Bison Illustrated for Kids May 2015

KIDS’ INTERVIEWS

TRIVIA GAMES

NFL ADVICE

MAY 2015 | COMPLIMENTARY

Holly Johnson

z

nt n We o s r a C

AJ Jacobson

Welcoming members since 1937.

M

oorhead Country Club is the Club where families gather, friendships form and people have fun—and has been since 1937. We embrace our tradition of offering outstanding recreational & social opportunities in the atmosphere of relaxed charm. Our welcoming members are privileged to play on a renovated course with marked character that is both challenging and enjoyable. The completion of our flood mitigation project has left us in a desirable high and dry advantage, promoting an extended season of play for our membership. We know our Club is a great value combining a lengthy list of amenities with membership opportunities tailor-made to suit your lifestyle . Let us roll out the welcome mat. Contact us today to learn more about Moorhead Country Club membership.

2101 North River Drive Moorhead, Minnesota 56560 Contact Us At

Family, Friends and Fun —Since 1937 Where families gather, friendships form and people have fun.

218.236.0100 or admin@moorheadcountryclub.com moorheadcountryclub.com

Private 18-Hole Course | Outdoor Swimming Pool with Slide & Kiddie Pool | Award Winning Junior Golf Program Casual & Tasteful Dining | 18-Hole Championship Putting Green | New Island Green—the FM area’s Premier Par 3

CONTENTS

FEATURE

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BECOMING BISON

What do Carson Wentz, Holly Johnson and AJ Jacobson have in common? They’re from the great state of North Dakota. See what they’ve done to earn their playing time for the Bison.

56 LESSONS FROM THE NFL Former football coach and current Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley returns to Fargo to speak about creating a culture and lessons learned from the NFL.

66 TRIPLE COVERAGE Kellen and Konner Entz and Colby Klieman come together to ask the tough questions.

They interview their fathers while searching for the inside scoop on the football team.

AT A GLANCE 16 How Well Do You Know?

80 Who’s In It?

18 Bison Camps

85 Bison Crossing

38 Bison Kid Fashion

87 Bison Word Find

44 Four Aces

90 Pat Simmers

50 Find Your POWER

92 Swany Says

63 Junior Bison Club

94 Pop Quiz

FOLLOW US info@spotlightmediafargo.com bisonillustrated.com @bisonmag facebook.com/bisonillustrated 4

B I S O N I L L U S T R A T E D • M AY 2 015

FUN & GAMES

76 JUMPING FOR GOLD Track and field jump coach Trevor Barry has competed at the highest level possible for a track and field athlete. Today, he’s training in hopes of returning to the Olympic stage.

EDITOR’S NOTE

BACKSTAGE PASS FROM THE EDITOR Tackling each month’s Bison Illustrated is a process that takes patience, flexibility and the ability to adjust to ever-changing circumstances. But don’t get me wrong, being surrounded by the best Bison student-athletes is definitely as fun as it looks.

Joe Kerlin Editor, Bison Illustrated

S

O HOW DOES THIS ALL HAPPEN? How does a team, filled with different personalities and interests, fill a 100-page magazine each month with topical, interesting and unique Bison stories?

I get these questions all the time from colleagues and friends. I usually shrug and say something like, “We just do.” But, instead of taking the easy way out, why not let Bison Nation take a look behind the curtain at Spotlight Media, our publishing company, and get an inside look at the creation of Bison Illustrated?

What I love about the magazine business is the lack of boundaries and the limitless possibilities we have to tell stories. We don’t worry about column inches or getting a good sound bite because we’re all here for two reasons. We’re here to entertain and to inform as many people as possible with the resources available.

With boundless possibilities

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also comes disorganization. To counteract these challenges, it’s important to get three aspects of the article intertwined so they can work together to present the story we’re trying to tell. At any time, the three of the following can lead the angle of the article and answer the most important question we ask ourselves: Would I read this article?

Photography Does this attract attention?

Like a well-written, attentiongrabbing sentence or an intriguing rhetorical question in a speech, capturing the curiosity of the reader can begin and end with imagery.

We’re fortunate enough to have a talented photography department that is able to portray the strongest features in every athlete featured in the magazine. Letting portrait shots of athletes be the focus

joe@bisonillustrated.com

@bisonmag

bisonillustrated

@joebisonmag

of the article or having action shots complement a story, effective imagery is imperative to magazines flying off the shelves.

Writing A popular quote we have on the wall in the office is “Easy reading is darn hard writing.”

Boy, is it ever true. Writing can be a long, tedious process that will frustrate anybody at every level. But with every edit, cut sentence and re-write comes improved and more effective writing.

As society and our readers evolve, so does our writing.

Short, quick and effective blurbs and paragraphs are more important than ever, especially with this publication. But don’t worry; long-form writing isn’t going anywhere.

Design The most important part of the story-telling formula is the presentation of the words and photos on the page. This is where the design team comes in. Presenting articles that are visually pleasing is no easy task, and can be the difference between readers skipping to the next story or remaining on the page.

Direct communication between designers, photographers and writers is necessary for a positive and impactful article and magazine. Designers have a vision and it’s the job of the writer and photographer to fulfill the vision with effective content.

O BISON! GoGBison, Joe Kerlin

MY NDSU JOURNEY FROM paul bougie CONTACT ME

701-478-7768 paulbougie@spotlightmediafargo.com

W

ELL LOOK AT US, my good friend Pete Miller and me fresh off the parade route for North Dakota State University’s 1981 Homecoming as proud members of the Pride of North Dakota – The Gold Star Marching Band! My, did we have fun and it was just one of millions of great memories from my time at NDSU that I will never forget.

I remember wanting to play in the band ever since I was a teenager at Shanley High School. Looking further back, I wanted to go to NDSU and build cities of tomorrow as an architect. Well, fulfilling two out of three dreams ain’t bad.

I went to NDSU and found my passion for communications.

Then I went on to spend 30 years in radio, and now I’m publishing here at Spotlight Media. During my time in the

band, well, to be honest, we had way too much fun. And now that we bring it up, I still have an NCAA basketball rule against me.

As for the architecture part, that is a long story you’ll have to ask me sometime during our next tailgate.

For kids perusing this issue of Bison Illustrated, if you want anything in life, go get it!

And for the moms and dads wondering how time has flown by so quickly, hang on to the good times, even if most of the stories will have to wait until we’re sitting on a barstool.

Enjoy your summer everybody!

Paul Bougie

MEET THE TEAM

MAY 2015 | VOLUME 9 ISSUE 10 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.

MIKE

BRENT

MICHAEL

PUBLISHER Spotlight Media PRESIDENT Mike Dragosavich ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Paul Bougie PAUL

LISA

JESSE

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Andrew Jason EDITOR Joe Kerlin DESIGN/LAYOUT Sarah Geiger, George Stack, Ryan Koehler, Billy Schnase CONTRIBUTORS Josh Swanson, Joe Kerlin, Pat Simmers

TRACY

BOUGIE

KRISTEN

COPY EDITORS Lisa Marchand, Erica Rapp, Aubrey Schield GENERAL MANAGER Brent Tehven MARKETING/SALES Tracy Nicholson, Paul Hoefer, Paul Bougie, Alicia Stuvland, Tank McNamara SOCIAL MEDIA Kristen Killoran, Samantha Day

AUBREY

LAURA

ERICA

CIRCULATION MANAGER Codey Bernier PHOTOGRAPHY J. Alan Paul Photography, NDSU Athletics, Tiffany Swanson, Joseph Ravits, Andrew Jason ADMINISTRATION Heather Hemingway, Laura Ingalls

ANDREW

JOE

EMILY

SPECIAL THANKS Ryan Perreault, Wes Offerman, Ryan Anderson, Jeff Schwartz, Colle en Heimstead WEB DEVELOPER Lydia Gilbertson DELIVERY Chris Larson, Peyton Berger, Hal Ecker

ALICIA

LYDIA

CODEY

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

HEATHER

TIFFANY

GEORGE

Spotlightmedia 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:

SARAH

12

RYAN

B I S O N I L L U S T R A T E D • M AY 2 015

TANK

Spotlight Media LLC. 502 1st Ave N. First Floor Fargo ND, 58102 or info@spotlightmediafargo.com

BISON

FUN

Senior cornerback Jordan Champion spent his offseason training for his final year as a Bison, but he also found time with his teammates to be active in the community. Here is Champion spending time with students at TNT Kid’s Fitness and Gymnastics and playing in the foam pit. Champion was joined by 14 of his Bison football teammates at TNT Fitness to help the instructors keep Fargo’s youth active.

