K-HEART SPORTS – THURSDAY – 08/24/23
MINOT, ND – The defending champs remain atop this weeks Class A and 9-Man Football polls. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota AP Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association.
Class A Football Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Record Points Last Week
1. Velva-Drake/Anamose-Garrison (14) 1-0 78 1
2. Kindred (2) 1-0 63 3
3. Dickinson Trinity 1-0 37 4
4. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich 1-0 23 5
5. Central Cass 0-1 15 2
1. Velva-Drake/Anamose-Garrison (14) 1-0 78 1
2. Kindred (2) 1-0 63 3
3. Dickinson Trinity 1-0 37 4
4. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich 1-0 23 5
5. Central Cass 0-1 15 2
Others receiving votes: Shiloh Christian (1-0), Bowman County (1-0), Beulah (1-0), Bottineau (1-0), Oakes (1-0), Harvey-Wells County (1-0)
9-Man Football Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Record Points Last Week
1. New Salem-Almont (11) 1-0 72 1
2. North Prairie (4) 1-0 61 3
3. Sargent County 1-0 42 5
4. Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn 1-0 17 4
5. South Border 1-0 14 RV
1. New Salem-Almont (11) 1-0 72 1
2. North Prairie (4) 1-0 61 3
3. Sargent County 1-0 42 5
4. Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn 1-0 17 4
5. South Border 1-0 14 RV
Others receiving votes: New Rockford-Sheyenne-Maddock (1-0), LaMoure-Litchville-Marion (0-1), Wyndmere-Lidgerwood (1) (1-0), Grant County-Flasher (1-0), Nelson County (1-0)
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ND CROSS COUNTRY POLLS
VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The latest North Dakota High School Boys and Girls Cross Country Coaches Poll has been released. 28 coaches voted in this week’s preseason poll.
