MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[columbianmaffia]

WW

thanks for the update on the gang wars of northfield...things have gotten a little out of hand down there ever since my middle man norfieldmafia has made his way to grad school at another college...i use to depend on him to control the south of the south suburbs region of my metropolitan area...clearly this is now hostile ground which i will have to take back with full force and with rollerskates singing as i wizz through the town at amazing speeds...boombalahties will travel from around the world to watch this specticle as it unfolds

speaking of boombalahties...does anyone have any good summer stories yet??

kanye west invited me to his concert on wednesday so i figure i better go and support him and all of his glory

[piperinsider]

PI - how was the state track meet.  Any of my hometown heroes make a splash?

State champion Megen Geyen did not compete. Marissa Janning was the top seed in the two-mile, but finished fifth. Scott Neaton was in hurdles, but didn't see him run. It was crummy weather - extremly windy.

Plus, no more Johnnie Red!

[MiacLostProphet]

Thanks for the info PI.  It's a shame Geyen couldn't compete for a repeat.

[Drake Palmer]

Minor news from Hamline today:  Former Piper Kyle Foster gets a little more ink in the Tribune –

The Saints rallied Sunday for a 9-7 victory over the Wichita Wingnuts, taking two of three in the series at Midway Stadium.  Kyle Foster pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings in relief, striking out two and getting his first victory of the season.  He ran his scoreless streak to 20 1/3 innings.
*******
No bio info up yet on the Hamline site regarding the new assistant coach, Chris Hopkins.  As Local pointed out, Hopkins graduated from Brockport in '04.  Based on his stats, I'm guessing Hopkins must have been one of those players who always had a mind & a great feel for coaching. 

Out of a total of 30 games Brockport played during the 03-04 season, Hopkins played in 28 games, started one game, & averaged just over 15 minutes per game.  The rest of his stat line reads 2.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 3.5 PPG as he shot 41% overall, & 38% from the 3-pt line.

[MWCSID2005]

MIDWEST CONFERENCE HISTORY BOOK: NO ORDINARY CONFERENCE
                   
George Drake, a former Midwest Conference student-athlete and 1956 Grinnell College graduate, has culminated a project he calls "a labor of love" with the completion of the 100-page soft cover book No Ordinary Conference, an introspective history of the Midwest Conference. The Midwest Conference office is making the book available to the general public at a discounted price via the Order Form linked below for a limited time only (a small number of copies may be available at full price after the ship date). Orders are expected to ship in September. 

Drake, who remains a professor at his alma mater, teamed with 2001 Grinnell grad John Aerni to provide a unique look at the league's history through interviews with Midwest Conference student-athletes and unprecedented access to league minutes. 

No Ordinary Conference includes the accounts of numerous student-athletes and chronicles over 80 years of history from the league's formation through the men's and women's conference unification and beyond. No Ordinary Conference also features a 34-page photo gallery of some of the conference's all-time great athletes, coaches and administrators.

Click below for No Ordinary Conference Order Form:
http://www.midwestconference.org/MWC_Book_OF.pdf

[piperinsider]

Hamline University is pleased to announce that Robert Beeman has been named as the university's new athletic director, bringing 32 years of  leadership in higher education athletics to the position. He will begin his duties at Hamline in mid-July.

As athletic director, Beeman will set the direction for the athletic department's nineteen sports teams by recruiting coaches, managing the athletic budget, overseeing management for sporting events, and coordinating communication with the MIAC conference office.

"We are excited to welcome Bob to our Hamline University family. He is a visionary and an experienced leader at an NCAA Division III school," said Dr. Linda Hanson, president of Hamline University. "His breadth of commitment to recruiting and retaining top coaches and to providing an outstanding athletic experience for students truly makes him the right person to lead our athletic programs."

Beeman comes to Hamline from Lawrence University in Wisconsin, where he has spent the past three years as director of athletics and recreation. Before Lawrence, he served five years as senior administrator, athletic director, head basketball coach, and assistant football coach at Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, Washington. He spent 25 years prior to that in progressive roles, from assistant athletic director, head basketball coach, head women's softball coach, and associate head football coach, to associate athletic director and director of athletic finances, development, and facilities at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. Beeman holds a master of science in education in kinesiology from Southern Illinois University and a bachelor's in history from Principia College.