Photo Courtesy of TNT Kids Fitness and Gymnastics

Check out bisonillustrated.com

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BISON

FUN

15

CHEMISTRY QUIZ

Trevor

Jaunich? ld What wou Trevor say?

C

an you guess Bison relief pitcher Trevor Jaunich’s favorite character in the 1993 hit movie “The Sandlot?” We put fellow pitchers David Ernst and Parker Trewin up to the task and threw them more fastballs to see who knows Jaunich the best.

THE QUESTIONS

TREVOR’S ANSWERS

DAVID ERNST

PARKER TREWIN

1. Who is your favorite baseball team?

LA Dodgers

Minnesota Twins

Delano Town Ball Team

2. What’s your favorite baseball movie?

“Bull Durham”

3. Who is your favorite “Sandlot” character?

Ham

Hamilton Porter

Shortstop

Shortstop

Parker Trewin

Blake Stockert

Parker Trewin

Big League Manager

Hollister Model

Be the Prime Minister of Canada

7. What’s your favorite flavor of sports drink?

Pink Lemonade

Grape

Water

8. What’s one pitch you don’t throw that you wish you could?

Splitfinger

Splitter

4. What’s your best position besides pitcher?

5. Who has the best pickoff move on the team?

6. What’s your dream job after your baseball career?

3-8 16

B I S O N I L L U S T R A T E D • M AY 2 015

“Trouble with the Curve”

“The Sandlot” +1

+1

+1

Wendy Peffercorn Bullpen Catcher

4-Seam Fastball

1-8

+1

BISON ATHLETICS SUMMER

CAMPS

SUMMER CAMPS INFORMATION

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FOOTBALL

SUMMER

CAMPS

Youth Camp – Morning Session – June 9-11 Grades 1-4 7:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Cost – $100 Youth Camp – Afternoon Session – June 9-11 Grades 5-8 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Cost – $100 Individual Camp – June 19-21 Grades 9-12 Commuter Camper – $250 Resident Camper – $275 Resident Early Arrival – $295 *Schedule June 18 – Early Arrival Check-In: 6-9 p.m.

June 19 – Check-In: 7-9 a.m., Athletic Movements, Two Full Practice Sessions June 20 – Individual Sessions, Practice, One-on-One’s, Three Full Practices June 21 – Morning Practice, Checkout: 11 a.m.

Why go?

• Over 60 current coaches from NSIC, MIAC, GLIAC, NSAA, HAAC, Midwest Conference and WIAC • 21 of 27 class of 2015 signees attended camp • 35 colleges represented • Over 250 seniors that attend will play college football next season What to Bring?

• Tennis shoes, grass football shoes and workout clothes •Provide own helmet, shoulder pads, jersey and mouth guards •$50 to rent shoulder pads and $50 to rent helmet

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SUMMER

CAMPS

MEN’S BASKETBALL Day Camp I & II – June 2-4, June 23-25 Grades K-6 8–11:30 a.m.

Cost – $100 Individual Skills Camp I & II – June 4-5, June 17-18 Grades 6-12 Day One – 6-9 p.m.

Day Two – 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Cost – $110 Big Man/Guard Camp – June 15-17 Grades 6-12 Day One – 6-9 p.m.

Day Two – 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Day Three – 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Resident Camper – $215 Commuter Camper – $190 Overnight Camp – August 2-5 Grades 6-12 Day One – 6-9 p.m.

Day Two – 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Day Three – 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Day Four – 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Resident Camper – $290 Commuter – $240

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Junior Bison Camp – June 1-3 Grades K-5 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Cost: $90 Offensive Skills Camp – June 7-9 Grades 6-8 Day One – 6:30-9 p.m.

Day Two – 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Day Three – 9-11:30 a.m.

Resident Camper – $250 Commuter Camper – $210 College Prep Camp – June 9-11 Grades 9-12 Day One – 6:30-9 p.m.

Day Two – 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Day Three – 9-11:30 a.m.

Resident Camper – $200 Commuter Camper – $180 What to Bring Water bottle, towel, blanket, pillow and toiletries 20

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VOLLEYBALL Positional Day Camp I & II – June 15-17, July 6-8 Grades 6-College 12-1:30 p.m. – Attacking 1:30-3 p.m. – Defense & Blocking 3-4:30 p.m. – Serving & Passing 4:30-6 p.m. – Setting First Session – $105 Additional Session – $90 All-Skills Camp – June 18-20 Grades 6-12 Commuter Camper – $250 Resident Camper – $295 Youth Camp I & II – June 22-24, July 6-8 Grades K-7 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Single Camp – $115 Both Camps – $200 High-Performance Camp – July 9-11 Grades 9-College Commuter Camper – $290 Resident Camper – $335 Team Camp – July 12-14 12-4 p.m.

Commuter Camper – $250 Resident Camper – $295

SUMMER

CAMPS

WRESTLING Bison Wrestling Camp – June 21-26 All Ages Commuter (w/o meals) – $300 Commuter w/ meals – $375 Full room and board – $450 *Daily Schedule 7 a.m. – Strength & Conditioning (age appropriate lifts) 8 a.m. – Breakfast 9-11 a.m. – Technique 12 p.m. – Lunch 2-4 p.m. – Technique & Drills 5 p.m. – Dinner 7-8:30 p.m. – Live Matches/Competitions *Friday, June 26 – Bracketed tournament $50 entry fee for non-campers Clinicians Head coach Roger Kish, assistant coach Derek St. John and graduate assistant Steven Monk

SOCCER Day Camp – June 8-12 Ages 5-14 9-11:30 a.m.

Cost – $125 Elite Girls ID Camp (Overnight) – July 23-26 Grades 9-12 Resident Camper – $300 Commuter Camper – $275 What to Bring Cleats, camp soccer ball, tennis shoes, sunblock, rain gear and shin pads

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becoming bison

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becoming bison

becoming bison

By Joe Kerlin | Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography

Only a handful of years ago, three Bison athletes were just like you. Quarterback Carson Wentz, women’s basketball player Holly Johnson and men’s basketball player AJ Jacobson were growing up in North Dakota and doing whatever they could to stand out in their respected sport. Wentz was a multisport star at Century High School in Bismarck, molding his athleticism, while Johnson was taking every step necessary to become the next great college basketball player from Minot High School. Jacobson buried himself in his studies to prepare for life after basketball at Shanley High School while finding time to perfect his jump shot. Each athlete faced adversity before wearing the green and gold, but each of them are grateful for the journey they went through before becoming Bison.

25

becoming bison

CARSON WENTZ BISMARCK

multI-TALENTED BIO Last year, Carson Wentz proved to be a formidable leader as he kept NDSU’s historic run of success alive. The junior quarterback broke three major passing records during his first season as the starting quarterback and led the Bison to a fourth-straight FCS Championship in a dramatic fashion.

Now with national recognition in sight, Wentz is looking to leave the Bison program where he found it – at the top. The Bismarck native has came a long way before scoring the gamewinning touchdown against Illinois State in Frisco, Texas. The competitiveness that drives him forward is a culmination of his baseball, basketball and hockey playing days.

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becoming bison

CHOOSING FOOTBALL MULTIPLE-SPORT ATHLETE Wentz can’t remember the last time he wasn’t playing a sport. He participated in football and baseball throughout high school and played basketball for three years, skipping his junior season to recover from an arm injury. What most people don’t know is Wentz was quite the hockey player.

