The Western Concept

Hello fellow Blue Hawks. The DSU Student Senate will be holding an open forum concerning the new Badlands Activity Center on Thursday, January 31 2008 in the student center ballroom. This is the time to let your voice be heard on the subject and to find out what exactly this new facility means for you as today’s students. The appointed time for the open forum is set for 6:00 pm.

by Beth Hurt 

Just months after having completed their time as members of the Dickinson State University wrestling team, seven alumni affiliates returned to the floor to triumph in the annual Alumni Wrestling Dual.  The alumni wrestlers were paired with current members of the DSU wrestling team for a match of three one-minute periods.   Five of the seven alumni competitors were victorious.           

Brothers Mark and Cory Johnston were paired for the first match.  Mark Johnston won the match when he scored the last takedown of the match for a total of 5 points.            

Alumni wrestler Frankie Schoonover defeated Matt Pridgeon 4 to 1 with two takedowns and one reversal.  Pridgeon only managed to score one escape.           

Keri Stanley was also victorious in his match against DSU’s Colt Goff when he pinned his opponent for the required three seconds.             

Wade Blankenbaker was one of only two alumni wrestlers who did not win his match when Brett Owen took down Blankenbaker and scored with a reversal.             

The fifth match between Gabe Harry and Matt Michaelson ended with Harry in the lead when he rode his opponent for the total amount of time, breaking their current tie with one point.             

Jay Danbom defeated Cody Jamgaard with a takedown after obtaining a bloody nose from his challenger.           

Clay Rodgers wrestled the final match with Brett Mathern, Rodgers was defeated after he lost his footing.  Mathern capitalized on his opponent’s loss of position and went in for a takedown, scoring five points.           

The final score for the alumni dual ended with the alumni wrestlers victorious over the Blue Hawk’s 13 to 9. 

By Andy Hall

The Blue Hawks faced off Saturday against the Dakota State University Trojans on the gridiron. The game was back and forth, but the Blue Hawks walked away with a win with a score of 19-10. Heavy wind had a huge impact on the game, so much so that many punts and kickoffs were swayed.

Dickinson State was lead in rushing by James Macy with 40 carries and 192 yards. The offense was quite explosive producing 17 first downs, and being forced only three punts. The Hawks’ passing was less than stellar with Matt Gitings throwing an interception with 3:30 left in the first quarter. The Hawks’ defense came through, which forced a Trojan three and out.

The Trojans’ ground game was led by Andrew Fatten with 20 carries for 59 yards. Fatten was critical through most of the Trojans’ drives; constantly pounding the Hawks’ defense. Dickinson held strong, and they shut the door on the Trojan’s. The Hawks’ defense was spearheaded by Lico Sifuentes with a total of 8 tackles, and Luke Steiner was right on his heels with 7. The Trojans’ passing game was much more impressive with 61 yards on the day. However, the Blue Hawks’ Tuchscherer was able to get his hands on a pass.

The Trojans finally got on the board late in the first half with a field goal, and later took the lead thanks to a Hawk’s fumble. With the score 10-6 for the Trojans, the Hawks’ offense went to work. They made it to the red zone and scored on 3 and 9 with a pass to number 81 Clint Grosz. Derek Pauly made a spectacular catch in the 4^th quarter to take the lead. It was here that the Hawks’ defense stayed strong as the Trojans aired the ball out, and were looking for the end zone.

Shawn O’Brien kicked two field goals from 25 and 41 yards out. These two field goals bumped O’Brien up as the best kicker in Dickinson State University history; he walked away with 34 FG’s in his career.

By Chris Aarhus  

On Halloween night, the players and coaches from NAIA No. 9-ranked National American University went through a Dickinson State University horror show.

The 10th-ranked Blue Hawks were at their best, topping a resilient National American team in a 30-19, 32-30, 30-21 victory Wednesday at Scott Gym in Region III volleyball action.

 The ninth-ranked Mavericks struggled in the first game, thanks to six serving errors. However, Dickinson State coach Dave Moody said it was the best his team has played all year.

