PRESS & DAKOTAN ■ THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012 PAGE 9 MMC’s ‘Honey Badger’ Gets Snubbed By The GPAC Press&Dakotan BY JAMES D. CIMBUREK ketball, only received an honorable mention nod from the league. The awards skewed young, as only one senior [email protected] was on first team and three more — including MMC’s Spencer Yackley — were on second team. DAILY DOSE Ackelson may not have been a big-time scorer, only averaging 11.5 points per game, but he was a key contrib- I have said my piece on a number of issues over the years, but I have seldom used my print voice to ask out utor to MMC finishing seventh in the league — their highest mark in the past five years. He ranked second in the loud why an individual did not deserve the recognition that I felt he or she deserved. league in rebounding at 8.2 per game — as a 5-10 point guard — and third in the league in steals per game (2.1). This is one of those times. He also ranked ninth with 3.0 assists per game and tied for sixth in the league with four double-doubles. His 34 Daily opinions from the P&D points in MMC’s playoff berth-clinching victory over Concordia ranked as the sixth-highest individual scoring total Sports Staff on local and na- The Great Plains Athletic Conference handed out its all-conference awards for men’s and women’s basketball Wednesday and, in my opinion, there was one glaring omission from the first or second team on the men’s side: in the league this season, and no player in the GPAC had more rebounds in a single game than his 17 against York. tional high school, college Senior guard Mitch Ackelson. There are a lot of great players in the GPAC, but I think the league missed the mark by not recognizing Ackel- and professional sports. Ackelson, who earned the nickname ‘Honey Badger’ from his team for his tenacity for which he pursued the bas- son with a first or second-team selection. Neb. Auditor Criticizes Chadron Lodge in Vermillion. Marisa Yernatich added 12 points. State Dart For more information, contact John Wieseler at 661-7806. MEN’S GAMES State Leaders BEMIDJI STATE 57, WAYNE STATE 53: BEMIDJI, Minn. Champs LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s state auditor says Northern Sun Tourneys Begin — NSIC regular season champion Bemidji State escaped Wayne State with a 57-53 decision in the opening round of The Cheers 6 Chadron State College leaders knew about the secret ac- WAYNE, Neb. — Freshman Ashton Yossi scored a career- counts the school’s former football coach opened and should the NSIC men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday. team from Yank- best 20 points to lead No. 2 Wayne State to a 74-42 rout of have done managed them better. Northern State in the opening round of the Northern Sun James Ellisor scored 14 points, and Dermaine Crockrell ton went unde- Mike Foley’s office criticized the way administrators at the women’s basketball tournament on Wednesday. and Lance Rongstad had 12 points each for Bemidji State feated in bracket northwest Nebraska college oversaw the situation involving Ashley Arlen had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Wayne (22-7), which faces MSU-Moorhead in the semifinals Satur- play to win their former coach Bill O’Boyle. State (27-2). Ali Schwartzwald had 10 points and Alisha day in Rochester, Minn. division at the The Lincoln Journal Star reports (http://bit.ly/yxOZUE ) Brown added seven assists in the win. Amry Shelby led Wayne State (10-17) with 15 points. Von- South Dakota that the auditor’s office believes the questionable spending For NSU (15-14), Mikayla Barondeau scored 13 points trell Seroyer added 10 points. MSU-MOORHEAD 91, AUGUSTANA 83: Minn. State- State Darts Tour- of about $22,000 by O’Boyle should have been caught by and Jenna Higgins had 10 points and seven rebounds. Chadron State officials. The accounts O’Boyle used were ac- Wayne State will face the winner of today’s MSU-Mankato Moorhead’s D.J. Hamilton and Charlie Chapman each scored nament in Rapid 20 points and the Dragons’ Alex Novak and Jake Driscoll City this past tually opened in Athletic Director Brad Smith’s name. vs. Minn.