six sets of this.

PERIOD II

If you’re wondering why the wrestling team conditions in periods, it’s because that’s how long the matches go. There are three periods, totaling seven minutes of non-stop pushing, pulling, grabbing, changing direction and sometimes suffocating, if your opponent has the advantage.

Napoli has structured the conditioning around that timeframe to prepare the wrestlers for what the match is going to feel like.

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

At first, you’re fine, bending at the knees and using mostly your lower half to flip the tire that was actually 133 pounds, 50 pounds heavier than I was told (thanks, Ryan).

The first time you push the sled, it glides along the turf. But after each set, your mechanics when flipping the tire start to fade as your legs weaken with each bend. Your upper body becomes your crutch and your shoulders and back begin to burn.

The sled remains the same weight the whole time through period one, but by the third set, you feel every millimeter it sinks into the turf. The gliding turns into an all out push as your legs begin to give way around set number three.

Period one finishes and you’re gassed. With a dry mouth, I stumble back to Napoli who is standing near a cone on the far wall of the turf.

The second period of conditioning only requires two cones and 30 yards of turf. I sprint 30 yards from cone-to-cone, and on the way back, I jog, before getting back to the cone at the starting line and begin sprinting again. It’s nonstop movement that wrestlers are required to do six times in less than two minutes.

I clock in at 2:20 and can barely stand.

Napoli is chuckling as he shows me the stopwatch, “Better than I thought.”

PERIOD III

PERIOD III

For the sake of full disclosure, I didn’t participate in period three.

I guess I’m not cutout to be a Bison. Napoli had thrown me over his shoulder and slammed me to the mat over and over again before pinning me. I was shot.

Finished, and about to make a mess on the new turf at the SHAC.

If I had been a wrestler, Napoli would’ve had me get on a stationary bike.

The plan was to have me go as fast as I could for 15 seconds and then go at a regular pace for 40, then repeat five more times.

Thankfully, I was unable to get on the bike. My day was over and my respect for the NDSU wrestling team was through the roof. * * *

THE BEARDED BEAR RYAN NAPOLI

the bearded

BEAR

By Joe Kerlin Photos Paul Flessland

R

yan Napoli came to North Dakota State five and a half years ago and has been on a ride like any other coach since his arrival. He climbed through the strength and conditioning ranks from an intern to assistant strength coach for Jim Kramer and the Bison football team. Napoli is also the strength coach for the wrestling team and throwers on the track and field team.

(This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.)

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THE BEARDED BEAR RYAN NAPOLI

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THE BEARDED BEAR RYAN NAPOLI

“I got into coaching to have an impact on kids’ lives. Not just make them better at football, but better members of society.”

- Ryan Napoli, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

INTERVIEW Bison Illustrated: The guy you work under, Jim Kramer, is regarded as one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the country. What can you learn from him now?

Ryan Napoli: I don’t know if I’ll ever truly grasps the breadth of his knowledge because he’s really smart and knows a ton. But I mean, every day is, it’s like we talk about: You have to go 1-0 for the day so you can go 1-0 for the week.

Every day you’re trying to get better, that’s what we’re doing around here so I’m always kind of watching him and how he handles situations and how he handles this. People don’t know he’s the one putting all the meals together on the road. When we travel and stuff, he’s the one who sets up all the meals.

He’s the one that gives them all the menus and sets up times and this and that. Even here (on-campus), he works with the dining halls and gives them the menus. That’s what we do. He has me help him and it means a lot.

He’s the guy who gets workouts ready 62

and does injury adjustments, he does the food, postgame meal. He’s actually given to me over the past couple of years so I’m in charge of getting all the meals after an away game set up, and delivered to the buses, hand it out and stuff like that. There’s just so much more that he does that’s more than just being the strength coach.

It’s learning all the different hats that Coach Kramer wears so I’m going to be prepared someday to take over my own program, whether it’s here or somewhere else or whatever down the road because I’m just better prepared.

If I could ever be as good of a strength coach as Jim Kramer, I’d be really happy. I mean, my goal is to try to be better than him. And I’m not going to say you can’t be better than him because I’m a competitor and I’m always going to try because that’s my goal. I’m just so honored. He’s so great.

Just look at what the kids say about him. Every senior that comes through here talks about the impact he has on this program and on them. Every single senior. That’s really cool. That’s who I want to be. I got into coaching to

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

have an impact on kids’ lives. Not just make them better football players but better members of society, whether it’s football, throwers or wrestlers.

Make those kids better so when they go off into the working world, they’re prepared and Kramer does that.

BI: A lot of people have noticed you on the sidelines during football games.

What are you doing there?

RN: We’re (Kramer and Napoli) the Get Back Coaches. We’re in charge of making sure the guys stay behind the white line so we don’t get penalized.

We get those special teams. So when Coach Kramer, on the third down, says, ‘Hey, punt D,’ Coach Kramer will pull the special teamers, I have to run up and down and make sure to get everybody, make sure the defensive guys are ready or making sure the offensive guys know that we’re getting the ball back. I’m always the guy yelling that stuff.

I’m also getting the guys at halftime.

We hand out rice crispy bars, bananas and the Gatorade and the water. We do whatever else coach needs us to do,

whether it’s getting a guy salted Powerade because he’s cramping, or Coach (Chris) Klieman needs me to find somebody or Coach (Jamar) Cain needs me to find somebody. We’re there to do whatever that needs to be done. It’s as simple as Coach Klieman needs to talk to somebody, he’ll say, “Hey Nap, go grab me this guy.”

I’ll go down and grab Chris Board, “Hey, Coach Klieman needs to talk to you” or whatever the case it.

BI: Sounds intense. Are you wrapped up in the emotion of the game as much as a regular coach?

RN: Oh yeah, it always is. Football is an intense game. You ain’t there to just watch. It’s keeping coaches back, it’s making sure that the referees don’t flag us for stupid stuff. It’s making sure guys are ready to go. I’ll talk to certain guys and try

to get guys fired up. We’re there to be motivators and we’re there to help out.

Believe me, Coach Kramer and I are wired different and I think that’s why we work so well together.

The guy is freaking wired and he’s super intense and that’s how it is. That’s why we are who we are.