“It certainly was,” Moody said. “The energy level was off the effort scale. We kept balls up that we’d normally drop.”

The Blue Hawks used a 10-3 run to separate themselves from National American in the first game. Six kills from sophomore Judith Boel played a major factor. She finished with 12.

 According to Boel, it was important to make sure people knew who the better team on the floor was.“We had something to play for,” Boel said. “We had to show people that we’re better then them.”

Dickinson State’s toughest test came in the second game when National American fought back after trailing 26-21. National American tied it up at 30 when Daniela Oliveira recorded her 10^th kill of the game. Despite the comeback, the Blue Hawks slammed home the win with kills from Elizabeth Castillo and Nancy Nyongesa.

“I thought we did a good job of mixing it up at times,” Moody said of his players at key moments. “The best strength against a good team is diversity.”

Dickinson State closed the door on the Mavericks in the third contest by getting an early lead and keeping it. The Blue Hawks trailed 3-2 early in the second game and never relinquished the lead the rest of the way.

 “We did a good job of maintaining the leads,” Moody said

Castillo had eight kills and 20 digs, and Katelynn Steifel added 37 assists.

By Casey Loehding

The Dickinson State girls’ volleyball team swept Valley City’s Vikings last weekend on Friday in the first three sets. The girls are currently ranked fourth in the nation for NAIA Division 1 Volleyball.

 by Chris Aarhus

The Dickinson State University volleyball team was all about results on homecoming weekend.The No. 6-ranked Blue Hawks swept another Dakota Athletic Conference foe, earning a 30-26, 30-27, 30-21 win over Black Hills State Saturday at Scott Gymnasium.Led by senior Nancy Nyongesa, the Blue Hawks turned out a spectacular performance, punctuated by a dominating win in the third-game.“She is a punctuation-type player,” Dickinson coach Dave Moody said. “When we need to put an exclamation mark on (the match), that’s her. (For our team), she’s what Dominique Wilkins was to the NBA. She’s our human-highlight reel.”

Both teams bounced back and forth early until DSU grabbed a 10-9 lead. The Blue Hawks never lost the lead after that, but couldn’t put away the Yellow Jackets. Trailing 26-21, Black Hills State got within 28-26 before DSU eventually closed it out on a service ace from senior All-American Nancy Nyongesa. Nyongesa led DSU with 16 kills, eight digs and an ace.Moody continued to praise Nyongesa’s efforts.“She’s one of the most exciting players we’ve ever had in Scott Gym,” Moody said. “I hope everyone who watches her play understands that.”The second game had DSU get out to an even bigger lead. The Blue Hawks broke a 13-13 tie by going on a 9-2 run.

Black Hills State came back to get within four at 22-18. However, DSU answered with six straight points to bring the score to 28-18 and that’s when the Yellow Jackets turned their performance around.Black Hills State used a 9-1 run to get back in contention at 29-27 before Judith Boel pounded out a kill to end Game 2. Boel finished with 10 kills, two aces and 12 digs. DSU setter Katelyn Steifel had 39 assists.Black Hills State setter and Dickinson High alumnus Mandy Brumfield notched 25 assists to go with a pair of aces.Brumfield said she was happy with the reception she got when she returned home.“It’s been great to come back here and get lots of support,” Brumfield said. “I went to a lot of camps (in Scott Gym). I have a lot of confidence playing in this gymnasium.”

By Chris Aarhus

The team-first mentality instilled by Dickinson State cross country coach Thadd O’Donnell is certainly paying off. The men’s team took seven of the top nine spots en route to a first-place finish at the Blue Hawk Invitational Saturday at Heart River Golf Course.

“We ran as a team,” Jimenez said. “That was our main concern.” Though the race wasn’t a photo finish, Dickinson State’s Sergio Campos Jimenez outlasted Porfirio Parra on the final 300 meters to win his first meet of the year with a time of 26 minutes, 8 seconds. “We both improved over a minute on our time,” Jimenez said. “I ran my best time in two years.”

