South Division debut with much on the line
Winona State and Wayne State are both coming off of big week four wins. Winona State came back to beat the University of Mary on the road, 48-38, while the Wildcats upset nationally ranked Minnesota Duluth 3128. Wayne State has won two straight since losing the Bemidji State 38-28 in week two. Offense on display today
Historically, Winona State has had a heyday against Wayne State, as Tom Sawyer and his teams have gone 19-3 against the Wildcats. However, Saturday has the feeling of what will likely be a tough contest for both teams, as they open Southern Division play. Deep backfield, no freebies
Winona State could have an embarrassment of riches in the backfield on Saturday, as Javian Roebuck and
Ty Gavin, listed #1 and #2 on the depth chart, return from injuries sustained at UMary. Add to the mix Dominik London and Noah Carlson, who stepped up against the Marauders for over 200 yards combined and three scores. And when WSU does throw, it goes as intended. QB and captain Owen Burke has had only one interception this season in four starts. Warrior Fans, Let's Ride!
Warriors come out firing on all cylinders, make quick work of CSP in season opener Tom Sawyer and his team had been waiting for nearly 22 months for a chance to compete together again and the Warriors wasted no time in delivering a signature win to kick off the 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) campaign.
Winona State steamrolled the Golden Bears 47-6 with a dominant performance in all phases of the game, providing over 3,500 fans in attendance a Thursday night under the lights to remember. Several tremendous first half plays, including an outstanding Sawyer Maly special team's effort on punt coverage, set the tone early in the contest for Winona State and they never looked back, cruising to the programs fifth-straight opening week win. Maly outran everybody to push a Tristan Root punt out of bounds at the one-yard line, one of many hustle plays that were a part of the Warrior effort on the evening. Running back Javian Roebuck had set the scoring tempo early for Winona State, notching touchdowns on a two-yard dive at 2:35 in the first quarter and with a 64-yard run in the second quarter to double the Warrior lead. Shortly thereafter, Maly's massive effort pinned the Golden Bears in the shadow of their own goalposts on the one-yard line. One snap later, Winona State delivered a safety, tackling the CSP ball carrier in the end zone in front of a raucous student section happy to be back in the friendly confines of Maxwell Field. On the scoreboard the play was only worth two points, but the momentum generated effectively decided the outcome of the game.
The Winona State offense racked up 17 first downs on the day, accumulated 272 rushing yards and had another 281 through the air. In addition to the Roebuck and Balliu scoring tallies, Ethan Wittenberg had a touchdown catch, going 48 yards on a pinpoint pass from Burke in the third quarter. Nine different WSU receivers had catches in the game. In addition to Roebuck, Ty Gavin gave defensive coordinators something to think about in upcoming weeks, as he made the most of his six carries, racking up 86 yards and a touchdown, showing an ability to get to the outside in a hurry. Defensively, Winona State was outstanding. NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year Cam Gavin was a big part of the success, with five tackles from the secondary while linebacker Clay Schueffner led the Warriors by racking up eight stops, including a sack. Longtime defensive coordinator Brian Curtin dialed up a "D" that held CSP to just 57 rushing yards in the game and only 187 yards of total offense. The Golden Bears averaged 2.2 yards a carry on the evening. The lone highlight for CSP was a pair of field goals from Sam Henson, including an impressive 48-yard effort from the left hash. However, the WSU defense was dominant on the day, holding Concordia to 130 yards passing and just 57 on the ground.
Roebuck rambled to 131 total yards on 14 carries, including three touchdowns. The senior running back had 122 yards in the first half alone and averaged 9.4 yards per rush.
WSU fans got a first look at the special teams play for the Warriors, as junior college transfer Jacob Scott went 1-for-2 on field goal attempts and was a perfect 6-for-6 on PAT's. Tristan Root handled the majority of the punting and kickoff duties. Jake Balliu handled kick returns for the Warriors including a 40-yard effort in the second half.
Jake Balliu delivered over 160 all-purpose yards, including a 65-yard TD catch in the first half to the delight of the Warrior faithful. Concordia had no answer for the balanced WSU offense, as coordinator Cameron Keller combined with his signal caller Owen Burke to keep the Golden Bears guessing all night.
With the outcome in hand by the fourth quarter, WSU got some important experience for several reserves, including Trevor Paulsen taking over for Burke at quarterback. Dominik London left an impression with several touches in the fourth quarter, showing some elusive moves on six carries. Overall, Winona State could not have scripted their first game of the 2021 season any better, firing on all cylinders and moving to 1-0 on the season and look to prepare for a trip to Minnesota State – Moorhead in week two. Concordia St. Paul fell to 0-1 on the year.
Warriors earn comeback win over MSU-Moorhead The Winona State University football team got off to a slow start offensively in the first half of Saturday's week two contest against Minnesota State – Moorhead but went into the locker room at halftime down just one score, thanks in large part to the Warrior defense. After the halftime break - and after some adjustments - the Warriors opened up the Dragons with the balanced attack WSU is known for, scoring 27 unanswered points and ultimately leaving Moorhead with a 27-13 win.
The Warriors won the fourth quarter - and ultimately the game - with a combination of power running football and an opportunistic, ballhawking linebacker corps. The Winona State defense had two interceptions in the final stanza, first when Ben McCabe latched onto a tipped pass. McCabe's pick and an unsportsmanlike penalty assessed on his return for an illegal MSUMoorhead tackle, put the ball on the Dragon's doorstep. Moments later, Owen Burke connected with Tyler Zirpoli for a Warrior touchdown.