We’re the Bison. We’re not lackadaisical on the sidelines. All the coaches are intense. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing, it’s always intense on the sidelines. On game days, you take a couple scoops of preworkout. Let’s go to work and it’s intense. It’s fun. It’s exciting. Believe me, if I could do one thing—I tell the guys this all the time—I’d love to go put the pads on, me and T-Roehl (Tyler Roehl), he goes in at tailback, I’ll go in at fullback and I will kick out power.

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THE BEARDED BEAR RYAN NAPOLI

“On gamedays, you take a couple scoops of preworkout. Let’s go to work.”

- Ryan Napoli We’ll run power one time. I’d love to go kick out power and play fullback for the Bison. It would be so much fun.

BI: It’s always horrifying to watch a player go out of bounds and run into a coach. Has that ever happened to you?

RN: This one time, it was Langer (Derrick Lang) who took me out pretty good. It was the Northern Iowa game.

He was coming and I was kind of ready to stop him, but then he went down to his knees and was sliding and just took me out. (Ryan) Perreault had a picture a few years back and I never saved it but you see Langer sliding, knees first and I’m going up and over him, because I was going to try and pick him up and stop him. I’ve had a couple close calls. But, I usually see it. I’m that guy that’s like, Oh okay, I’m only going to get out of the way. I’m not going to sprint back.’ I just step to the side and let the stuff go straight by. I can’t show the guys I’m scared or nervous, that would ruin my image (laughs).

BI: How did you become a strength coach?

RN: I wrestled at Simpson College, which is a Division III school in Iowa, just south of Des Moines. I actually wrestled my freshman year at 174 pounds. Then my sophomore, junior and senior year I wrestled 184, and I weigh 240 now. I was a little tyke in college. I got into strength and conditioning in college. I went to college to be an athletic trainer, didn’t like other people’s injuries, and I’ve always been a meathead, so my coach was like, “Hey, do you want to try strength and conditioning?” So I interned second-semester, got paid 64

as an undergraduate assistant during my sophomore, junior and senior year, and then after college, I decided to go on to be a strength coach.

BI: How did you get to NDSU? RN: After college, I went to the Air Force Academy as an unpaid assistant. I went out there on my own dime and worked with their football team for a whole year. One of the full-time strength coaches at the Air Force Academy was Kim Pinske. She was Coach (Jim) Kramer’s graduate assistant like 12 years ago or something. She got me in touch with Coach Kramer and I interviewed to be the paid summer intern and moved out here May 23, 2011.

BI: What did Jim Kramer have you doing that summer during your internship?

RN: I was around the guys every day at lifts and at runs, and calling out coaching queues and doing what interns do. I got to do some coaching stuff, but not a ton. But I was there, around the guys, got to know about them. Ryan Smith and Brock (Jensen), who I ended up stretching before every football game his whole career here. I stretch Easton (Stick) before every game. I stretched Carson (Wentz) before every game, and it’s just kind of the tradition. We don’t talk. It’s just before the game, it was, “Hey, this is what we do now.”

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

BI: Your internship turned into a graduate assistant position and now you’re a full-time member of the staff.

Why do you think that is?

RN: I just got immersed right away.

I knew I wanted to be a Division I football strength coach so I got the opportunity to come here and be a strength coach, and I just immersed myself 100 percent because that’s all I can do. There’s no point in me coming out here and giving a half-assed effort and getting coach pissed off because I’m not good enough. I don’t play video games or roll dice or play cards if I’m not going to try to win. The same thing with my life. I wasn’t going to try and be an intern that was just here.

I wanted to make an impact and be the best intern that’s ever been here.

That turned into being a GA, and that’s turned into me being hired full-time.

More?

Checkout BisonIllustrated.com for more Jim Kramer and sideline stories from Ryan Napoli.

COACHES STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING TREE

NDSU’s

Strength and Conditioning Tree W hat Jim Kramer and Jason Miller have established inside the weight room at North Dakota State is pretty special. From constructing championship-winning teams to establishing a culture of hard work and accountability, the four full-time members of the strength and conditioning staff are only getting better. This is shown by the strength and conditioning tree that is beginning to spread across the entire country with individuals who got their start at NDSU. Skimming through college athletic departments across the country, there seems to be a growing list of coaches with ties that go back to the Bison.

Jim Kramer

Photos By J. Alan Paul Photography

Jason Miller

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Strength and Conditioning Tree

COACHES STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING TREE

FORMER BISON IN THE COLLEGE ATHLETICS STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING INDUSTRY

Adam Hermann

Charlie Woida

Chris Winter

Nic Obey

Kim Pinske

Ryan DeVreindt

Boise State, Director of Sports Performance Former Assistant and Graduate Assistant

Georgia Southern, Director of Strength and Conditioning Former baseball player; graduate assistant strength and conditioning

OTHERS Kelly Lopez - Boise State, Associate Director of Sports Performance -Former Volleyball player, Intern, GA and Assistant Ryan Swenson - Illinois State, CSCS, SCCC, Assistant Strength & Conditioning coach -Former Track & Field Athlete and intern Brad Ruhanen - University of Memphis, Director of Athletic Performance for Olympic Sports -Former GA who worked with football, golf, wrestling, softball and track and field 70

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

University of Montana, Director of Athletic Performance Center Former graduate assistant (2008)

Air Force Academy, Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Former GA; Interim Associate Director for Athletic Performance

Saginaw Valley State, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Former Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach

University of Kentucky, Assistant Strength Coach (Olympic Sports) Former Intern

Tyler Beckman - Oral Roberts University, Assistant Director of Sports Performance -Former Intern

Mike Piper - Central Connecticut State University, Assistant Strength Coach -Former Intern

Brittany Wiebe -University of Missouri, Graduate Assistant -Former basketball player from 201215; volunteer assistant for strength and conditioning

Dan Lensby - University of Mary, Grad Assistant Strength Coach -Former Intern

Tyler Johnson - Duke, Strength & Conditioning Intern -Former Student assistant coach Andrew Shirek - University of Jamestown, Football Strength Coach -Former Intern & GA

