Bison Illustrated January 2021

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C O M P L I M E N TA RY

CONTENTS

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COVER STORY 16

MAKING THE GRADE

Much is made of the success North Dakota State has within the field of competition. Conference and national championships continue to take a rightful place at the forefront of our conversations. Occasionally, the term “student-athlete” gets lost in the shuffle as we are constantly praising the “athlete”. Oftentimes, we fail to recognize that academics are held in incredibly high esteem at NDSU. This can be seen in cumulative GPAs and the copious amount of NDSU names on allacademic lists. When you arrive at North Dakota State, you are more than an “athlete”. You are the definition of a “student-athlete”.

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01/2021

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FEATURES 46

RECURRING

BISON FOOTBALL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

Formed in 2016, the BFPA is a vital outlet for seven generations of football alumni. Learn what they do and how they continue to carry on NDSU’s tradition of success.

8 Editor’s Note 14 Bison Shots 54 Calendar 56 Team Makers 58 Interactive 60 Swany Says

Sam Koehn Charley Hesse James Kaczor Alyssa Lind Dylan Droegemueller GPA Graph

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Wunderkinds FROM NOLAN P. SCHMIDT

I

I have had the privilege of talking with so many wonderful people in my time editing this magazine. Whether it is a student-athlete, coach or administrator, everyone at NDSU is so gracious with their time. That cannot be said for every athletic department in the country, so people like me consider ourselves lucky that we get to do this for a living.

Of the countless conversations I have held, most notably with coaches and administrators, they always seem to squeeze in a tidbit about student-athletes

in the classroom. For the amount of praise studentathletes receive for their on-field accomplishments, their academic achievements are what seem to garner the happiest responses from those within the athletic department.

I cannot have a conversation with athletics director Matt Larsen without him mentioning the cumulative GPA across all of NDSU’s programs.

I will never have a conversation with NDSU President Dean Bresciani without him comparing

FROM THE EDITOR

NDSU’s academic standing to other, larger, universities in the United States.

There is rarely a time where I talk with head football coach Matt Entz (or any coach for that matter) without him discussing the goals accomplished in the classroom by his players.

In short, every NDSU studentathlete is far smarter than I will ever be.

These praises are constant, in my experience. It took me a good chuck of time to realize just how much this says about the Bison student-athlete

population. We as casual viewers and outsiders should see that these comments speak volumes about the caliber of student-athletes at NDSU.

they turn their attention to athletics. That formula has proven to rather effective when you think about it, especially for North Dakota State University.

Not only are these kids winning conference and national titles, they are being nationally recognized for their work off the field. The numerous names on “insert All-Academic team here� are only a part of the evidence.

These student-athletes understand that academics come first.

We will never understand the scope of their workload.

They practice, they travel, they compete, they workout, they go to class, they do their homework, they take tests, they complete projects. While the world of being a college athlete may look so glamorous to some, these kids work their tails off to be recognized in the classroom and on the field.

It is only after they ace a test or nail a project, where

That should be celebrated and

praised. So, we did that in the ensuing pages.

At NDSU, the term studentathlete is an all-encompassing moniker. These Bison take pride in being both a student and an athlete.

JANUARY 2021 | VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1 Bison Illustrated is a free publication distributed monthly (8 times a year).

Our mission is to help promote North Dakota State University Athletics, provide a quality and fun reading experience and to improve the way of life in our community. The publication is mailed to homes across the US and has newsstand distribution throughout North Dakota and Minnesota.

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ophomore Jarius Cook drives to the basket in NDSU’s December 12 victory over North Dakota. As part of the CU Mortgage Direct Dakota Showcase, the Bison faced off with fellow Summit League foes South Dakota, South Dakota State and North Dakota. While the games did not count towards the conference ledger, it was a good indicator of what the top of the league will look like. North Dakota State took two of those games, beating South Dakota and North Dakota. This contest against the Fighting Hawks saw Bison sophomore Sam Griesel ice the game at the line with a game-winning free throw.

Want to contribute?

Email your best photos to: nolan@spotlightmediafargo.com 14

BISON ILLUSTRATED J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia

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By Nolan P. Schmidt Photos By Nolan P. Schmidt

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uch is made of the success North Dakota State has within the field of competition.

Conference and national championships continue to take a rightful place at the forefront of our conversations. Occasionally, the term "studentathlete" gets lost in the shuffle as we are constantly praising the "athlete". Oftentimes, we fail to recognize that academics are held in incredibly high esteem at NDSU. This can be seen in cumulative GPAs and the copious amount of NDSU names on all-academic lists. When you arrive at North Dakota State, you are more than an "athlete". You are the definition of a "student-athlete".

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H U M I L I T Y A N D TA L E N T H AV E G U I D E D S E N I O R S A M KO E H N TO S U C C E S S O N T H E D I A M O N D A N D I N H E R S P O RT S M A N AG E M E N T M A J O R .

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Sam Koehn has become quite well-traveled throughout her college life and she is better off for it. The senior, an Altoona, Iowa, native was originally committed to play softball for Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. After one year with the Thundering Herd, Koehn found her way to another herd at North Dakota State.

Koehn seemed to fit right into Darren Mueller's illustrious program upon her arrival in 2019. She played in 56 games at third base in 2019, hitting .262 with four home runs in her inaugural season in Fargo. The senior was trending up in her junior campaign in 2020 too. Koehn was hitting .290 with a team-leading 13 RBIs before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the mental rigors of quarantine and the lack of competition, Koehn has yet to waver. Despite the canceled season, Koehn was selected to the Summit League All-Academic Team last spring. Her 3.94 GPA in sports management was one of the best marks on the team and in the conference.

Her positive attitude and humility toward success are a breath of fresh air in a time where negativity dominated our conversations. In that sense, Sam Koehn is something special as an athlete, a student and a person.

How did you decide on a sports management major?

How did you come to that decision?

I am not very good at decision making. If you ask Darren [Mueller], I'm sure he would say the same. When I was at Marshall, I was an exercise science major. However, when I transferred, I was too far behind in the major here to pursue it. Sports management was the best fit with a business administration minor. I've taken a couple of science classes, just in case. I thought I wanted to be a chiropractor so I was trying to get the prerequisites for that. Right now, I'm kind of thinking I want to graduate and go back and get my master of education.

When you say master of education, the first thing I think of with a sports management undergrad is eventually becoming an administrator in an athletics department. What are some goals that you've set for yourself in terms of where you want to end up professionally after you graduate?

I'm thinking I want to go back with a teaching degree and do more of the teaching/coaching stuff. I coached a travel team this summer, and it was never something I thought I would be interested in and I really enjoyed it. I don't want to say administrators aren't as hands-on, but I think I would want to be in the classroom.

When you first came to NDSU, what were some of the biggest challenges for you, not only from an athletic standpoint but what were some of those challenges away from the field for you as a transfer?

I don't want to throw shade or anything, but academically NDSU definitely has a higher standard. I think away from the classroom, it's a lot easier to know people when you all come in as freshmen at the same time. Especially from an athletic standpoint, you know freshmen from other sports too. That was something I really missed at Marshall, I felt really close with a lot of other freshmen from other sports teams. Coming here, you don't really have that as a transfer. I know everyone is really close and I've gotten there especially now as a senior. The first year was kind of rough trying to figure it out.

Here at NDSU, they give you so many resources, especially academically. How important is it to have all of those resources at your disposal?

I cannot praise Kelli and Carter enough because they do a really good job. Kelli is amazing. She has seen and done everything and so she's really good even to just to go in and talk to and bounce ideas off of. Transfers do it and I know freshmen do as well, but you have mandatory once a week meetings with a GA usually or some kind of academic advisor.

