Last year NDSU had one of its most successful years in school history. Nearly every sport won an award or had a winning record. Take a look at the powerhouse that NDSU has become.
Football
OVERVIEW: The 2011-2012 season marked one of the greatest and most successful seasons the NDSU Football program has seen, since making their switch to Division I. With a National Championship under their belt, the Bison Football squad will be ready to come out strong, looking for a repeat of last season’s successes.
RECORD: Overall: 14-1, Missouri Valley: 7-1
Key Players: Brock Jensen (QB), Ryan Smith (WR), Sam Ojuri (RB), Billy Turner (OL) Marcus Williams (DB)
THIS SEASON: Looking forward to the 2012-2013 season, fans will watch the Bison take on challenging opponents, such as CSU and UNI. In looking specifically at their match up with CSU, the Bison will handle themselves with poise, as they have had many successes and experience playing against FBS schools in the past.
DID YOU KNOW? NDSU was the No. 1 scoring defense in the FCS, and allowed only 12.37 points per game. Marcus Williams was also named as a preseason 1st team all American in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Volleyball
OVERVIEW: Bison Volleyball played a solid game last fall, proving again just how great their talents were, ending the season with a No. 1 ranking in the Summit League for the fourth straight year. The team also left their mark by making their third appearance at the NCAA Volleyball Tournament in the last four years.
RECORD: Overall: 26-9, Summit League: 16-2
Key Players: Megan Lambertson (MH), Brynn Joki (OH), Lauren Cammack (OH), Andrea Henning (DS/L)
THIS SEASON: The 2012-2013 will be full of difficult match ups for the Volleyball Team, especially early on, as the team is scheduled to take on competition at tournaments at Northern Illinois, Northern Colorado, and a non-conference match up against No. 15 ranked Minnesota in September. However, with seasoned team members returning, this squad will be ready for any obstacles that come their way.
DID YOU KNOW? At the end of last season the Bison were nationally ranked, coming in at No. 42 out of 327 in the country. This placed them above several schools, including Ohio, Texas Tech, BYU and many more.
Women’s Golf
OVERVIEW: The NDSU Women’s Golf Team came out swinging last season, and had no plans of letting up, placing No. 2 in the Summit League. Amy Anderson helped lead the team to success, and won her second straight Summit League Women’s Golf Championship. She then advanced to the NCAA West Regional Tournament, where she finished in the No. 16 spot.
Key Players: Abby Knutson, Amy Anderson, Sarah Storandt, Megan Swan
THIS SEASON: Back for another season, the Bison Women’s Golf Team will be ready to take the course, and the No. 1 spot in the Summit League. After coming in second last season, the team will be hungry for a championship, and will be looking to send more team members to the NCAA West Regional Tournament.
DID YOU KNOW? The NDSU Women’s Golf Team was recognized by the NCAA this past June, for it’s commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes. This is the third straight year the team has received recognition.
Men’s Golf
OVERVIEW: Bison Men’s Golf had one of their best seasons since joining the Summit League. The team placed fifth at the Summit League Championship Tournament, and managed to beat out South Dakota State for the Dakota Cup.
Key Players: Nathan Anderson, Bill Carlson, Nate Varty
THIS SEASON: The NDSU Men’s Golf Team will be looking to continue the success of last season with a higher finish in the Summit League Championship. The Bison will also be ready to take home the Dakota Cup Title after winning last year against South Dakota State.
DID YOU KNOW? Nathan Anderson was named to the second Capital One Academic All-American® At-Large Team. Anderson had a 4.00 grade point average.
Soccer
OVERVIEW: A mature and experienced Bison Soccer Team owned the field last fall, playing minutes against non-conference competition such as Hawaii and California. The NDSU Soccer Team did not slow down during their conference schedule either, pulling out a nearly undefeated record in the Summit League.
RECORD: Overall: 15-3-2, Conference: 7-1-1
Key Players: Katie Tallas (F), Michelle Gaffaney (MF), Holly Christian (MF)
THIS SEASON: With the team having graduated 10 seniors, the Bison Soccer Team will be youthful and full of fresh faces. Although the team has lost some key leaders, there are still veteran team members and new talent who will help lead the team to the Summit League Tournament come November.
DID YOU KNOW? At the end of the 2011 season the women’s soccer team was ranked No. 2 in the Summit League, just one game behind South Dakota State.
Baseball
OVERVIEW: With a stellar batting line-up and a strong defense, the Bison Baseball Team had one of it’s best seasons to date. Big bats from Nick Anderson, Nick Colwell, Tim Colwell, Wes Satzinger and Zach Wentz led the team to not one, but two, Summit League Championship games, where the Bison finally fell to Oral Roberts in game two by 1 run.
RECORD: Overall: 40-20 Summit: 14-10
Key Players: Wes Satzinger (INF), John Straka (P), Tim Colwell (OF), Kyle Kleinendorst (C/ OF)
THIS SEASON: After a successful season last spring, the Bison Baseball Team will be prepared to play their way to another championship game and take the win. With experienced and mature team members taking the field again next spring, the Bison will be in a good position to be a dominate force in the Summit League.
DID YOU KNOW? A record breaking, 1,267, fans attended the double header versus UND at Newman Outdoor Field, Saturday March 31.
Men’s Basketball
OVERVIEW: The Bison Men’s Basketball Team had an explosive start to the 2011-2012 season, putting up points against tough competitors around the country, such as Arizona. The team continued to play a tough game throughout conference play, and made it into the Summit League Quarterfinals.