Although both the Dragons and Warriors put up big scoring numbers in On the next series, Devon Moore intercepted a Falk pass and re-started the WSU offense again. Javian Roebuck capped a six-play, 44-yard drive week one, it was a surprisingly defensive showcase in the first two with a one-yard dive on fourth down for his first TD of the day, and quarters of Saturday's matchup. fourth of the season. Winona State never looked back after Roebuck's score and tacked on a Jacob Scott 28-yard field goal for good measure, In the first half, the two teams combined for seven punts, and both struggled on third down conversions; Winona State was 1-for-7 on third pushing the score to 27-13 with four minutes to go. down, while MSU-M was 2-for-8. The lone score in the first half was a Dragon touchdown when MSU-M quarterback Tommy Falk hit receiver To their credit, the Dragons would not go quietly. MSU-M put together a 11-play drive in two-minute offense format to get to the Warrior twoRyan Bieberdorf on a 10-yard pass to cap an eight play, 58-yard drive. yard line. However, while the WSU offense was working to find their rhythm, linebacker Mitch Snitker and his Warrior defensive teammates kept the In a final series that reflect the game, the Dragons drove but did not score. The Winona State defense stood their ground inside the five yard game within striking distance for head coach Tom Sawyer and the line, stopping the Dragons on all four attempts from scrimmage. With Winona State squad. the big stop, WSU iced the game and moved to 2-0 on the year. Snitker had eight first half tackles, while teammate and NSIC South Individually, Burke finished with a 19-of-33 day for 288 yards and two Division Preseason Player of the Year Cam Gavin had seven. Just as touchdowns. Javian Roebuck had 58 yards on 14 carries and a importantly, the Warrior defensive line forced Falk to his secondary touchdown, while Ty Gavin chipped in 28, and Dominik London had 14. reads on most passing plays, limiting his looks downfield. On offense in the first 30 minutes, Jake Balliu led the WSU receiving corps after two quarters, hauling in four catches for 38 yards. Owen Burke was 10-of-20 for 91 yards in the first half. In the second half, things changed. The two teams traded scores on their opening drives, with the home team picking up their second touchdown of the day. However, the Dragons missed the point after, perhaps sign of things to come, and Winona State answered with a Jacob Scott 24-yard field goal in their first offensive series of the second half. Things were trending up for Winona State, but down 13-3 midway through the third quarter, the Warriors needed a spark. Owen Burke and Sawyer Maly delivered. More accurately, Burke delivered to Maly.
Sawyer Maly had two catches for 75 yards, none bigger than his 70-yard scoring effort. Jake Balliu had five catches for 59 yards and Tyler Knutsen added 53 on three catches. As in week one, Burke spread the wealth among his receivers, as nine different Warriors caught at least one pass in the game, including Zirpoli's TD catch. Defensively, Mitch Snitker finished with 11 tackles, as did Clay Schueffner. Cam Gavin had 10 stops and David Munson had eight. Devon Moore and Ben McCabe maximized their impact on the game as they both claimed interceptions. Darius Manuel, Corrie King, Joe Perhats, Nathaniel Wilcher, Luc Leszczynski and Aarion Lacy all had tackles for losses for defensive coordinator Brian Curtin, evidence of the multiple looks thrown at the Dragons thoughout the game. Special teams play saw Jacob Scott hit two field goals, from 24 and 28 yards, respectively, and was 3-for-3 on PAT's. Jake Balliu had four punt returns for 21 yards, while Tristan Root handled the kickoff duties for the Warriors.
A picture-perfect 70-yard bomb from the senior captain QB to Maly lit the fire of the Warrior sideline, with Maly catching the pass in stride and With the win, Winona State moves to 2-0 on the 2021 season; head coach Tom Sawyer now has 192 wins, second most among active NCAA finding the end zone in the ultimate quick strike offense. With the ensuing successful PAT from Scott, Winona State was back in the game, Division II coaches, and will own a 17-2 career mark against the Dragons. down just three at 13-10 with six minutes to go in the third stanza. Winona State is back in action on Saturday, Sept. 18 when they host the University of Minnesota Duluth. Kickoff is set for 1pm in Altra Federal Winona State continued to find ways to claw back into the contest, Credit Union Stadium including partially blocking a Dragon punt as the third quarter wound down, providing Owen Burke and the Warrior offense prime starting position for the last drive with the wind at their backs. A Dominik London fumble foiled a promising Warrior drive with one minute left in the third, but Winona State rebounded from the setback nicely as the game moved into the last fifteen minutes. .
Warriors fall just short in battle with UMD A heavyweight fight between two NCAA Division II football contenders was on tap for over 4,000 fans at Winona State University on Saturday, as the unbeaten Warriors hosted the #13 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium on Saturday.
WSU scored the last 14 points of the contest, with Jaylen Schleicher scoring on a three-yard TD pass from Burke. The try for two points failed, but the Warriors found themselves at 29-16 and with life late in the game.
After an important defensive stop, highlighted by Cole LaLiberty When the dust settled, the Bulldogs (3-0, 0-0 NSIC North) escaped and Carter Duxbury combining to sack Larson on second down, WSU earned the ball back with just under seven minutes to play. with a 29-23 win over Winona State (2-1, 0-0 NSIC South) in a Owen Burke put together another key drive to spark his team. great game that was not decided until the final whistle. Winona State was knocking on the door and then stepped through when Ty Gavin scored his second touchdown of the day, Minnesota Duluth started the contest firing on all cylinders, and third of the season. Jacob Scott hit the PAT, pulling WSU to scoring ten points in the opening quarter. The Bulldog's Zach within six points at 29-23. Ojile two-yard dive capped a four play, 71-yard drive for the game's first score. Winona State responded with a first-quarter The final drive of the game for Winona State was sparked by field goal, as Jacob Scott connected on a 35-yard effort after a nine-play Warrior drive was halted in the red zone. Scott's three Sawyer Maly, who raced onto a Burke delivery for 46 yards to the UMD 30. The Warriors picked up another five yards on a toss to points were the only WSU scoring in the first half, while Tyler Knutson. Unfortunately, WSU was unable to connect on its Minnesota Duluth posted 26 in the opening 30 minutes. final two chances and turned the ball over on downs. A Bulldog kneel-down later, the game was in the books. The Warriors found the ground game particularly tough going, rushing for 39 yards in the first half. For the game, factoring in tackles for loss, Winona State was held to net zero rushing yards. Burke was 19-of-31 for 239 yards and a touchdown, with a longest completion of 46 yards, one of the most important grabs While the run game was off, Owen Burke was on. He had 239 yards of the game. He was sacked six times on day when both passing, and handful of catchable balls were dropped downfield. downfield Bulldog coverage and defensive line pressure were His counterpart, John Larson had 206 yards on a 12-of-23 effort. distinct factors. Jake Balliu led Winona State in receiving, making four catches for 32 yards. The speedy senior had 29 Neither Winona State or UMD had an interception on the day. yards-after-catch and racked up 84 yards returning kickoffs and punts. Darryl Williams fired up the Warrior crowd with a 32-yard For the game, UMD had 14 first downs, compared to 13 for the kickoff return that he nearly broke for a score. Warriors, while Winona State won the discipline battle, flagged for just 45 yards on five penalties while the Bulldogs were penalized eight times for 93 yards. Overall, Minnesota Duluth ran Tyler Knutson and Ethan Wittenburg were favorite targets on for 179 yards, led by former RCTC standout Cazz Martin who had day, with Knutson nabbing four throws and 28 yards, while Wittenburg had three catches for 89 yards, including a 41-yard 68 yards on the ground. reception. For the second game in a row, Sawyer Maly delivered downfield at a key time, making a 46-yard reception in the While the first half was not Winona State was hoping for, the Warriors went into the locker room with the outcome still in reach fourth quarter, the longest Warrior catch of the day. Jaylen Schleicher had two catches, including a TD. and the memory of last week's 27-13 comeback win over Minnesota State - Moorhead. As expected, the Warriors rallied Devon Moore led the Warrior defense, registering seven tackles, after the break and clawed their way back into the game. one tackle-for-loss and a pass breakup. Clay Schueffner had a big Late in the third, WSU running back Ty Gavin scored on a ten-yard game as well with seven stops, Mitch Snitker was all over the field in his pursuit of seven tackles. Darius Manuel picked up two rumble in which he carried the ball and two Bulldog defenders TFL's, good for ten yards, while David Munson had six stops. into the end zone. Although UMD put together a long drive to open the fourth quarter, the Warrior defense held the Bulldogs to The Warrior kicking game performed when called upon, as Jacob a field goal, a stop that proved key to giving the Winona State Scott hit a 35-yard field goal and converted both PAT attempts. faithful hope in the late stages of the game. Punter Tristan Root racked up 255 yards on five kicks. Impressively, he also managed a tackle on kick coverage.