-Duluth game on Saturday in the semifinals, to be The college suspended O’Boyle in October and later de- held in Rochester, Minn. each scored 15 points as MSU-M downed Augustana 91-83 weekend. A total cided not to renew his contract. AUGUSTANA 89, MSU-MOORHEAD 77: SIOUX FALLS in the opening round of the NSIC men’s basketball tourna- of 680 teams and The Nebraska State College System’s Chancellor Stan — Five Augustana players finished in double figures, led by ment on Wednesday. over 2,500 play- Carpenter says Foley’s office shouldn’t be involved in this Molly Hayes’ 11 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the Vikings Andrew Van Havermaet added 13 points for MSU-M (19- ers participated issue because it’s not his responsibility and the NCAA is also to an 89-77 victory over Minnesota State-Moorhead in the 8), which advances to face top-seeded Bemidji State in the in the event. investigating. opening round of the Northern Sun women’s basketball tour- semifinals on Saturday in Rochester, Minn. nament on Wednesday. For Augustana (17-10), Cody Schilling scored a game- Team members high 28 points as he became the all-time leading scorer in include (left) Umpires Certification Meeting, Emily Schulte scored a game-high 19 points and Lydia Nelson had 18 points for Augustana (22-5), which will face Vikings’ history. Schilling passed Carl Gonder (1,830 points), Jesse Lammers, and now has 1,853 points during his Vikings’ career. Christy Hauer, Clinic Sunday Mary in the semifinals Saturday. Alex Feeney scored 14 VERMILLION — There will be a certification meeting and points and Shaunteva Ashley added 12 points in the win. Also for Augustana, Drae Murray netted 21 points and Stacy Zeigler and clinic for area amateur, American Legion and VFW Teener Angie Jetvig had 15 points, and Taylor Shepard, Haley Cameron McCafferty added 15 points. Toby Henson. baseball umpires on Sunday, March 4, at 2 p.m. at the Eagles Thomforde and Megan Strese had 14 points each for MSU. SCOREBOARD AREA CALENDAR COACH-OF-THE-YEAR: Ross Cleveland 13 20 .394 13 1/2 Atlantic Division Los Angeles 64 29 23 12 70 138 137 Seattle vs. Oakland at Phoenix, 2:05 Thursday, March 1 mee, Fla. BASKETBALL Douma, Dordt Detroit 12 25 .324 16 1/2 GP W L OT Pts GF GA Anaheim 63 27 26 10 64 161 178 p.m. BASKETBALL, WOMEN’S SIU-Edwardsville at USD (7 SWIMMING-DIVING, YOUTH S.D. State Meet at Rapid S.D. BOYS’ SCORES FIRST TEAM: Porter Birtell, Concor- WESTERN CONFERENCE N.Y. Rangers 61 40 15 6 86 169 124 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point p.m., KKYA-FM) City dia; Donald Jones, Midland ; Ben Miller, Southwest Division Pittsburgh 63 37 21 5 79 202 166 for overtime loss. BASKETBALL, BOYS’ S.D. Districts — 8A at North Sioux TRACK & FIELD, COLLEGE INDOOR NAIA Champi- District 4AA Semifinals TRANSACTIONS Rapid City Central 68, Sturgis 47 Northwestern; Taylor Murren, Briar Cliff; W L Pct GB Philadelphia 62 34 21 7 75 203 188 Tuesday’s Games City (Elk Point-Jefferson vs. Vermillion, 6 p.m., KVTK-AM; onships at Geneva, Ohio Rapid City Stevens 68, Douglas 38 Nick Reed, Doane; Tobin Reinwald, Hast- San Antonio 24 10 .706 — New Jersey 62 35 23 4 74 172 170 Phoenix 2, Vancouver 1, SO BASEBALL Dakota Valley vs. Beresford, 7:45 p.m.) Saturday, March 3 ings; Danny Rudeen, Morningside; Jake Houston 21 14 .600 3 1/2 N.Y. Islanders 63 26 28 9 61 148 187 Ottawa 1, Boston 0 Major League Baseball BASKETBALL, GIRLS’ S.D. Districts — 2AA (Third — BASKETBALL, BOYS’ S.D. Districts — 8A (Champi- Shipley, Briar Cliff; Cliff Warner, Dordt; Dallas 21 15 .583 4 Northeast Division Florida 5, Toronto 3 MLB—Suspended free agent minor S.F. Lincoln at YHS, 7 p.m., KYNT-AM, KVHT-FM); Nebraska onship — 7 p.m.); 10A (Championship — 7 p.m.); 7B at Tea GPAC WOMEN’S ALL-CONF. Trevor Wolterstorff, Dordt Memphis 20 15 .571 4 1/2 GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 3, N.Y. Islanders 2, OT league LHP Justin Dowdy 50 games for re- State Tourn. at Lincoln (Class C2 — Crofton vs. Shelby-Rising (Championship — 7:30 p.m.); 11B at Mitchell (Championship PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR: Kendra De SECOND TEAM: Garth Hamilton, New Orleans 8 27 .229 16 1/2 Boston 61 37 21 3 77 200 140 Carolina 4, Nashville 3 fusing to take a drug test. City, 3:45 p.m., KVTK-AM; Class D2 — Wynot vs. Falls City — Hanson vs. Ethan, 4:30 p.m.) Jong, Northwestern Morningside; Ben Imig, Midland; Kyle Lind- Northwest Division Ottawa 65 34 23 8 76 199 192 Detroit 5, Columbus 2 National League Sacred Heart, 8:45 p.m., KVTK-AM); S.D. Regions — 5A at BASKETBALL, GIRLS’ S.D. Regions — 1AA; 6B at DEFENSIVE PLAYER-OF-THE- bergh, Dordt; Mike Lee, Dakota Wesleyan; W L Pct GB Toronto 64 29 28 7 65 191 200 Tampa Bay 2, Montreal 1 ST. LOUIS CARDINALS—Agreed to Salem (Parkston vs. West Central, 7 p.m.); 4B at Harrisburg Mitchell (Hanson vs. Dakota Christian, 7:30 p.m.); Nebraska YEAR: Katie Rich, Concordia Jake Marvin, Hastings; Trent Miller, Morn- Oklahoma City 28 7 .800 — Buffalo 62 27 27 8 62 154 180 Los Angeles 4, Minnesota 0 terms with C Bryan Anderson, RHP (Parker vs.