Logan Barrett - UT Arlington, Graduate Assistant Strength Coach -Former Intern Cory Anderson - Bemidji State University, Assistant Strength Coach -Former Intern

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? NIC OBEY

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? NIC OBEY

WHERE

? NOW? ARE THEY

a

FRESH FACE

for D-1

athletics

By Ethan Mickelson

A

s one of the youngest directors of strength and conditioning in Division I athletics, Nic Obey is responsible for building and toning every muscle of the Eagles’ lineup at Georgia Southern University (GSU). To properly train athletes in the various sports he oversees, Obey focuses on the power of the basics, drawing on lessons he learned while at NDSU.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? NIC OBEY

Now primarily working with baseball at the Statesboro, Georgia school with a total enrollment of 20,500 students, his athletic experience includes playing on NDSU’s baseball team from 2010 to 2011, after two years of baseball at Des Moines Area Community College. Obey was also a three-sport athlete in high school , playing baseball, football and basketball in Chatfield, Minnesota.

There’s no secret to success

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

for Obey and the athletes he trains, just hard work within the weight room in the shortterm, and growing leadership by developing a dedicated culture in the long-run.

Cultivating Culture

“Culture plays a huge role,” Obey said about his move from the northern tundra to the swamps of the south. “It was the same at NDSU as it is here. I’m trying to develop a championship team.”

Obey was elated to join an already successful strength staff at Georgia Southern in February 2014. A year and a half into his new job, Obey experienced Georgia Southern history. He was on the staff that helped guide the Eagles’ football program to their firstever bowl win over Bowling Green in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl.

Obey was promoted to director of strength and conditioning nine months later. As of this

NDSU Career Stats

2010 Season (BESR) Games played - 39 Games started - 36 Batting average - .268 Slugging percentage - .535 RBI - 31 Stolen bases - 1 Home runs - 6 2011 Season (BBCOR) Games played - 45 Games started - 34 Batting average - .281 Slugging percentage - .391 RBI - 17 Stolen bases - 7

September, he became one of the youngest directors in Division I athletics.

In cultivating his own culture of success, the former Bison outfielder uses his experience on the field and lessons learned working under NDSU strength and conditioning coach Jason Miller as a model for enabling athletes to reach their fullest potential.

“I wasn’t the most talented guy coming into college,” Obey

said modestly, “But I was determined that I was going to outwork people, and that’s how I was going to get better.

That is where my passion for the weight room came in as well, because I saw what it did for me as a player.”

Bread and Butter of Baseball

During his first year as a part of the Herd, the slugger hit a memorable pair of home runs, including a grand slam against Western Illinois. One day later,

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? NIC OBEY

a Leatherneck pitcher broke Obey’s nose and eye socket in Macomb, Illinois, costing him 11 games over a three-week span.

His senior year would also prove to be a challenge, with a new kind of bat throwing a curve ball into his 2011 season. The old pop from BESR certified aluminum bats vanished and the new BallBat Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) bats were introduced, but it reduced exit-velocity from batted balls. Hitting numbers fell throughout college baseball.

For Obey, dealing with this change felt by the entire country required continuing his meticulous attention to the smallest details.

Photo by A.J. Henderson/GSU Athletics

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? NIC OBEY

“You look at any big leaguer, they don’t slack off in the weight room. Every hitter that’s in the big leagues can drive a baseball, and that’s what I wanted to do, too,” said Obey.

“(Miller and Kramer) challenged me every day to get better, and I learned a lot,” said Obey. “I still look up to him to this day. There’s no shortcuts.

If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”

He attributes his determination and drive in-part to the strength and conditioning staff at NDSU, especially Jim Kramer, who helped him get an internship with Chris Doyle at the University of Iowa after Obey earned his undergraduate degree in exercise science.

Obey returned to NDSU for two years as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach while earning a master’s degree in leadership in physical education and sport.

Obey had box seats to a flourishing program of athletes at NDSU, observing the process and energy Miller brought to the weight room every day and how it affected the athletes’ performance. In addition to playing baseball with Zach Wentz, Obey assisted the football team during future first-round draft pick Carson Wentz’s freshman year.

“A lot of it is a credit to our coaches and support staff at NDSU for developing talent,” explained Obey. “We all root

for each other no matter what.

That was the kind of family atmosphere we had at NDSU, and I know that’s still the case today.”

Strength as a Foundation

To complement the family environment he’s building at Georgia Southern, Obey’s emphasis on the little things is all part of a bigger plan to hone each athlete’s overall strength, endurance and agility.

“We’re going to be brilliant at the basics,” said Obey.

“All of the methods I use are designed to allow the student-athlete to progress to their fullest potential and peak at the proper time in a competitive season. Strength is the foundation of everything we do. If you’re not getting

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? NIC OBEY

stronger, you’re getting weaker.”

While leaving Fargo for his new colleagues in Statesboro meant saying goodbye to a team that felt like family, the move enabled Obey to step into the a new leadership role that he’s been preparing for his whole life. He’s also stepping into the role of husband, having recently married Morgan (Williams)

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Obey, on December 3, 2016 in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“My experience as an athlete and working with Coach Miller had an effect on what I wanted to do with the rest of my life,” said Obey.

“It definitely was the best decision I could’ve made because I wouldn’t be where I am today without coming to NDSU.”

Obey continues to apply the hands on approach he learned as a Bison to Georgia Southern, impacting lives by helping to develop life strategies that yield success as a person and athlete. His age might not show it, but Obey’s extensive experience is sure to inspire growth and fortify the Eagles’ new position as a powerhouse in the Sun Belt Conference. * * *

ERIC PERKINS NEXT GENERATION OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

THE NEXT GENERATION OF STRENGTH & CONDITIONING Eric Perkins is learning from the best during his stint at NDSU

By Joe Kerlin Photos Paul Flessland

E

ric Perkins is one of the five remaining members of the recruiting class from 2012. Listed at 5 feet 8 inches, Perkins is one of the three shortest guys on the team, but his ability to stick with the brutal and hard working Bison football environment has been admirable. He’s been through thick and thin and in and out of surgeries so much that his toughness epitomizes what it takes to be a Bison.

