ntspring2017

NORTHERN TODAY 12 SPRING 2017 NORTHERN ATHLETICS ACADEMIC SUCCESS continued for the Wolves with 22 student-athletes named to the NSIC Myles Brand Award list. Heading into the spring sports season, Northern sat fifth overall in the NSIC All-Sport Standings, up two spots from 2015-16. Football The Northern State football team finished the 2016 season with a 6-5 record overall and 4-3 record in the NSIC North. The Wolves opened the home schedule with a 51-35 win over Southwest Minnesota State in the second annual Ag Bowl, which was covered by ESPN3 as the DII college game of the week. They capped off a record home season with a 66-14 win over Minnesota Crookston going undefeated from Swisher Field for the first time since 1986. The Wolves also tallied a single season school record with 66 points in the game. Northern tallied 13 members of the NSIC All-Conference teams and Conner Doherty and Channing Barber were named to the Don Hansen All-American teams for the second straight year. Chad Stoterau and Conner Doherty were two of the four Wolves fall student-athletes to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American ® teams for Northern State. Volleyball The Northern State volleyball squad finished the 2016 fall season with a 16-12 record overall and 9-11 mark in NSIC action. The Wolves remained ranked in the AVCA Top-25 throughout the 2016 campaign, holding a No. 21 final ranking. Senior Tori Biach was the first CoSIDA Academic All-American ® honoree of the fall for the Wolves, capping off an outstanding academic and athletic career at Northern State. Redshirt freshman Ashley Rozell opened the season with NSIC setter of the week honors and racked up 1,224 assists, ranking fifth in the nation with an average 11.88 assists per set in her first season on the court. Northern notched wins over nationally ranked opponents No. 5 Western Washington and No. 4 Wayne State. Soccer The Northern State soccer team concluded the 2016 season with an overall record of 9-9-0 and a conference record of 7-8-0, earning a berth in the NSIC Tournament for the first time since 2009. The Wolves averaged 17.6 shots and 1.94 goals per match, while holding opponents to 1.11 goals each contest. Anna Bondy and Darian Leschewski both received NSIC All-Conference First Team honors, the first duo since 2007 to receive the awards. Bondy recorded 15 goals and eight assists, finishing second overall in points, points per game, goals and goals per game while Leschewski led the NSU offense with a team high 95 shots and 45 shots on goal, and finished second overall in the NSIC for shots and shots per game with an average of 5.28. Bondy and Leschewski capped off the season awards earning NSCAA third team All-Region honors, while Bondy was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American ® . Cross Country Dakotah Bullen opened the cross country season for the Wolves defending her crown at the Herb Blakely Invitational, winning with the fourth fastest time in meet history. The Wolves headed to the NSIC Championships where Hannah Kastigar, fresh off a school record- breaking performance for the swim team, Hannah Kastigar Aberdeen, S.D. The Northern State University Wolves kicked off the 2016-17 academic year with highlights for all 11 of the fall and winter athletic teams. As a department, the Wolves tallied a 3.34 fall GPA, marking the 21st consecutive semester with a cumulative GPA above 3.0. Northern also tallied a combined 116 student-athletes on the NSIC fall and winter All-Academic teams. Athletics Recap