That was really helpful. It is hard to fail when someone is there every week telling you to do your schoolwork.

You were Summit League All-Academic last year. I always think that's such an underrated accolade to get because everybody looks at the on-the-field awards. In that vein, what kind of qualities do you put at the top of your list to be successful in the classroom? Is it time management, discipline and hard work?

I would definitely say hard work. Time management is interesting, I feel that with softball the more I sign up to do, the easier it is to manage my time. It's about holding yourself accountable. I know I have to get this done before practice, so I'll get it done. Maybe I know we're traveling, so I have to get it done before then.

What are some of the difficulties and maybe some of the positives for you inside the program's travel model. You guys have to be really self-sufficient in your academics because you are on the road constantly going from place to place.

Kelli does a great job of if there is a test that you have to get done, she will go get it from your professor and have someone proctor it for you. I haven't run into issues as much though.

Most of my professors have been very understanding and really sports management has pretty much one professor. He has been really good about having stuff online or I can just come in and make it up whenever. I would say also having a personal relationship with your professors is important. If they trust you and know that you're going to get stuff done and that you're a good student, they're more than willing to work with you.

What was your mindset as this pandemic was unfolding and seeing your season canceled? How has your mental state progressed as we've moved along?

routine and not letting my mind wander too much. I just tried to stick with that.

Are there any positives that you've taken away over the course of the last nine or so months as we get a little bit closer to softball season?

I think an advantage for us is that we were getting canceled right at the beginning of COVID. No one expected fall sports to get canceled or postponed. If things go how they should you have football, soccer, volleyball and everyone playing a season in the spring and then coming back in the fall and playing another season. I feel like that will be really hard on your body, it's really hard on your mental state too. I think that is definitely an advantage for us that we play in the spring, and then we'll still hopefully get the fall like normal, and then spring again. So you still get that break to ease off a little bit.

Where have you seen your biggest strides over the course of this extended break? Even in the latter half of last season before games got canceled, where have you seen your biggest growth steps on the softball field?

I'm a lot more confident than I have been in the past. I've always been pretty unsure of myself and having this break and having the season canceled, made me realize how much I want to be here. I want to be out there with my teammates doing the best that we can. I'm just a lot more sure of myself, I think.

How do you go about finding your voice as a leader as a senior knowing that you have a bunch of other seniors around you to rely on? How do you go about finding your voice?

Everyone has a different role. I am not someone who's going to scream at people or anything because that's not my personality. I'm not going to force myself to be someone I'm not. We read this leadership book this year as a team and that was one of the big things is that you don't have to change your personality to be a leader.

Just lead with what you have. I think of myself as the more empathetic one.

I remember going to these tournaments right when we were starting to hear about COVID. I don't want to say we were not taking it seriously, but I never could have imagined that it would look like what it does now. We kind of had a feeling going into our last practice that things were getting shut down. They had been for other schools and other people we knew had already been canceled. It was expected, but we couldn't necessarily prepare for how we were going to feel when that did happen. I was lucky enough that I had another year anyway, but I couldn't have imagined being a senior at that point. That could have potentially been their last day and they had no idea. It was weird, but I'm pretty good at making a

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J U N I O R C H A R L E Y H E S S E H A S B I G P L A N S FO R H IS FUTU RE BOTH ON TH E FIELD AN D IN H IS MARKETING MAJOR.

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If you were to ask a vast majority of college-aged adults about their future plans, there may be some reluctance. It’s no doubt hard to iron out a clear plan for life after college. Some may have an idea, but not a fully formed vision of what their future will look like. Others may have no conception of life beyond school and some may know exactly what the future will hold.

Charley Hesse falls into that third and final category.

Ironing out his future was not a simple task, but the Bison infielder took inspiration from his mother, an account executive at Microsoft. Hesse is striving to do something in sales with his marketing degree from North Dakota State.

Given his impressive academic standing, it would seem foolhardy for a potential employer to pass up on the junior.

Hesse’s name is all over the Summit League All-Academic team and he has been named to the conference’s honor roll three years running. It should come as no surprise given the academic reputation the baseball program has built up. Tod Brown’s club received the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award in 2019-20. The program had a 3.522 cumulative GPA. What is equally impressive to Hesse’s skills on the diamond is his smarts and commitment to the classroom. After a few short moments, you will quickly learn that Charley Hesse is defined by commitment and hard work, whether it be on the field or in the classroom.

accolades, but how valuable or how important is it to you to be recognized for your work in the classroom?

How did you go about settling on marketing as a major?

I knew it had to have something to do with business. When it came to anything with science or math, I was pretty good at it, but I just did not enjoy it at all. I knew it had to be businessrelated because it was kind of in my blood. My mom is an account executive and she's in sales for Microsoft and I draw a lot of similarities to her. I figured that marketing would be the closest thing to give me some sort of sales option out of school.

I have a marketing degree, but if you ask me what kind of job I want to get out of school, it's going to be a sales job. I think I can be really good at that just because it's all about building relationships and connecting with other people.

How did you come to that conclusion? Was it just one of those things that made sense since you grew up with it in your household?

It really took a while actually. I didn't have that mindset right away. Obviously, since I was about four years old, I just wanted to play baseball. I'm going to do whatever I end up doing to the best of my ability. I just think that sales has a lot of parallels with athletics, as far as working hard and seeing the dividends paid. Like I said, connections with other people, leadership aspects of the job, all things that I think I'd be really good at, but it really just came down to what I felt my personality matched up with the best.

People always put the spotlight on those on the field

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I love it. There's also a lot of guys on our team that get it as well and it's one of those things that does go under the radar.

Not everybody knows about it, but I love it. It's one of those things where it's just another aspect of my life, and you're trying to attack everything to the best of your ability, right?

Of course, I'm going to do the best that I can at baseball, but I also want to do the best I can at school. That's part of who I am.

How important is it as a student-athlete to have NDSU's academic resources available to you at any given time?

It's been amazing. Especially freshman year because I'm a little bit older now, but freshman year, I had no clue what I was doing. There's a lot to being a student in college and especially a student-athlete. There's a lot of hoops you got to jump through as far as things you got to fill out online and all this stuff. That's really the tricky part for me because sometimes I'll forget about that. I'll get a text from Sara Parman and she'll remind me to fill out whatever I need to have done. Or, if I don't know how to fill something out, I can text Carter Kruckenberg and he'll figure it out and help me out with it.

Freshman year, it was bi-weekly meetings to figure out my grades and make sure that everything's on track and make sure I'm getting all my assignments in. There's also such a high standard where you have to live up to it.

How did you adjust to that jump from high school where you're not traveling as much to college life, where you are traveling much more often for competition?

It's one more thing that kind of goes unnoticed about being a student-athlete. When we're on a trip, a 12-hour bus trip, you can see guys typing a paper or turning their hotspot on their phone because they got to get an assignment in. It's just a unique aspect of it. I have taken a lot of online classes and it's easier that way. At the same time, there's a lot of responsibility that comes with it. You have to stay up to date, your time management and your planning have to be on point. Sometimes you got to learn stuff on your own. It's so much easier to be in the class with a teacher, but if you're not in that class, sometimes you have to go Google something and figure it out for yourself or watch a couple of YouTube videos.

And, you know, sometimes that even sticks better, right?

Is there any benefit in your mind to having that extended time away from the field?