“My older brother (Zach Wentz) wanted to play hockey when we were youngsters so I naturally wanted to do it too,” Wentz said. He played up until high school and then joined the basketball team to be around his buddies.

OVERCOMING INJURY Wentz injured his arm playing baseball his freshman season in high school. The injury lingered as he continued to play through the pain his sophomore season.

He was forced to stop pitching and playing shortstop in order to have any strength to throw a football. Wentz’s arm was so sore his junior season he didn’t play quarterback and lost an entire season of basketball.

36 total touchdowns

28

Early in high school, Wentz thought he was going to follow the path of his older brother Zach and play baseball in college, but he said there were three factors that made him choose football. The first reason is because he hurt his arm his freshman year playing baseball and that ended his pitching career. He was restricted to playing first base and being the designated hitter, which took the fun out of the game.

The next reason was the pace of baseball. Wentz admits he’s not the most patient guy. In football, there’s always a next play. On that next play, Wentz can take out his frustration physically on an opponent, which is the final reason why he chose football over baseball.

passing touchdowns

65 pass completion percentage

734 rushing yards 27

3,464 passing yards

becoming bison

questionnaire

larm set for? a r u o y is e m ti t a Wh a.m. etween 5-8 Anywhere b

avor?

ice cream fl e it r o v fa r u o y s What’ gh Cookie Dou

HOW GOOD WAS CARSON AT BASEBALL? “He’s just a phenomenal athlete, overall, height and strength.

He could’ve played anywhere he wanted.

We tried to get him to play shortstop, but he wanted to save his arm for quarterback, and in fact, he didn’t even pitch for us because he had some arm problems. …

So what could he have done? I thought it was a sport he was pretty good at too. Same with his brother, I think he would’ve done the same type of things and maybe even a little bit further.” - Mike “Gus” Gustavsson is the head baseball coach at Century High School and coached Wentz for three years.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? It takes a special type of competitor to lead three fourth-quarter comebacks in the FCS playoffs. Wentz credits his undeniable competitor attribute to playing multiple sports in high school.

“I didn’t just focus on one sport,” Wentz said of his high school experience. “Those moments of adversity within games and those close games, whether it was baseball, hockey, basketball or football, they all helped when times get tough. So now for football, I’ve faced a lot of those things and I’ve dealt with adversity.” Wentz said his advice for a young athlete is to do whatever makes you happy. If you enjoy playing football and basketball, play both, because if you prematurely quit to focus on one, you may regret that decision further down the road.

athlete, If you weren’t anwant to do? what would yocouach a Teacher and

rstitions?

re-game supe Do you have any p tious!

Not supersti

n days off?

What do you do owith my dog and friends. out Hunt or hang

lete of all time?

st ath Who is the greate dan Michael Jor

iend in sports? Bonnet. fr t s e b r u o y is o Wh Andrew onship, but te relati It’s a love/ha

e number you do?in th r a e w u o y o d Why came oice when I ly have a ch 0. So I just I didn’t real e number 2 b t n’ d ul co since I ber 11. ran with num

at is your Besides Fargo, wh ompete in? favorite city to cthing like home.

Bismarck … no

29

becoming bison

holly JOHNSON MINOT

north dakota strong BIO Holly Johnson has endured three tough seasons at NDSU, but has found a way to contribute on a high scale. As a junior, she was recognized as an honorable mention for the all-Summit League team. The Minot native recorded four double-doubles this past season and averaged a career high in rebounds, with seven per game and averaged 12 points per contest. She also shot a career-high 70 percent from the free throw line. At 6-feet, she’s one of the smallest post players in the Summit League, but makes up for her lack of size with tenacity and polished footwork.

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becoming bison

BIRTH OF A DREAM After making the Minot varsity team her sophomore season, Johnson’s head coach, Todd Magnuson, told her she had a future playing basketball in college. Once Johnson’s first season on the varsity team was complete, she committed herself to becoming the best all-around basketball player possible.

854 points

465 rebounds

43.4

2,008

field goal percentage

minutes

OVERCOMING NORTH DAKOTA LABELS Johnson was late to join the popular AAU basketball circuit. She was heavily recruited to play division II basketball, but knew her skills would apply just as well in division I. To get her name out there and to work on her game against stiffer competition, she went to camps at the University of North Dakota, University of Minnesota and University of Tennessee. “I was always a huge Pat Summit fan and I would play in the shoes she signed for me in high school,” Johnson said. She did play two tournaments with the AAU team the Dakota Heat for Guy Fridley, and she got to travel to Mankato, Minn., and Kearney, Mo., for tournaments.

WHAT SEPARATES HOLLY FROM OTHER PLAYERS? “Holly was one of those very competitive young ladies and we knew we had to get her the ball somehow, some way.

So a lot of the stuff we did in high school was designed around Holly.

Holly could play the post for us, she can play point guard, she can play the two and she played all over for us. So one of the things we did, we went through Holly with everything we did. … I think it was her mindset within herself that she wanted to play division I basketball.” – Todd Magnuson coached Holly Johnson for three years at Minot High School.

31

becoming bison

ADVICE Johnson was unaware of the AAU circuit until it was almost too late for her to get noticed by any colleges. So her biggest piece of advice for any high school basketball player is to get involved with an AAU organization. She also said if you’re serious about playing college basketball, “Get in the gym more and keep your passion for basketball.”

PLAYING BIG Former Minot High School women’s basketball coach Todd Magnuson said one of the biggest disadvantages for women’s high school basketball players in North Dakota is the consistent lack of size in the state. At 6-feet tall, Johnson has had to develop her other skills to compensate for the size disadvantages she faces in division I. She had to mainly focus on her strength and footwork. “I was not used to the pace of play or how big and strong these girls were,” explained Johnson. “I mean, lifting and all that stuff has been huge throughout my career and that’s for everyone on our team. I think it’s all of it (strength and footwork).”

86 games played

questionnaire

What time is

6:45 a..m.

What’s your

Cookies ‘‘N C

your alarm s e

t for?

favorite ice c rea

m flavor?

ream

If you weren what would y’t an athlete, ou want to d Be in the fash o? ion ind ustry.

Do you have a

ny pre-game

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hoe before my

What do you

Sleep

left.

f?

eatest athle

Michael Jorda

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Who is your b

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Why do you w

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do on days of

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Brooke LeMar

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33

becoming bison

aJ Jacobson FARGO

classroom motIVATION BIO Fargo Shanley’s AJ Jacobson is quickly turning into the mayor of Fargo. Through his performance on the court in his first season, he showed why there was so much buzz surrounding him coming out of Shanley High School where he won North Dakota’s Mr. Basketball in 2013 and was North Dakota’s Gatorade and Powerade Player of the Year. Jacobson complements his sharp shooting on the court with his academic performance in the classroom. Through his first three semesters at NDSU, he holds a 4.0 GPA and is working toward his degree in biological sciences.

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FAMILY MAN Bison fans recall Jacobson’s mother’s legacy at NDSU as the second all-time leading scorer for the Bison women’s team, but his father David had the biggest influence on him academically. David Jacobson is a family practice physician at the VA hospital and is the man responsible for sparking AJ Jacobson’s interest in science.

BOOKS BEFORE BALL

325 points 117 rebounds

40.3

41.3 field goal percentage

“It always came first,” AJ Jacobson said about growing up and bringing his schoolwork with him on the road for basketball. “You can go play in a tournament on the weekends and stuff like that, but they (mom and dad) always made sure I was doing homework and keeping up with my studies.”

Jacobson said he does five to seven hours of studying outside of class per week. School always came easy to Jacobson, who said it’s helps when you’re paying attention in class and always staying ahead with homework. “I’m a guy who likes to look at the syllabus and find out when I’m going to have an assignment due,” Jacobson said. “I don’t like procrastinating.”

