YEAR IN

NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY Review Matt Larsen was named 2019 Under Armour FCS Athletics Director of the Year. His fifth year at NDSU was highlighted by the grand opening of Tharaldson Park, NDSU’s seventh FCS football national championship, an NCAA men’s basketball tournament victory, and the school’s first Division I national champion in track and field. He is a member of the NCAA Division I women’s softball committee. THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE HAS NEVER BEEN STRONGER THAN IN 2018-19

How would the Bison respond after coming off the most successful all-around year in 2017-18? Well, as anyone in Bison Nation knows, our goal is to get better every day and build upon previous success – and WE did just that in 2018-19. Our coaches, staff, student-athletes and fans answered the bell once again in putting together an historic year and achieving unprecedented success. This year we brought home our 27th national championship, our first and second individual Division I national championships in men’s indoor track and field, our second NCAA men’s basketball tournament victory, six conference championships, and a visit to the White House.

Our student-athletes continued to raise the bar academically and set a new standard for future Bison to strive to- wards. For the second time in our Division I history, all athletic teams reached a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater while also achieving our highest overall student-athlete GPA of 3.43. Over 280 student-athletes scored a 3.0 GPA or better with 72 getting a perfect 4.0. Our run of NCAA Elite 90 award winners continued with (football) earning the distinction at the FCS national championship for the highest GPA of all participants.

The athletic landscape continued to evolve with the completion and grand opening of Tharaldson Park, the new home of Bison softball, as well as renovations to the volleyball program’s athletic training room and office suite located in the Bentson- Bunker Fieldhouse. We are in the process of designing and fundraising for a permanent in- door practice facility with an anticipated construction date in Spring 2020. These new facilities and future projects will have lasting impacts for future generations of Bison student-athletes.

All of the above accomplishments and progress are a direct result of continued investment in all aspects of our athletics program – scholarships, facilities, operations and personnel. Annual support from Bison Nation is critical to student-athletes success on and off the fields of competition. We witnessed Team Makers support eclipse the $6 million threshold for the first time along with scholarship endowment distribution reaching over $1 million. As we celebrate this past year, we look to your continued support as we strive for new heights next year.

The following pages highlight what has been another exceptional year in NDSU Athletics. Please join us in recognizing all the athletic and academic accomplishments of 2018-19. Thank you in advance for your continued friendship, pride and financial support.

Go Bison!

Matt Larsen Director of Athletics tharaldson park tharaldson park

facilities

 NDSU dedicated Tharaldson Park in a grand opening ceremony Sept. 14, 2018, after completion of the second phase of a $2 million renovation to NDSU’s home softball stadium. The latest improvements included a new FieldTurf surface for the playing field, bullpens and batting cages, as well as new fencing and wall pads around the entire facility. Seating capacity expanded to 735 with the addition of bleacher seating down the right field foul line. The facility is named after longtime softball supporter Gary Tharaldson, founder of Tharaldson Hospitality Management, which builds and operates hotels across the United States.

 NDSU Athletics is in the fundraising stage for a new indoor football practice facility, which will be a full 120 yards long and 60 yards wide with a 70-foot height clearance over the field. The indoor facility will open up to a second artificial turf field outdoors and also include operational space such as a locker room, meeting room, weight room and fueling station. champions champions

football

 North Dakota State won its seventh national championship in eight seasons with a 38-24 victory over Eastern Washington in the title game. NDSU broke the NCAA record of six Football Championship Subdivision titles previously held by Georgia Southern.

 NDSU was the No. 1-ranked team in the FCS from wire-to-wire and completed the 15th undefeated season in school history with a 15-0 record. The Bison became just the fifth team to go undefeated and untied on the way to an FCS national championship. NDSU went 8-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and set a league record with eight straight titles.

 Head coach Chris Klieman won four national championships in five seasons with the Bison before taking over for hall of fame coach at Kansas State. Klieman tied Youngstown State’s Jim Tressel as the only FCS head coaches to win four national titles.

 Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach was named the 31st head coach in program history during December’s playoff run. Entz was the 2018 FCS Coordinator of the Year and led a defense that allowed less than 14 points per game and consistently ranked in the top five of FCS in scoring defense and total defense.

 The seven-time FCS national champions visited the White House and met with President Donald Trump in March. After the president’s comments about the team, quarterback presented a No. 45 jersey with Trump’s name on the back. The team met President Trump in the Oval Office before continuing on to Capitol Hill for a luncheon hosted by Sen. John Hoeven.

 Senior captain and wide receiver was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA championship game with five catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. He finished second all-time at NDSU with 188 receptions and 2,841 receiving yards.

 Three-time captain Easton Stick set the FCS record for wins by a quarterback with 49-3 record in 3½ years as the Bison starter. Stick finished as NDSU’s career record holder for passing yards (8,693) and touchdowns (88), total offense yards (11,216), and touchdowns responsible for (129). He also set the Missouri Valley Football Conference record for rushing yards (2,523) and rushing touchdowns (41) by a quarterback.

 Tanner Volson became the third Bison player to earn the Rimington Award as the best center in the Football Championship Subdivision. Quarterback Easton Stick finished third in the voting for the Walter Payton Award, presented to the FCS Offensive Player of the Year. Volson and Stick were two of eight NDSU players to earn either first, second or third-team All-America honors in 2018.

 NDSU had 15 all-conference performers including MVFC Offensive Player of the Year Easton Stick and Defensive Player of the Year . Stick and Greg Menard were voted to the Google Cloud Academic All-America® Team and were among five Bison selected to the MVFC All-Academic Team. VOLLEYBALL  North Dakota State advanced to the Summit League  North Dakota State setter Kalli Hegerle was named to tournament semifinals for the ninth time in 11 trips. With a the Summit League All-Freshman Team. Hegerle averaged 3-1 upset of No. 3 seed Omaha, NDSU became the first 9.02 assists and 2.30 digs per set in starting all 29 matches. No. 6 seed to advance since the league tournament expanded Hegerle added 79 kills, 63 blocks and 23 service aces. to six teams in 2013. The Bison finished with a 9-20 record overall, 6-10 in the league standings for sixth place during  NDSU’s lone senior, outside hitter McKenzie Burke, and the regular season. Klos were named Summit League Defensive Player of the Week during the season.  NDSU libero Abbi Klos was named to the Summit League all-tournament team after averaging 4.12 digs per set. SOCCER

 The Bison made the Summit League tournament for the 10th straight year, the longest active streak in the league. NDSU finished the season 9-7 overall and 6-2 in the Summit League.

 Seniors Hanna Norman and Roxy Roemer, along with junior Mariah Haberle, were named to the All-Summit League first team.

 Seniors Holly Enderle and Mallory Fenske were named to the Summit League all-tournament team.

 Seniors Roxy Roemer and Holly Enderle were voted to the Summit League Academic All-League Team. WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY  The Bison women nearly captured the Summit League championship in October, missing out on claiming the team title by only one point. Sophomore Kelby Anderson was the individual runner-up at the conference meet as NDSU put four finishers in the top 12.

 Anderson was named All-Region by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) after finishing ninth out of more than 230 runners at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet. It was the third top-10 finish ever by a Bison woman at the NCAA Midwest Regional.

 The NDSU women posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.603 for the 2018 season, earning the All-Academic Team award from the USTFCCCA. It was the seventh consecutive year that NDSU has earned the team academic award, and the Bison women have had 16 consecutive semesters with a team GPA of at least 3.30. GOING THE DISTANCE GOING THE DISTANCE MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

 The Bison men’s cross country team claimed a runner-up team finish at the Summit League Championships, led by a fourth-place finish from senior Elliott Stone. Stone’s fourth- place finish matched the second-best individual finish ever by a Bison at the Summit League meet.