Definitely. A big point for me most of the offseason was being healthy. In combination with the spring season, the fall season and then summer ball, you can tend to get dinged up a little bit. It's a lot of games. Having a little time off to get healthy was nice. Everybody's got different parts of their game that they need to focus on. For example, I needed to focus in on the mental side of the game. I have to get my head out of my way to just let my physical play take care of itself.

comfortable with yourself. You become comfortable being alone, comfortable with your mind kind of going crazy and then learning to settle it because that's what happens. That's what's going to happen because, during that first game, our minds are going to be hyped up. It's not about the people who are the biggest, strongest hitters. It's the guy who can find a way to calm themselves mentally and get out of their own way, and just let their play speak for itself.

What do you guys need to do as a team over the course of the next month or so to make sure that you guys are as sharp as possible heading into the season?

It's probably a common struggle amongst teams across the country, but we are really deep. We have a ton of great guys, a ton of returners and virtually the same team as last year plus more great guys that came in this year. The whole aspect of COVID has really taken a toll on our ability to build team chemistry. When I go home, it's just me and my roommates and you can only hang out with them. You can't call a bunch of other teammates over and hang out and bond that way.

Our only bonding is practice and weights. I think the biggest thing is going to be not only team chemistry, but also things on the field. Things like bunt defenses, pick-offs and all those little things that have a hint of team chemistry in them as well. Those are things that we need to tighten up before the season starts.

When I had all this time off during quarantine, I did a lot of stuff, whether it was talking to mental coaches, meditation or reading a lot of stuff like that. I did a lot of learning during the quarantine. Of course, you're lifting and you're hitting and throwing, but a lot of guys are able to focus on smaller parts of their game. Everybody just came back better.

How much more pressure did the pandemic put on that process? As you were trying to iron out this mental aspect of your game, did that make that process more challenging?

It's funny, I think it actually probably did the opposite. It made it a little easier for me. A lot of time isolated and alone and time with myself is important. Baseball is such a mental game where you can just go down a rabbit hole in your brain. When you can spend time with yourself and really figure yourself out, it gives you a huge advantage where you can just get

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J U N I O R L I N E B A C K E R JA M E S K A C Z O R H A S B E E N A R E V E L AT I O N O N T H E F I E L D . O F F O F IT, H E IS TH RIVING IN N DSU’S COLLEG E OF E NGIN EERING.

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James Kaczor is a bit of a Swiss Army Knife. On the football field, he has proven to be a man of many talents. Recruited to NDSU as a safety, Kaczor saw some time at the position last year. However, the Bison coaching staff frequently played him at a linebacker spot in 2019. He completed his sophomore campaign with 77 total tackles including multiple games with 10 or more tackles.

His success at linebacker led to him making a switch to the position full-time ahead of the 2020 season. Kaczor will be looked upon as a vital piece to Code Green when Bison football does return to the gridiron.

But what else makes Kaczor such a versatile human? Surely, it is not just his skills on the football field. Nor is it his fabulous mop of hair, although that would land him on the Missouri Valley’s all-hair team if that existed.

No, it is Kaczor’s talents outside of the realm of football. A manufacturing engineering major, the junior has found himself on countless “academic” award teams in his time in Fargo. In the spring of 2020, Kaczor finished the semester with an impressive 3.8 GPA in an incredibly difficult major.

We will no doubt continue to praise Kaczor for his on-field accolades. Yet, one has to recognize that Kaczor’s future after football is perhaps bigger and brighter than the lights inside the Fargodome.

Manufacturing engineering seems like a rather daunting major. What led you to that field of study and what piqued your interest in it?

I knew that NDSU was a good engineering school. I’ve just always loved math and science. There wasn’t a huge reason why I went into engineering, but it’s obviously a lot of math and science.

Can you speak to how NDSU has helped you in your academic journey a little bit and how they have helped bridge that gap from high school to college?

School is on a whole new level when you come to college compared to in high school. Kelli [Layman, Associate Director of Athletic Academics] and her team do a fantastic job of helping you acclimate to the college rigors. The biggest thing is time management and keeping track of everything. As long as you get all your assignments in, you will usually be all right. As soon as you start missing stuff you’re going to be in trouble. Kelli and her staff do a great job of staying on top of us and making sure we’re getting our stuff in and checking our grades, and just helping us along the way if we need anything. That could be something like what classes to sign up for. They have our backs and help us out a lot.

Was that time management factor the most challenging thing for you? Outside of an athletic standpoint, but just coming into college in general? Was gaining those time management skills the biggest leap for you?

I would say time management and what goes hand in hand with that is discipline. You got to be pretty disciplined to get

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your schoolwork done, your workouts and get your meals in as well.

Time management and discipline are probably the two biggest things for me. Going from high school to college, you need to work on and cultivate those skills.

Are there any goals that you’ve set for yourself professionally? When there is a day after football, what do you want to utilize that major towards?

I’m a Christian. I want to use this engineering degree, to share the love of Jesus. That’s my goal. Whether it’s being an engineer for some firm or doing something completely different, I’m not entirely sure.

Moving to football talk, you’ve had a lot of transition here from starting at safety and moving to the linebacker spot.

How has that transition helped you? What are some of the pros and cons of moving positions?

Pros for sure is just understanding the defense as a whole conceptually. If you can understand what the safeties are doing as well as the linebackers and the D line, you have a greater understanding of what we’re doing as a whole picture. That’s one of the pros and also getting to know my teammates. I spent a lot of time with Dawson [Weber] and Mike Tutsie. I became really good friends with them and now that I’ve transitioned to a full-time linebacker, guys like Jackson Hankey and others are becoming really good friends.

Just gaining cohesiveness with the defense as a whole is a big pro.

There are not a lot of cons to it. There is definitely a little more on my plate this last fall camp. I was playing safety and linebacker and just keeping the two things separate but together. The safeties are a little bit different than the linebacker and the linebacker is a little bit different than the safety. There are no huge cons though. I actually really like it and I think it’s helped me a lot on the field.

I think when you play, it’s with a chip on your shoulder because you are a little undersized. Making that transition to linebacker and being a little smaller, does that motivate you a little bit more to thrive at that spot?

It’s a ton of fun being a smaller guy and making plays. I did put on a little bit of weight this offseason to help out with that. I definitely play with a little bit of chip on my shoulder because of that and some other reasons as well.

The football season has changed, but the way that you keep up with academics has changed, too, because it’s pretty much moved entirely online. What have been some of the biggest challenges from a football and academic perspective throughout the last six months or so?

Over quarantine, there’s no one, you don’t have coach [Jim] Kramer on your tail, and you don’t have coach texting you every day, telling you what to do and stuff like that. You need to be disciplined and getting your workouts in on your own and getting your academics done. One thing that’s been hardest is not having football. That’s kind of a big reason why we train and work out a lot is to play games eventually. The fact that we haven’t had games in a long time, we got the one in the fall, which was awesome, but I’m really praying that these games work out in the spring. It’s felt like a long time since we played football.

As far as on the academic side, it’s the same thing with just discipline and time management. You’re a lot more on your own, you don’t have teachers walking you through problems as much. The virtual stuff is great, but it’s also limited in its interactions. So you kind of have to do a little more of your own research and self-teaching. Working through that and then figuring out what works best for you was the biggest transition or difficulty from going from in class to virtual.

This whole pandemic has forced pretty much everybody to become more self-sufficient. How do you think this selfsufficient attitude and race to maturity helps you as we get a little bit closer to not only the second semester but hopefully a football season?

A race to maturity is a good way to put it. There was a lot of growing that happened over quarantine in these last few months as well. Just learning how to be self-disciplined and learning how to manage my time is going to help me not only in this next semester but as I go on through my life with jobs and hopefully a family someday. Prioritizing those things and time managing those things will always be an important key to success.