WHAT IS AJ LIKE IN CLASS? “Always a good student, but being a good student is like a good basketball player; they’re both coachable. It’s the same thing with a good student. If they do what you ask them to do, get their stuff done on time, if they ask questions when they’re unsure.

The thing with AJ is that he’s a kid that’s easy to get along with; he’s going to help himself as much as anybody because he’s willing to ask questions and he wants to learn, he wants to know more and when you want to do that, that’s 90 percent of the battle.”– Leon Knodel was Jacobson’s 6th grade teacher and coached Jacobson for three seasons at Shanley High School.

3-point percentage

35

AVOIDING DISTRACTIONS Jacobson wants to become a dentist one day and to do that, he knows he needs to stay on the straightened path.

“It’s something where if you have one slip up, it can cost you your career and that’s something you always have to keep in the back of your mind,” he said while explaining the people he surrounds himself with. Jacobson is with the basketball team for nearly eight months out of the year and they keep each other in check. But he emphasized having a group of friends that share similar values outside of sports to keep you fresh and not worn down with day-to-day competition.

ADVICE Jacobson follows a rule in both school and basketball: never hesitate to ask questions.

He said it shouldn’t be embarrassing to ask for help because everybody’s mind works differently. “If you don’t know something, don’t stress out trying to figure it out yourself.” He continued to say how the Bison basketball team works in such a way that it’s a healthy environment to ask questions and to ask the coaches why they’re running certain plays in certain situations.

82 free throw percentage

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B I S O N I L L U S T R A T E D • M AY 2 015

questionnaire What time is your alarm set for?

7:30 a.m.

What’s your favorite ice cream fla vor?

Strawberry

If you weren’t an athlete, what wo

uld you want to do?

Be a dentist.

Do you have any pre-game superstit

ions?

Eating a protein bar and drinking a sports drink.

What do you do on days off?

Play golf and relax.

Who is the greatest athlete of all

Michael Jordan

time?

Who is your best friend in sports?

Dexter Werner

Why do you wear the number you do

?

My mom wore 12 so I wanted 21.

Besides Fargo, what is your favor

Sioux Falls

ite city to compete in?

Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography 38

B I S O N I L L U S T R A T E D M AY 2 015

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B I S O N I L L U S T R A T E D M AY 2 015

FOUR ACES

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B I S O N I L L U S T R A T E D M AY 2 015

FOUR ACES FOUR ACES

By Joe Kerlin | Photos by J. Alan Photography

T

here’s no question who’s bringing the heat for the Bison baseball team. These four aces are locked and loaded to bring the Bison back in the Summit League standings. Get to know the seniors as they prepare for a late-season surge.

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FOUR ACES

DAVID ERNST #10 Best pitch? – Cutter Position besides pitcher that you’d play? – Outfield Who did you play for last summer? – Didn’t play. Took classes.

Favorite pitcher? – Madison Bumgarner Favorite flavor of sunflower seeds? – Barbeque What have you added?

“I’ve always just thrown a fastball and starting last year it started cutting, but I didn’t start doing anything different. Same grip, same everything and right away in the winter, when we were starting to throw live, Brown asked why my ball was cutting and I said, ‘Yeah, I don’t know I just saw that, too.’ And he said as long as I could control it, he liked it.

I hold it exactly like a four-seam fastball, not any different than I’ve ever done.”

TREVOR JAUNICH #7 Trevor Jaunich #7 Best pitch? – Slider Position besides pitcher that you’d play? – Shortstop Who did you play for last summer? – St. Cloud Rox, Northwoods League Favorite pitcher? – Matt Harvey Favorite flavor of sunflower seeds? – Dill Pickle How did the coaches help you?

“The coaches gave us a packet. They quizzed everybody on our pitching staff until everybody got 100 percent. We were running until we knew exactly what was going on and everybody is on the right page. We were doing poles and we were doing lunges the length of the outfield with med balls. It was brutal.

We did three or four days in a row. After one person failed the test everybody had to do a pole. I was a freshman that year, too, and I was shaking while I was writing on the paper because I didn’t want to get the answers wrong.”

46

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FOUR ACES

TRENT KEEFER #37 Best pitch? – Changeup Position besides pitcher that you’d play? – Centerfield Who did you play for last summer? – Wellington Heat, Jayhawk League (Kansas) Favorite pitcher? – Patrick Corbin Favorite flavor of sunflower seeds? – Original Salted Seeds Who had the biggest influence on you?

“Rob Shbansky, who was my junior college (GateWay Community College) coach before I came here, had the biggest influence on me.

He pretty much taught me how to pitch and the mindset I want to have when I’m on the mound.”

PARKER TREWIN #22 Best pitch? – Slider Position besides pitcher that you’d play? – Rightfield Who did you play for last summer? – (Two years ago) Duluth Huskies, Northwoods League Favorite pitcher? – Felix Hernandez Favorite flavor of sunflower seeds? – Bacon Salt Who’s helped you the most?

“Everybody has bad outings and everybody faces a time when you’re not really performing as well as you want to. So my dad keeps me mentally grounded. Even when he was coaching me growing up, he would never get mad at me for not pitching well or not hitting well. He was about having a good attitude and so that kind of stuff is what I try to bring as a captain and having an even-keel attitude and being a guy that’s coachable. I learned all that stuff from him. And I think that’s helped me as a player.”

47

FOUR ACES

JAY FLAA #32 JOKER - CLOSER

Position - Right-Handed Pitcher Height - 6-3 Weight - 220 Bat/Throw - R/R Class - Senior Hometown - Mandan, N.D. High School - Mandan HS CAREER STATS Appearances - 42 Innings - 98 Strikeouts - 112 Saves - 5 Best pitch? – Fastball Position besides pitcher that you’d play? – Third base Who did you play for last summer? – Walla Walla Sweets, West Coast League Favorite pitcher? – Jared Weaver Favorite flavor of sunflower seeds? – SugarCoated Seeds Who’s helped you the most?

“I wouldn’t say there’s one in particular, but I can say as far as keeping a level head and having the right mentality would definitely be my dad. He doesn’t know the most about pitching, but just as far as keeping me levelheaded after a tough game, or level-headed after a big game or whatever it may be.”

Mentality as a closer?

“The differences in the mentality, for me right now (as a closer), is really putting a lot of focus on the first pitch of each at bat and first pitch strikes. What I’ve been able to do with that is limit the amount of walks by quite a bit. Early on in my career, walks were a major issue and they came back to hurt me a lot of the time and now it’s just filling up the zone and if they’re going to hit me around, they’re going to hit me, but there’s no defense for walks.”

Being a Captain “To have people look up to you as a guy who says the right things, does the right things in certain situations, works hard and leads by example, that’s awesome to me and it’s something I’ve strived for my entire life, and to finally have that role is pretty awesome.”

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SANFORD

POWER

FIND YOUR

POWER Athletes are always looking to gain that extra edge over their opponents. Many do this by putting in the work when no one is watching, hidden from the crowds in weight rooms and practice fields. Sanford POWER gives young athletes in the area the resources needed to become the best basketball, football, baseball, volleyball or softball player they can be. We took a trip to POWER to see what young athletes are doing to responsibly maximize their potential in a safe, competitive and fun atmosphere.

By Joe Kerlin Photos by Tiffany Swanson

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Sanford POWER

The Sanford POWER complex is a facility for athletes of all ages to come and train during both the season and the offseason to become more explosive athletes.

From junior high and high school students looking to max-out their athletic ability to adults looking to get themselves back to living a healthy lifestyle, POWER provides the resources for all athletes.

SANFORD POWER

RANDY MARTIN Randy Martin is the manager of Sanford POWER and has been training athletes in the Fargo area since 1999. He received his bachelor’s degree in fitness and sports science from Minnesota State UniversityMoorhead and his master’s degree in exercise physiology-human performance from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Martin oversees a staff of nine trainers inside the POWER complex just east of Family Wellness.

