ntspring2017

NORTHERN TODAY 14 SPRING 2017 ALUMNI NEWS Eric Cuka earned a Bachelor of Arts in international business in 2001. While at Northern, Eric was a member of the football team. As a freshman, he was named most valuable newcomer. Eric was also Offensive Big MVP from 1998- 2000 and helped his team achieve NSIC First Team All-Conference for 1997-2000; NSIC All- Academic Team from 1998-2000; All-America Midwest Regional (Second Team Offense in 1999 and First Team Offense in 2000); and NCAA D2 All-American (Second Team Offense in 1999 and First Team Offense in 2000). The football team also achieved The 2000 Football Gazette All- American Team – First Team Guard. He also helped the team become NSIC Conference Champions in 1999. He went on to earn his Master of Business Administration from Saint Cloud State University. Eric also volunteers and is a donor for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Feed My Starving Children, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Eric is currently the Senior Account Sales Executive of Higher Education for Maverick, a Division of GP Strategies Corporation. He is married to Mandy (Martin), who graduated from Northern in 2002, and they have one daughter, Mya. 2017 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Christi (Lucas) Ersland earned a Bachelor of Education degree in elementary education in 2003 and a master’s degree in 2010. While at Northern, Christi was involved in volleyball and track. She is currently a fifth-grade teacher as well as assistant athletic director at Grand View Christian School. Over the years, Christi has been assistant volleyball coach at Grand View University, head coach of volleyball at Ballard School district where her team made it to the second round of regional play in her second year of coaching the team, and has also been a coach for Club Volleyball at Sports University. Christi is a member of Nevada Baptist Church and Professional Educators of Iowa. She also volunteers for many church and school functions. Christi and her husband, Aaron, have two children and live in Huxley, Iowa. The 1991-92 women’s basketball team won the university’s first team national championship in school history with a 73-56 victory over Tarleton State. The Wolves finished with an overall season record of 30-4 and earned numerous season awards. Barb Schmidt earned MVP honors for the tournament while head coach Curt Fredrickson was named the Phyllis Holmes Coach of the Year. After falling in the first game of the season, the Wolves rattled off 12 straight wins rolling into the heart of their championship season. They won the Northern Sun Conference, notching the first league title since the 1987-88 season as they advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. Senior Denise Ruhland and junior Barb Schmidt were named to the All-Conference team. Schmidt and Julie Jensen led the team averaging 15.4 and 15 points per game, while Jensen led the team averaging 8.3 rebounds per game. The Wolves averaged 83.6 points and 44.6 rebounds per game and shot 46 percent from the floor. 1991-92 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM ERIC CUKA CHRISTI (LUCAS) ERSLAND Members of the team include Denise (Ruhland) Clemens, Barb Schmidt, Michele (Lick) DeVries, Chris (Scheff) Koosman, Paula (Stolsmark) Krueger, Renae (Osthus) Luitjens, Carol Decker, Bobby Jo Clausen, Brenda (Bossuyt) Brewster, Jenny Seesz, Barb (Johnson) Undlin, Julie (Jensen) Rozell, Stephenie (Franzen) Campbell, Nancy (King) Knutson, Holly Farnsworth, Shelli (Bassett) Meinke, Tanya (Fritz) Seyer, Amie Kiehn and coaches Curt Fredrickson, Dena Sievers, and Curt Cristofferson.