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Earlier this year, Perkins went under the knife twice. However, he’s clawed his way back on the field just in time for playoffs. And he’s no stranger to making a huge impact when the season’s on the line.

Last year, NDSU held a strong lead against Richmond in the semifinals.

The Spiders boomed a punt to pin the Bison deep in their own territory.

Perkins caught it at NDSU’s 12-yardline and cut to the right to avoid the Richmond bullet. He then exploded up the middle of the field and outran the punter, angling himself toward the west pylon. Perkins scored his first touchdown on a punt return and the rout of Richmond had commenced.

Perkins solidified himself as the primary kick returner during the end of the 2014 season. He got the job on the last game of the regular season and went on to return 14 kickoffs the rest of the year and averaged 24.1 yards per return. In 2015, punt returning duties were his responsibility.

The wide receiver’s gritty display has shown signs on offense. But again, with injuries plaguing him for two seasons, a consistently healthy Perkins has been tough to come by.

But off the field, Perkins is as solid as they come. He graduated the morning before the James Madison semifinal game and has four Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll achievements to his name with a fifth on its way.

Perkins came to NDSU with exercise science as his intended major. He hasn’t deviated from the course and looks forward to working with football players for his entire professional career. With Director of Athletic Performance Jim Kramer molding Perkins over five years, the senior from Kewaskum, Wisconsin, couldn’t ask for a better mentor.

THE INTERVIEW BISON ILLUSTRATED: What enthralled you about the strength and conditioning industry?

ERIC PERKINS: “Right away, I just saw the intensity and all the passion, everything that Kramer brought and it really sparked an interest for me to go down that path of strength and conditioning. I was impressed with just how intense he was and I just want to be around football and be able to make a difference in people’s lives. I feel like strength and conditioning is a really

ERIC PERKINS NEXT GENERATION OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

big way (to do that) because we’re with Kramer more than we are with our own coaches, so he makes the biggest impact on us.”

workout program. They let me do that a couple times, so I worked out with both the resistance and the speed workouts too, so that was fun.”

BI: Have you been able to complete any internships to see what it’s like being in your career field?

BI: Was that the first time you got experience working with other athletes?

EP: “I did an internship over at Dynasty with Cole (Jirik) and Christian (Dudzik). I was teammates with those guys so I was already close with them and was able to jump right in and work out and train some of the kids, some of their clients that they had. It was really good experience because they trusted me with them right away, and they said, if I wouldn’t have had the background that I had, they might not have let me train the kids right away, but since they knew I knew what I was doing, I was able to jump right in and get a lot of good experience.”

EP: “I volunteered at MSUM the semester before in the spring. I was over there for about a month or two and I was helping out with Coach (Travis) Anderson with the football program over there.”

BI: Did you put them through what you do at NDSU? EP: “Cole and Christian created their own resistance focus training, and then every once in a while, I would create my own agility or speed 82

BI: Do you feel like you have a better grasp for strength and conditioning because you’ve been through five years of Kramer’s program?

EP: “I definitely think that it will help me, being coached under Kramer since he’s got such a good pedigree of what he’s done. I mean, coach of the year and everything and being through all the workouts. I know what to expect and what’s harder and what’s easier.

Like how to create my own workout, in however many years that’s going to be.”

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

BI: What’s the next step for you after you graduate and the season is over?

EP: “Probably going to be working with NDSU football for the next semester, as a volunteer intern type of thing.

And then see where it goes from there.”

BI: You have additional schooling down the road. Any idea where that might take you?

EP: “For now, my girlfriend is going to be here so we’re both going to be in Fargo for another year, and once she’s done with her internship, I’ll start looking elsewhere and see if we can branch out a bit.”

BI: What’s your ultimate goal with strength and conditioning, in terms of where you want to end up?

EP: “I don’t have a certain college or anything, but to be a head strength coach at some university. Football for sure.” * * *

PRO PRO BISON UPDATE FOOTBALL

BISON

FOOTBALL

R

ight now, NDSU football is in a Golden Era for producing NFL talent.

NDSU is the most represented FCS program in pro football with former student-athletes ranging from the mid-2000s to players who have made their mark in Frisco, Texas over the past five years. What a time to be a Bison. And what a time to be a Bison in the NFL. Note: Stats are current through Week 15 of the 2016 NFL regular season.

86

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

By Joe Kerlin

UPDATE

PRO BISON UPDATE FOOTBALL

Former Bison in the NFL Kyle Emanuel

Team: San Diego Chargers Position: Outside Linebacker Years Pro: 2 After making three starts for the Chargers his rookie season in 2015, Kyle Emanuel has been in the starting lineup in all but four games this year. He’s thriving as an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense in San Diego.

2016 Stats 14 Games Played 10 Games Started 45 Total Tackles 1 Forced Fumble 1 Fumble Recovery

(Photo by M

an ike Nowak/S

rs) Diego Charge

Marcus Williams Team: New York Jets Position: Cornerback Years Pro: 3

Marcus Williams continued his great performance in 2015 and was off to a hot start in 2016, making two interceptions through the first two games. He suffered a high-ankle sprain during Week 9 against the Dolphins and returned for Week 14.

(Photo by the New

Joe Haeg

Team: Indianapolis Colts Position: Offensive Lineman Years Pro: Rookie Joe Haeg has started in three different spots on the offensive line for the Indianapolis Colts. He was named “Gruden Grinder”

by ESPN’s Jon Gruden after the Colts victory over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

2016 Stats Gruden Grinder (12/5) 8 Starts at Right Tackle 2 Starts at Right Guard 2 Starts at Left Guard (Photo by the Indian

apolis Colts)

York Jets)

2016 Stats 11 Games Played 4 Games Started 31 Total Tackles 2 Interceptions 6 Passes Defended 1 Forced Fumble

NOT PICTURED Billy Turner

Team: Denver Broncos Position: Offensive Lineman Years Pro: 3 Billy Turner has been all over the NFL this season. He was cut by the Miami Dolphins where he spent his first two seasons in the NFL. He was claimed by the Baltimore Ravens that week but was cut after the game that Sunday. The Denver Broncos claimed Turner the next day. He’s been active for one game during his time in Denver.

