Winona State Women's Basketball Game Day Program

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

2022-23 SCHEDULE

NOVEMBER

WED - 2

SAT - 5

FRI - 11

SAT - 12

SUN - 13

FRI - 18

SAT - 19

TUE - 22

MON - 28

@ IOWA STATE #

SAINT MARY'S #

@ PURETO RICO-MAYAGUEZ

@ WEST ALABAMA

@ PURETO RICO-BAYAMON

@ MCKENDREE UNIVERSITY

@ QUINCY UNIVERSITY

UPPER IOWA* VITERBO UNIVERSITY

DECEMBER

THU - 1

SAT - 3

FRI - 9

SAT - 10

SAT - 17

SUN - 18

SAT - 31

L, 104-47

W, 94-41

W, 64-46

W, 58-55

W, 62-54

W, 64-50

W, 65-62

W, 78-45

W, 75-46

Winona State (10-16/4-16) vs. Minnesota State (21-3/17-3)

Thursday, Feb. 16 | 7:30pm

Mankato, Minn. vs

Winona State (10-16/4-16) vs. CSP (12-12/9-11)

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, 88-69

L, 58-39

L, 66-59

W, 76-61

L, 77-68

L, 73-57

L, 70-63

Saturday, Feb. 18 | 3:00pm

Winona, Minn. vs

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

L, 63-58 W, 76-63

L, 58-43

L, 66-40

L, 66-58

L, 75-49

W, 76-33

L, 66-54

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

Skid Snappers, 2.0

The Warriors are 10-16 on the year and hold a 4-16 record; WSU is looking to snap a five-game skid.

Time to turn the tables

MSU-Mankato beat WSU 88-69 in December; CSP downed the Warriors 58-39 earlier this year.

Double the Double-Up

Alex Dornfeld earned a double-double vs. the Mavericks last time the two teams played, scoring 12 points and hauling in 11 rebounds on Dec. 1, 2022

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

WARRIOR BASKETBALL 2022-23 SEASON INDIVIDUAL QUICK GLANCE

POINTS/GAME: 11 6, LAUREN FECH

REBOUNDS/GAME: 8 3, ALEX DORNFELD

ASSISTS/GAME: 2 2, LAUREN FECH

STEALS/GAME: 0.9, LAUREN FECH

MINUTES/GAME: 34 5, LAUREN FECH

FIELD-GOAL %: 473, AVA SERGIO

FT %: 842, CAITLIN RILEY

3-POINT FG %: 419, CAITLIN RILEY

3-POINTER/GAME: 2 1, CAITLIN RILEY

AST / TO RATIO: 0 97, LAUREN FETCH

PTS OFF THE BENCH: 3 6, EMMA CARPENTER

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: ALEX DORNFELD (6), AVA SERGIO (1)