A L R E A DY A P H E N O M E N A L S P R I N T E R FO R T H E B I S O N , S E N I O R A LY S S A L I N D L O O K S TO S H A P E T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N W I T H H E R E L E M E N TA RY E D U C AT I O N M A J O R .

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It cannot be said enough: teachers are underappreciated. Not only do they take on a selfless duty (and do it willingly), but they are also tasked with creating the next generation of adults. What our society looks like decades from now will be a product, in part, of our nation’s teachers and their influence.

Senior Alyssa Lind is giddy about the opportunity to shape future generations. She has known for some time that working with kids was in her future. It was not until she discovered NDSU’s dual degree in elementary education and human development and family science, did her future become more clear. She wants to help the kids of the future. In a perfect world, she would do this in the Twin Cities area, where she grew up.

Away from the classroom, Lind is a stellar sprinter for the Bison women’s track & field program. She is a pivotal piece in NDSU’s historically great 4x400-meter relay team. Lind was the anchor on that relay team that captured the Summit League title last fall.

Aside from that, Lind saw herself as the conference runner-up in the 400-meter dash in 2019. While she looks to finally capture a conference title in that event this year, her goals away from the track are far greater.

Alyssa Lind is ready to take her next step in life. That step will see her impact thousands of lives for years to come.

Was elementary education something that always piqued your interest before coming to NDSU? I always knew growing up that I wanted to work with kids, I just didn’t know exactly how I wanted to do it. Originally when I was first applying to NDSU, I didn’t have a declared major. Coming into my freshman year, I decided I wanted to do elementary education. They have a dual degree program here where I get my elementary ed degree through Valley City State and then human development and family science through NDSU. Since you are getting those two degrees, how does that amplify your education and prepare you for the professional world?

Most of my human development and family science classes have aided me in understanding human behavior, development and growing up. That’s super important to understand being in education and being a teacher.

Understanding how children develop and how their thought processes work. If you’re not understanding that, you can’t be an effective teacher. It’s definitely helped me a lot just to understand how to go about teaching and doing it the right way.

Now that you have been in the classroom for practicums, what was that experience like for you in terms of how it pertains to your journey to becoming a teacher?

My first practicum was in a small private school here in Fargo.

The class size was just 11 kids. It was a super good experience, just because it was a lot more one on one time with the students. I think your experience can really just depend on what school you’re at because it can be so different.

I did a cultural diversity practicum in the Twin Cities and that

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was an amazing experience. I do want to end up teaching in the Twin Cities if possible. I like having more diversity in the classroom.

Is going back to your hometown, teaching at a school, at least in that area, if not, a school that you may have attended, the ultimate goal for you? To end up in a place you are familiar with.

Yeah, I’m going to do my student teaching back in the cities, but I’m not necessarily needing to be in the city I grew up in.

I want to be within the Twin Cities and my goal has always been more like an inner-city environment. I wouldn’t mind going somewhere else around the country though too.

Can you speak to how beneficial the NDSU academic resources are to student-athletes?

I think our resources are extremely valuable and you can sometimes forget that they are available. I just know that it’s super nice to have in the back of my mind. I can always go to Carter [Kruckenberg] to ask him any sort of question that I have. This past semester, I had to push my student teaching to the next fall because I will be in track so I was having Carter help me decide what classes I should be taking. I needed to get up to a full-time student so I can be eligible to compete.

He was just helpful in helping me determine what I should be taking. I think it’s just valuable to know that I have them there.

What were some of the learning curves that you had to go through that turned out to be most beneficial when you came to NDSU? I would say time management was definitely something I had to learn once I came to college. In high school, I was a very big procrastinator, which didn’t end up hurting me then. I would

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always get things done. I needed to be on top of my stuff once I got to college. With all the traveling with track and being away from practicums, I needed to be on the ball. I just learned to be a lot more on top of my things in college.

Have those qualities carried over and helped you succeed in a time where you are doing a lot of virtual learning?

I think virtual learning has definitely been a challenge for me at times. Staying motivated and being able to actually pay attention and get what I need from the classes. I think those organization and time management skills that I’ve already gained have helped me. We’re not in class to be reminded of everything, but also my professors are always so open to helping us while we were on Zoom and stuff, too. That was very beneficial as well during this time.

try and reach that and do the best that I can even with the obstacles that are in place.

For our 4x400, we want to take the conference title with that as well. We want to go out with a bang. We’ve always been strong in the 4x400 in our conference. It’ll definitely be interesting because we have a lot of new teammates this year.

I am excited to see what happens.

You never know what’s going to happen.

How have you handled that long layoff of not competing? How have you approached the competition side of things when there has been a big absence of competition for track and field specifically?

It’s been especially hard because this whole past fall semester, I’d been put into like three different quarantines.

I haven’t been at practice consistently for more than two weeks. It’s just been challenging to stay motivated and know that we are going to be competing. I’ve kept reminding myself that this is my senior year and I am going to give all that I have left. I’m going to take what I can get and try to just make the most of the situation. Like valuing the time I do have left with my teammates and the competition that we get. I know our coaches are just trying their best to make anything work for us.

Knowing that this is your senior year, is that motivation enough for you to want to compete at a high level?

I would say so. I would also say it comes in waves for me sometimes just because it’s easy to get down. Sometimes, it seems like so many things are taken away. I’ve just told myself that it’s a lot easier to complain, but it’s better for yourself and everyone to just look at the positive side and stay motivated.

You’re going to feel better about it that way. I don’t want to have any regrets. I want to just make the most of what I can and see what I have left.

What are some goals that you’ve set for yourself this season?

The entire time I’ve been here, I’ve thought having a conference title in the 400 would be spectacular. That has obviously always been a goal of mine. I am continuing to look forward to that. It’s just trying to stay motivated and

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DY L A N D R O E G E M U E L L E R H A S B R O U G H T S TA B I L I T Y TO T H E 1 4 1 - P O U N D W E I G H T C L A S S FO R N D S U . T H E J U N I O R H A S A L S O S E E N G R E AT S U C C E S S I N T H E C L A S S R O O M A S A FINANCE MAJOR.

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Given the sport he competes in, one may believe that Dylan Droegemueller fulfills a “tough guy” aesthetic. While this writer would not want any part of a scrap with the 141-pounder, you’ll quickly realize that wrestling is a facet in a more complex visage.

Not only is Droegemueller incredibly kind with his time, but he is also thoughtful especially as he ponders the answer to a question. Maybe it is that deep thinking nature that has helped the Champlin, Minnesota, native to succeed at NDSU. Becoming the full-time starter at 141 pounds last year, Droegemueller capped off a solid year with a 3-2 performance at the Big 12 Championships. Those three wins all came against nationally-ranked opponents and it helped Droegemueller qualify for the NCAA Championships.

His demeanor has also allowed him to thrive in the classroom at North Dakota State. For the first time, Droegemueller was named to the Big 12 All-Academic first team last year. In total, 10 Bison were named to the first team.

As a finance major, Droegemueller has not zeroed in on what he wants to do after NDSU. With his sights set on a Master of Business Administration degree in the future, one cannot deny the success on the horizon.

How did you get interested in finance and how did that eventually become your major?

I knew I wanted to do something in business because my dad is in the business field and sales. I’m actually getting my sales certificate as well. I just have some family that’s in finance and I’ve always been good with numbers. I always thought business was a very interesting subject because I did take some business courses in high school. That’s really what got me interested in it. I think I was kind of along the same lines as most college students not knowing really what they wanted to do right away. I knew finance could give me a lot of options.

Once you graduate, do you have an idea of what you want to get into? Or what kind of goals do you want to accomplish on the professional side of things once you do have that degree?