RECORD: Overall: 17-14, Conference: 9-9
Key Players: Taylor Braun (G), Lawrence Alexander (G), Mike Felt (G), Marshall Bjorklund (F), TrayVonn Wright (F)
THIS SEASON: With several key team members returning to the court this fall, the Bison Men’s Basketball Team will come out playing with maturity and poise. The team will face difficult competition this year, but will be ready to take on even the most challenging opponents.
DID YOU KNOW? Lawrence Alexander was named to the Mid-Major Freshman All American Team following the 2011-2012 season.
Women’s Basketball
OVERVIEW: The Bison Women’s Basketball program had a tough season last year, with several injuries plaguing the team. However, with these obstacles, the team was able to play younger members of the team, who were then able to gain experience.
RECORD: Overall: 11-20, Conference: 8-10
Key Players: Janae Burich (C), Dani DeGagne (G), Hannah Linz (G), Jamie Van Kirk (G)
THIS SEASON: The Bison will be returning to the BSA this season as a more experienced and mature team, and will ready to finish with a better record in the Summit League. The team will also be working to stay healthy, as to lessen the chance of injury.
DID YOU KNOW? NDSU Women’s Basketball was ranked 16th on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll for the 2011-2012 season.
Women’s Cross Country
OVERVIEW: The Bison Cross Country Team was an unstoppable force this past season, winning the teams very first Summit League Championship in Tulsa, Okla. Following their big win, the team headed to the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament, where they placed 13th.
Key Players: Heidi Peterson, Maddie McClellan, Faith Kruchowski
THIS SEASON: The team will be returning several key runners, and with a Summit League Championship last season the Bison Cross Country Team will be looking for another. With an impressive No. 13 finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament last season, the Bison will be a force to reckon with on the national level.
DID YOU KNOW? NDSU’s Women’s Cross Country Team had the highest overall G.P.A. of all of the athletic teams on campus last season.
Men’s Cross Country
OVERVIEW: The Bison faced some tough competition last season, specifically in running against Southern Utah. However, the NDSU Men’s Cross Country Team managed to take the second place spot in the Summit League Championship, and finished the season ranked No. 15 in the NCAA Midwest Regionals.
Key Players: Marty Joyce, Alec Espeland, Grady Anderson
THIS SEASON: With last years No. 1 team having left the Summit League, the Bison Men will be ready to cruise in and take the Summit League Championship. The NDSU Cross Country Team will be returning five of the team’s top runners from last season, and have some fresh faces joining the team as well.
DID YOU KNOW? Eight members of the NDSU Men’s Cross Country Team were named to the Summit League All-Academic Team. Five of the eight team members awarded were considered distinguished scholars.
Wrestling
OVERVIEW: The Bison Wrestling Team had a very successful season last year. The team competed well against tough opponents such as No. 11 Wyoming, and three team members, Trent Sprenkle, Steven Monk and Mac Stoll earned spots at the NCAA Tournament.
Key Players: Trent Sprenkle (125), Steven Monk (157), Mac Stoll (174)
THIS SEASON: The Bison will be back in action this season with the teams top wrestlers returning to the mat. The team is hoping to improve upon last year’s Western Wrestling Conference finish, as well as to send more team members to the NCAA Tournament.
DID YOU KNOW? The NDSU Wrestling Team was named to the NWCA All-Academic Top 30 Team. The Bison were the No. 11 team, just trailing behind schools, such as Stanford, Princeton and Brown.
Softball
OVERVIEW: The Bison Softball Team competed against several tough ball clubs in preparation for summit league play. A winning season led them to their fourth straight Summit League Championship and another trip to the NCAA Tournament, where they matched up against Arizona, Hawaii and Notre Dame.
RECORD: Overall: 38-22 Summit: 18-6
Key Players: Whitney Johnson (RHP), Krista Menke (RHP), Jenina Ortega (C ), Brandi Enriquez (INF)
THIS SEASON: The Bison will be looking to build upon last season’s successes, by hopefully earning another Summit League Championship and advancing further into the NCAA Tournament.
DID YOU KNOW? The NDSU Softball Team ranked in the top third of Division I college softball teams in the 2012 season.
Men’s Track and Field
OVERVIEW: The NDSU Men’s Track Team completed both their, indoor and outdoor seasons, with much success. Finishing in the No. 3 spot at the Summit League Indoor Championships and winning the Summit League Outdoor Championship this 2011-2012 team was tough to beat. Following the regular season, the Bison sent five team members to compete at the NCAA West Preliminary.
Key Players: Moses Heppner, Casey Orgon, Matt Tetzlaff, Jesse Morrow
THIS SEASON: The Bison men are hoping to place higher at the Summit League Indoor Championship and take the Summit League Outdoor Championship again. They will also be working to send more team members to the NCAA West Preliminary.
DID YOU KNOW? Head Cross Country Coach Don Larson was awarded the Summit League Coach of the Year, for leading the Bison to their third straight Summit League Championship.
Women’s Track and Field
OVERVIEW: Winning the indoor and outdoor Summit League Championships for the past four years, the NDSU Women’s Track and Field Team decided to add two more to their list. Under the direction of Head Coach Ryun Godfrey, the Bison sent seven team members to the the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
Key Players: Paige Stratioti, Faith Kruchowski, Maddie McClellan, Ashlynn Simon, Antoinette Goodman
THIS SEASON: The Bison will be back and ready to continue the winning tradition the past track and field teams started before them. With numerous team members returning to the team this year, the Bison will be a tough team to beat, as they have been for the past five years.
DID YOU KNOW? There were 24 members from the NDSU Track and Field Team who were named to the Winter/Spring All-Academic Team. This number makes up over 20 percent of the total NDSU student athletes that were named to the team.