 The Bison men earned the All-Academic Team award from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), posting a 3.49 cumulative grade point average for the 2018 season. It was the seventh consecutive year that NDSU claimed the team academic award. let’s Dance

women’s basketball

Sophomore Michelle Gaislerova became the second player in school history to hit 75 or more 3-pointers in a season.

Sophomore Emily Dietz’s 20-point game in the Summit League quarterfinals against South Dakota was the third time an NDSU player scored 20 or more points in a Summit League tournament game.

In April, Jory Collins was named the new head coach of the program. Collins spent the 2018-19 season as an assistant at Kansas after eight years as the head coach at NCAA Division II Emporia State.

Sophomore Michelle Gaislerova was named to the Summit League All-Academic Team and the Google Cloud Academic All-District first team. let’s Dance men’s basketball

The Bison made their third trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past six seasons, earning a win over North Carolina Central in the First Four round in Dayton, Ohio, for the second Division I tournament victory in school history.

NDSU played No. 1 overall seed Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Columbia, S.C. More than six million viewers tuned in on CBS, making it the most-viewed first round NCAA Tournament game of all-time.

The Bison improved to 9-3 at the Summit League Tournament in Sioux Falls over the past five years, winning three games in three days to claim the tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Junior point guard Vinnie Shahid was named the Summit League Newcomer of the Year and the Summit League Tournament MVP. He scored 22 points in the championship game victory over Omaha, with 20 of those points coming in the final 15 minutes.

The Bison have earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for six consecutive seasons and posted a team GPA above 3.0 in 10 of the past 11 semesters. wrestling

Four Bison wrestlers advanced to the NCAA Tournament – 125 Brent Fleetwood, 133 Cam Sykora, 165 Andrew Fogarty and 174 Lorenzo De La Riva. Fleetwood, Sykora and Fogarty are three-time NCAA qualifiers, while De La Riva made his second appearance.

NDSU placed eighth at the 2019 Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championships led by the runner-up performances by 125-pound Brent Fleetwood and 165-pound Andrew Fogarty. Redshirt junior 174 Lorenzo De La Riva finished third and redshirt sophomore Luke Weber was sixth.

NDSU finished the season with a 10-6 dual record including 5-4 in Big 12 competition. The Bison opened the season with a 26-17 win over then No. 17-ranked Northwestern in the Scheels Center. NDSU was nationally ranked in the NWCA Division I Coaches Poll for seven weeks during the regular season.

Cordell Eaton (197) was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic team for the first time in his career. He was a three-time selection to the Academic All-Big 12 team.

NDSU had 11 wrestlers named to the Academic All-Big 12 wrestling team. Among the 10 first-team picks was four-time selection Tyler McNutt (184) and two-time honorees Nick Knutson (157), Paul Bianchi (125) and Dan Stibral (heavyweight).

For the second straight season, 133-pounder Cam Sykora ranked in the top 10 nationally in tech falls. Sykora was No. 7 this season with nine. He has 33 tech falls in his career. baseball North Dakota State went 19-24 overall and placed fifth in The Summit League with a 15-15 record in league play under 12th-year head coach Tod Brown.

Freshman pitcher Max Loven was named Summit League Newcomer of the Year and was an All- Summit League first team selection. He went 4-2 with a 2.74 ERA in 13 starts with three complete games. Loven struck out 75 batters in 88 2/3 innings and became the second player in school history named to the Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-America Team.

Freshman Brock Anderson broke the single-season school record with 39 walks this season. Anderson broke the previous record of 36 while tallying a team-best .437 on-base percentage.

Redshirt sophomore Charley Hesse led the Bison with a .299 batting average and earned All-Summit League second team honors. Hesse had 32 hits and scored 20 runs on the year.

For the second-straight year, redshirt senior Jayse McLean was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America® first team. McLean and redshirt sophomore Charley Hesse were also named to the Summit League Academic All-League Team. softball NDSU advanced to the NCAA tournament for the 10th time over the past 11 years with the program’s 10th Summit League tournament championship. The Bison also claimed their eighth regular season championship.