I definitely want to get a Master’s and I haven’t really talked with my advisors about what degree I want to do. I’m thinking I’m going to do an MBA because I know that opens more doors for me. Also, since I’m doing this sales certificate, I can see myself doing something in sales. I don’t exactly have a specific job that I really want right now. The skills I’ve gotten from wrestling will help me in whatever career I land on. Hard work and determination is going to allow me to be able to excel in whatever I end up doing.

I know Roger [Kish] is really keen on instilling those values of hard work, grit and determination. How much does athletics feed into how you approach academics and things away from wrestling? Those qualities transition into academics, but all areas of life too.

One of the biggest things is time management. You just really develop how to organize yourself and really get yourself in a regimen. Have a calendar just full of when stuff is due,

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what time of the week and when I practice. That’s just being organized and being disciplined with coursework. You can’t really get a good grade point average if you’re turning in things late or you’re not giving yourself enough time to give that assignment 100 percent. That’s something that I think sports has really helped me develop. It’s just good organization and time management skills.

One thing that I always hear about the academic side of things, especially from athletes at NDSU is that it’s almost impossible to fail. You’re set up to succeed, especially in the academic field, just with the people that they have in the athletic department on the academic side of things. Can you speak to how important having those academic counselors and resources are?

Sara [Parman, Assistant Director of Athletic Academics] helps me all the time. Any questions I have with syllabuses or just class in general, Sarah has always been there for me.

I can text her anytime and she’ll give me an answer and help me out. Having that resource offered to me as a freshman has just carried me through my career. It really was because of Carter [Kruckenberg, Assistant Director of Athletic Academics/Student Development], Sarah and Kelli [Layman], just making sure that as a freshman, we develop good habits.

They’re really on top of it, and proactive about it.

What was the most challenging thing for you taking that jump from high school to college life as a student-athlete?

My biggest challenge right away was just being independent.

That’s the first thing that pops up or comes to mind. My parents were really helpful in just guiding me through high school and helping me develop a lot of really good habits. When you come to college, your parents aren’t there to remind you of things. So you really have to be very disciplined and make a schedule for yourself and follow that schedule.

You lose the accountability factor of having your parents there, reminding you. It’s really on you, and you’re essentially your own adult now. And we’re babysitting. I think that was probably the biggest challenge. Not that I ever missed anything, but just having to remember every little detail of the week. It just forced me to be disciplined, write things down and really set a schedule for myself.

On the mat, you had a great finish last year. Qualifying for NCAAs and beating three ranked opponents to finish this season. How much did that build your confidence moving forward?

It was huge. I always believed in myself. I know my family and coaches did too. It just felt really good to have all my hard work and discipline that I had throughout the year finally pay off. It was super rewarding. It was a huge confidence booster because you always believe in yourself, but to actually achieve that was really, really cool. It kind of felt like a turning point in my career of making that jump.

From being maybe just a starter guy to an All-American contender. That was a huge confidence boost.

That 141 spot before last year was in flux a little bit. There were a bunch of different guys cycling through that weight.

You’ve obviously brought a little bit of stability to that weight class. What are some of your goals that you’ve set for yourself?

The daily goals are always the same, of focusing on my weak points and just really trying to develop as a whole wrestler.

Polish out those weak points just to get better. I’ve been working on a lot of mindset stuff lately with Obe [Blanc] and reading some different articles and watching some videos.

The ultimate goal is always to be an All-American national champion. I feel like that’s every wrestler’s dream.

You bring up the mental side of wrestling, How have you gone about approaching that side of things, just because we are in such a unique circumstance?

With all the uncertainty with NCAAs being kind of ripped away almost, it really put a lot of stuff in perspective for me.

I think a lot of guys on the team feel that way too. We’ve gotten really plugged into FCA and Bible studies and things like that. I think we’ve really found good faith in Christ.

That’s helped a ton with the uncertainty and just putting sports in perspective. I think it’s really helped me stay mentally sharp because if I were to have sports be everything and always focusing on the uncertainty of things happening, I think it’d be really unhealthy. I have to control what I can control in a lot of ways.

Staying mentally sharp in the wrestling room, you’re always finding things to challenge yourself. It’s easy on the physical side to keep yourself sharp. It’s been a challenge for sure and I think most sports would agree with that. Having no competition gives the coaches a lot of free rein to beat up on you. It’s gonna be nice when we can finally start competing.

We also need to be thankful for the opportunity to compete too. Not everyone gets that.

ATHLETICS

Acad POPULATION GPAS

Overall Student-Athlete GPA: 3.418 Women’s Average GPA: 3.616 Men’s Average GPA: 3.442

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TEAM RECORDS Men’s Basketball

Men’s Golf

Volleyball

ALL

had its highest semester GPA (3.460).

had its highest semester GPA (3.757).

had its highest semester GPA (3.606).

14 Sports recorded over 3.0 GPA.

Record high number of student-athletes posting

4.000 GPA (116).

emics See how the NDSU studentathlete body thrived in the classroom in fall 2020.

FACTS

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FALL 2020 SEMESTER GPA AT A GLANCE: 358 Student-athletes

240 Students earned

116 Student-athletes

124 Student-athletes

earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher in Fall 2020 (83.84 percent of the student-athlete body).

had a PERFECT 4.0 GPA in Fall 2020 (27.16 percent of the student-athlete body).

recognition on the Dean’s list (3.5-4.0 GPA).

earned a GPA of (3.5-3.99 GPA) in Fall 2020 (29.03 percent of the student-athlete body).

118 Student-athletes earned a GPA of 3.0-3.49 in Fall 2020. (27.64 percent of the student-athlete body).

TOTAL NU MBE OF STUDE R NT ATHLETES :

427

STUDENT-ATHLETE CUMULATIVE GPA AT A GLANCE: 350 Student-athletes

62 Student-athletes

155 Student-athletes

133 Student-athletes

have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (81.96 percent of the student-athlete body).

have a cumulative GPA of 3.5-3.99. (36.29 percent of the student-athlete body).

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have a PERFECT 4.0 cumulative GPA (14.52 percent of the student-athlete body).

have a cumulative GPA of 3.0-3.49. (31.14 percent of the student-athlete body).

NDSU Athletics Academics Staff Kelli Layman - Director Of Athletic Academics Sara Parman - Assistant Director Of Athletic Academics

Carter Kruckenberg - Assistant Director Of Athletic Academics/Student Development

Samantha Hildreth - Athletic Academics Coordinator

Taylor Hintgen - Athletic Academics Graduate Assistant

Kelsey Laufenberg - Athletic Academics Graduate Assistant

John Ursino - Athletic Academics Graduate Assistant

The Bison Football Players Association strives to grow its network through fellowship and tradition.

Formed in 2016, the Bison Football Players Association has become a vital outlet for former NDSU players.

Not only is it a great way to connect with generations worth of Bison football players, but it is also a connective resource for many. Through this vast network of former Bison, one can only imagine the stories and tales told between each of the 427 members.

Bison greats Chuck Klabo and Cole Jirik lead the charge forward for the BFPA. Klabo, the organization’s president, was recently selected to become a member of the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame. He was an All-American offensive tackle for NDSU from 1999 to 2002.

Continuing Tradition

Photos By Hillary Ehlen And Paul Flessland

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Jirik, who is BFPA’s vice president, was a stalwart defensive end When you look at the NDSU for the Bison from 2009 to 2013. An All-Missouri Valley selection, Jirik could very well find himself in the Bison Athletic Hall of program, the core of what Fame as time passes. they're doing hasn't changed.