Winona State football earns win over UMary The Winona State University football team traveled to the University of Mary and ended up on the right side of a back-and-forth affair, 48-38 to claim their third win of the 2021 season.
Oftentimes, football fans from around the NSIC take notice when Jake Balliu drops back to receive a punt for the Warriors and midway through the third quarter on Saturday, he showed why.
Winona State had the first lead and the last lead of the game, but in between, the Marauders and Warriors exchanged blows that left the outcome in doubt for fans of either team until the last seconds of the contests.
Balliu received a punt from UMary's Kevin Powell after yet another Warrior defensive stop. Sixty-one yards later, Balliu was diving into the end zone to score his first return touchdown of the season and fifth of his career. Balliu's big play is believed to be the first punt or kickoff touchdown return across the NSIC ranks so far this year. Just as importantly, Balliu's TD put WSU out in front again, this time at 31-24.
In the end, it was a key punt return by Jake Balliu with the game in balance and a next-Warrior-up mindset from Dominik London that was the catalyst for a Winona State comeback that will surely be remembered. Javian Roebuck started the scoring for Winona State, and the contest, on a 10-yard run, capping a five-play 78-yard drive that included two key catches by Balliu and Jaylen Schleicher from starting quarterback Owen Burke. UMary answered the Warrior score with a field goal on their ensuing possession, but WSU responded with a scoring drive of their own, foreshadowing what would be a trend the rest of the game. Winona State's Burke-to-Ethan Wittenburg collaboration that has been strong all season delivered again, as the two connected first on a 16-yard throw and then a 41-yard strike to double the Warrior lead. As with the first TD, Jacob Scott drilled the PAT and the Warriors were up 14-3. The Marauders answered again, this time on a 12-yard Logan Nelson pass to teammate Luke Little, narrowing the score to 14-10 in favor of WSU after one quarter of play. UMary took advantage of a missed Warrior field goal in the start of the second quarter to craft another scoring drive, going up 17-14 but Jacob Scott hit a 31-yard field goal to knot the game at 17 apiece on the next Warrior offensive series. However, just before the end of the second half, UMary scored their third TD of the day, again with Nelson connecting a pass to Marauder wide receiver Danny Kittner for the score.
Although UMary would tie the game again at 31 - 31, the fourth quarter belonged to Winona State. UMary matched the Warriors TD with one of their own, as Small scored on a four-yard rush. The two team traded scores again, with WSU's Noah Carlson scoring from three yards out, the result of a seven-play drive that covered 69 yards. Like London, Carlson was pressed into service in the backfield with injuries sidelining Roebuck and Gavin earlier in the game. After six minutes of scoreless football, London launched the longest run of the season so far for WSU to score once more, going 78 yards and blowing by UMary defenders along the way and moving the scoreboard to 45-38 in favor of the Warriors with four minutes left in the contest. With their fourth key stop of the quarter, the WSU defense earned the ball back for Winona State and the offense scored again, this time on a 25-yard field goal by Scott. The three points were valuable breathing room for Winona State and the seven-play time-consuming drive that supported it was key in terms of clock management at the end of the high scoring affair. Individually, Burke was 16-of-28 for 286 yards and a touchdown. Dominik London excelled in the running back role, rushing for 153 yards and two TD's. Noah Carlson had 45 yards on five carries and a TD. Ethan Wittenburg had 113 yards receiving, while Jaylen Schleicher had 101.
The bad news for the Warrior faithful at halftime was that Winona State was On defense, Clay Schueffner led the Warrior way with eight tackles; Ben McCabe and Mitch Snitker had seven each, and Snitker claimed an down, 24-17. The good news was that WSU has made a habit of scoring interception as well. Devon Moore and Carter Duxbury rang up five second-half points in bunches in 2021 and Saturday's game was no tackles, including stops behind the line of scrimmage. exception. In the second half, the Warrior comeback started with a Luc Leszczynski and Darius Manuel sack on first down, a big play that set the tone for WSU. Combined with some Marauder penalties to stymie the UMary drive to start the third quarter. Corrie King also had a key play on third down, breaking up a pass intended for the Marauders David Small. Winona State got the ball back and five plays later, the Warriors had the scoreline level at 24-24 with a score at 8:26 in the quarter. Wittenburg managed two more grabs and Dominik London, taking most of the snaps at running back due to injuries, scored on an eight-yard run to cap the drive.
Special teams were key on the day, with Balliu's 103-yard total kick return yards coming on three efforts. Jacob Scott was 2-for-3 on field goals and a perfect 6-for-6 on PAT's. For Winona State the game was a key road win moving the Warriors on to 3-1 on the year. Despite several injuries - particularly in the backfield - the Warriors showed the resilience they have made a calling card this season.