Unattached runner Curtis Huffman finished third and the Blue Hawks had a firm grasp on the rest of the field. Salvador Bautista, Dan Molnar and John Kungu took the next three spots, and Frank Ruiz and Pablo Puga took eighth and ninth, respectively. All in all, DSU runners had seven of the top nine finishes. Jimenez kicked hard down the home stretch and the extra effort not only meant a win, but also the course record. “He ran one of the best races I’ve seen him run,” DSU coach Thadd O’Donnell said. “Nothing really surprises us, but he was close. “He came out of his shell and had a great performance.” Jimenez and Parra helped lead the DSU men to a team title with 15 points. “Our whole lineup ran very aggressive,” O’Donnell said. “Being at home has its benefits. Having their friends out and watching gives us kind of a home-court advantage.”

University of North Dakota came in second with 48 points, followed by Jamestown College ’s 94 points and Montana State Billings’ 95. Though it wasn’t quite as successful as the men, the women’s team still boasted a second-place finisher in Rose Jepkirui. Jepkirui finished in 19:04, 28 seconds behind meet-winner Heidi Evans of UND. Irene Kosgei and Rayel McPeters of DSU took eighth and ninth, respectively. “I’m satisfied with my time because I’m not in shape right now,” Jepkirui said. UND dominated the team competition, scoring 19 points. DSU was second with 57 and Montana State Billings was third with 68. South Dakota School of Mines (92) rounded out the field.

by Chris Aarhus

Homecoming just isn’t the same without a win in the annual football game.

Black Hills State University spoiled Dickinson State University’s fun as the Yellow Jackets ran for 183 yards while holding DSU to 12 net rushing yards on 40 carries in a 23-3 victory Saturday at Whitney Stadium in Dakota Athletic Conference football action.

Dickinson State coach Hank Biesiot said there wasn’t one specific area that was to blame. “It was in all phases: offense, defense and special teams,” Biesiot said. “All areas need work. We’re going to have to go back to the basics.”

Black Hills State’s ability to get to the quarterback hindered the DSU offense the entire game. The Yellow Jackets finished with six sacks in the game, the chief reason for only 12 net rushing yards, and hurried quarterback Caleb Midura numerous times. Midura finished 14 of 30 for 189 yards and two interceptions.

If that wasn’t enough, the Blue Hawks failed to get first downs on two different third-and-1 opportunities. “We haven’t had a big push up front all year,” Biesiot said, referring to his offensive line. “Yards are hard for us to come by.”

The DSU offense finished with 267 forward yards, not far from the 319 yards the Yellow Jackets put up.  However, the Blue Hawks were constantly pinned deep in their own territory, thanks to a solid day from Black Hills State’s freshman punter Kraig Tafoya. DSU started inside its 5-yard line four times, three of which came on punts from Tafoya.Black Hills State got on the board when freshman quarterback Drew Hodges hit sophomore receiver Ryan Fagerstrom with a 22-yard touchdown pass to close out the first quarter. Midway through the second, Yellow Jackets starting running back Tanner Ehrlich found a hole on the right side and scurried for a 29-yard TD run to put his team up 14-0.Dickinson State added a field goal before halftime, cutting into Black Hills State’s lead. However, Hodges found Hagerstrom on a 21-yard TD pass in the third quarter and to add insult to injury to the Blue Hawks, Black Hills State also recorded a safety to cap scoring.DSU running back James Macey had 21 carries for 65 yards while sophomore wide receiver Clint Grosz had five catches for 69 yards.

The Blue Hawks (1-4 overall, 1-1 in the DAC) travel to Minot State next week while Black Hills State (2-3, 1-1) plays host to South Dakota School of Mines.

reported by Chris Aarhus

 After a rough 0-3 start, the Dickinson State University football team finally got into the win column. Junior running back James Macey rushed for 120 yards on 24 carries and sophomore Derek Beadle added 60 yards on the ground as the Blue Hawks triumphed 24-3 over South Dakota School of Mines (2-2) Saturday at Whitney Stadium.