87

PRO BISON UPDATE FOOTBALL

Carson Wentz Team: Philadelphia Eagles Position: Quarterback Years Pro: Rookie

Carson Wentz set the Philadelphia Eagles’ franchise rookie-record in passing yards and passing touchdowns in a rookie season. He hasn’t missed a snap this season since claiming the No. 1 quarterback spot after the preseason.

(Photo by Brent Tehven)

2016 Stats 14 Games Started 62.8 Completion Percentage 3,385 Passing Yards 13 Passing Touchdowns 13 Interceptions 6.3 Passing Yards/Attempt 10 Passing Yards/Completion 2 Rushing Touchdowns

John Crockett Team: Green Bay Packers Position: Running Back Years Pro: 2

After scoring two touchdowns and gaining 137 total yards during three games in the preseason, John Crockett has spent the entire 2016 season on the injured reserved list.

(Photo by Evan

Siegle/Green

alo Bi lls) (Photo by Buff

Ramon Humber Team: Buffalo Bills Position: Linebacker Years Pro: 9

Ramon Humber signed with the Buffalo Bison as a reserve linebacker a day after being released from the New England Patriots. He signed with New England after moving on from the New Orleans Saints this offseason, an organization he spent six years with. He’s played the most snaps on specials team of any player on the Bills this season.

2016 Stats 14 Games Played 3 Total Tackles 88

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Bay Packers)

NOT PICTURED C.J. Smith

Team: Philadelphia Eagles Position: Cornerback Years Pro: Rookie C.J. Smith has been active for seven games this season after beginning the year on the practice squad. He hasn’t recorded a statistic, but he is paying snaps on special teams.

Former Bison in the CFL

(Photo by

Brock Jensen

The C anad

ian Press)

Team: Ottawa Redblacks Position: Quarterback Years Pro: 2

Brock Jensen spent the entire season as a backup for the champions of the Canadian Football League. He started one game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, passing for two touchdowns. The Redblacks lost the game by one point.

2016 Stats 6 Games Played 1 Start 67.4 Completion Percentage 330 Passing Yards 2 Passing Touchdowns 0 Interceptions 73 Rushing Yards 1 Rushing Touchdown

(Photo by Joha

ny Jutras/Winn

ipeg Blue Bomb

Ryan Smith

Team: Winnipeg Blue Bombers Position: Wide Receiver Years Pro: 3 Ryan Smith joined Winnipeg this spring after spending his first two seasons in Saskatchewan. Smith signed a two-year contract and will be back in Winnipeg after dealing with a lower-body injury in 2016.

2016 Stats 11 Games Played 53 Receptions 488 Yards 1 TD

ers)

TAILGATING SUBZERO

SUB

ZERO TAILGATING

By Ethan Mickelson Photos by Paul Flessland

It’s only going to get colder, at least that’s what most Fargo residents would say to anyone brave enough to comment on the plummeting temperatures.

Mother nature has blessed tailgaters with comfortable weather for the past few years, but not this one. It may have gotten cold fast, but winter clearly couldn’t stop these Bison fans. We jumped into a couple tents while roaming the tailgating lot before the Bison home playoffs games to see how people were staying warm.

The answer? Hot dish and space heaters.

90

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

TAILGATING SUBZERO

TAILGATING

= Second Round

TEMPERATURE

TEMPS

= Quarterfinals = Semifinal

40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20

2011

2012

2013

2014

YEAR 92

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

2015

2016

BISON FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY NEBRASKA

BISON from across the

country

Omaha, Nebraska, has been a hotbed of football talent for NDSU

NE #12 Easton Stick Sophomore Quarterback Creighton Prep High School Starts: 22 Total TDs: 44 Passing Yards: 3,475 Rushing Yards: 1,183

#16 RJ Urzendowski Junior Wide Receiver Creighton Prep High School Games Played: 45 Total TDs: 14 Receptions: 111 Receiving Yards: 1,825 94

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

By Joe Kerlin

F

our starters. Three high schools. Two cities. One state.

Nebraska has been a gold mine for the Bison football team over the past four years. Nick DeLuca, RJ Urzendowski, Easton Stick and Jalen Allison all hail from the Cornhusker State and are vital cogs in the Bison football machine.

OMAHA PAPILLION

BISON FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY NEBRASKA

= NEBRASKA

Nebraska Facts

Population: 1.882 million (2014) Size: 77,358 square miles Capital: Lincoln Largest City: Omaha (pop. 434,353) Nickname: Cornhusker State, The Tree Planters’ State Motto: “Equality before the law” Notable Nebraskans: Crazy Horse, Dick Cheney, Gerald Ford, Hilary Swank, Johnny Carson, Larry the Cable Guy, Barry Alvarez, Danny Woodhead, Malcolm X

#21 Jalen Allison Sophomore Cornerback Papillion-La Vista High School Games Played: 29 Total Tackles: 89 Pass Defended: 19 Interceptions: 5

#49 Nick DeLuca Senior Linebacker Millard North High School Games Played: 46 Total Tackles: 255 Tackles for Loss: 15.5 Interceptions: 6

95

TEAM MAKERS NEW PRESIDENT KRIS BAKKEGARD

Team Makers Meet the New Team Makers President

Kris Bakkegard Interview by Joe Kerlin Photos by Paul Flessland

T

eam Makers will introduce a new president this January. We met with Kris Bakkegard in his office at KLJ to get to know the new man at the helm of NDSU Athletics’ philanthropic organization.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

96

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

TEAM MAKERS NEW PRESIDENT KRIS BAKKEGARD

97

TEAM MAKERS NEW PRESIDENT KRIS BAKKEGARD

THE INTERVIEW Bison Illustrated: What do you do?

Kris Bakkegard: “I’ve filled quite a few different roles with KLJ and most all of them have been different. I started out traditionally doing design work, very much the nuts and bolts, calculations, then stepped more into managing projects so I wasn’t doing so much the day-to-day design work, but more making sure everything got done.

Some client management, making sure our clients’ needs were met and most recently, I’ve moved more into a management role where we have our organization divided into three divisions. I help manage one of those divisions, so I have four groups within our organization.”

BI: Where are you from?