North Dakota State compiled a 42-16 record overall and reached 40-wins for the 10th time in program history. The Bison recorded at least 30-wins for the 12th time over the past 13 seasons under head coach Darren Mueller.

NDSU center fielder Katie Shoultz was selected to the NFCA All-Midwest Region first team, while pitcher KK Leddy and catcher Maddie Hansen were second team, and designated player Cara Beatty was a third team pick.

Freshman Paige Vargas was named the Summit League Tournament MVP after an impressive pitching performance leading NDSU through the loser’s bracket. Vargas was joined on the all-tournament team by first baseman Vanessa Anderson, left fielder Madyson Camacho, Hansen and Shoultz.

NDSU swept the Summit League’s season-ending major awards – Shoultz was Player of the Year, Leddy was Pitcher of the Year, Vargas was Freshman of the Year, and Mueller was Coach of the Year. Eight Bison players earned All-Summit League honors. Montana DeCamp, Leddy, Hansen, Anderson, Shoultz, Camacho and Beatty were first-team selections while Vargas was on the second team.

Anderson was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District® 6 first team. Anderson, DeCamp and Hansen were named to the Summit League softball all-academic team.

Leddy was named the Summit League April Female Athlete of the Month that included her first collegiate no-hitter against South Dakota State on April 14.

In the final NCAA statistics, NDSU ranked No. 8 in shutouts, No. 11 in fielding percentage (.975), No. 24 in winning percentage (.724) and No. 29 in batting average (.304). Individually, Leddy was No. 14 with 10 shutouts and Vargas No. 24 with eight. women’s golf

Senior Emma Groom and sophomore Taylor McCorkle were both named to the All-Summit League second team. McCorkle also earned a spot on the Summit League Academic All-League Team.

Sophomore Taylor McCorkle picked up a pair of wins during the season at Iowa’s Diane Thomason Invitational and Southern Utah’s Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational, where McCorkle set a school single-round record with a 65 while also breaking the 36-hole record with a 141.

Freshman Maddie Herzog had the third-lowest score in school history with a 67 at the Northern Arizona Red Rocks Invitational. With a 211 over the three rounds, Herzog joined LPGA golfer Amy (Anderson) Olson as the only players in Bison history with rounds of 212 or lower.

The Bison shot the second and third lowest 18-hole scores in school history at the Red Rocks Invitational, firing a 285 in the first round and a 286 in the third round. The team’s 872 for the 54-hole tournament was the best score in school history by six strokes. men’s golf

Junior Andrew Israelson and sophomore Van Holmgren were named to the All-Summit League first team. Israelson also earned a spot on the Summit League Academic All-League Team.

Junior Andrew Israelson finished in a tie for first at The Summit League Championships before falling in a playoff. Israelson shot a 219 over the three rounds, while freshman Nate Deziel tied for sixth with a 221.

Sophomore Van Holmgren shot a 142 over 36 holes at two different tournaments this year. His score at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational and the Ryman Hospitality Intercollegiate tied for the seventh best in school history.

Junior Andrew Israelson and sophomore Van Holmgren have the top two career scoring averages in school history. Israelson has a 73.29 average, while Holmgren has a 73.38 average after two years. WOMEN’S track and Field

The Bison women won their 12th consecutive Summit League indoor team championship and their 12th straight Summit League outdoor title for 24 consecutive team titles overall. NDSU’s outdoor conference championship streak is the longest in the nation.

The NDSU women claimed a total of five first- and second-team All-America honors in 2019 led by freshman Akealy Moton finishing fifth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put. Senior Bailey Retzlaff placed eighth in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

The Bison women led the nation in five events in the event squad rankings – indoor shot put, weight throw, outdoor shot put, hammer throw, and heptathlon.