Class A Boys Team Poll
1. Bismarck High
2. Grand Forks Red River
3. Williston
4. Bismarck Century
5. Fargo Davies
1. Bismarck High
2. Grand Forks Red River
3. Williston
4. Bismarck Century
5. Fargo Davies
Others receiving votes: Minot High
Class A Boys Individual Poll
1. Owen Sondag (Fargo North)
2. Parker Hintz (Bismarck High)
3. Thomas Haskins (Williston)
4. Owen Hintz (Bismarck High)
5. Tyler Wall (Bismarck High)
6. Gavyn Graham (Bismarck Century)
7. Elijah Dafoe (Grand Forks Red River)
8. Gabe Hanson (Bismarck High)
9. Dawson Balzer (Bismarck High)
10. Ben Fryhling (Bismarck Century)
1. Owen Sondag (Fargo North)
2. Parker Hintz (Bismarck High)
3. Thomas Haskins (Williston)
4. Owen Hintz (Bismarck High)
5. Tyler Wall (Bismarck High)
6. Gavyn Graham (Bismarck Century)
7. Elijah Dafoe (Grand Forks Red River)
8. Gabe Hanson (Bismarck High)
9. Dawson Balzer (Bismarck High)
10. Ben Fryhling (Bismarck Century)
Class A Girls Team Poll
1. Bismarck High
2. Bismarck Legacy
3. Williston
4. Grand Forks Red River
5. Minot High
1. Bismarck High
2. Bismarck Legacy
3. Williston
4. Grand Forks Red River
5. Minot High
Others receiving votes: Fargo Davies
Class A Girls Individual Poll
1. Jocelyn Schiller (Grand Forks Red River)
2. Cambree Moss (Williston)
3. Bayla Weigel (Bismarck High)
4. Lily Elbert (Fargo Shanley)
5. Lexie Waldner (Bismarck Legacy)
6. Katie Olson (Watford City)
7. Izzy Dahl (Bismarck High)
8. Eva Selensky (Bismarck Legacy)
9. Reagan Berg (Valley City)
10. Angela Wold (Williston).
Class B Boys Team Poll
1. Bowman County
2. New Town
3. Kindred
4. Hillsboro/Central Valley
5. Standing Rock
1. Bowman County
2. New Town
3. Kindred
4. Hillsboro/Central Valley
5. Standing Rock
Class B Boys Individual Poll
1. Taylor Wanner (Bowman County)
2. Jonah Njos (Bowman County)
3. Christian Brist (Hillsboro/Central Valley)
4. Keaton Olson (Kindred)
5. Gavin Lambourn (Bowman County)
6. Owen Johnson (Northern Cass)
7. Jekori Dahlen (Killdeer)
8. Xavier Bell (New Town)
9. Lander Lahtinen (New Town)
10. Lance Bradley (Standing Rock)
Class B Girls Team Poll
1. Rugby
2. Bowman County
3. Hillsboro/Central Valley
4. Kindred
5. Grafton
1. Rugby
2. Bowman County
3. Hillsboro/Central Valley
4. Kindred
5. Grafton
Class B Girls Individual Poll
1. Brynn Hanson (Des Lacs-Burlington)
2. Addie Miller (Killdeer)
3. Amelia Shepard (Rugby)
4. Mashae Miller (Kenmare/Bowbells/Burke)
5. Hannah Senechal (Rugby)
6. Mara Kempel (Lisbon)
7. Kenadie Pazdernik (Carrington)
8. Madison Kyle (Bottineau)
9. Allyson Goodmanson (Kindred)
10. Emerson Helgoe (Pembina County North)
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MSU WOMEN’S GOLF
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Minot State senior Taylor Cormier was named a Golfer to Watch while the Beaver women’s golf team was picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the NSIC preseason poll. The Beavers were picked to finish ninth at the NSIC Championships, which will be held in April at the Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville, Missouri, in the NSIC Women’s Golf Preseason Coaches’ Poll. As for Cormier, she was highlighted as one of the conference’s Golfers to Watch this season. Cormier is a senior from Corner Brook, Newfoundland who led the team in scoring average last season at 83.6 strokes per round, and with five Top-10 finishes. She was 34th at the 2022-23 NSIC Championship. Augustana senior Molly Stevens, who was named the NSIC regular-season 2021-22 and 2022-23 Golfer of the Year, was picked as the Preseason Golfer of the Year for this season. Minot State opens the fall portion of its 2023-24 season this coming week, playing Monday and Tuesday at the Maverick Invitational at the Faribault Golf Club.
Augustana was a heavy favorite among the coaches to win the NSIC title, earning 11 first-place votes and 121 points, while Winona State collected the lone other first-place vote and 98 points. Wayne State was picked to finish third by the coaches with 95 points, then Minnesota State, Mankato in fourth with 93 points. Concordia, St. Paul was fifth with 80 points, Sioux Falls was sixth with 74 points, Southwest Minnesota State was seventh with 62 points, the University of Mary was eighth with 54 points, the Beavers were ninth with 35 points, Minnesota Crookston was 10th with 33 points, Bemidji State was 11th with 25 points, and Minnesota State Moorhead was 12th with 22 points.
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TWINS-BREWERS
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Willy Adames and the Milwaukee Brewers sweated out an extra-inning victory on one of the hottest days in their home stadium’s history. Adames homered, singled home the tying run and then scored the winning run on Brice Turang’s two-out infield hit in the 10th inning of the Brewers’ 8-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. It was 97 degrees for the first pitch, the third-highest game-time temperature at American Family Field since it opened as Miller Park in 2001. Heat index was 110 degrees. After rallying from a three-run deficit to force extra innings, the Brewers scored two runs in the bottom of the 10th off Jhoan Durán (2-6) to win their fifth straight game. Durán was working a second inning after holding the Brewers scoreless in the ninth. Minnesota turned to its bullpen after starter Kenta Maeda threw 92 pitches — six off his season high — over five innings and retired the last eight men he faced.
UP NEXT
Twins: Begin a four-game home series against Texas today. The scheduled pitchers are RHP Pablo López (9-6, 3.51 ERA) for the Twins and LHP Andrew Heaney (9-6, 4.27) for the Rangers.
