Winona State Men's Basketball Game Day Program

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

2022-23 SCHEDULE

NOVEMBER

SAT - 5

FRI - 11

SAT - 12

FRI - 18

SAT - 19

TUE - 22

MON - 28

Winona State (14-11/9-11) vs. Minnesota State (16-10/10-10)

Thursday, Feb. 16 | 5:30pm

SAINT MARY'S #

@ PITTSBURG STATE

MISSOURI SOUTHERN

@ UW-PARKSIDE

PURDUE NORTHWEST UPPER IOWA*

VITERBO UNIVERSITY

DECEMBER

THU - 1

SAT - 3

FRI - 9

SAT - 10

SAT - 17

SUN - 18

SAT - 31

MINNESOTA STATE*

@ CONCORDIA-ST PAUL*

SOUTHWEST MINN STATE* SIOUX FALLS*

@ WAYNE STATE*

@ AUGUSTANA*

@ UPPER IOWA*

JANUARY

FRI - 6

SAT - 7

FRI - 13

SAT - 14

FRI - 20

SAT - 21

FRI - 27

SAT - 28

L, 81-72 W, 82-79 W, 81-68

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON* BEMIDJI STATE*

@ ST CLOUD STATE*

@ MINNESOTA DULUTH*

@ MINOT STATE*

@ UMARY*

NORTHERN STATE*

MSU MOORHEAD*

FEBRUARY

FRI - 3

SAT - 4

FRI - 10

SAT - 11

THU - 16

SAT - 18

WED - 22

W, 58-53 L, 65-61

L, 74-70 W, 84-72

W, 67-58

L, 57-59

L, 77-74

L, 88-59

AUGUSTANA*

WAYNE STATE*

@ SIOUX FALLS*

@ SOUTHWEST MINN STATE*

@ MINNESOTA STATE*

CONCORDIA-ST PAUL*

NSIC TOURNAMENT

# EXHIBITION | * NSIC CONTEST

MEDIA INFORMATION

WATCH: NSIC NETWORK

LIVESTATS: WINONASTATEWARRIORS COM

W, 74-69

W, 67-63

L, 67-62

W, 72-68

5:30PM

1PM

TBD

Mankato, MN vs

Winona State (14-11/9-11) vs. CSP (8-18/6-14)

Saturday, Feb. 18 | 1:00pm

Winona, Minn. vs

Playoff Push

Winona State will look to take two in their final two NSIC regular season games, with the hope of qualifying for the NSIC postseason tournament

Got the Vikings' #

The Warriors have beaten Augustana twice this season and own the tiebreaker, meaning Warrior eyes will be on the Augustana results this weekend vs. SMSU and Sioux Falls

NSIC Update, 2.0

Winona State heads into the final week one place out of the postseason at 7th overall in the South, but can make up ground on Minnesota State in their head-to-head match up and will look to beat already-eliminated CSP on Senior Day

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

WARRIOR BASKETBALL 2022-23 SEASON

INDIVIDUAL QUICK GLANCE

POINTS/GAME: 18 3, CONNOR DILLON

REBOUNDS/GAME: 6 4, LUKE MARTENS

ASSISTS/GAME: 3 4, DECLAN DILLON

STEALS/GAME: 1 5, OWEN KING

MINUTES/GAME: 35 9, CONNOR DILLON

FIELD-GOAL %: .466, LUKE MARTENS

FT %: 809, LUKE MARTENS

3-POINT FG %: 313, CONNOR DREW

3-POINTER/GAME: 2 2, CONNOR DILLON

AST / TO RATIO: 4 67, OWEN KING

PTS OFF THE BENCH: 7 7, JAMES KELLEY

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: JAMES KELLEY (2), CONNOR DREW (1), LUKE MARTENS (1)