DSU (1-3) struggled early on as Blue Hawks quarterback Jared Tuma got sacked on a third-and-nine play, taking the home team out of field goal position. On the ensuing drive, South Dakota Mines running back Lou Bruketta fumbled on his own 10-yard line and DSU defensive end Carl Gauthier recovered. Macey went nine yards on his first two carries, but couldn’t get in the end zone on third or fourth down, turning the ball over on downs at the 1-yard line.“The first half I was very dehydrated,” Macey said, “but I thought our offense looked good.”

From there on, Macey was on a mission. The Stockton, Calif. native ran with a vengeance, breaking off a 32-yard touchdown run down the right sideline to give the Blue Hawks a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. DSU struggled getting anything going offensively until the fourth quarter. After South Dakota Mines kicker Justin Whalin brought his team within a touchdown with a field goal in the third quarter, it didn’t take the Blue Hawks long to get back to work.

 Back up quarterback Caleb Midura entered the game for starter Jared Tuma, who injured his collarbone in the third quarter. Midura led an eight-play, 76-yard drive, culminated by a 10-yard touchdown pass to Max Pearson.The score was set up by a 42-yard strike over the middle from Midura to junior wideout Jon Breitbach, who made a tough catch over a defender. It was the first catch of the year for Breitbach and Pearson. “I don’t know if we executed that well or not,” Biesiot said. “We ran some of our base plays a little better. It was a matter of execution.”

 After another South Dakota Mines’ fumble, the Blue Hawks drove down the field to put the game away. Beadle put the finishing touches on the contest with a 7-yard TD run. Tuma played most of the game and finished 7 of 13 for 71 yards. Midura ended 2 of 3 for 52 yards. Tight end Derek Pauley also got into the act, catching 2 passes for 39 yards. Though Beilstein finished 18 of 30 for 127 yards, DSU’s defense held South Dakota Mines’ rushing attack to 35 yards on 36 carries, thanks to seven fumbled snaps by the Hardrockers.

Dickinson State plays host to Black Hills State on Saturday in the Blue Hawks’ annual homecoming game.Black Hills State (1-3) was the favorite to win the conference in the preseason coaches’ poll, but lost its starting quarterback due to eligibility reasons. Black Hills State freshman quarterback Drew Hodgs has thrown 12 interceptions to just four touchdowns in four games this season.  

Dickinson State 24, South Dakota Mines 3
SDM 0 0 3 0 – 3
DSU 3 7 0 14 – 24
DSU–Shawn O’Brien 22 FG
DSU–James Macey 33 run (O’Brien kick)
SDM–Justin Whalin 33 FG
DSU–Max Pearson 10 pass from Caleb Midura (O’Brien kick)
DSU–Derek Beadle 7 run (O’Brien kick)

TEAM STATISTICS SDM DSU
First downs 12 12
Rushes-yards 36-35 43-161
Passing yards 127 123
Comp.-Att.-Int. 18-30-1 9-16-0
Total yards 162 284
Fumbles-lost 9-2 0-0
Penalties-yards 4-24 0-0
Punts-Avg. 7-32.4 4-35.3

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: SDM, Joshua Jones 17-46, Lukas Munsell 10-27, Ed Waliczek 1-25, Louie Bruketta 1-0, Jason Beilstein 7-(minus-63). DSU, James Macey 24-120, Derek Beadle 13-60, Punk Humphrey 1-1, Michael Williams 1-0, Matt Gittings 1-(minus-1), Jared Tuma 2-(minus-20).
PASSING: SDM, Beilstein 18-30-1 127. DSU, Tuma 6-12-0 60, Caleb Midura 3-4-0 63.
RECEIVING: SDM, Jones 5-34, Munsell 4-23, Tony Osteheimer 4-15, Dustin Rougeau 1-29, Logan Smidt 1-11, Waliczek 1-6, Eric Taylor 1-5, Trevor Roberts 1-4. DSU, Clint Grosz 3-15, Derek Pauley 2-39, Derek Beadle 2-17, Jon Breitbach 1-42, Max Pearson 1-10. 

by Chris Timm 

Football season is back. There’s been a lot of adjustments to the team, but all in all it’s still the Dickinson State Blue Hawks. Coach Biesiot is still the man calling the shots and willing to take and give the heat. There is a lot of pressure on him though. After winning the conference for four years there will be a lot of expectations from what the staff, students, alumni and overall Blue Hawk fans expect to be accomplished this year.