KB: “I’m from Valley City (North Dakota). I’ve lived all but one or two 98

years of my life within 60 miles of Fargo.”

BI: So you grew up watching Rocky Hager led Bison teams?

KB: “I did. Phil Hansen, that whole crew. I went to many, many playoff games in the 80s with my dad at the old Dacotah Field.”

BI: How did your support grow after attending NDSU? KB: “One of my coworkers, who was out of school before me, he and I bought season tickets before I graduated from college so we’ve been season ticket holders since the mid-90s for Bison football. The first year of the Fargodome.”

BI: Is that when you became a Team Maker?

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

KB: “Our company joined Team Makers right away. And each of us, there are four of us that ultimately went together to get our tickets. The four partners that worked at our company and then after a period of time, now all four of us have joined so it wasn’t right away that we joined Team Makers as individuals but we did as a company right away. I would say the company joined in the late 90s, and then it was in the early to mid-2000s when the rest of us joined.”

BI: Where are you hoping to see Team Makers go?

KB: “A couple words we use come to mind. Just continuing to fund that excellence that already exists in the system. Knowing that you feel a great relief come off you when you see the SHAC getting done although there’s a

little bit left to finish. You realize that there is always something coming next and cost of education isn’t getting any cheaper so we’re always going to need to grow as an organization in order to fund even what we do today.

“I think about what you heard from Terry (Ludlum) when you talked with him. We need to find ways outside of the ticket environment to continue gaining our membership. There are a lot of people across the entire country now that have a lot more visibility on a dayto-day basis of the activities going on at NDSU, and a lot of the benefit is from the excellence the program has had and the national recognition it’s gained. We’re hoping to tap into some of those folks who are now seeing what we live every day and get to see at the Fargodome, and what we do as season ticket holders. People are getting to see that across the country and we’re really emphasizing that a lot. We need their help to come back to help fund that excellence and to continue that visibility and to continue going into the future for everybody.”

BI: Is the challenge to boost memberships, offer more incentives or raise more awareness?

KB: “It is more challenging in that here

(Fargo), we can bump into somebody on the street and talk to somebody about Bison Athletics and kind of strike up that conversation. It’s a lot easier (to be seen) here. We are relying a lot more on other resources to tap into the alumni databases and other places where we can at least connect with people. I think the other side of it is, as we get our message out more, Terry did a great job of laying out the tiered program and what we have now. (Team Makers) is a good organization to say you’re a member of, but you can now contribute to specific places so you know that your contribution is getting to the area that you’re more passionate about. All the way to the individual program funds, which exist all the way up to the costof-attendance, which right now, is where we’re focused.

“The philanthropic giving, but beyond that, just general gifting to the athletic department and still keeping Team Makers that core fan group. With Matt’s (Larsen) assistance, we’ve done a good job of defining those, and Jack (Maughan) did a lot of heavy lifting in getting that organized in laying out the program, and how we want this to look. It gives us, as volunteers, easier talking points.”

Read the rest of the interview on BisonIllustrated.com.

SWANY SAYS

swany says

THIS IS NOT THE

END

FOLLOW @swany8

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

rom now until next September, whether you’re sitting on Big Cormorant Lake dropping the auger to cut some ice for a line, pulling the air seeder planting your field, or pushing the mower through tall green grass, behind closed doors, a team is at work. This team knows that what happened at the Fargodome on a Friday night in December doesn’t define who they are. Just like certain events on the snow-covered red turf in Cheney, Washington, on December 11, 2010, didn’t mark an end. There is more to the story. Much more. History has a funny way of being circular rather than linear in a chronological sense.

F

Others have and will continue to write their postmortems on how North Dakota State’s historic run of five straight Football Championship Subdivision national titles finally came to an end. James Madison slayed the big bad Bison, ding dong the wicked Bison are dead. To that, I say, woe! Woe to anyone that harbors misguided thoughts that NDSU is going to quietly fade into the sunlight and posterity of history.

The “streak” may be over, but the Bison will be back.

While outcomes, especially in sports, are measured by wins and losses, those individual wins and losses, winning streaks and championship runs don’t tell the whole story. They are but a snapshot giving us only part of the picture. Think about 100

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

that proverbial iceberg sitting above the waterline. The vast majority of the iceberg lies below the surface.

So too, like that iceberg, we see just a fraction of the big picture— the outcome, that win or loss. But what defines a team, a person, or an organization, isn’t always the win or loss, but their response to winning or losing. NDSU didn’t win five straight national titles and six straight conference titles by basking in win, after win, after win, championship after championship after championship.

The Bison won by staying hungry, staying humble, and acting like they hadn’t won anything when preparing for the next season.

You’ve likely heard that Bison players are not allowed to wear championship gear in the weight room. It’s about winning each day, looking forward to and embracing the next challenge. For the first time since the closing days of 2010 leading into 2011, the Bison hunger and humility will be tested by an offseason of knowing the team fell short of its ultimate goal the previous year—standing on the stage at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

Resilience and perseverance are hard learned lessons. They also can set the table for big, big things.

Think about what you felt in the hours and days after NDSU lost a playoff game for the first time ever at the Fargodome. You’ve probably moved past that, washed it away with some holiday cheer and hopes for a short winter as a prelude to next fall. Now, take whatever you felt on the heels of that loss and multiply it by every single

SWANY SAYS

back to 1965, NDSU was primed to take our brand of football, our tradition, to a new level. The rest of America witnessed exactly what that meant as the Bison became a national brand with a national story as NDSU built upon an already rich history and culture with five more national titles and wins over big-time opponents like Kansas State and the University of Iowa.

Losing to Eastern Washington in 2010 was not the end. It also wasn’t the beginning. What happened that day was set in motion years, if not decades, before.

“Woe to anyone that harbors misguided thoughts that NDSU is going to quietly fade into the sunlight and posterity of history. The “streak” may be over, but the Bison will be back.” snowflake in your yard. What you felt as a fan, albeit well intended and out of the incredible passion for our team, pales in comparison to what our players, coaches, and anyone affiliated with our football program is still feeling. It’s cliché, but true— you learn more about yourself and what you’re about in failure than in success.