WARRIOR BASKETBALL INDIVIDUAL SINGLE GAME RECORDS

POINTS: 51, HERSCHEL LEWIS V MICHIGAN TECH, 2/18/1972

REBOUNDS: 32, GUS JOHNSON V BEMIDJI STATE, 2/22/1975

ASSISTS 15, DARREN MILLER V SMSU, 2/17/1989

STEALS 10, JONTE FLOWERS V MINN -CROOKSTON, 2/23/2008

BLOCKED SHOTS: 9, JOHN SMITH V NEBRASKA-KEARNY, 3/11/2007

FREE THROWS MADE: 21-22, DAVE MEISER V UIU, 12/4/1966

FIELD GOALS MADE: 19-44 CARTER GLAD SMSU 2/17/1989

3-POINTERS MADE: 10-16, JAMIE CARRIER, V UM-MORRIS, 1/26/2002

WARRIOR BASKETBALL PROGRAM HISTORY

NCAA DII NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 | 2006, 2008

NCAA REGION TITLES: 4 | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013

NSIC TOURNAMENT TITLES: '01, 06, '07, '08, '11

NSIC REGULAR SEASON TITLES: 14, MOST RECENT IN 2007-08

NCAA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

OVERALL RECORD - 23-8 | ELITE EIGHT: 8-2

Winona State University

2022-23 Men's Basketball

Head Coach: Todd Eisner

Associate Head Coach: Zach Malvik

Assistant Coach: Caleb Wagner

2022-23 NSIC STANDINGS

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

HOMETOWN

HIGH SCHOOL

COACHING STAFF

CONCORDIA, ST. PAUL MEN'S BASKETBALL

HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL

Omaha, Neb./ Willow Canyon

Auroa, III. / Waubonsie Valley

Eau Claire, Wis. / Eau Claire Memorial

Tulsa, Okla./ Metro Christian Academy

Menasha, Wis. / Menasha

New Orleans, La. / RWG STEM Academy

St. Paul, Minn. / Tartan / Northern Iowa

Brooklyn Park, Minn / Totino Grace

Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South

Mahtomedi, Minn / Houston / Winona State

Stevens Points, Wis. / Stevens Point Area

Pheonix, Ariz. / Independence/ Utah Tech

Superior, Colo / Monarch/ Northern Colorado

Suprise, Ariz / Paradise Honors / Eastern New Mexico

Scottsdale, Ariz / Rancho Solano Prep/ South Dakota

Louisville, Colo / Park Center/ Wyoming

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

MBB: LAST TIME OUT

Winona State second-half surge leads to 72-68 OT win

MARSHALL, Minn - James Kelley sparked a second-half surge for the Winona State University men's basketball team, helping lead WSU to an important NSIC win at Southwest Minnesota State, 72-68 in overtime.

Kelley scored 16 points, all after the halftime break, to jump-start a WSU offense that was held to 23 points in the first half. Kelley was joined by Warrior teammates Connor Dillon (18 points) and Connor Drew (15 points) in reaching double-digit territory for head coach Todd Eisner.

Winona State took a late lead in the second half, only to see SMSU's Anthony Costello tie the game at 6161 with a three-pointer with under a minute to play in regulation. Neither team could find the gamewinner in the remaining 30 seconds of the contest, sending the affair to overtime.

In OT, WSU continued a pattern of strong free-throw shooting on the night, with both James Kelley and Connor Dillon draining free-throw attempts with under 20 seconds to go in the extra stanza to pull Winona State ahead for good and notch the 72-68 victory.

Overall, Winona State shot 24-of-66 (36 4%) from the floor and was just 8-of-28 (28 6%) from beyond the arc, but an impressive 16-of-18 (88.9%) effort at the charity stripe led to the Warrior win. WSU outrebounded the Mustangs, 41-34, and wreaked havoc on SMSU defensively, earning 12 steals in the game with Luke Martens and Declan Dillon accumulating four apiece

The key victory allowed Winona State (14-11 overall, 9-11 NSIC) to stay within striking distance of a handful of other NSIC South teams in the postseason race for the final two playoff spots. WSU will travel to Minnesota State on Thursday, Feb 16 in a must-win game against the Mavericks before hosting Concordia, St. Paul on Saturday, Feb. 18.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MBB STATISTICS

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

MEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

MEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

Head Coach Todd Eisner

The 2022-23 basketball season will mark the eighth year that Todd Eisner has been the head coach of the Warrior men's basketball program and his 25th season overall as a head coach at the collegiate level