"Hamline has a rich tradition of supporting a highly competitive athletic program within a top quality academic environment. Those are two areas that should not be—and at Hamline are not—mutually exclusive," said Robert Beeman of his appointment. "This is a university that puts innovation up front and center. I look forward to the possibilities ahead for Hamline athletics."

[MiacLostProphet]

Dang PI! just too quick for me.  Beat me to the punch.  At least he is committed to keeping coaches, so the carousel of coaches can finally slow down or even stop.

[piperinsider]

From the New Ulm Journal:

HAWKINS TO ST. CLOUD STATE: Scott Hawkins, who led the New Ulm boys basketball team in scoring this past season, said that he will play basketball at St. Cloud State University next year.

"I was originally being recruited by some D-III schools like Gustavus," he said. "I was thinking that I would be going to Gustavus. But around state tournament time, St. Cloud State basketball coach Kevin Schlagel contacted me and said that he heard about me and wanted to see some of my tapes. So we sent him some tapes and he called me back later and said that he wanted me to come for a visit and see how I like it."

Hawkins said that he took a visit to the school and liked it enough to decide to go there.

"He did not see me play in any games — it was basically tapes that he saw and liked," added Hawkins.

Hawkins said that the team had their first practice and that was the first time that the coach actually saw him play in person.

He said that there were two seniors from the past year at St. Cloud State and they both were point guards.

"So coach Schlagel gave up two scholarships to incoming point guards. But he said that if I work hard and everything goes as planned, I could be a scholarship player the next year."

Hawkins said he is projecting to be an off-guard or forward at SCSU.

I've seen this kid play a few times - nice shooter for his size and would have been an outstanding get for GAC.

[piperinsider]

More BB news from Shooter this time:

B.J. Coleman, son of former Gophers and Maryland star Ben Coleman of Minneapolis, has committed to the University of St. Thomas for basketball next season. At the International School of Minnesota in Eden Prairie, the 6-7, 200-pound B.J. last season averaged 28 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocked shots.

[piperinsider]

Got word on the way back from Milwaukee today that Boston signed Kyle Foster and that he was assigned to Class A.

Here is the release:

Red Sox purchase Saint's contract
The Boston Red Sox purchased the contract of pitcher Kyle Foster from the St. Paul Saints.

Foster, a Hamline graduate, will be assigned to Greenville of the Class A South Atlantic League.

Foster was 1-1 with a 0.00 ERA in 13 games for the Saints. In 22 2/3 innings he gave up 15 hits and two runs, neither of them earned.

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3659756
http://www.soxprospects.com/players/foster-kyle.htm

[VOJ]

Any other recruiting news from anyone??  I understand some players are still figuring out where they are going...

Anyone who was not at the Johnnies Basketball Golf Open missed a great time, perfect weather a great course in Monticello and it was neat to play with and see some Johnnies legends...Phil Johnson...Troy Bigalke...etc

[Drake Palmer]

Quote of the Month: "I'M CERTIFIED!"

And I say - "Yeah baby!!"

[piperinsider]

Macalester hired a new athletic director. She is Kim Chandler, who was the AD at Beloit (Wis.) for four years before taking the job.

Here's a few more words on New Ulm's Scott Hawkins, who passed up GAC to go to St. Cloud:

Hawkins won't be a scholarship player next season, he told the Journal, "but (Schlagel) said that if I work hard and everything goes as planned, I could be a scholarship player the next year."

[Willy Wonka]

Just finished working at Gustie camp and figured you all might get a kick out of my first conversation with a camper.

Middle school girl: Hey coach, can you tell me which team I'm on? I couldn't understand what they said.
Wonka: Ummm...let's go find Coach Hanson. He's got the master list.
MSG: What? I was told to go talk to a tall guy with not a lot of hair. Isn't that you?

I also coached the stepdaughter of GAC's former radio guy and he had her calling me Willy Wonka after the first day of camp. Thanks, Clay...

Wish I had more recruiting info to pass along...but most of the spare time was spent plotting the complicated pick down, pick away offense that carried me to 6-4 records with my boys and girls.

[VOJ]

Wonka...

I think its great you are trying to give back to the youth of America through your involvement in the Gustie basketball camp, too bad you were mistaken for Coach Hanson...