Twins: Begin a four-game home series against Texas today. The scheduled pitchers are RHP Pablo López (9-6, 3.51 ERA) for the Twins and LHP Andrew Heaney (9-6, 4.27) for the Rangers.
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VIKINGS-TRAINING CAMP
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — T.J. Hockenson’s second season with the Vikings might require a similar accelerated ramp-up as his first season in Minnesota. Hockenson, who had 60 catches for 519 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games with the Vikings following his mid-season trade from Detroit, has missed much of Minnesota’s training camp while dealing with an ear infection that disrupted his equilibrium. Recovered from the ear infection, Hockenson was also out of team drills on Wednesday as the Vikings and Arizona Cardinals conducted joint practices. This time, Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said back stiffness is keeping out Hockenson, the big tight end who was second only to All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson in catches for the Vikings after his arrival in Week 8 last season. “Whether he could have gone or not, if it was a game week, that’s a different story,” O’Connell said. “But with a joint practice, I wanted to make sure that we just kept his conditioning going. That’s something that he’ll work through, and we may possibly have him tomorrow, or be ready to roll as we start our Tampa prep next week.”
Hockenson participated in individual and position drills on Wednesday. But when the two teams came together for full work, Hockenson did conditioning drills on the side. O’Connell said the back stiffness popped up “very recently.” “We’re at that time now where we just want to be smart with guys we know we’re going to be reliant on, and make sure that their preparation for Sept. 10th is what we want,” O’Connell added. Hockenson embarks on his first full season in Minnesota. He’s beginning the final season of the rookie contract he signed after the Lions made him the No. 8 overall selection in the 2019 draft.
Hockenson is due $9.4 million on the fifth-year option that was picked up by Detroit before it traded him and a pair of late-round picks to the Vikings for second- and third-round draft picks. Hockenson was asked on Monday if his absence is contract related and told reporters, “that’s not my focus.” O’Connell said Wednesday his dialogue with Hockenson has been focused on the tight end’s health. “He has not indicated to me one time that it is about (his contract) and, look, we would love to have him in every drill, just like Brian O’Neill since the start of training camp, but we’ve got to have a process where we get these guys healthy, feeling really good to go compete, as we head towards the season,” O’Connell said.
O’Neill, the No. 1 right tackle, returned to full practice on Wednesday for the first time since Achilles surgery in January. O’Connell also said rookie receiver Jordan Addison has fully cleared concussion testing. Meanwhile, second-year safety Lewis Cine was out because of a “low-grade, soft-tissue thing,” according to O’Connell.
As the teams convened for 11-on-11 drills, Arizona’s No. 1 tight end, Zach Ertz, was also an observer, along with quarterback Kyler Murray. Ertz was activated off the physically unable to perform list last week following his knee surgery in November. Murray, also coming off knee surgery, will need to be activated from the PUP list when the team cuts to its 53-man roster next week or he’ll be forced to miss the first four weeks of the season. Perhaps it’s no surprise the Cardinals’ first-team offense struggled against Minnesota on Wednesday. Along with Ertz and Murray sitting out, left tackle D.J. Humphries and center Hjalte Froholdt were missing. The two remained in Arizona for the births of their children and should join the team later this week. A familiar heat greeted the Cardinals for Wednesday’s joint practice, but the mid-to-upper 90s heat was accompanied by stifling humidity that brought the heat indexes into the 100s. The teams agreed to move practice time an hour earlier because of the heat. “It feels like spring break to me,” Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon joked. “It’s nice out. (O’Connell is) the one that wanted to move it back. He’s afraid of the heat.” Gannon’s players certainly felt the difference with the humidity. “It’s muggy,” linebacker Josh Woods said. “The air is thick. As soon as you walk outside, you just start sweating. Clothes sticking to you, it’s just bad. It’s bad. I’ll take 110 in Arizona over this any day.” Woods added: “I think we kind of let the weather dictate how we were attacking our work today. I’m excited to see how we bounce back tomorrow.” Cornerback Marco Wilson, linebacker Dennis Gardeck and quarterback Jeff Driskel didn’t practice for the Cardinals.