Winona State has been tabbed for third place in their division and fifth place overall in the 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Football Preseason Poll. The Warriors earned 26 points in South Division voting and 126 points total, including one first-place vote.
2021 NSIC Football Preseason Poll Overall Points
Defensive standout Cam Gavin also was named as the NSIC South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, as selected by NSIC coaches. Gavin and quarterback Owen Burke were tabbed as the Winona State Players to Watch by the NSIC as they lead their team into the 2021 Winona State campaign. Long-time Winona State football coach Tom Sawyer has announced he will retire at the conclusion of the WSU 2021 season and the Warriors are looking to send Sawyer out in style. Sawyer has been the head coach at Winona State for 25 years, one of the longest-tenured coaches in NCAA Division II football and is the dean of coaches across the NSIC. Saywer sits at 190-85 overall and led his team to the 2019 Mineral Water Bowl, the program's 11th postseason appearance.
1. Minnesota State (12).... 2. Minnesota Duluth....... 3. Augustana (1)............. 4. Sioux Falls..........................
168 144 140 135
5. Winona State (1)............
126
6. Bemidji State .................... 117 7. Concordia-St. Paul............. 96 8. Northern State .................... 75 9. MSU Moorhead................... 74 10. Wayne State .................. 60 Fittingly, a veteran roster will take on the task of Sawyers' successful swan song, with several 11. SMSU.................................... 46 impactful returners lining up on both sides of the ball. 12. Minot State ....................... 38 13. University of Mary........... 28 Leading the Warrior offensive, Owen Burke returns for his final season, under the tutelage of 14. Upper Iowa ....................... 27 offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Cameron Keller. The pair have helped lead WSU to back-to-back eight-win seasons in 2018 and 2019.
South Division Burke has thrown for 42 touchdown passes in his career and will enjoy a receiving corps led 1. Minnesota State (5) 35 by Jake Balliu and Tyler Anderson, both senior standouts who had solid 2019 campaigns. Sam 2. Augustana (1) 27 Santiago-Lloyd leads the way from the backfield, having earned All-NSIC South Team accolades in 2019, running for 956 yards and eight touchdowns.
Other Warriors on the offensive side of the ball that have the coaching staff excited about the upcoming season are Tyler Knutson, Jaylen Schleicher and Javian Roebuck. Knutson has recorded 23 catches so far in his career with a pair of touchdown grabs, while Schleicher is expected to be a force at tight end. Roebuck adds another dimension to the WSU ground attack and was a 2017 All-NSIC First Team selection in his first season in Winona. The former Glendale (Ariz.) Community College standout has amassed 1,277 rushing yards and 109 receiving yards at Winona State, scoring 11 Warrior touchdowns along the way.
3. Winona State (1)
26
Sioux Falls 5. Wayne State 6. SMSU 7. Upper Iowa
26 15 10 8
North Division 1. Minnesota Duluth (6) 2. Bemidji State (1) 3. Concordia-St. Paul 4. MSU Moorhead 5. Northern State 6. University of Mary 7. Minot State
36 31 26 16 15 13 10
Years at Winona State: 25th season Record at Winona State: 193-86 (.692)
Tom Sawyer Career Totals
Year
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 Totals
W
L
4 7 9 2 9 2 7 4 9 3 10 2 8 4 11 2 10 2 8 3 9 3 10 2 6 5 7 4 7 4 7 4 10 2 6 5 4 7 5 6 8 3 10 2 8 3 8 3 3 1 193 86
Pct.
.364 .818 .818 .636 .750 .833 .667 .846 .833 .727 .750 .833 .545 .636 .636 .636 .833 .545 .364 .455 .727 .833 .727 .727 .691
Postseason
Mineral Water NCAA Playoffs Mineral Water NCAA Playoffs NCAA Playoffs NCAA Playoffs NCAA Playoffs
Mineral Water
Hometown: Barron, Wisconsin College: Winona State 1983 (B.S. Physical Education) Graduate Degree: Winona State 1989 (M.A. Education) Children: Jessica and Tommy
Tom Sawyer heads into his 25th year as the head coach of the Winona State football program having already reached an unparalleled level of success and longevity in NCAA Division II football. Sawyer was named as the 21st head coach of the program in 1996, and on his watch, the Barron, Wis. native has pushed the Warriors to heights previously unseen. The longest serving among active NSIC head coaches, Sawyer has won 10 or more games in a single season six times during his illustrious career. He sits atop the leaderboard in program history in both the career wins and career winning percentage category. Sawyer has been named the NSIC Coach of the Year five times by his coaching peers. In NCAA Division II football, Sawyer ranks second among active NCAA DII head coaches in career wins (190) entering the 2021 season. In the state of Minnesota, Sawyer is just one of two active college football coaches with over 185 career wins. Nationally, only 17 other active four-year college football coaches - NCAA and NAIA, combined - have more wins than Sawyer. Currently, there are over 850 college football teams competing in the NCAA and NAIA. The Warriors have played in the NCAA Division II Playoffs six times under Sawyer as well as making three Mineral Water Bowl appearances.