In 2021-22, Eisner led the Warriors to a 15-11 overall record and a return to the NSIC playoffs The 2021-22 campaign saw WSU start the year with a three-game winning streak and included a highlight reel win on the road at Northern State, when the Warriors beat the Wolves 83-74 in front of 3,500 fans in Aberdeen In addition, nearly 1,000 fans saw Winona State defeat Minnesota State 73-59 at home, the best attended contest of the season in McCown Gymnasium last year The Warriors were an impressive 8-3 on home court last season and qualified for the NSIC postseason, hosting a first-round contest against the University of Mary

Eisner reached a monumental coaching milestone during the pandemic shortened 2020-21 season, winning his 500th career game on February 13 with a 77-58 victory over Concordia-St Paul His career head coaching record is now an impressive 501-240, with stops at Viterbo University, Bellevue University, Benedictine College and Midland University, prior to arriving at Winona State University in August 2015

Eisner has been instrumental in developing championship level basketball programs, both on and off the court, throughout his career. He is the only coach in NAIA Division II history to lead three different programs to the Elite Eight of the national tournament - Viterbo, Bellevue and Midlandwith two of those programs advancing to the national championship game (Bellevue, Midland) on three separate occasions (2004, 2008, 2014). The success of the Midland program during their 2013-14 national runner-up campaign earned Eisner the 2014 NAIA Division II Rawlings National Coach of the Year Award.

Since taking the helm of the program, Eisner has an overall Warrior record of 100-85, good for a .541 winning percentage, including three third place finishes in the always competitive NSIC South and two appearances in the NSIC Tournament semi-finals Building an offensive philosophy with a mantra of wanting all five players on the court to be a threat behind the three-point line, the 2019-2020 Warrior squad set an NSIC record for most three-point field goals made (248) and attempted (656) in conference play The Warriors also set a NSIC record for an individual game during the shortened pandemic season in 2020-2021 with 47 three-point field goal attempts at Augustana

The Warriors have had at least one player gain NSIC All-Conference recognition in every one of Eisner’s seasons in charge, including most recently Alec Rosner following the 2021-22 season Prior to Rosner's accolades, Kevion Taylor was named all-conference three times, including two first team nods in 2020 and 2021 Caleb Wagner was also named all-conference multiple times, with 1st team recognition in 2020 and 2nd team status in 2018 Tommy Gathje, Riley Bambenek and Kyle Bauman each were named to the NSIC All-Conference team during Eisner’s time on the Warrior sideline

Excelling in the classroom will always be a priority for any program that Eisner is involved with, and the Warriors have done an outstanding job being true student-athletes during this time. The team has finished with a cumulative GPA of over 3.0 in each of Eisner's season. The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has recognized the Winona State men’s basketball program with the prestigious NABC Team Academic Excellence Award every season since 2015. Also, in 2020-21, the Warriors placed seven student-athletes on the NABC Honors Court for academic excellence, which was the highest total of players of any team in the NSIC that season

A 1991 graduate of Creighton University with a double major in finance and business management, Eisner was an integral part of two Missouri Valley Conference championships and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1989 and 1991 He led the MVC in three-point field goal percentage during the 1988-1989 season and was named a captain of the Bluejays the following season

The Chilton, Wisconsin native played high school ball for his father, Jim, where he led the Tigers to the 1986 WIAA Class B state championship He finished his high school career with 1,840 career points Eisner was enshrined in the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a player in 2014 In 2017, he was also inducted into the Chilton High School Wall of Honor and the Bellevue University Athletics Hall of Fame for his coaching accolades

Eisner resides in Winona with his wife, Andrea, who is an administrator in the Arcadia (Wis ) School District

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

Former Warrior standout Zach Malvik is entering his ninth year on the coaching staff for the Winona State men’s basketball team in 2021-22 He was promoted to the position of Associate Head Coach prior to the start of the 2019-20 season

Associate Head Coach

Zach Malvik

With more than a decade of Division II experience as both a player and a coach, Malvik brings extensive experience to the Warrior bench. The Holmen, Wisconsin native previously served as an assistant at Saint Mary’s University (SMU) in Winona and also spent three seasons playing professional basketball in Australia.

He has coached eight All-NSIC players during his tenure at Winona State, including a pair of 2019-20 First Team All-NSIC selections in Kevion Taylor and Caleb Wagner During the 201314 season as an assistant coach at SMU, Malvik helped coach Will Swiggum to All-Conference honors

Prior to his season at SMU, Malvik played professionally for three seasons in Australia He also spent time as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas

One of the greatest basketball players in Winona State history, Malvik was the cornerstone of a team that went 32-4 during the 2005-06 season, culminating with the program’s first National Championship He led the Warriors to a 35-1 record the next year, helping the team earn their way back to the NCAA Division II National Championship game.