Both are now focused on growing an already solid membership base for BFPA. Despite the pandemic era we’re Where I see that is even when I'm living in, BFPA has still found ways to grow and support fellow members of Bison Nation. able to have conversations with We discussed the organization’s growth and more with Klabo and Jirik. current players or ones that came Upon its inception when did you guys first get before or after me. The discussions involved? And how did you segway into a leadership position? that we have, it's the same stuff, Chuck Klabo: It’s amazing how the time flies the same stories and the same goals. by. I believe it was 2016 that the group got together and really wanted to find a way It's the same mindset." to bring the players together to act as a

- Chuck Klabo, BFPA President

conduit to continue to bring everybody together. We’ve got such a strong heritage or whatever you want to call it.

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It’s so much fun to be around this organization and the amount of pride that everybody has for the football program and in the university. It’s so much fun to see.

were doing or where we’re going with things and we’re able to get things together. Guys bought in really quickly too. I think a lot of guys missed that team aspect of things and being together. For us to have an event every year where we can get as many guys together and honor the senior class that came through and give them a gift is important. We Fast forward four years, and we now have 427 introduce them to guys that used to play and start building those members. That is something that we’re very proud connections. Maybe it will help a guy get an internship or get a job of and we’re continuing to look for ways to attract or the right guy that he needs for certain situations. additional members. We’re continuing to stay in touch with the recent graduates and trying to get From early on, I loved helping with things. My big thing early on them involved as much as we possibly can. It’s pretty was events and helping plan that stuff. I just got more and more neat, because we’ve got individuals living across the involved and I jumped at the chance to be VP. country, many states, and that’s quite powerful. This platform exists to be able to spread our message and then You brought up trying to bring in recent grads upon them help others out. being done with football at NDSU. How does that process go for you guys, in terms of reaching out and finding those Cole Jirik: I was kind of there from the start. We got a recent grads of the football program, and trying to bring group of guys together, eight or 10 of us at Labby’s this one them full circle into the BFPA? How do you kind of go night. We sat down and started talking about how many about that process? different situations we can help with. Guys were getting sick, guys were passing away and they just needed help in CK: I think that we’ve got a multifaceted approach to it. certain situations. If it’s helping someone move or whatever Obviously, we’re very active and involved in the program, the situation would be, we didn’t really have that piece set up. just the members in general. We’ve got a lot of members We always talk about NDSU, and how it is a family and it is that love to be at the games and that are always around. when you’re there. That piece was kind of missing from when I think that social media continues to help. I think that we finally left. Sure, you have the guys in your class, and you still as a player gets further along in their career, and they hang out with them. For me the opportunity to meet guys that start to understand just the overall power of what played in the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s is incredible. Even Bison football and Bison Nation is, they see this as a meeting the guys that are just finishing up playing now is something group that they want to be a part of. We’re fortunate that means a lot to me. You hear so many of the same stories, it’s just to be able to visit with them and once we’re able to a different era, different guides, but it’s the same thing over and over talk with them, they quickly understand that this again. a neat club to be a part of. For them, it’s a great opportunity to get to know people and people Once we got this thing off the ground, we really had no idea what we from different eras.

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It’s important that people understand that this is not just a bunch of football players doing football things. Guys really care about the people that they played with and their community. It’s really investing in the culture that is the NDSU brotherhood. It’s a family up here and we’re trying to help.”

- cole jirik, BFPA VICE

that played in the ‘60s or with guys that played after you? How important is it to continue to cultivate those relationships with seven generations worth of Bison football players?

CJ: That’s one of the biggest things for me when I was a player and whatnot. You hear so many stories of guys that have played at this place. One of the biggest reasons I committed to NDSU was the history and tradition of this place. I was in the Metrodome on a recruiting trip with the Minnesota Gophers when Tyler Roehl ran around all over the Gophers. I started to dive into this program, and it’s pretty special. There have been so many great players to come through and great people and guys are just willing to help each other.

President

Whenever we talk with athletes that are currently playing football, they always seem to fit in something about ‘doing it for the people that came before us’. They’re always talking about previous athletes that played at their position. How do you think the BFPA factors into the current football roster? How does that tradition factor into what Bison football is doing in the present day?

People ask me what’s so special about NDSU and it’s just the culture. For me, to be able to meet guys that helped build this culture from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s or ‘90s is special. We talk football and kind of get back to that locker room-type feel. I think that was a really big and beneficial process of becoming an adult after football. That transition process is really, really difficult and something I struggled with for a good amount of time. When football was gone, I didn’t know what to do with my time. I know a lot of guys share their stories about that transition period and it being tough on them. So the BFPA has that support system and that was huge for me. I wanted to kind of lend it to the guys that are now graduating from the program. It’s good to have those conversations.

CK: Without a doubt, the program has continued to evolve. The growth that we’ve seen, the level of success and the national stage is a part of this evolution. However, it’s also fun to look back and see there is so much tradition. When you look at the NDSU program, the core of what they’re doing hasn’t changed. Where I see that is even when I’m able to have conversations with current players or ones that came before or after me. The discussions that we have, it’s the same stuff, the same stories and the same goals. It’s the same mindset. I think that’s why it’s so easy to relate to everybody and why we ended up with such a close-knit group. There’s a lot that hasn’t changed and I think that’s a big part of what’s helped make NDSU such a special place.

Cole brought up meeting players from the ‘60s and ‘70s. You’re talking about seven generations worth of football players. That’s a wide scope of guys who played football. For you guys, how special and how important is it for you to have those relationships with guys

CK: I look at all the areas we talked about and laying a foundation and stuff. That starts with all of those people.

They tell the same story, have the same traditions, just different eras. I have so much fun attending the events that we have because it’s so nice to talk to people and there is such a strong bond.

It’s been a challenging year for everyone. For you guys, what have been some of those challenges getting through COVID-19? How challenging has it been not being able to have those events and those moments?

CJ: It’s been tough. The biggest thing is every Saturday, there’s just nothing there. There is something missing. That’s been the hardest part

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because we always set up a tailgating spot and members or having certain events added to the schedule. What some weeks we get a bunch of guys out there. are some of those goals that you guys have set forth for the Some guys don’t travel for certain weeks and organization? whatnot too. Over the course of the season, you see a good chunk of that BFPA community roll CJ: Growing the membership is huge, but just growing the through the tailgating lot and into a game at some relationship with the current players, and I’m building a point. That’s been really difficult for us. Last spring is mentorship program with them. The biggest thing for us normally when we have our senior event where we would just be membership and being able to get back in. For honor that senior class and present them with a framed me, what I want us to be able to do this year is just to let jersey. We get to start bringing them into the BFPA. To everybody know what we’ve done for the last five years. I not have that was maybe one of our biggest things that don’t think a lot of people actually really know how many hurt. Not having that with the senior class was hard. people’s lives we’ve impacted. Even if it’s simple things like We’re still trying to plan and work something out with a player’s brother has to go into emergency heart surgery them. It’s a challenging time for everybody. the day before he was supposed to move out of this house. This group got together and helped move them CK: You look at college athletics and you’re sympathetic. so he could be with his brother in the hospital and not You’re sympathetic to the players and coaches because it is a have to worry about trying to move. Or a player who short window already and now it’s a shorter window. There passes away the day before he was supposed to move has been a lot of change and a lot of disruption. I think we to Colorado. This group stepped up and got his family all are missing having these Saturday tailgates and getting to a place to stay and helped with that adjustment watch the game. period.