Yes, that's former linebacker Esley Thorton overlooking Brett Beil and their young athlete Alex. The senior has a fellowship at Sanford POWER this semester. He also helped his former teammate Carlton Littlejohn train for NDSU's Pro Day. Thorton will graduate with a bachelor's degree in exercise science this May. He plans to go back to school to become a doctor.

NUTRITION Martin is a certified Health Fitness Specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine. He says making sure his athletes are eating correctly is the responsibility of the athlete and the athlete’s parents.

“Getting those good calories in you after a workout so the body has nutrition to help restore the body back or to help build those muscles that we’re trying to work on,” Martin said. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because athletes need the right amount of carbohydrates and protein to begin the day. He also recommends two light midday snacks for athletes and wants them to arrive at the workout having eaten at least two hours prior to exercise. And after the workout, chocolate milk Martin said is “a heck of a recovery drink.”

Much like breakfast, he said restoring the body with protein and carbohydrates is important to the growth of muscles.

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The man on the left in this picture is Brett Beil. He ran track and field at NDSU and has been with Sanford since 2001.

Meet our young athlete Alex. He's a middle schooler and he's training for the summer baseball season. As you can guess, he's a huge Bison fan.

INJURY PREVENTION “Everything we try to instill here is injury prevention,” Martin said about the philosophy of Sanford POWER. But how do trainers prepare athletes to avoid fluke injury situations during completion? Take the common ACL injury, said Martin. The trainers at POWER teach athletes jumping and landing mechanics. They emphasize the importance of never letting the athletes’ knees come inside their feet while jumping and landing. They also train the hinging technique, which is when the athlete sticks out their rear-ends while landing a jump or squatting. Trainers also use bands wrapped around athletes’ ankles and knees to strengthen glutes and hips to avoid leg injuries.

SANFORD

POWER

TRAINING EXERCISES SPEED

POWER implements the PAL philosophy into its speed training with all athletes. PAL stands for posture, arm movement and leg drive. Martin has instructed his staff to start the training with very low intensity with something as elementary as stepping over hurdles or pushing against a wall while driving your legs into the ground. Then the trainers will move onto higher intensity drills like resistance sprints or pulling and pushing sleds with weights added to them. “We don’t move onto anything more complex until they’ve mastered those lower drills,” Martin said. “Sometimes your main errors are in the arms when they’re crossing over the body so we’re trying to re-educate the body to run with proper mechanics and erase some of those bad mechanics that they’ve picked up over time.”

AGILITY

Martin explained there are many variations of agility drills they put their athletes through.

The trainers will set up cones in different formations and have the athletes run around them with the focus on improving the athletes’ explosiveness while changing directions. Another popular drill is sending the athlete through ladder drills where the athlete moves their feet in different patterns to increase acceleration and their first-step quickness. Martin said he also likes to include partners in agility drill, which challenges the athletes to mirror one another’s body movements. At the end of the day, the number of agility drills is endless, but the POWER staff has keyed on several that help athlete’s never waste body movement while competing.

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STRENGTH

The No. 1 mission for Martin and his staff when it comes to lifting weights is proper technique. They don’t concern themselves with the amount of weight on each side of the barbell. “Quite often, especially with male athletes, they’re a little more concerned about how much they can bench and they’re not concerned about their technique,” said Martin.

Martin has trained athletes as young as 7 with weights, but he’s very cautious with the mindset of a young athlete showing interest in weight training. If a young athlete doesn’t show an interest in lifting weights, then he’s not ready, said Martin. According to Martin, 9 to 10 years old is usually the age range that kids can begin lifting weights, but the athlete needs to be invested enough to learn the right technique before moving to heavier weights.

SKILL-SPECIFIC TRAINING

Many of the drills and workouts the trainers at POWER put their athletes through can be applied to more than one sport. “If they’re a basketball player, then we’ll look at improving their multidirectional speed or straight-ahead speed or even their vertical,” Martin said. “But, if your vertical improves, you’re also going to become a more explosive person on the football field.” POWER does include what they call prehab training to build strength in a certain muscle group that is used more in certain sports. Shoulder strength is a common prehab drill trainers offer to prepare their athletes for baseball, softball, volleyball or football season.

LESSONS

GUS

BRADLEY

By Joe Kerlin Photo courtesy of Jacksonville Jaguars

Coaching Timeline

Bradley has been a coach for 25 years. Here’s a list of the places and positions he’s had:

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1990-91

North Dakota State Graduate Assistant

1992-95

Fort Lewis College (Colorado) Linebackers Coach, Defensive Coordinator

1996-2005

North Dakota State Defensive Coordinator, Assistant Head Coach, Linebackers Coach

from the

NFL

CASEY “GUS” BRADLEY is the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team. But did you know he was a Bison? It’s true. Bradley played safety for the Bison from 1984-88. He also had two coaching stints at NDSU in 1990-91 and 1996-2005. He was even in the running for the head coaching job in 2003, but the position was given to Craig Bohl. Bradley returned to Fargo in April to speak to hundreds of Bison fans about building a culture. Check out these cool footnotes from his presentation.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

During your athletic journey, it’s important to have a personal philosophy to help you stay grounded in your values, no matter your position. Here’s Bradley’s personal philosophy he’s been following for over 20 years:

“Possess a genuine appreciation for the contribution and commitment everyone makes, for together, we shall all get it done.”

2006-08

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense Quality Control, Linebackers Coach

2009-12

Seattle Seahawks Defensive Coordinator

2013-Present

Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach

GUS

BRADLEY

Michaela Bradley (middle) joined her husband on his return trip to Fargo. The Bradley’s have four kids: Carter (15), Anna (13), Eli (11) and Ella (7).

Among the attendees were former Bison football players and current coaches. (left to right) Mike Hardie, Colten Heagle, Jamar Cain, Atif Austin, Nick Goeser and Kyle Emanuel.

LEVELS OF A COMPETITOR Coach Bradley explains the four levels of being a competitor.

SERVANT LEADER

Here’s how coach Bradley defines being a servant leader: Help everyone around you become the best they can possibly be, without having a personal agenda for your own success. Individual success is never the goal; there’s only team success.

HUMILITY

The more success you find as an athlete, the more important it becomes for you to have humility. This doesn’t mean putting yourself down after a great performance: it means to have an appreciation for those around you that help you create your success.

This is what former Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks told Gus Bradley after Bradley’s defense shut out St. Louis 28-0 in his first game as a defensive coordinator:

“Be allergic to the big meal, go home and eat crumbs.”

TREAT PROSPERITY AND ADVERSITY THE SAME You will never be successful all the time and you will never fail all the time, thus, it is important to treat success and failures the right way through these three steps: Tell the truth Learn from it Grow and move forward 58

B I S O N I L L U S T R A T E D M AY 2 015

1

Survivor – One who has the mindset to perform just enough to get by.

2

Competitor – One who picks and chooses when to maximize his or her abilities and is influenced by external motivators.

3

True Competitor – One who maximizes his of her abilities regardless of outside influences. The drive is purely internal and captures every single opportunity received.

4

Dominant Competitor – One who is a true competitor with the ability to extend his or her influence, in a positive way, to those around them.

LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL

LEVEL

WHAT HAS BRADLEY LEARNED COACHING FOR 25 YEARS? • Keys to being a head coach: - Honesty, Courage, and Integrity • Respect the history of the game • Family over football • Honor and support the people with more power than you • Always, always, always have a good attitude • Hold players accountable for their actions • Swallow pride and listen to rookies as much as veterans

BISON

CLUB

N O S I B JUNIOR

B U CL

PRESENTED BY

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

ABOUT THE JUNIOR BISON CLUB • The Erbert & Gerbert’s Junior Bison Club costs $25.

• You will receive free admission to all regularseason home events for women’s basketball, wrestling, volleyball, soccer, baseball and select men’s basketball. Football games are not included.

• You will get a sweet new 4” x 6” sticker sheet.

• Members receive a Junior Bison Club T-shirt (free shirts are the best kind of shirts.)

• You will get to show off an exclusive Junior Bison Club membership card.