Malvik was an All-American selection during his senior season while being named the MVP of the NCAA Regional Tournament The point guard was an All-NSIC selection in each of his four years with the program. Malvik ended his career as the program’s all-time assist leader (549) and graduated second on the school’s scoring charts (1,971)

The legendary Warrior is a two-time Winona State Hall of Famer – being inducted in 2018 with his teammates who comprised WSU's historic "Run" from 2005-08, and once again in 2019 as an individual athlete

He graduated with a business administration degree in 2007 and received a Master’s Degree in educational leadership and sports management from WSU in 2016 Malvik and his wife, Callie, have a son, Zander, and daughter, Zoey

Assistant Coach

Caleb Wagner

Caleb Wagner joined the Winona State University men's basketball staff in August of 2022 Wagner played at Winona State between 2016-2020 and earned his Bachelor's Degree in Finance He also has earned his Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis-Athletic Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

As a Warrior, Wagner was a NSIC First-Team All-Conference selection following the 2019-20 season and earned second team NSIC honors in 2017-18 Academically, Wagner earned NABC Honors Court status in 2018-19 and was a two-time NSIC All-Academic selection Wagner is currently 16th all-time in points scored at WSU (1,449) and 10th in 3-point field goals made (171)

The Muskego, Wis product played football, basketball and baseball at MHS

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

MEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Season Outlook

The Winona State University men’s basketball team is ready to open their 2022-23 campaign, led by senior Luke Martens who has been named the Winona State Player to Watch in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC)

The NSIC released the 2022-23 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll and the Warriors were picked to finish seventh in the South Division and 10th overall Wayne State was selected to win the South and Minnesota Duluth was voted first in the North Division and tabbed to win the conference overall.

Martens returns to the floor for Winona State following a strong 2021-22 campaign in which he averaged just over 30 minutes a contest, scoring 10.2 points per game and hauling 7.4 rebounds per outing.

Head coach Todd Eisner, heading into his eighth season at the helm, said, “Luke is the type of player that every good team has to have. He brings a toughness and energy to our program on a daily basis. Luke is a tireless worker who has improved offensively each season. With some key departures from last year, he will have an opportunity for an even greater scoring role while we will again count on him to be an anchor for us with his defense and rebounding.”

Martens is one of a handful of upperclassmen that will step into important roles right away this winter Players bringing significant experience to the McCown Gymnasium floor include Owen King, a former NCAA Division I player at South Dakota State who enters his third year at Winona State and graduate transfer Ethan Channel, an experienced guard who suited up for Minnesota Crookston last season Transfer James Kelley played in 28 games last year at NCAA Division II program University of Illinois Springfield, where he started 15 contests

Also returning this winter are several players who factored heavily in the Winona State 15-11 record last year, including Conner Drew who started 26 games and averaged 8.9 points per game, and Drew Adams, a 6-8 sophomore who played in every Warrior contest. Local standout Carson Arenz, a junior from Onalaska, Wis., also factored in 26 contests last year and has 35 career games under his belt overall.

Rounding out the returners on the WSU roster are guards Connor Dillon and Declan Dillon, sophomore twin brothers from Peoria, Illinois, as well as Carter Lomas, a Wauzeka, Wis. forward. Combined, the trio have played in 45 games at Winona State.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

Luke Martens: NSIC Player to Watch

Martens returns to the floor for Winona State following a strong 2021-22 campaign in which he averaged just over 30 minutes a contest, scoring 10 2 points per game and hauling 7 4 rebounds per outing

Head coach Todd Eisner, heading into his eighth season at the helm, said, “Luke is the type of player that every good team has to have He brings a toughness and energy to our program on a daily basis Luke is a tireless worker who has improved offensively each season With some key departures from last year, he will have an opportunity for an even greater scoring role while we will again count on him to be an anchor for us with his defense and rebounding ”

Martens has started 39 games during his career and has appeared in a total of 99 While coring 618 total points at an average of 6.2 per game, Martens also has collected 411 rebounds during his career with an average of 4.2 per contest.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION

Dr Scott R Olson was appointed the 15th president of Winona State University on May 16, 2012

Prior to joining Winona State, Dr Olson served as Provost, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, and Professor of Communication Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato During his time at Minnesota State Mankato, it saw significant growth in enrollment, diversity, innovation, industry partnerships, international programs, system collaboration, and applied research

He served as Dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media at Ball State University and as a faculty member at Central Connecticut State University He also served for one year as Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

He has published two books, 30 book chapters, and 22 journal articles in publications in the United States, Canada, China, Korea, Poland, Russia, and India He has delivered over 100 papers at conferences in Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Korea, Poland, Taiwan, and the United States.

Through a $20 million gift from the Lilly Endowment he was able to create the Global Media Network (which won a national award from the American Council on Education) and the Center for Media Design

Olson has served on 21 different international, national, and local boards, including current service on the Great River Shakespeare Festival Board of Directors, the Higher Learning Commission Institutional Actions Council, the Winona State University Foundation Board, and as Chair of the Executive Alliance of HealthForce Minnesota

He won an Emmy Award and a Cine Golden Eagle Award in 2004 as Executive Producer of a documentary film about digital learning

His Ph D is from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois He grew up in suburban Minneapolis

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

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

During his time as an AD, Schoh has served on the Division II Management Council from 2016-2020, serving as Vice Chair of the Council in 2018 Also during that time, he served on the DII Identity Subcommittee, and acted as chairperson in 2019 Other NCAA committee involvement included Championships Committee, Planning and Finance, DII Administrative Committee, DII Membership Committee, and the DII Committee for Legislative Relief. Schoh is the Past President of the Division II Athletic Directors Association and previously served on the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics’ (NACDA) executive committee Schoh served on NACDA's Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Committee for several years, and stays involved with the D2ADA through its Mentoring Program, serving both as a mentor and faculty presenter over the past 11 years Schoh was the recipient of the Under Armor Athletics Director of the Year award in 2015

With a strong commitment to the student athlete experience, Warrior student athletes have continued to excel in the classroom and give back to the Winona area through community service During spring 2021, the average student athlete term GPA was 3 43 (compared to 3 28 for the general student body) and the second highest on record The average student athlete cumulative GPA through spring 2021 was 3.37 (compared to 3.22 for the general student body). There were 101 Warriors with perfect 4.0 GPAs in spring 2021, with 196 making the Dean’s List The latest NCAA Federal Graduation Rate for the Warriors is 78%, which ranks first in the NSIC and 22nd out of 316 institutions in Division II

Over the past nine years, Warrior Athletic facilities have seen many improvements, including a complete renovation of McCown Gymnasium; installation of new turf and state-of-the-art video board at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium; construction of a new gymnastics practice facility and locker room; an indoor training facility for men’s and women’s golf; new batting cages and practice mounds at softball; new infield, mound and scoreboard at baseball; complete renovation of Talbot Gymnasium, including a multi-purpose synthetic floor; remodeled W Room for home volleyball and basketball games; and the installation of a film room for all teams.

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

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

Schoh and his wife Stephanie have three children and one grandson: Paige and River, Eric and Tyler

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jill and her family live in Trempealeau, WI.

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

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

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

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

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dr Kara Lindaman serves as the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) for Winona State athletics, a role she has held since 2018. A FAR is a member of the faculty at an NCAA member institution who has been designated by the institution to serve as a liason between the institution and the athletics department, and also as a representative of the institution in conference and NCAA affairs

The role of the FAR is to ensure that the academic institution establishes and maintains the appropriate balance between academics and intercollegiate athletics

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

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

A resident of Winona since 2011, Watkins brings over 25 years of experience within college athletics to the Warrior staff Watkins currently serves on the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee

Between 2016 and 2020, Watkins served the Minnesota State Colleges and University system as the executive director of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC), one of the largest National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) leagues in the country

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

Watkins is a professional member of CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America, as well as the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) and United Soccer Coaches, formerly known as National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

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

Joey Mueller joined the Warrior Athletics staff in August 2021 as an Assistant Athletic Communications Director

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

During his time at Winona, Mueller will pursue a master’s degree in Leadership Education: Sports Management