WARRIOR BASKETBALL INDIVIDUAL SINGLE GAME RECORDS

POINTS: 39 ABBY BUSCH V AUGUSTANA FEB 23 2014

REBOUNDS: 20 LISA PARSONS VS LEWIS 1989

ASSISTS: 22 PAT NEDER VS MINNESOTA MORRIS 1/09/1988

STEALS: 11 NICOLE REISNER VS MINN CROOKSTON 1/11/2002

BLOCKED SHOTS: 11, KAYLA TIMMERMAN, VS CSP, 02/13/2016

3-POINT FIELD GOALS: 9, BECCA FRIESTLEBEN, V BSU 1/18/2013

WARRIOR BASKETBALL

PROGRAM HISTORY

3 |

Head Coach: Ana Wurtz

Assistant Coach: Hannah McGlone Assistant Coach: Corrie King

2022-23 NSIC STANDINGS

Hailey

Ava

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

HOMETOWN

HIGH SCHOOL George

PREVIOUS SCHOOL

MSU

Ella Campbelle

Raegen Alexander

Lauren Feddema

Lindsey Becher

Sarah Kuma

Jadyn Hanson

Shawna Mell

Ally Gietzel

CONCORDIA, ST. PAUL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

HOMETOWN / HIGH SCHOOL/Previous School

Lino Lakes, Minn / Totino-Grace HS

Minneapolis, Minn / Edina HS

St Louis Park, Minn / St Louis Park HS/ MSU Moorhead

Hanover, Minn / Buffalo HS

Shoreview, Minn. / Mounds View HS

Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville North HS

St. Michael, Minn. / St. Michael- Albertville HS

Rush City, Minn. / Rush City HS

Fond du Lac, Wis. / Fond du Lac HS/ Illinois-Springfield

Zimmerman, Minn. / Zimmerman HS

Herriman, Utah/ Herriman HS/ Binghamton University

Clear Lake, Minn. / Becker HS

Springville, Iowa /Springville HS

Champlin, Minn. / Champlin Park HS

Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South HS

Parkers Prairie, Minn. / Parkers Prairie HS

Menomonie, Wis. / Menomonie HS

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Amanda Johnson

Assistant Coach: Mallie Doucette

Assistant Coach: Dean Stambaugh

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WBB: LAST TIME OUT

Winona State dealt loss at SMSU, 73-64

MARSHALL, Minn. - The Winona State University women's basketball team had three players reach double-digits in scoring on Saturday against Southwest Minnesota State, but the host Mustangs were able to hold off a fourth-quarter comeback effort to deal the Warriors a 73-64 setback.

Winona State outscored Southwest Minnesota State 25-22 in the fourth quarter but SMSU used a big second-period run to create enough cushion on the scoreboard to offset 18 points from Lauren Fech and 16 more from Alex Dornfeld Caitlin Riley added 14 points coming off the bench in the road loss, while Dornfeld's 10 rebounds on the night saw her earn a season-high sixth doubledouble for WSU.

After a deadlocked 13-13 scoreline following the first 10 minutes, Southwest Minnesota State posted a 19-9 second-quarter margin, largely behind the efforts of Bri Stolzman, who had 24 points for the home team WSU's 25-point fourth quarter included five points from Lindsay Hahn, who hit a three-pointer with 6:33 left to play to pull the Warriors to within six at 55-49

However, SMSU would earn 12 trips to the free throw line in the time remaining in the game following Hahn's back-to-back buckets and converted on all 12 efforts to hold off Winona State.

WSU shot 25-of-61 (41 0%) from the floor and were 6-of-19 (31 6%) from 3-point territory The Warriors were 8-of-13 (61 5%) at the free throw line, while SMSU was awarded 24 free throws, hitting 22 in the game The Mustangs were 16-of-16 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter

With the loss, Winona State falls to 10-16 overall, 4-16 in NSIC play, while SMSU moves to 16-9 on the year, 13-7 in league action.

WSU will play their final road game of the 2022-23 regular season at Minnesota State, Mankato on Thursday, Feb. 16. The Warriors and Mavericks are set to tip off at 7:30 p m in the Taylor Center

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WBB STATISTICS

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WOM

Head Coach Ana Wurtz

Ana Wurtz, a Winona State Univer s the next head coach of the Warrior ba

Wurtz has served for the past ten seasons on the Warrior staff, first as an assistant coach before being elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2018-19 season. Either as a player or coach, Wurtz has been been an integral part of many of the most important moments in program history, including all three of the NCAA Division II tournament appearances by the Warriors, first in 2009, followed by bids in 2011 and 2016.

In the fall of 2021, Wurtz accepted her Winona State Hall-of-Fame spot on Oct. 4, joining a class of five other impactful Warrior student-athletes who were also honored

Wurtz has tutored some of the top players in Warrior history, including recent Winona State standouts Taylor Hustad and Allie Pickrain, both of whom were all-NSIC selections following the 2019-20 season Hustad was also an all-conference pick following the 2021-22 campaign. Her recruiting and teaching skills paid off for WSU in the form of 2020-21 D2SIDA Women's Basketball Preseason mention, when the Warriors earned 'Receiving Votes' status among the NCAA Division II Central Region ranks.

Wurtz helped turn around the WSU basketball program during the 2014-15 season with a 20-8 overall record and a 15-7 conference record, finishing third in the NSIC South and fourth overall. The .714 win percentage on the year is the third-best winning percentage in the program's history

While at Wisconsin-Oshkosh during the 2012-13 season, Wurtz helped orchestrate an impressive turnaround, leading the team to a 20-6 overall mark after the Titans went just 7-18 in the season before her arrival The team went 12-4 in conference play to finish second in the WIAC Both of the Titans’ starting guards earned all-conference honors while the team finished third nationally in free throw percentage.

Wurtz spent two seasons as a graduate assistant with the Winona State program, helping lead the team to a 21-9 record during the 2010-11 season and the 2011 NSIC Tournament Championship. The Warriors also qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament that year, just its second trip to the NCAA postseason in school history. She also helped WSU post an 18-11 mark during the 2011-12 campaign

One of the best shooters in Winona State history, Wurtz was a two-time all-conference player while graduating as the school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made with 254 She is fourth on the WSU career scoring charts with 1,355 points

She led the Warriors to a program-record 24 wins during the 2008-09 season and helped the team earn its first-ever spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Wurtz was an all-region selection and was named the Winona State Female Athlete of the Year that season.