Two of the biggest games in recent Bison history were prologue to what began in September 2011, setting the stage for what has since followed.

In early December 2010, the Bison were in the FCS playoffs for the first time. The week before they suffered the heartbreaking overtime loss at Eastern Washington in the national quarterfinals that everyone remembers, the Bison beat Montana State 42-17 in Bozeman, Montana.

I’ll never forget sitting in the press conference following NDSU’s win over the Bobcats. I drove from Minot, where I was working as a judicial law clerk, through a blizzard with a fellow Bison alum, to cover

the game for Bison Illustrated.

The home team was stunned, dumbfounded. Most of the people in the room were dumbfounded.

The Bison knocked off the No. 3 ranked Bobcats. At home. In the playoffs. The sense of “what the hell just happened” hung heavy in the brisk Rocky Mountain air.

After falling behind 21-17 early in the fourth quarter, the Bison reeled off four straight touchdowns, punctuating a day that put the rest of the FCS on notice. I can’t remember the exact question, but at that press conference, someone asked Bison offensive lineman Paul Cornick about NDSU’s unexpected victory and, after two postseason wins, a playoff run. The media was surprised. Not Cornick. Not the Bison. In a no-nonsense, matterof-fact way, Cornick said the Bison were hungry for more.

Hungry for more? Starving is more appropriate. The tradition was there.

It never left. After winning eight Division II national championships and dozens of conference titles going

Our story, the story of NDSU football, didn’t start with the national limelight of winning five straight FCS championships and regular appearances on ESPN. Likewise, the story of NDSU football didn’t end with what happened against James Madison. The “streak,” the run of consecutive championships, never defined this football team or our university.

It is something to be remarkably proud of. It was historic. It is, and will stand for some time, as one of the greatest team achievements in the history of sports. It deserves a standing ovation and all the attention that has come along with it. But it’s not the end, it’s prologue for what comes next.

The last time the Bison fell in the playoffs, you know what happened.

The history of our championship program is that we come back stronger. This team, our players and coaches, our university, has never let a loss define us. The Bison have never and will never let a loss be the final word. The mantra of this team is “Attack the Process,” to take each day one at a time, and to win each day. There will be no sulking, no pouting, no feeling sorry for themselves. There’s work to be done.

Helluva season, Bison. We’re proud of you, damn proud of you. And we know this is not the end. Come next September, we’ll be ready and hungry too. The strength of the Herd is the Bison, and the Strength of the Bison is the Herd. Everyone up for the kickoff, the march is on!

101

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR TEAMMATE? JONAH WARWICK

Jonah LL HOW WEU DO YO KNOW

Warwick? uld What wo ? y a s h a n Jo

T

hese three upperclassmen middle distance runners from the men’s track and field team go head-to-head to see who knows their teammate best.

THE QUESTIONS

JONAH WARWICK’S ANSWERS

BRANT GILBERTSON

MATT JENNINGS

1. Who has the strictest diet out of you three: Brant, Matt, or you?

Matt

Jonah

Me. Jonah loves sweets +1

2. If you weren’t a track athlete, what other sport would you play?

Water Polo

Quidditch

Football

3. Would you rather fly or drive for vacation?

Fly

4. If you could live in any country, which one would you pick?

China

5. What’s your favorite video game?

Mario Kart

6. Who talks the most during a practice run?

Matt

7. Who is your celebrity crush?

Aaron Rodgers

8. Would you rather be a giant snail or a tiny elephant?

Tiny elephant, then peanuts would be more fun to eat

102

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

Fly +1

Fly +1

Brazil

Italy

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Rocket League

Matt +1 Megan Fox Giant Snail

2-8

Me +1 Jennifer Aniston Tiny Elephant +1

4-8

BISON CROSSING

Bison Crossing 1

2

3 5

4

6

7

8 9

Across

1.

10

Down

NDSU’s primary punt returner, this senior from Kewaskum, Wisconsin, scored a touchdown in the NCAA semifinals win over Richmond last season.

5.

2.

6.

7.

8.

3.

4.

Ryan _____, the current assistant strength and conditioning coach for NDSU, had a successful wrestling career before joining the Bison staff as an intern in 2011.

Dahl neck is a workout named after which former Bison safety who played from 2003-2006?

This city is a hotbed of football talent for NDSU with Nick DeLuca, RJ Urzendowski and Easton Stick.

In his 13th season as director of athletic performance, this pillar of Bison strength oversees the NDSU football team.

9.

12.

Which bar is shaped like a trapezoid to position yourself in the middle while deadlifting weights?

Now the director of strength and conditioning at Georgia Southern, this notable Bison outfielder is from Chatfield, Minnesota.

Which former women’s volleyball outside hitter is now a strength coach at Boise State?

13

1.

This former Bison is a linebacker who was in the starting lineup for all but one game this year for the San Diego Chargers.

Which former Bison was named the ‘’Gruden Grinder” by ESPN’s Jon Gruden during Monday Night Football. ___ Jennings is a middle distance runner for the Men’s Track and Field team. He is in his junior year at NDSU and is from Devils Lake, N.D.

10.

11.

Jalen ____ is a sophomore cornerback with 66 total tackles and four interceptions this year.

Ryan _______ is an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Illinois State and graduated from NDSU.

ANSWERS 7. Omaha 8. Jim Kramer 9. Trapbar 10. Allison 11. Swenson 12. Nic Obey 13.Kelly Lopez

4.

Jason _____ first joined NDSU as an assistant in 2005, and later became director of athletic performance for Olympic sports.

13.

11

12

1. (Down) Eric Perkins 1. (Across) Easton Stick 2. Kyle Emanuel 3. Joe Haeg 4. (Down) Matt 4. Miller 5. Napoli 6. Craig Dahl

This Bison quarterback threw three touchdown passes in the triumphant game against South Dakota State this season.

EFT!