• You will be sent a Junior Bison Club newsletters to stay up-to-date on all the happenings at NDSU Athletics.

• Members will receive invitations to special events.

63

BISON

CLUB

REGISTER NOW! You may also register on GoBison.com

MAIL THIS FORM TO...

________________________________________________________________________________ First Name* Last Name* Age Birthday

Junior B iso NDSU D n Club ept 1200 PO Box 6050 Fargo, N D 58108-6 050

________________________________________________________________________________ Address* Apt/Suite* City, State*

( )

________________________________________________________________________________ ZIP/Postal Code* Telephone* Email* ________________________________________________________________________________ School Parent/Guardian Name

™

Child - Small Adult - Medium

Child’s T-Shirt Size*

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*Required fields

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www.erbertandgerberts.com

Participating Erbert & Gerbert’s locations:

FARGO 25TH ST 3060 25th St. S. 701-478-7827

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FARGO 13TH AVE 3402 13th Ave. S. 701-478-7827

FARGO BROADWAY 300 Broadway N. 701-478-7827

MOORHEAD 212 8th St. S. 701-478-7827

KID

INTERVIEWS

KONNOR ENTZ

Age - 10 School - Freedom Elementary School Favorite Team - Chicago Bears Favorite Bison - Nick DeLuca

TRIPLE COVERAGE W

e brought our special kid reporters in during spring practice to ask the hardhitting questions every member of Bison Nation is curious to know. But these aren't just kids; we went a step further. Who has the scoop better than the sons of Bison coaches? Kellen and Konner Entz put their dad under the spotlight to answer every question about the Bison defense, and Colby Klieman gets an exclusive one-onone interview with his dad as Chris Klieman's team prepares for another national championship run.

KID REPORTERS Konnor Entz Kellen Entz Colby Klieman

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KELLEN ENTZ

Age - 11 School - Freedom Elementary School Favorite Team - Indianapolis Colts Favorite Bison - Carson Wentz

KID

INTERVIEWS

COLBY KLIEMAN

Age - 11 School - Independence Elementary School Favorite Team - Washington Redskins Favorite Bison - Carson Wentz

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KID

INTERVIEWS

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT ENTZ

Matt Entz is entering his second season at NDSU. Entz became the Bison defensive coordinator last season when he left his position at Western Illinois. He also coaches the linebackers and coached two all-conference performers last season. In his first season as defensive coordinator, the Bison were third in the country, allowing 14.1 points per game.

KELLEN ENTZ INTERVIEWS HIS DAD, MATT ENTZ What lesson, or lessons, did you learn last year that you will take with you for the rest of your coaching career?

“You need to pay an unbelievable amount of time to details. And that’s one thing we do here at NDSU, and for the Bison football team, every I is dotted and every T is crossed. When you do those things you have a chance to be pretty good at playing the game.”

After winning your first FCS Championship, how do you stay hungry for another?

“You just want to keep getting better. This is a new team, a new year; that year is behind us now and it’s time to move on. Time to see if we can get another one for the Bison.”

This is the second spring with the same coaching staff. In what ways have you gelled to become better as a staff this season?

“We know each other now. Last year we were still trying to learn everybody; we were strangers, and this year we got to know each other. We can joke around, we can be candid with one another and really share our thoughts and ideas in meeting without any judgment or being worried about offending someone.”

For you, what’s the most important part of your role as defensive coordinator?

“To be a leader. To be a great role model for the players, stay organized to keep moving this thing forward and so we can continue to get better each day.”

69

KID

INTERVIEWS

Matt Entz pictured here with both of his sons, Kellen and Konner Entz.

KONNER ENTZ INTERVIEWS HIS DAD, MATT ENTZ What did the current group of linebackers learn from last year’s three seniors?

“They learned how to practice. You talk about Travis (Beck), Carlton (Littlejohn) and Esley (Thorton), those guys practiced unbelievably hard every day, came to meetings locked in and focused and I think that’s rubbed off on the young kids this year because we don’t have any seniors in the linebacker room right now. Right now, they’re all still sophomores and freshmen and they’re still learning, but they had good role models last year on how to approach the game.”

Who are some of the players on defense that have stood out for you this spring?

“Grant Morgan up front has done a really nice job of improving and being dynamic and doing some good things from the defensive line. MJ Stumpf and Nick DeLuca are doing some good things, and then in the back end of things, Chris Board and Tre Dempsey and, of course, I'd be remiss if I didn’t mention CJ (Smith) and Jordan Champion. I think those guys are two of the best corners in the country.”

What does Nick DeLuca have to do this season to grow as a linebacker?

“He needs to be able to communicate. Last year, he had those seniors to rely on to communicate those checks and calls. Now it’s on him. He’s the Mike (middle linebacker), so he’ll have to take charge and we have to keep developing him as a leader for Nick. Nick has an unbelievable amount of potential so he’s got to continue to push it forward so he understands how to reach that potential.”

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Who has already shown signs of stepping up to become the next leader of this defense?

“Grant Morgan, MJ Stumpf, Tre Dempsey, CJ Smith, Jordan Champion - those are the guys we need to get going and to maintain that leadership that they’ve shown but see if they can take it to the next level.”

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KID

INTERVIEWS

KID

INTERVIEWS

HEAD COACH CHRIS KLIEMAN

Chris Klieman is entering his fifth season at NDSU and his second as head coach.

During his first season as head coach, Klieman led the Bison back to Frisco to win the program's fourth consecutive national championship. Klieman was nominated for the 2014 Eddie Robinson award, which is given annually to the top coach in the FCS.

COLBY KLIEMAN INTERVIEWS HIS DAD, CHRIS KLIEMAN What’s the mission of spring practice?

“The mission of spring practice is trying to get every player just a little bit better, trying to take some of the weaknesses they had in the fall and making them strength and trying to get the younger guys up to speed on what our program is about.”

Who are some of the players on offense that have stood out for you this spring?

“All of our young offensive linemen. I don’t want to mention any names but all the young offensive lineman have done a really good job, and I’ve been really impressed with some of our young tight ends, Nate Jenson, and Connor Wentz and then all of our younger wide receivers. I expect the older guys to stand out, but those younger receivers and tight ends and offensive linemen have done a really nice job.”

What did you learn in the scrimmage today?

“I learned that you were around too much and in my way. I saw you bouncing around. I gotta watch the film first, Colby, to see what I really learned. But I liked that the defense had a lot more energy today.”

What was your favorite part about Frisco this January?

“Winning the game. Winning the game and seeing all of Bison Nation down there.

All the alums, all the community leaders. Remember when we got off that bus and did the Bison walk through all the people? I’ll never forget that. That was pretty cool, wasn’t it?”

Yup. What’s the most important thing a freshman coming into the program has to know before stepping onto the field?

“How to do it the Bison way and they learn that from the upperclassmen.”

What’s one piece of advice you can give a student who wants to go into coaching?

“You get the chance to change a lot of lives of a lot of young people. You have a great chance to make an impact and be a mentor.”

What’s the best thing about being the head coach of the Bison football team?

“There’s not a bad thing. Everything is great about being the head coach of the Bison.

I’m fortunate every day to be the head coach of the Bison. I love every part of the job and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

TREVOR

BARRY

p i m n u J for g

J

umping into the Bison track and field program is an unprecedented move for a former Olympian, but Trevor Barry has never let anything prevent him from reaching new heights. While he trains Bison high jumpers, Barry isn’t giving up on his dream of returning to the Olympics and has the bar set for Rio de Janeiro 2016.

By Joe Kerlin Photo by J. Alan Paul Photography

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The bar is set at 2.39 meters or, in American terms, 7.84 feet.

Clearing this bar would break Bahamas’ national high-jump record. Barry’s goal is to reach this height during his country's National meet this June.