NCAA Playoffs Mineral Water 10 Postseasons
Sawyer and his staff have recruited and developed outstanding football talent, including seven Harlon Hill Award candidates, eight Academic All-Americans, 50 All-Americans, and nearly 400 AllNSIC selections. Sawyer has also coached several Warriors who have gone on to play professional football. In all, five Warriors have earned NSIC Offensive Player of the Year accolades under Sawyer while six others have been the NSIC’s Defensive Player of the Year. In 2021, Cam Gavin was named the NSIC South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
NAME Devon Moore Tyler Anderson Tyler Hughes Jace LaBuda Jake Balliu Darryl Williams Sam Santiago-Lloyd Ethan Wittenburg Seyi Afinni Brian Corbins, Jr. Ben McCabe Colin Klatt Trevor Paulson Marcellus Johnson Aarion Lacy Kenneth Sanders Aaron Adams Myles Tramill Owen Burke Noah Carlson Mekhi Besseck Easton Knoll Cam Gavin David Munson Zach Gulbransen Jarius Adams Carter Duxbury Richard Azunna Cair'ron Hendred Zach Myhre Ty Gavin Dominik London VJ Herron John Schmidt AJ Scaife Javian Roebuck Tyler Zirpolo Sam Strang Isaiah Siem-Davis Sam Shutter Mitch Snitker Jamon Williams Clay Schueffner Garit Wollan Vernon Porte Charlie Dennis
POS. LB WR WR QB WR WR RB WR WR DB LB DL QB DB DB FS DB WR QB RB FS WR DB DB DB DB LB DB RB LB RB RB DB DB LB RB FB DL LB LB DB DB LB TE DB LB
HT. 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-3 5-9 5-11 5-10 6-1 5-10 5-9 5-11 6-3 6-3 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-1 6-3 5-11 6-2 5-11 5-10 5-10 6-2 5-11 5-9 6-0 5-11 5-9 6-1 5-10 6-2 5-11 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-3 5-11 5-10 6-2 6-4 5-10 6-0
WT. 240 170 185 210 185 165 235 205 180 165 195 250 210 180 175 210 165 175 225 200 205 190 195 170 185 185 210 192 195 220 175 205 175 200 190 210 230 220 205 190 190 160 230 230 170 210
YEAR Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Gr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Jr. R-Fr. So. R-Jr. Fr. Jr. Fr. R-Fr. Gr. R-Fr. So. Fr. R-Sr. R-Jr. R-Fr. So. Sr. Sr. Fr. R-Fr. So. Sr. R-Fr. So. Fr. Gr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. R-Fr. Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. R-Fr.
HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOL PREVIOUS SCHOOL Chicago, Ill. Hammond Forest City, Iowa Forest City Onalaska, Wis. Onalaska Menomonie, Wis. Menomonie Lake Villa, Ill. Lakes Community Chetek, Wis. Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Milwaukee, Wis. Brookfield East Franklin, Wis. Franklin Roseville, Minn. Roseville Hales Corners, Wis. Hales Corners Caledonia, Minn. Caledonia Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls Marion, Iowa Marion Moline, Ill. Moline Iowa Central CC Park Forest, Ill. Brother Rice Chicago, Ill. Phillips Academy West Palm Beach, Fla. Suncoast Army West Point Round Lake, Ill. Carmel Catholic Lakewood, Colo. D'Evelyn Rushford, Minn. Rushford-Peterson Univ. of Michigan Minneapolis, Minn. Robbinsdale Armstrong Central Lakes Kasson, Minn. Kasson-Mantorville New Lenox, Ill. Lincoln Way West Chicago, Ill. Phillips Crystal Lake, Ill. Prairie Ridge Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Dwyer Rutgers University Chatfield, Minn. Chatfield Chicago, Ill. Niles North College of DuPage Cedar Rapids. Iowa Kennedy Grand Meadow, Minn. Grand Meadow Niles, Ill. Notre Dame Prep Woodbury, Minn. East Ridge Univ. of Minnesota Country Club Hills, Ill. Hillcrest Sartell, Min. Dowling Catholic Kent State Roseville, Minn. Roseville Area Phoenix, Ariz. La Joya Glendale CC Waukesha, Wis. Waukesha West Davenport, Iowa Davenport Central Des Plaines, Ill. Maine West Plymouth, Minn. Plymouth Waukon, Iowa Waukon Country Club Hills, Ill. Hillcrest St. Cloud, Wis. St. Mary Springs Academy Winona, Minn. Winona Senior High Dacula, Ga. Dacula St. Paul, Minn. Cretin-Derham Hall
# 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 65 66 67 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94
NAME Ikenna Ujuagu Joe Perhats Voshon Porte Tristan Root Carlton Ogata Levi Smith Morgan White Trey Telez Mason Staggemeyer Chance Backer Dejon Hall Myles Hawthorne Anthony Quinn Corrie King Bronson Schofield Enrique De Leon Joey Prondzinski Clay Craker Noah Pappas Jacob Leszczynski Conner Haggerty Jordan Haddard Alec Morris Joe Carlson Carter Berlin Payton Dachel Luke Vitale Declan Kyler Justin Precour Trevor Oppedal Ethan Trumpy AJ Frisby Thomas Kiesau Sawyer Maly Andrew Goergen Dakota Matthees Jose Benjamin Jason Michael Young Jaylen Schleicher Tyler Knutson Josh Giese Cole Wright Kyjuan Vengrowsky Luc Leszczynski Tyler Walls Darius Manuel
POS. LB LB DB K/P LB TE LS LB LB LB LB LB LB DL LB DL K/P OL OL OL DE OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL TE WR WR WR TE WR WR TE WR WR DL DL DL LB DL
HT. 6-0 6-3 5-9 5-8 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-0 5-9 6-1 6-0 6-4 5-9 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-8 6-6 6-3 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-4 5-11 6-4 6-6 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-2
WT. 210 210 165 180 205 250 225 230 220 215 215 195 220 225 200 250 165 310 315 330 265 275 315 315 325 300 265 320 300 295 330 235 195 185 190 210 175 205 245 210 225 240 230 245 220 235
YEAR R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. R-Fr. Sr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. R-Jr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. R-Fr. So. Jr. Sr. R-Fr. Fr. So. R-Fr. R-Fr. So. R-Fr. Fr. So. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. So. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. R-Fr.