SEE

THE L O T S R E W ANS

105

BISON WORD SEARCH

WORD SEARCH

S WORD D TO FIN

BISON FITNESS VRAA CURL PRO BISON NICK DELUCA JOSH RODRIGUEZ

SUBZERO TAILGATING JOHN CROCKETT BILLY TURNER SHEP CROSSOVER ADAM HERMANN

MALIK CLEMENTS REVERSE CURL JONAH WARWICK BRANT GILBERTSON MARCUS WILLIAMS

107

109 ANSWERS: 1. Under Armour logo missing from kid’s “Bison Nation” shirt 2. Adidas logo missing 3. Nike logo missing from #11 t-shirt 4. Bison Head logo missing from Bison Shirt 5. NDSU logo missing from inside of Texas on hoodie

SPOT THE

5

DIFFERENCES ORIGINAL SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

POP QUIZ

POPQUIZ

WITH NDSU ATHLETES

What is your New Year’s resolution?

What’s your alltime favorite show that you’ve binged watched?

What indoor activities do you do when it’s too cold to go outside?

Eat less cheese curds.

“Longmire”

Checking Bisman online.

Sleep more.

“The Office”

Listen to music/play video games.

I haven’t decided on one yet, but I do believe everyone should have a New Year’s resolution.

“Hawaii Five-O.” Literally watched that every free chance I had.

Play Playstation, watch Netflix, and sleep.

I do not have a New Year’s resolution, but I think it’s important to strive toward personal goals!

I recently started binge watching “The Office.”

Watch “The Office” (after homework, of course).

My New Year’s resolution is to stay healthy the rest of the basketball season.

“The Blacklist”

Read, watch Netflix, and hang with family and friends.

Landon Lechler

Landon Lechler is a powerful offensive lineman from Beach, North Dakota. He was named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first-team and was named an Associated Press firstteam All-American.

Football

Paul Miller

As a junior from Waukesha, Wisconsin, Paul Miller is leading the Bison in scoring this year, averaging 12.6 points per game.

Despite a knee injury last season, Miller led the Bison in scoring as a sophomore.

Basketball

Tyler McNutt

WRESTLING

Tyler McNutt is a redshirt sophomore from Saint Joseph, Missouri. Last year, the 184-pounder earned his first academic All-Big 12 Wrestling second team honor. McNutt began the 2016-17 season 7-3 with three pins and won his weight class in the Bison Open.

Amy Andrushko

TRACK

This mid-distance runner from Dugald, Manitoba, was the 2016 Summit League indoor champion for women’s track and field in the 800m, clocking in at 2:11.11. A senior this year, she ran an indoor 800m personal-best of 2:08:31 last season.

Hannah Breske

Hannah Breske is a senior guard on the women’s basketball team.

She’s from Casselton, North Dakota, where she was named to the all-state team her senior season and was a three-time all-conference and all-district honoree.

Basketball 110

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

You are stuck in an elevator with one of your coaches. Which one would you choose?

If you could live the life of any pro athlete for a day, who would it be?

Coach (Jim) Kramer. One of us is bound to figure out how to get out.

Joe Haeg

Coach (Will) Veasley. He’d be the calmest.

Aaron Rodgers

Coach (Jarrod) Garnett

Jordan Burroughs

Coach Lars (Don Larson) for two reasons: either he will be able to fix the elevator himself, or know someone who can get it done quickly.

Allyson Felix

Emily (Mehr), because I think she would provide good entertainment.

Simone Biles, because she was very successful in the Olympics, and she got to meet and get a kiss from Zac Efron!

SPORTS CALENDAR

SPORTS CALENDAR january

21 – Men’s Basketball at

3-4 – Men’s Track and Field

Western Illinois (Macomb, Ill.) 2 p.m.

Bison Open (Fargo) TBA

4 – Women’s Basketball vs.

25 – Men’s Basketball vs. Oral

Field Bison Open (Fargo) TBA

South Dakota (Fargo) 7 p.m.

5 – Men’s Basketball vs. IUPUI (Fargo) 7 p.m.

Roberts (Fargo) 7 p.m.

26 – Women’s Basketball at

6 – Wrestling vs. Northern

South Dakota (Vermillion, S.D.) 7 p.m.

Colorado (Fargo) 7 p.m.

28 – Women’s Basketball vs.

7 – Women’s Basketball vs.

Oral Roberts (Fargo) 2 p.m.

Fort Wayne (Fargo) 2 p.m.

28 – Wrestling vs. Cal Poly

8 – Wrestling vs. Boise State (Fargo) 2 p.m.

(Righetti H.S.) (Santa Maria, Calif.) 2 p.m.

11 – Men’s Basketball at South

28 – Wrestling vs. Bakersfield

Dakota (Vermillion, S.D.) 7 p.m.

13-14 – Wrestling vs. Virginia Duals (Norfolk, Va.) TBA

14 – Women’s Basketball at Western Illinois (Macomb, Ill.) 4:30 p.m.

14 – Men’s Track and Field Bison Classic (Fargo) TBA

14 – Women’s Track and Field Bison Classic (Fargo) TBA

(Righetti H.S.) (Santa Maria, Calif.) 4 p.m

28 – Men’s Track and Field Adidas Classic (Lincoln, Neb.) TBA

28 – Women’s Track and Field Adidas Classic (Lincoln, Neb.) TBA

february

14 – Men’s Basketball at Denver (Denver, Colo.) 5 p.m.

18 – Women’s Basketball vs.

1 – Men’s Basketball at

Omaha (Fargo) 7 p.m.

IUPUI (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6 p.m.

19 – Men’s Basketball vs. Fort

2 – Women’s Basketball

Wayne (Fargo) 7 p.m.

21 – Women’s Basketball at IUPUI (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6 p.m.

21 – Men’s Track and Field Jim

at South Dakota State (Brookings, S.D.) 7 p.m.

3 – Wrestling vs.

Utah Valley (Fargo) 7 p.m.

Emmerich Alumni Invitational (Brookings, S.D.) TBA

21 – Women’s Track and Field Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational (Brookings, S.D.) TBA 112

BISON ILLUSTRATED • JANUARY 2017

ry a u n a j 2017

3-4 – Women’s Track and 4 – Men’s Basketball vs. South Dakota (Fargo) 2 p.m.

Josh Rodriguez is a 125-pound senior and was an NCAA Wrestling Championship qualifier in 2015 and 2016, and was named the 2015 NCAA West Region Most Outstanding Wrestler.