TREVOR BARRY

ACCOLADES • Three-time NAIA National Champion at Dickinson State • 2006 - Sets Dickinson State University’s High Jump and Long Jump Record • 2008 - Sets Bison Sports Arena High Jump Record at 7 feet 3 inches • Three-time Central American and Caribbean Championships Runner-Up in High Jump • 2010 - Commonwealth Games Runner-Up • 2011 - World Championships Bronze Medalist in High Jump • 2011 - Sets Personal Best in High Jump at 2.32 Meters • 2011 - Central American and Caribbean Championships Gold Medalist in High Jump • 2011 - Charlie Major Award – Bahamas’ Athlete of the Year • 2012 - London Olympian • 2014 - Sets Shelly Ellig Track and Field Facility High Jump Record at 7 feet 4.5 inches

77

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TREVOR

BARRY

bar jump h g i 13. the h over pen in 20 s p a ry le on O r Bar nnual Bis o v e a Tr g the durin

DICKINSON STATE

NDSU

So how does a Bahamian end up competing in college at NAIA Dickinson State? “That’s a long story,” says Trevor Barry, the men’s and women’s jump coach at North Dakota State. “I had a few offers on the table and I just wanted to be around familiar faces and those guys.

I talked to them and they said it’s a good place.” Barry was joined at Dickinson State by his Bahamian National teammates Derrick Atkins and Ramon Miller. The trio led Dickinson State to three NAIA national championships and went to represent the Bahamas in the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

Barry landed at NDSU after his college career at Dickinson State. He wanted to continue to train so, in exchange for helping the Bison track team, Stevie Keller allowed him to train at the Bison Sports Arena.

He shattered the facility's record in the high jump as he gave tips and coached the Bison. Former women’s track and field coach Ryun Godfrey and current men’s track and field coach Don Larson decided to bring Barry on full-time in 2013. “The students and the program are unique,” he said. “They’re (athletes) very teachable and we get a lot of talent too. I really enjoy working with the kids.”

OLYMPICS

BACK TO THE OLYMPICS

Barry made his Olympic debut in 2012, but was one centimeter short of making his inaugural trip to the Olympics in Beijing for the 2008 summer games. He qualified during the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea when he broke his personal record by jumping 2.32 meters to receive the Bronze medal. His performance in South Korea led to heightened expectations in the Olympics and he said he was expecting to medal. “I was in good shape, but I was disappointed in my result,” said Barry. “I still haven’t reached my potential and I know it.”

Today, Barry is spending up to 12 hours a day inside the walls of the Shelly Ellig Indoor Track Facility developing Bison athletes while finding time to train for another opportunity at the Olympics. Barry’s first test will be at the National meet in the Bahamas in June. If he performs well enough there, he will move onto the World Championships in Beijing, where he hopes to qualify for the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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KIDS

ONLY

Summit League NDSU’s soccer, volleyball, cross-country, track and field, basketball, softball, baseball and golf teams play in this conference.

CLUES

1. ______ They joined division I athletics and the Summit League in 2011 and their mascot’s name is Durango. Next season, they will be eligible to participate in postseason play.

2. ______ Their men’s head basketball coach was an assistant basketball coach under Tim Miles at NDSU. Their women’s basketball team qualified for its first NCAA tournament in 2014.

With regional borders thrown out the window, conference alignment can be confusing. With North Dakota State representing several different conferences, it’s important to remember which teams the Bison play every year. The Summit League and Missouri Valley Football Conference are just two of the three conferences the Bison are affiliated with. Do you know who else are in those conferences?

Teams Western Illinois

3. ______ Joining in 1982, this school is the only original member of the Summit League remaining. Their mascot is a slang term for a US marine.

4. ______ This school is in its second stint in the Summit League.

They eliminated the Bison in the first round of the women’s basketball tournament, but their men’s team was eliminated by the Bison in the semifinals.

South Dakota State

Omaha

Oral Roberts

5. ______ This school’s mascot is an extinct elephant. This school fields both a men’s and women’s volleyball team.

6. ______ The school is located the closest to NDSU. This school joined the Summit League the same year as NDSU in 2007.

7.______ Indiana Pacer's guard George Hill played basketball for this school. Their former men’s basketball coach won an NCAA men’s basketball tournament game coaching at Georgia State this season.

8.______ This is the only school in the Summit League that’s located in the Mountain Time Zone. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich received his master’s degree from this school.

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Denver

IPFW

South Dakota

IUPUI

KIDS

Teams

ONLY

1985-2014

Illinois State South Dakota

Missouri Valley Football Conference Indiana State

Western Illinois

The Bison football team has won a share of this conference championship for the last four years.

CLUES

1._____ This school’s mascot is the Royal Dog of Egypt. Bison quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg spent six seasons here before coming to Fargo last year.

Missouri State

Southern Illinois

3._____ Their athletic program has an equestrian team. They play NDSU every year for the Dakota Marker trophy, a tradition that dates back to 2004.

Northern Iowa

Youngstown State

2._____ This school’s most famous alumni is former Boston Celtic Larry Bird. This schools mascot is a type of tree.

South Dakota State

4._____ They are formerly known as the Iowa State Teachers College.

The only school to defeat the Bison football team in two years.

5._____ This program’s mascot almost exclusively lives in Antarctica.

Their football team just hired former Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Bo Pelini.

Take t hese two qu izzes to tes t your knowl edge.

6._____ In 1970, this school hired the first division I African American head coach Will Robinson. This team lost to the Bison in the 2015 FCS Championship game in Frisco, Texas.

7._____ After the Bison beat this school in the 1986 Division II NCAA Football Championship, their coach said the Bison should get out of division II. This school is the conference’s newest member.

8._____ Before 2009, the women’s teams were called the “Westerwinds.”

Their campus is located in a town called Macomb.

9._____ They used to have “Southwest” in front of their school name.

They joined the conference in 1985, becoming one of the original members when it was called the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference.

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Know Your Bison For the second consecutive season, the Bison football team will enter the season without key seniors from last year’s team. Be prepared for the 2015 season by getting to know the players that will lead the Bison in the journey for a fifth consecutive FCS championship.

1. _____ _ch____

Clue #1 This defensive tackle grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin.

Clue #2 He’s a former walk-on who has 21 career starts.

2. _J _____

4. __ng _______

Clue #1 This running back was third on the team with 616 rushing yards last season.

Clue #2 He transferred from Nebraska after his redshirt freshman season.

5. ______ ____z

Clue #1 This cornerback has started in two national championship games and got an interception against Towson in 2014.

Clue #2 He led the team and was fourth in the Missouri Valley last year with 18 passes defended.

Clue #1 This player was the 2010 North Dakota Class 3A Player of the Year during his senior year of high school.

Clue #2 He was named the MVP of the FCS National Championship game after engineering the game-winning drive last season.

3. ___ H___

6. ______ _____ion

Clue #1 He’s a former walk-on who plays left offensive tackle.

Clue #2 He’s played in 45 of a possible 46 games during his Bison football career.

Clue #1 This defensive player is one of the two players on the team from Arizona.

Clue #2 He started on the opposite side of the defense from fellow cornerback CJ Smith.

8. ___k ______

Clue #1 He started his first game as linebacker last season against South Dakota.

Clue #2 In five starts, he tied for second with the most interceptions on the team (3).

9. _____ __nn

Clue #1 He’s a highly-touted running back who played his high school football in Iowa.

Clue #2 As a redshirt freshman, he scored two touchdowns in the Bison’s Spring Game.

10. ____ V___

Clue #1 This pass catcher is returning for his sixth season.

Clue #2 He holds Bison single-season receiving records in yards (1,191) and touchdowns (15).

7. ___ __C_____

Clue #1 He was named to the Sports Network All-Ameican second-team.

Clue #2 He held field goals for Adam Keller last season.

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Bison Crossing

Across 3.

6.

8.

9.

10.

11.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Chris ______ is the head football coach at NDSU.

This Bison running back broke the single-season school record for rushing yards last year. ______ Alexander won men’s Summit League Player of the Year.

The football team plays in the ______ Valley Football Conference.

Hayden ______ is the first junior to be an All-American during the wrestling team’s division I era.