HOMETOWN St. Louis Park, Minn. Cary, Ill. Dacula, Ga. Eau Claire, Wis. Plymouth, Minn. Claremont, Minn. Pahrump, Nev. New Lenox, Ill. Caledonia, Minn. Chatfield, Minn. Roseville, Minn. Osseo, Minn. Oak Lawn, Ill. Minnetonka, Minn. Chetek, Wis. Brookfield, Wis. Middleton, Wis. Plymouth, Minn. Muskego, Wis. Onalaska, Wis. Mequon, Wis. La Crosse, Wis. Mukwonago, Wis. Augusta, Wis. Bloomer, Wis. Madison, Wis. Mesa, Ariz. Lake In The Hills, Ill. Blue Earth, Minn. Pekin, Ill. Twin Lakes, Wis. La Crescent, Minn. Waunakee, Wis. Caledonia, Minn. Winona, Minn. Rochester, Minn. Fort Dodge, Iowa Hammond, Ind. Prior Lake, Minn. Hortonville, Wis. Stevens Point, Wis. De Pere, Wis. Muskego, Wis. Broomfield, Colo. Des Moines, Iowa
HIGH SCHOOL Benilde-St. Margaret's Prairie Ridge Dacula Regis Wayzata Triton Pahrump Valley Lincoln Way West Caledonia Chatfield Roseville Osseo Richards Wayzata Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Brookfield East Middleton Robbinsdale Armstrong Muskego Onalaska Homestead La Crosse Central Mukwonago Augusta Bloomer La Follette Skyline Huntley Blue Earth Pekin Wilmont Union La Crescent Waunakee Caledonia Winona Senior High Century Hammond Prior Lake Hortonville Stevens Point Area De Pere Pius XI Prospect Ridge Valley
PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Minnesota Duluth
Upper Iowa
Iowa Western CC Iowa Central CC
# 95 96 97 97 98 99 -
NAME Cole LaLiberty Dmitri Shpak Nathaniel Wilcher Jacob Scott Ryan Tuttle Joseph Demro Payton Beyer Trey Borske Trevor Brake Mason Buehler Mason Carnell Brady Dannenbring Drew Goettl Reid Hartness Ty Johnson Ben Kingsbury Ryan Lund Samuel Mcenelly Codie Meinen Brett Perronne Michael Richardson Jacob Scott Joe Sikma Ethan Torgrimson Jake Van Hulzen Jakai Washington Griffin Wiegel Tyler Wilken Brice Wingad Patrick Wright Jr. Austin Zeeveld
POS. DT K DL K/P DL DL WR LB LS DB OL QB DB QB WR LB OL FB RB TE WR K/P WR RB QB DL DB WR TE OL OL
HT. 6-2 6-3 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-5 6-5 5-9 6-3 6-3 5-10 5-8 6-3 6-3 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-11 6-2 6-6 6-3
WT. 315 175 260 175 255 230 175 220 185 270 215 165 210 300 225 185 220 195 175 210 185 230 170 175 345 285
YEAR R-Sr. So. Fr. Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr.
HOMETOWN Chetek, Wis. Maple Grove, Minn. Mukwonago, Wis. Flower Mound, Texas Slinger, Wis. Plymouth, Minn. Owatonna, Minn. Naperville, Ill. Wind Lake, Wis. Hartland, Wis. Sioux Falls, S.D. Eau Claire, Wis. Fargo, N.D. Cambridge, Wis. Waconia, Minn. Chippewa Falls, Wis. Kimberly, Wis. Brookfield, Wis. Waukesha, Wis. Sartell, Minn. Coon Rapids, Minn. Country Club Hills, Ill. Kimberly, Wis. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Plymouth, Wis. Cascade, Wis.
HIGH SCHOOL Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Maple Grove Mukwonago Marcus Slinger Wayzata Owatonna Neuqua Valley Muskego Arrowhead Roosevelt Regis Davies High School Cambridge Waconia Chippewa Falls Kimberly Marquette HS Catholic Memorial Sartell-St. Stephen Hillcrest Kimberly Xavier Riverside Plymouth
PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Cisco JC
#
1 2 3 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
NAME
POS.
HT.
WT.
YR
HOMETOWN
PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Trystn Ducker Anthony Watkins Matt Romero Nick Bohn Kalei Aukai Taurean Grady Dilan Krause J'Von France Mason Lee Caleb Danner Kendrick Watkins-Hogue Tavian Willis Jaylan Scott Beau Bowers Grayson Garey Alex Thramer CJ Burress Jadon Johnson Trevor Marshall Ashten Schmaderer Clarke Solo Deshawn Massey Kevin Ransom Tysen White Chris Robinson Barrington Robinson III Garrett Morris Tyler LeClair Sam Rallis Dimetri King Gerale Flye Tre'von Jones Ornandes Fils-Aime Jaxon Johnson Ijaaz Rashid Dan Ngoyi Jacob Keiser Jacoby Hurst Silas Bales Logan Katzer Jacob Byrd Zachary Coleman Noah Scott Alex Powders Tate Hinrichs Nicholas Joynt Dexter Larsen Isaac Robinson Trevon Kearney Jonathan Owens Cade Jochum Alex Schall Jackson Tuttle
WR TB QB WB WR WR WB DB WR DB WR QB LB QB WR TE DB WR WR WR DB RB DB DB FS WR S LB/S WR/DB DB DB DB DB DL LB DL RB WR/DB DB LB DB RB RB K/P LB LB LB LB RB LB P LB LB
5-10 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-2 5-10 6-1 5-10 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-3 6-4 5-11 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-10 5-8 6-0 5-10 5-9 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-1 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-8 6-4 6-1 6-3 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-0 5-9 5-8 5-10 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-1
180 175 205 195 205 180 180 170 185 180 170 190 200 170 195 225 190 195 210 175 200 190 195 195 160 175 180 207 175 175 185 175 160 245 200 245 195 175 190 205 180 190 180 180 200 220 200 210 205 200 190 190 200
Sr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Jr. So. Fr. So. Jr. So. So. Jr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. R-Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr.
Bellevue, Neb. Harvey, Ill. Oceanside, Calif. Bennington, Neb. Santa Rosa, Calif. Chicago, Ill. Elkhorn, Neb. Tarpon Springs, Fla. Wayne, Neb. Orlando, Fla. Dubuque, Iowa Ferguson, Mo. Munster, Ind. Wayne, Neb. Broken Bow, Neb. O'Neill, Neb. Memphis, Tenn. Lake Charles, La. Gretna, Neb. Bennington, Neb. Des Moines, Iowa Apopka, Fla. Port Allen, La. McFarland, Wis. St. Louis, Mo. Coconut Creek, Fla. Waukee, Iowa Bennington, Neb. Council Bluffs, Iowa Apopka, Fla. Irving, Texas Omaha, Neb. Orlando, Fla. Bancroft, Neb. Renton, Wash. Lincoln, Neb. Hartington, Neb. Papillion, Neb. Glenwood, Iowa Glenwood, Iowa Sioux Falls, S.D. Omaha, Neb. Randolph, Neb. Council Bluffs, Iowa Omaha, Neb. Garner, Iowa Blair, Neb. Elkhorn, Neb. Olathe, Kan. Harlan, Iowa Omaha, Neb. Kearney, Neb. Omaha, Neb.