What are some tangible goals that you’ve set forth for BFPA? Whether it’s getting to 500 members or maybe it’s getting to 1000

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Last year we did a giant toy drive for Toys For Tots, for us getting the word out to the full membership and everybody out there. People might think it’s a bunch of football players, doing whatever we want. We’re doing a lot of good

membership would be a huge push for us and we are committed to doing a great job of putting this list together and addressing those things and putting in a plan. By using this time to really set up committees and set up groups, it will help take us well over that 500 mark.

What do you think is something that a reader might not know about BFPA that they should know?

CJ: It’s looking at our goal and mission, and that’s to continue our culture into adulthood and life. We have always had each other’s back and as we get older, stuff is going to happen to guys. The BFPA is here to help people and help the community that gave so much to us. Whether it was the Toys For Tots event last year that was a massive success or helping someone in need. It’s important that people understand that this is not just a bunch of football players doing football things. Guys really care about the people that they played with and their community. It’s really investing in the culture that is the NDSU brotherhood. It’s a family up here and we’re trying to help.

CK: There’s a perception that it’s all about football and that’s not necessarily the case. We’re fortunate to have a platform where a lot of members want help and it’s fun to be able to do that.

How can people help get the word out? Or get involved even if they’re not a former football player? How can they help you guys and help the BFPA achieve those goals? with our group. We’ve helped members outside of the group too. We donated up to the kid at UND who was in the skiing accident last year.

That was a tragic deal and we feel for him. Sure, it’s a rivalry between NDSU and UND, but it’s a kid and a family in need.

CK: We have used this time to also work as an organization to kind of restructure some things. One of the things that have been created is a new member committee that has agreed to get additional members involved in that. We’d love to continue to grow. Our next big push is we want to get over 500 members. We think that’s doable and doable quickly.

We’re just looking for great ways to get the word out.

CJ: We have a ‘Donate’ button if they want to donate to anything. It’s all appreciated in that sense. All the money goes to helping people or supporting different groups. The money is not spent on frivolous things.

We have donations so when stuff happens, we can jump at things right away and try to help stop the bleeding in certain situations. We will support people as fast as possible and they will not have to worry about the monetary value of things.

What are some steps you’d like to see yourselves take to get over 500 members?

CK: The biggest thing is just an overall sense of awareness. I still think there’s some opportunity for us to continue to make sure people know what our group is all about. We’re fortunate to have a good strong member base, spanning many states across the United States. That platform gives us the ability to do a lot and to do a lot in a hurry. We want to make sure that people are aware of what we’re doing. We want our fellow brothers or our former teammates to come join up and be a part of this. It’s a lot of fun.

More Info bisonfpa.com facebook.com/BisonFPA Twitter: @NDSU_BFPA Instagram: @NDSU_BFPA

CJ: It’s important for us to adjust to the new membership committee. That way, we can be addressing areas or generations where we’re maybe just lacking. I know, we’re struggling with it with the new guys, we haven’t been able to get a lot of contact out to them. Maybe adjusting those two areas in the

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY

athletics calendar jANUARY 1/15 Women’s Basketball @ North Dakota Grand Forks, N.D. 5 p.m.

Men’s Basketball @ North Dakota Grand Forks, N.D. 7:30 p.m.

1/16 Women’s Basketball @ North Dakota Grand Forks, N.D. 5 p.m.

Men’s Basketball @ North Dakota Grand Forks, N.D. 7:30 p.m.

Indoor Track & Field Bison Team Cup Fargo, N.D. 11 a.m.

1/22 Volleyball vs North Dakota Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs Denver Fargo, N.D. 5 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs Denver Fargo, N.D. 7:30 p.m.

BISON ILLUSTRATED J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

Women’s Basketball at Kansas City Kansas City, Mo. 3 p.m.

1/23 Volleyball vs North Dakota Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs Denver Fargo, N.D. 5 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs Denver Fargo, N.D. 7:30 p.m.

Indoor Track & Field Jim Emmerich Invite Brookings, S.D. 1 p.m.

1/24 Wrestling Cal Poly Quad San Luis Obispo, Calif.

10 a.m.

1/29 Women’s Basketball at Kansas City Kansas City, Mo. 3 p.m.

Men’s Basketball at Kansas City Kansas City, Mo. 7 p.m.

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1/30

Men’s Basketball at Kansas City Kansas City, Mo. 7 p.m.

Indoor Track & Field UND Open Grand Forks, N.D.

1/31 Volleyball at Kansas City Kansas City, Mo. TBD

FEBRUARY 2/1

Indoor Track & Field Bison Open Fargo, N.D.

2/6 Indoor Track & Field Bison Open Fargo, N.D. Women’s Basketball vs Oral Roberts Fargo, N.D. 5 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs Oral Roberts Fargo, N.D. 7:30 p.m.

2/7 Volleyball vs South Dakota State Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

Volleyball at Kansas City Kansas City, Mo. TBD

Wrestling vs South Dakota State and Iowa State Fargo, N.D. 11 a.m.

2/5

2/8

Women’s Basketball vs Oral Roberts Fargo, N.D. 5 p.m.

Volleyball vs South Dakota State Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs Oral Roberts Fargo, N.D. 7:30 p.m.

2/12 Soccer at Kansas City Kansas City, Mo. 11 a.m.

Indoor Track & Field SDSU Indoor Classic Brookings, S.D.

2/13 Indoor Track & Field SDSU Indoor Classic Brookings, S.D. Wrestling vs Utah Valley and Air Force Brookings, S.D. 11 a.m.

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

2/20 Women’s Basketball vs South Dakota State Fargo, N.D. 5 p.m.

2/14

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

Soccer at Kansas City Kansas City, Mo. 1 p.m.

Indoor Track & Field UND Indoor Tune-Up Grand Forks, N.D.

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

2/15 Volleyball vs Oral Robers Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

Down The Road 2/19 Women’s Basketball vs South Dakota State Fargo, N.D. 5 p.m.

Soccer vs Western Illinois Fargo, N.D. 6 p.m.

2/21 Soccer vs Western Illinois Fargo, N.D. 1 p.m.

Football vs Youngtown State Fargo, N.D. 2:30 p.m.

Volleyball at South Dakota Vermillion, S.D. 7 p.m.

All dates, times and locations are subject to change or alteration.

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TEAM MAKERS

Meet Craig Sandstrom

GET TO KNOW THE NEW TEAM MAKERS PRESIDENT. How did you first become involved in NDSU Team Makers?

How long have you been a Team Maker?

I was asked to join by former Team Makers President John Dorso.

I joined in 1982.

What piqued your interest in becoming a Team Maker?

DAN FRANCIS

I have always been interested in Bison athletics and wanted to help support student-athletes. My father joined Team Makers through Butler Machinery in the 1960s and was a supporter of Bison athletics.

I would like to see Team Makers achieve the goal of 5000 members.

In your opinion, what has been the best part about being a Team Maker?

Again, making the change from Division II to Division I and the success the various athletic programs have achieved.

Making the change from Division II to Division I and the success the various athletic programs have achieved.

How did you become interested in taking on a bigger role with Team Makers?

I was a member of the fundraising groups and was later asked to join the Gaming Committee.

Was becoming Team Makers President something you envisioned? Or something that happened organically over time?

It happened over time. Pat Simmers was a fraternity brother and I slowly became more involved.

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BISON ILLUSTRATED j a n u a r y 2 0 2 1

As incoming President, where would you like to see Team Makers grow over the next few years?

In your experience, what have been some of the biggest rewards that come from being a Team Maker?

Any challenges that come along with being a Team Maker?

Frustration from some Team Makers with the inability to obtain tickets to high profile events such as the national championship games. The Priority Point system was put in place to assist with this.

How can people continue to support Team Makers in a pandemic world?

We need the continued support of all Team Makers to achieve our financial goals. Scholarships for student-athletes have continued in a COVID-19 world.