Wurtz graduated from Winona State in 2010 with a degree in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Sports Management from Winona State Ana and her husband, Louis, reside in Winona

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Hannah McGlone was tabbed as the full-time assistant women's basketball coach at Winona State University in July, 2022.

Assistant Coach

Hannah McGlone

McGlone previously served as the WSU graduate assistant coach for three seasons before moving to Milwaukee School of Engineering for the 2021-22 season, where she served as an assistant coach

McGlone played in 123 games for Winona State, joining the 1,000-point club her senior season, finishing her career with 1,071 points. The Streamwood, Illinois, native hauled in 949 rebounds during her four seasons at WSU, averaging 7.72 rebounds per game in her career. The 949 boards is the WSU career record McGlone notched 25 career double-doubles, including 13 in her final season

McGlone was a key component of the 2015-16 Winona State squad which qualified for the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament, earning an at-large bid following a 29-3 regular season. WSU defeated Fort Hays State 60-55 in the first round before falling to Emporia State, 66-62 in the second round

The combination of Wurtz and McGlone on the WSU sideline is believed to be the first time two 1,000-point scorers have gone on to serve as the head coach and top assistant coach at their alma mater for a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) women's basketball program.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Season Outlook

The Winona State University women’s basketball team is ready to start the 2022-23 campaign, led by senior Caitlin Riley who has been named the Winona State Player to Watch in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC)

The NSIC released the 2022-23 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll and the Warriors were picked to finish fifth in the South Division and 11th overall Minnesota State, Mankato was selected to win the South and the league overall, while Minnesota Duluth was voted first in the North Division.

Riley returns to the floor for the Warriors following a strong 2021-22 campaign in which she averaged just over 25 minutes a contest, scoring nine points per game and hitting .330 from behind the three-point line.

Head coach Ana Wurtz, heading into her first season at the helm after a long career as the WSU associate head coach, said, “Caitlin has played key minutes for us since her freshman season. She is one of the most prolific shooters in the league, connecting on 118 3s already in her career.”

Riley's range from behind the arc is just one of several weapons Wurtz, and first-year assistant coach Hannah McGlone, have at their disposal Riley is one of a handful of upperclassmen that will be key to Winona State success this season

Players bringing significant experience to the McCown Gymnasium floor include Lauren Fech, a transfer last season from MSU Moorhead who started strong in the 2021-22 campaign before an injury derailed her year Also back is Mattie Schimenz, an experienced guard who started 19 times in 2021-22 and played in 26 contests overall, as well as Lindsey Hahn, another guard that played in 26 games

Vanessa Alexander, Alex Dornfeld and Kaitlyn Schrimpf all saw significant time last year, and each will have an increased opportunity to expand their contributions under Wurtz and McGlone. Alexander hauled in 44 rebounds in 2021-22 and had seven blocked shots for the Warriors.

Rounding out the returners for Winona State are Naomi Breunig, a sophomore from Sauk City Wis., and a 6-1 center, Stephanie Dasbach who hails from Lombard, Ill. Shea Dechant, a 5-7 guard from Kimberly, Wis. Center, saw time in several games in 2021-22 and center Ava Sergio played in seven contests last year before being sidelined by injury. Sergio has played 43 games overall in her Warrior career, scoring 163 total points and hauling in 94 rebounds over that time.

When asked about the 2022-23 Winona State women's basketball squad, Coach Wurtz added, "This group has been an absolute joy to work with this pre-season It has been exciting to watch new leaders emerge throughout the course of the offseason "

2022-23 NSIC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll Overall Points

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Caitlin Riley: NSIC Player to Watch

Riley returns to the floor for the Warriors following a strong 2021-22 campaign in which she averaged just over 25 minutes a contest, scoring nine points per game and hitting 330 from behind the three-point line

Head coach Ana Wurtz, heading into her first season at the helm after a long career as the WSU associate head coach, said, “Caitlin has played key minutes for us since her freshman season She is one of the most prolific shooters in the league, connecting on over 100 3s already in her career ”

Riley's range from behind the arc is just one of several weapons Wurtz, and first-year assistant coach Hannah McGlone, have at their disposal. Riley is one of a handful of upperclassmen that will be key to Winona State success this season.

Riley currently sits in Winona State's record book at 11th with 120 made 3-pointers and 9th in three-point attempts at 382. If she matches last year's totals of 58 threes made on 176 attempts, Riley will move into the top seven in both categories for her career.

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