South Dakota Dodge City CC New Mexico State Central Missouri Santa Rosa JC Arkansas Baptist College Elkhorn South HS Tarpon Springs HS Wayne HS West Orange HS Dubuque Senior HS McCluer South Berkeley HS Ellsworth CC Wayne HS Broken Bow HS O'Neill HS Ellsworth CC St. Louis Catholic HS Gretna HS Bennington HS Iowa Western CC Coffeyville CC Port Allen HS Minnesota Crookston McCluer HS Bethune-Cookman HS Waukee HS Bennington HS St. Albert HS Los Angeles Pierce CC Irving MacArthur HS Bellevue West HS LA Pierce CC Bancroft-Rosalie HS LA Pierce CC Southwestern CC Cedar Catholic HS Papillion LaVista HS Glenwood HS Council Bluffs Lewis Central HS O'Gorman HS Millard West HS Randolph HS Iowa Western CC Millard South HS Garner-Hayfield-Ventura HS Blair HS Elkhorn HS Olathe East HS Harlan HS Westside HS Kearney HS Omaha Burke HS
#
51 52 53 55 56 57 59 60 61 62 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 92 93 94 95 96 97 99
NAME
POS.
HT.
WT.
YR
HOMETOWN
PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Bo Wieseler Austin Coffman Dustin Sarvie Alex Kowalczyk Barrett Skrobecki Alex Lindsay Tyler Kalb Soren Jensen David Kunes Ayden Fink Ryan Kennedy Isaac Bebout Chris Graham Jr. Randy Gehl Casey Hutchings Trevor Cargill Nolan Ulrich Dylan Baker Jacob Kuznia Bradley Hartnett Saquahan Cobbs Tierel Tompkins Jalen Robinson Josh Taylor Beau Wendt Louis Gray Nick Gray Carter Church Jett Janssen Shane Orr Blake Kaiser Oliver Bakeris Lane VanderWal Dawson Wright Gage Dengel Trey Miller Isaac Schafbuch Shea Gossett Braden Johnson Luke Sims Rex Becker Trent Rasmussen Ryan Parker Mike Monette Caleb Brouse Ciaran Thompsen Drake Peed
LB LB LB LB LB OL OL LS OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL TE OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL WR K TE WR WR TE TE TE WR WR DL DL DE DL DL DL DL DT
5-11 6-1 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-4 5-10 6-3 6-5 6-3 5-8 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-1 5-11 6-0 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-2
205 225 235 210 215 260 270 250 260 265 265 280 310 280 285 275 260 210 275 265 300 305 315 260 290 300 300 315 270 170 190 240 215 155 215 235 205 180 190 285 260 230 285 260 280 285 275
Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Jr. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. R-Fr. Fr/ Sr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. R-Fr R-Fr. Fr. R-Fr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Jr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr.
Elkhorn, Neb. Dunning, Neb. Buffalo, Minn. Sioux Falls, S.D. Waverly, Neb. Pierce, Neb. Omaha, Neb. Carroll, Iowa Genoa, Neb. Ralston, Neb. Norwalk, Iowa Kellogg, Iowa Omaha, Neb. Stillwater, Minn. Boone, Iowa Scotia, Neb. Blair, Neb. Omaha, Neb. Papillion, Neb. South Sioux City, Neb. Minneola, Fla. Cedar Falls, Iowa Norfolk, Neb. Norfolk, Neb. Omaha, Neb. Hickman, Neb. Hickman, Neb. Ogden, Iowa Lincoln, Neb. Omaha, Neb. Wahoo, Neb. Bettendorf, Iowa Volga, S.D. Lincoln, Neb. Bellevue, Neb. Weston, Neb. Madrid, Iowa Fremont, Neb. Gretna, Neb. Omaha, Neb. Hartington, Neb. Rockville, Neb. McCook Lake, S.D. Lake Balboa, Calif. Harlan, Iowa Elkhorn, Neb. Elk Point, S.D.
Elkhorn South HS Sandhills HS Buffalo HS O'Gorman HS Waverly HS Pierce HS Millard West HS Carroll HS Twin River HS Ralston HS Norwalk HS Newton HS Omaha Burke HS Ellsworth CC Boone HS Central Valley HS Blair HS Central HS Papillion La Vista HS South Sioux City HS Minneola HS Cedar Falls HS Norfolk Catholic HS Norfolk HS Millard South HS Morningside College Norris HS Ogden HS East HS Roncalli Catholic HS Wahoo HS Bettendorf HS Sioux Valley HS Northeast HS Bellevue East HS Bishop Neumann HS Ballard HS Archbishop Bergan Catholic HS Platteview HS Iowa Western CC Cedar Catholic HS Centura HS Dakota Valley HS Moorpack College Harlan HS Elkhorn South HS Elk Point-Jefferson HS
Cam Gavin: NSIC South Preseason Defensive Player-of-the-Year
Winona State goes into the 2021 campaign having already turned some heads around the NSIC. League coaches voted Cam Gavin, a senior safety from New Lenox, Illinois, as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the NSIC South. In 2019, racked up 47 tackles for the Warriors - including 34 solo stops – and lead the team in pass breakups with nine. Has appeared in 30 career contests for WSU, one of the most experienced defensive players on the 2021 squad Has 85 career tackles, six INT’s and 19 pass break-ups while leading the WSU secondary. Earned 2019 All-NSIC South Honorable Mention honors.
Luc Leszczynski earns 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-American honors
Winona State defensive lineman Luc Leszczynski has been named to the 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II football team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The senior from Muskego, Wis., earned second team All-America honors with a 3.72 GPA as an Economics / Finance major. Leszczynski was tabbed to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Fall All-Academic Team of Excellence earlier this year.
Owen Burke named the WSU Player-to-Watch on offense by the NSIC
Warrior quarterback Owen Burke was tabbed as the Winona State Player to Watch on offense by the NSIC, and for good reason.
Owen Burke QB | 6-3 | 225 Graduate student Lakewood, Colo. D'Evelyn H.S.
In 2019, Burke started all 11 games under center, going 155-of-260 for 1,986 yards. The Lakewood, Colo. product threw for 16 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He registered a final QB rating of 137.14 on the year and turned in a stellar Mineral Water Bowl performance, going 22-of-32 for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Over the course of the season, Burke had seven contests with zero interceptions and he threw for three touchdowns in a game on three occasions. Studying opponents defensive tendencies comes naturally to Burke; he is a three-time NSIC All-Academic performer as well. Having already earned his undergraduate degree in business from WSU, the 6-3 signal caller is currently pursing a graduate degree while completing his final season of eligibility for the Warriors.