Surprisingly, this hasn’t dampened the spirits of Head Coach Biesiot or his coaching staff. Director of intercollegiate Athletics Mr. Roger Ternes had said he is “Extremely comfortable with Coach B and his staff” and says “Two thoughts come to mind: one of the eight schools in the conference six have a very good shot at winning the conference, and of the eight coaches in the conference five of those eight coaches pick Dickinson to win again this year. Are expectations high? Absolutely. We wouldn’t play if we didn’t expect to win. That being said, we had more seniors on our roster last year that anyone in our league, including more All-Conference and All-American. This creates an opportunity for our team and a challenge for our coaching staff.”

Asked if there is any particular team that would pose a certain threat, both offensively and defensively, the coaching staff agreed that Valley City and Black Hills will be pretty tough games. When it comes to the team, everyone knows there are a lot of new comers and not a lot of people with experience out there on the field. Luckily, there is at least one senior in every position who is taking the reins and stepping up as a leader and helping out the new guys. That might be a major contributing factor in the coaches’ seeming confidence in the ability of this year’s team to pull together and bring home some W’s. Coach Hauser says, “Luckily, on the coaching side, two experienced guys take control and help our coaches out.” Coach Biesiot had this to say: “Usually the staff is only as good as the players. I am very confident in the players we have.” Between this and the position coaches’ positive outlook for their players—even the red-shirt freshman. Coach Hoffland, the defensive coordinator, called them, “one of our best freshman classes on D in a long time. Lots of potential”

A major part of turning freshman red-shirt boys into the Blue Hawk Men that go out onto the field on game day is the “Strength Program.” This is a program that was implemented to teach the new comers how to lift correctly. Many guys never lifted because they never had the chance or never really to lift to succeed. Some guys come from small schools that don’t have much of a weight room, but the Athletic Department as a whole has brought together a good weight lifting facility. It’s essential that the new athletes utilize this facility to its fullest potential, and the coaches are willing to put forth the effort to train the players on the equipment. The “Strength Program” is not mandatory, but Coach Hoffland said “But neither is playing.” Defensive-Line Coach Coach Schillinger says, “Any program’s a good one as long as you put time into it. You just have to put the time into it and stick with it”

A team is measured upon its ability to adapt in practice and on game day, and a big role in adapting is the ability to communicate. “Communication is the key to being able to play as a team,“ says Coach Hoffland . Calls need to be made by the players to adjust assignments according to the backfield, and that communication is vital to succeeding.

Some more big news is the new transfer student from Ventura California. Brandon Bishop-Parise is the starting quarterback. His position coach said, “Brandon’s got some tools and a fast, good arm. He’s just got to settle in and feel comfortable with the offense. He’s only had two weeks to get down the plays, but as far as tools, he’s got them.” The offensive line is fairly new—not a lot of experienced people, but overall good athletes. Once they have to get their assignments, it’ll make it a lot easier for the quarterback—whoever it is—to make a good read and get the ball off.

A big thing that seems to affect a lot of students is a rivalry. Rivalry is usually set by proximity and ability for the school to pose a challenge. Up until this year, U-Mary has been an intense rivalry for Dickinson State. A lot of the coaches agree that Minot might step up to the plate as Dickinson’s new rival with U-Mary is out of the picture, but only time will tell.

Whoever is the rival, and however the Hawks play, the most important thing is the spirit. Don’t let the spirit die and show your support at every home game. GO BLUE HAWKS!