With the assistance of Team Makers members, we have been able to fully

fund the scholarships for all studentathletes.

In a sentence of two, what does North Dakota State University mean to you?

What does being Team Makers President mean to you?

It is an honor to follow the past presidents of Team Makers over the decades. Many have been and are active in the FargoMoorhead community.

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herd trivia question1

question2

Alyssa Lind is curious if you know the various domains of learning.

Do you?

Charley Hesse is creating a marketing plan to be used in North Dakota only. What type of marketing would that be deemed as?

question3

question4

Dylan Droegemueller has a question about his finance homework. He is asking you if you know what is least related to the valuation of a firm’s stock.

Sam Koehn is having a conversation with members of the NDSU marketing team. Together, they settled on a dynamite graphic to promote tonight’s game. What type of decision-making process did they use?

question5 James Kaczor is using a laser to build a new polymer product. What is this process called?

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BISON ILLUSTRATED J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

1. Cognitive, Language, SocialEmotional, Physical and Adaptive 2. Domestic Marketing 3. Market share 4. Participative Decision Making 5. Stereolithography 6. Constructivism 7. Carrying Costs 8. Consumer Market 9. Functional manager 10. Brittieness

answers question6

question7

Alyssa Lind is asking if you know the term for when students learn by building on prior knowledge.

Dylan Droegemueller is studying a firm’s assets. He is wondering what can directly impact an increase in a firm’s current assets.

question8

question9

Charley Hesse creates a television ad for his new product. What marketing group does his target audience belong to?

Sam Koehn’s goal is to supervise activities such as operations, finance, marketing or human resources management within an athletic department. What type of manager would she be deemed as?

question10 Upon manufacturing a new product, James Kaczor is worried the product could shatter when it sees a sudden impact. This is also known as the products

GRADE 10 = A+ 9=A 8=B 7=C 6=D 5-1 = F

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SWANY SAYS

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

I’ve Got Two Tickets To Paradise

W

ithout our annual January pilgrimage to Frisco, Texas, to provide a respite from the northern winters, paradise in March for North Dakota State fans could be a quick three and a half hour trip south down I-29 to Sioux Falls to watch the Summit League Basketball Tournament.

Upon penning this, the Bison men sit atop the ledger in the conference with a red-hot 4–0 league start. They look the part of a legitimate Summit League contender that could find themselves back in March Madness, winning the league tournament for a third consecutive year, and for a fourth time during Dave Richman’s tenure.

For their part, the Bison women are one of only two league teams to already notch three conference wins, at least as 60

BISON ILLUSTRATED J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

of this writing. The other team is South Dakota. This isn’t the Bison women’s team of the last decade. They are going places. Only in their second year under Jory Collins, this team is resembling something more akin to the women’s teams that dominated prairie hoops for years under Amy Ruley. To be clear, they aren’t at that level yet, but they’re on their way. It’s within the realm of possibilities that they will challenge for the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth by 2023.

There is an exciting brand of high quality mid-major basketball being played at the Scheels Center inside the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.

Which brings us back to our two tickets to paradise. Why haven’t we, collectively, as Bison Nation, packed our proverbial bags and left tonight? I’ve never quite understood why some Bison fans will travel 1,110 miles – many by car – to north Dallas, but have never made the trip only a few hours south to watch some really good NDSU teams compete for a spot in March Madness, the biggest sporting event in America. Is it because Sioux Falls doesn’t have a Wild Pitch, Tight Ends or Scruffy Duffies?

I’ve had this discussion with other devoted Bison fans. Reasons range from the fact that the FCS Championship occurs over a weekend to fans being fatigued by a long football season. The argument goes that many fans only need to take a single day off from work to head to Frisco – they leave Thursday after work, drive through the night, then drive back right after the game on Saturday and are at work on Monday morning.

Stack that against the Summit League Tournament which, if the Bison advance to the title game, requires multiple days away from work to attend.

I don’t buy that.

The Bison have often played on a Saturday in Sioux Falls, and the NDSU crowd has always been sparse, particularly compared to our Rushmore friends. It’s a very doable drive from Fargo or Minneapolis to watch hoops 62

BISON ILLUSTRATED J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

Saturday, and head back home on Sunday, or to make the trip on Tuesday only if the Herd advances to the title game.

The next argument is the uncertainty, not knowing whether to buy tickets because of how far the Bison may advance. That argument also doesn’t stand up under examination. Many Bison fans buy their Frisco tickets the August before the championship, undaunted by how difficult it really is to get to a national championship game. You can order single tickets to the Sanford Premier Center to watch only a Saturday night or Sunday afternoon basketball session, and likewise buy only a ticket to the title game. I’ve literally showed up on Tuesday afternoon for a championship game the Bison were playing in, parked myself in the Sheraton lobby bar, had a few barley pops and secured a ticket either in the lobby bar, or at a ticket window of the arena.

It’s been harder to get a ticket to some of the FCS title games in Frisco than getting a ticket to the Summit League Tournament. And, to borrow a line from the great Bob Uecker, in case you haven’t noticed, and judging by the attendance many of you haven’t, NDSU has been pretty freaking good on the men’s side under Richman, and Saul Phillips before him. Bottom line, Bison men and women hoops deserve our support. Here’s a little secret that I’ll also let you in on. It’s a pretty good time, to boot, spending a few days watching Bison hoops in Sioux Falls.

Just ask the awesomely dedicated Bison fans that yearly camp out behind the basket and dress up in their finest suits.

At the end of the day, it’s easier to get to Sioux Falls than Frisco, and the weather in early March in the two places is comparable. The NDSU basketball programs have the potential to be major players in mid-major hoops – and to be major players in the very near future, like,

DAVE EGGEN/INERTIA SPORTS

we’re talking within years you can count on a single hand – if only the legendary NDSU fan base would turn out and support them at a level that was even half that of how Bison Nation turns out for the football program.

have received the vaccine, this March is a perfect opportunity to make like Eddie Money because we’ve waited so long, waited so long, for a live Bison sporting event and opportunity to get out of the house.

The possibilities, oh friends, the possibilities if that were to happen! It would be something special, and could even push the programs to heights like seeing the men or women’s team ranked in the College Basketball Top 25 poll for the first time. Don’t tell me that’s pie in the sky. If we can beat Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Marquette and Oklahoma in hoops, and darn near knock off Kansas at the Phog, it’s within reach.

I will personally save you a seat at our table at the Sheraton lobby bar in Sioux Falls, or at whatever local haunt we’re camped out at. My wife will be not be real happy about this next part, but hey, I’ll even promise to pick-up the first beverage down there, just keep your eyes below the top shelf.

Of course we can’t, nor shouldn’t, downplay the safety concerns this year because of COVID-19. But for those of us that have had the virus, at least in recent weeks or months, or those that

Some of my fondest memories of NDSU athletics have come in Sioux Falls. I’ve been to every national championship in Frisco, and to 10 of the 12 Summit League Tournaments the Bison have played in since 2009. I can tell you with all my Bison sincerity, you will find the same level of comradery among Bison fans in

both places. I can also tell you that the feeling of watching your team cut down the nets and advance to March Madness is something you have to experience as a Bison fan.

The buzz and electricity in the arena on a Tuesday night for a chance to get into the Big Dance rivals the excitement I’ve felt walking into Toyota Stadium. The hair on your neck stands at the Premier Center just like at Toyota Stadium. If nothing else convinces you, like I said, the first beverage down there is on me.

Everybody up for the tip off, the March is on! *This column was printed before the Summit League’s announcements to hold the conference tournament at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., without fans.

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