WARRIORS $2,500-$4,999
PURPLE $250-$499
WHITE $100-$249
WHITE $100-$249
Mike & Joette Gostomski
Chelsey Barczak
Kathy & James Allen
Paul Morgan DDS & Rita Miller
Jo & Jerry Stejskal
John & Carol Bedtke
Diane & Dan Amundson
John Mugford
Tom & Jan Bernstorf
Mike & Denise Bernatz
Lisa & Marty Mullen
CAPTAIN $1,000-$2,499
Dave & Pamela Bostrom
Terry & Linda Brecht
Duane & Bonnie Mutschler
Rod & Kathy Barkema
Megan & Logan Carstensen
Richard Brown
M. Jerry Nauman
Dave & Jennifer Cruz
Colin & Christine Charlson
Vera & Jerry Demars
Mark Nichols
Scott & Kelly Ellinghuysen
Wayne & Cathy Clark
Diane Dingfelder
Nancy O'Reilly
Steve & Susan Heuslein
Katie Dempsey & Duffy Grote
Diane Dutcher
Patte Peterson
Dave & Joyce Keller
Larry Elvebak, Sr. & Vanessa Govender
Missy & Jeff Fedor
Rill & Larry Reuter
Lefty Lee
Derek & Cathryn Espy
John & Pat Ferden
Karen Ries
Jim Madsen
Roger & Jill Esser
Ruth & Richard Fullmer
Jim & Dawn Rix
Connie Mettille & Tom Sawyer
Lisa Froelich
Daniel & Jennifer Galvin
Brent & Erin Schmidt
Steve & Barb Slaggie
Jon & Mary Gislason
Joe & Andrea Getzin
Larry & Elizabeth Senrick
Eric & Kärin Wollan
Kimberly & Corey Hancock
Andrew & Dawn Guzzo
Molly Sikkink
Tom & Barbara Wynn
Thom & Robyn Kieffer
Tim & Susan Hatfield
Karen & Josh Spielman
Doug & Laurie Knickrehm
Dean & Judith Hathaway
Lou Sweep
VARSITY $500-$999
Dave & Mary Krenik
Raegan & Raphael Hennemann
Kate Van Buskirk Jean Water
Don & Karen Anderson
Kara & Matthew Lindaman
Rod & Mary Hoesley
Jeff & Diana Bartholomew
Justin & Virginia Loehr
Sue & Raymond Hovell
Tom & Laura Dreas
Stacey & Tim Matthees
Jolene Danca
OTHER $1-$99
Annette & Dean Freiheit
Bill McNary
Greg & Cyndy Jones
Rich Boettcher
Gary & Marilyn Grob
Jerry & Susan Miller
Bernie & Karla Kennedy
Dick & Kitty Ellinghysen, Sr.
Gregg Hilde
Brad & Gabby Peterson
Ryan Key
Marty Grogan
Sharen Keller
Joe & Sandra Reed
Terry & Kim Kieck
Peg Hayes
Mark McGrory
Phil & Deb Sonnenberg
Dick & Rose Marie Kowles
Michael & Sandra Jeresek
Jerry & Pat Papenfuss
Mike Tetzlaff
Bob Lieberman
Phil & Angela Kier
Mike Russell
Jerry Usgaard
Rich Mancuso
Howard Konkol
Jill & Bill Schmidt
Davis & Sharon Usgaard
Jim & Linda Meyer
Andrew & Amy Liebetrau
Carl & Bobbi Schoh
Michael & Jane Voelker
Jeff Middendorf
Don Potter Ron Wenzel
Chuck & Myrlee Weisbrod
Jack & Jodi Warnemunde
James Milanovich
Jon & Reyne Wisecup
Jerry & Darlene Wedemeier
Jeremy & Janel Miller
Ken & Sally Mogren
2021 Winona State Football
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.
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. He currently serves on the DII Nominating Committee and Women’s Basketball Central Region Advisory Committee. Previously, he served on numerous sport committees, most recently the Central Region Softball Committee. He served on the DII Men's Basketball National Committee from 2010-2014, serving as the national chairperson the final two years. 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. During the pandemic, the community service hours for the Warriors decreased dramatically. However, normally the Warriors log more than 3,000 hours of community service each academic year. 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. A comprehensive facility master plan for Warrior Athletics was completed in 2017 and the department continues to make strides toward completing the facilities outlined in the master plan. In the field of play, the Warriors continue to be known as a conference, regional and national contender, winning numerous regular season and conference championships over the past nine years. Several teams have advanced to NCAA post season play during Schoh’s tenure as well, including football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country, track and field, softball, gymnastics, men’s golf, and women’s golf. WSU hosted a football playoff game in 2017 and women’s softball regionals in 2014 and 2017. 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 (31) and River (5), Eric (26) and Tyler (25).
Warriors compete on new turf in 2021 The replacement of the playing surface on Maxwell Field is complete and the new FieldTurf synthetic field is ready for Warrior practice and competition. The renovation project began in late May, 2020 and was completed by Mammoth Sports Construction over the weekend of June 27-28. Maxwell Field at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium is the competition home for two Winona State varsity athletic teams - football and women's soccer - and is also used by the community, campus intramural programs, and the football team at Cotter High School. Several other Warrior varsity programs also make use of the synthetic surface during inclement weather. With the addition of the new state-of-the-art turf, Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium has seen major improvements in each of the past two summers. In June, 2019, the installation of a new Daktronics video board provided the Warriors the largest display Daktronics board in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The 2020 renovation of Maxwell is the third artificial surface to be featured on the facility. In 1999, an Astro-Play field was installed to replace the natural grass field; this upgrade also eliminated the cinder track around the surface at that time. In 2009, a FieldTurf product was installed, and Warrior Nation enjoyed not only the new playing field but additional bleachers that were installed in both end zones. Winona State has installed FieldTurf Classic HD as its new field surface. According to FieldTurf, "The FieldTurf Classic HD is our leading, slit-film fiber, carefully crafted to maximize durability and safety, as well as be aesthetically pleasing. As we say, it's a Beauty and a Beast." FieldTurf Classic HD is the surface most recently installed on Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, Albertsons Stadium at Boise State University and Falcon Stadium, located on the campus of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Maxwell Field has been home to Winona State Warrior football teams since 1937, and the women's soccer program beginning in 1995. It was named Maxwell Field in honor of Guy Maxwell, who served as the Winona State University president between 1904 and 1939.