Every sport besides football and wrestling play in this conference.

row.

The Bison beat ______ ______ to win its fourth FCS Championship in a Who did the men’s basketball team play in the NCAA tournament?

How many national championships has the Bison football program won?

The football team will play in-state rival, the University of ____ _____ for the first time since 2003.

The Bison football team will play _____ in its first game this fall.

What position does Zach Vraa play on the football team?

down 1.

2.

4.

N A C U O Y DO IT!

Darren _____ is the head softball coach at NDSU.

The Bison football team defeated this FBS team in the first game last season.

The Sanford Health _____ ____ will be the new home for men’s and women’s basketball and wrestling teams in fall 2016.

5.

7.

12.

13.

14.

Where does the football team play its home games?

Who wears number 11 on the football team?

______ ______ just completed her first season as women’s basketball coach.

Holly _____ is a women’s basketball player from Minot, N.D. Dave _____ just finished his first season as men’s basketball coach.

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M Z C A V I J S L N S H V J D

A O C A H V B H E K O C A E A

S I O O R N G S Y L I Y T P Y

O C N D I S R W L G F X R R M

AJ JACOBSON BISMARCK CARSON WENTZ CHRIS

K E F N Y A O Y Y L N C Z S H

S C U P L J J N A V T A F H B

V U R T Q O S A W O D C Q M W

A W T A H Z U K N E G A D J E

K A G N M U M I Q B N R L P F

DAVID ERNST FARGO FCS FOOTBALL CAMPS

M H S J Q S M O W E S T P A T

A O N D Y V I V U B P P Z S S

N O B C O C T B A O F T R I N

S P M A C L L A B T O O F R R

S C Z E W G E E M U K Z S H E

HOLLY JOHNSON JAY FLAA KLIEMAN MATT LARSEN

I W P Y I F A R G O L C U C D

T X W U W E G H G H I P G J I

K I F D A P U B G W E A O U V

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S L E E H C S R M J N I C C N

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NSWERS ANSWERS ANSWERS ANSWERS ANSWERS ANSWERS ANSWERS ANSWERS ANSWERS ANSWERS ANSW

SUMMIT LEAGUE ANSWERS 1. Omaha 2. South Dakota 3. Western Illinois 4. Oral Roberts 5. IPFW 6. South Dakota State 7. IUPUI 8. Denver MISSOURI VALLEY ANSWERS 1. Southern Illinois 2. Indiana State 3. South Dakota State 4. Northern Iowa 5. Youngstown State 6. Illinois State 7. South Dakota 8. Western Illinois 9. Missouri State

1.

2.

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4.

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Know Your Bison

Brian Schaetz CJ Smith Joe Haeg King Frazier Carson Wentz

6. Jordan Champion 7. Ben LeCompte 8. Nick DeLuca 9. Lance Dunn 10. Zach Vraa

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M Z C A V I J S L N S H V J D

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S I O O R N G S Y L I Y T P Y

O C N D I S R W L G F X R R M

K E F N Y A O Y Y L N C Z S H

S C U P L J J N A V T A F H B

V U R T Q O S A W O D C Q M W

A W T A H Z U K N E G A D J E

K A G N M U M I Q B N R L P F

M H S J Q S M O W E S T P A T

A O N D Y V I V U B P P Z S S

N O B C O C T B A O F T R I N

S P M A C L L A B T O O F R R

S C Z E W G E E M U K Z S H E

I W P Y I F A R G O L C U C D

T X W U W E G H G H I P G J I

K I F D A P U B G W E A O U V

O L F Z R M E J G Y M R P R A

A J J A C O B S O N A A T E D

S L E E H C S R M J N I C C N

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Eyebrow removed Pencil changed to pen in Corso’s hand FCS changed to FCC I Fear Case sign changed to I Fear Cheese Coack K changed to Coach L

TEAM MAKERS

TEAM MAKERS

B

ison Athletics is truly grateful for all that Team Makers has done in support of our student athletes. You have been the foundation of our success for decades. In appreciation for your loyalty and financial support, we are creating several opportunities for single-game tickets for our members.

The first opportunity is through our group tent packages. Depending on the size of tent requested, members will have access to a specified number of single-game tickets as part of the rental package. The deadline for tent package requests is June 15. Tent requests will be assigned based on Priority Point rankings.

The second opportunity is for Team Makers currently without season tickets. As a loyal supporter, we are committed to providing additional benefits as part of your membership.

Beginning with the 2015 season, each account can request a maximum of two tickets for up to four home games. All single-game requests will be ranked by Priority Points, and seats will be assigned accordingly. The deadline for singlegame ticket requests is June 15.

Once we have received and ranked all Team Maker member single ticket requests, our goal is to provide access to as many of you as possible.

It is the right thing to do for the right reason!

Thanks again for being part of the Bison Nation!

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Simmers 701-231-9555 pat.simmers@ndsu.edu Helena Johnston 701-231-6172 helena.johnston@ndsu.edu Brandon Baumgartner 612-618-9492 brandon.baumgartner@ndsu.edu

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swany says

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

follow

@swany8

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QUIZ What was your favorite summer activity as a kid?

What was your favorite sports movie growing up?

What other sports were you involved in growing up?

Making fences with my dad.

“The Sandlot”

Wrestling and summer league baseball/softball

I loved being on the water either wakeboarding, skiing or tubing.

“Remember the Titans” and “Coach Carter” are two of the greatest movies ever made.

I played about every sport that was offered, but mainly basketball, volleyball and track.

My favorite summer activity was playing baseball or swimming.

My favorite sports movie was “Remember the Titans.”

I also played basketball when I was younger.

Softball of course!

“A League of Their Own.” “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it.

The hard is what makes it great.”

Basketball and soccer

By far, “The Sandlot” was my favorite. I still wear the PF Flyers from the film’s chase scene.

In high school, I played basketball and golf. Just as I plan to do for my kids, my dad coached all my little league teams including football, tee-ball, soccer and basketball.

BRIAN SCHAETZ Senior Brian Schaetz is one of the leaders on the defense for the Bison. He walked on to the program his freshman year and became a full-time starter at defensive tackle last season. He also grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin.

FOOTBALL SIERRA ROSENAU Junior Sierra Rosenau throws javelin for the women’s track and field team. The Carrington, N.D. native tossed a javelin 164 feet at a meet at Stanford this season to extend her school record.

She’s a two-time NCAA West Preliminary participant.

TRACK&FIELD TRENT KEEFER Senior left-handed pitcher Trent Keefer is playing in his second season for the Bison.

He transferred to NDSU from GateWay Community College in Arizona where he went 16-7. He’s already locked down three wins for the Bison this season.

BASEBALL AMANDA GRABLE

SOFTBALL

“Bazinga!” has had an amazing career at NDSU. She will finish her career this spring with over 200 games played and a batting average over .300. The third baseman hit the eventual game-winning home run against Auburn last season in the NCAA regional in Minneapolis, Minn.

TREVOR BERNER

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Senior Trevor Berner is a thrower on the men’s track and field team. He specializes in the hammer and weight throw and has been an All-Summit League performer in each event. Berner transferred to NDSU from Central Arizona Community College in 2012.

B I S O N I L L U S T R A T E D M AY 2 015

I played basketball and rode my bike night and day. I probably spent around 80 percent of my time outside in the Arizona sun.

If you could have one superpower what would it be?

Who was your sports hero growing up?

The ability to stop time.

Reggie White

I think it’d be pretty cool to be able to time travel back in time or into the future.

Michael Jordan is the man.

My superpower would be flying.

My sports hero growing up was Vladimir Guerrero.

I would love to be able to fly or apparate (transportation) like in Harry Potter.

Tony Gwynn.

I love my Padres.

I would want the power of inspiration: the ability to know precisely what motivates each individual before ever speaking with them. The knowledge of a person’s sovereign motivations would help me to understand and inspire.

I know it’s not very original, but I still wear my Michael Jordan jersey around the house. I was fortunate enough to see him play during his last season.