Bison women’s head coach Stevie Keller was named the Midwest Head Coach of the Year, and Justin St. Clair captured the Midwest Assistant Coach of the Year awards in both the women’s and men’s categories. higher, faster, further higher, faster, further

MEN’S track and Field

The NDSU men’s track and field team claimed its 10th In all, Otterdahl earned four first-team All-America honors consecutive Summit League outdoor team championship in 2019, finishing second in the discus and fourth in the shot and its 11th in the past 12 years. put at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. He was one of 10 semifinalists for The Bowerman – track and field’s The Bison men qualified six entries in the throwing events equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which was tied for the most in the nation. Eleven Bison men earned 14 entries at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds, making it the largest NDSU men’s Senior thrower Payton Otterdahl claimed NDSU’s first- contingent in school history competing at the meet. ever Division I individual national championship in any sport – and he won two of them. Otterdahl took first place in the shot put and weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala., in March, and he was named the USTFCCCA National Field Athlete of the Year. ACADEMICS

 Student-athletes continue to achieve higher grades than the general student population at NDSU. The overall student-athlete GPA was 3.302 for the spring 2019 semester. All 14 sport programs recorded GPAs over 3.0.

The women’s basketball (3.783), softball (3.671) and wrestling (3.314) teams all posted their highest semester GPAs in program history during the 2018-19 academic year.

Football tight end Ben Ellefson won the NCAA Elite 90 award recognizing the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the national championship game. Ellefson had a 3.941 in sport management.

Bison track and field alum Brandt Berghuis (’16) was selected for the prestigious Fulbright Scholar Program. Berghuis graduated as one of the top throwers in school history, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in plant pathology at NDSU.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Among their many contributions in 2018-19, NDSU Quarterback Easton Stick was selected to the Allstate student-athletes collected food items and monetary AFCA Good Works Team in September for his service donations for the Fargo Emergency Food Pantry, hosted to the community. The award was given in a surprise a clinic for young female athletes in recognition of presentation during a visit to the Sanford Children’s National Girls and Women in Sports Day, and planted Hospital in south Fargo. trees along the Red River.

North Dakota State University student-athletes go out of their way to give back to the Fargo-Moorhead community. These good deeds often happen without fanfare, but always make an impact for the various organizations and individuals we serve. green and gold gala

The fifth annual Green and Gold Gala was held May 2 at the Fargo Theatre with NDSU television play-by-play voice Brian Shawn of Midco Sports Network as master of ceremonies. The event celebrates the success of the NDSU athletic programs and recognizes student-athletes for their athletic, academic and community service accomplishments.

Male Athlete of the Year Bison Impact Award (Highest performing male student-athlete) (Member of community that has made a significant impact on Payton Otterdahl, track and field NDSU athletics in the last calendar year) Dr. Bill Burns, NDSU counseling center Female Athlete of the Year (Highest performing female student-athlete) SAAC Team Service Award KK Leddy, softball (Athletic team recognized for its outstanding community service) Women’s Golf Male Rookie of the Year (Highest performing male student-athlete in first year of eligibility) Thundering Herd Female Team Academic Award Max Loven, baseball (Women’s team with highest overall GPA for calendar year) Women’s Golf Female Rookie of the Year (Highest performing female student-athlete in first year of eligibility) Thundering Herd Male Team Academic Award Kalli Hegerle, volleyball (Men’s team with highest overall GPA for calendar year) Men’s Cross Country Male Bison Pride Award (Male student-athlete recognized for contribution to team’s success Presidential Most Improved Team Academic Award withholding on-field performance) (Team recognized by NDSU President for most improved Ryan Enerson, men’s track and field GPA in calendar year) Men’s Golf Female Bison Pride Award (Female student-athlete recognized for contribution to team’s success Presidential Academic Team Award withholding on-field performance) (Team recognized by NDSU President for highest Vanessa Anderson, softball GPA in calendar year) Women’s Golf Student-Athlete Choice Award (NDSU athletics support staff member recognized for their contribution to student-athlete/team success) Dale Cardwell, NDSU facilities management NDSU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawful off-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable. Direct inquiries to: Vice Provost, Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 201, 701-231-7708, [email protected].