BAGLEY: QUEEN OF THE HILL

By Larry Scott, retired

Sports Information Director

Winning never gets old for Jen Bagley.

Surely one of the greatest players to ever grace a Minnesota State University Moorhead softball uniform and arguably the greatest Dragon pitcher of them all, Bagley continues to add chapters to her sparkling intercollegiate softball career.

Bagley recently completed her 10^th season as head softball coach at Missouri Western State University in 2011 and guided the Griffons to a 40-15 record and a first ever MIAA regular season title. She was saluted as MIAA Coach of the Year for a third time and pocketed her 300^th career collegiate victory in February.

A product of Hoyt Lakes on the Minnesota Iron Range, Bagley once carried a laminated picture of Minnesota Twins legend Kirby Puckett in the back pocket of her softball uniform for good luck. She charted a rewarding schoolgirl career in volleyball, basketball and softball at Mesabi East High School.

“I didn’t start playing softball until eighth grade, and Mr. (Tom) Gillach, who was my PE teacher, was quoted as saying he would get the two biggest girls in class and teach them how to pitch. You can how imagine how horrified I was, because the last thing an eighth grade female wants is to be thought of as big.

“He took me under his wing. He would play catch for me and take me to different clinics, and that’s how it started. Now, kids are playing competitive ball as early as 12 and 13 years old.

“I was in track, but I wasn’t very good. I ran high hurdles and was terrible; I still have the scars on my knees to show it. We played basketball and volleyball, and my family golfed and skied, so we were very active.”

MSU Moorhead head coach Katie Wilson won the spirited recruiting battle and signed Bagley to a scholarship at MSU Moorhead. It was a stroke of good fortune that would soon lift Minnesota State Moorhead to national prominence.

“I wanted to be a Paralegal major. I had gone to Minnesota-Duluth pitching camps and had a close relationship with their pitching coach, but they didn’t have Paralegal as a major. I looked at places in the state that offered it, including Winona State and Moorhead State. Katie Wilson called me; we visited, and it just felt right.”

The most dominant pitcher in Dragon softball history, Bagley was a four-year starter and anchor of a pitching staff that led MSUM to NAIA national tournament appearances in 1993 and 1994. She was named to All-NSIC teams in 1995 and 1996 and also lettered in golf at MSU Moorhead.

“We played in two national championships in (Columbia) Missouri. I thought our 1993 team was awesome with Jill Knisley, Kim Bieck, Missy Jaeb, Cheryl Johnson, Amy Tenute, Dana Gross, Deb Kazmierczak, Kailey Smith and Pauline Stern.”

The rules were simple when Bagley took the mound---she would be in charge and the batter would benefit by quickly coming to that realization.

“My rise ball and my curve ball were my best pitches; I threw about 60 per cent rise balls and 40 per cent curve balls. Once in a while, I would throw a changeup, but I felt my speed was my strength. My pitches usually moved really well, but I didn’t always know where they were going.

“I honestly believed every time I got on the mound I was just going to dominate. I don’t know where that came from. I guess I was just that naïve; I had no fear. Pauline Stern was my catcher all four years, and we worked together calling the game. I think we worked mostly to my strengths as opposed to what the batters’ strengths and weaknesses were, and we set hitters up depending upon what was working for me that day.”

After graduation, Bagley accepted a position with a local law firm and was appointed pitching coach for the Dragons.

“I got hired at Forrest Hutchinson and Assoc. in Fargo after I graduated, and I was also named an assistant coach at MSU. They let me come in early and leave early to get to practice, and that was great. After a couple of years, it dawned on me I could make a living as a head coach, so I went and got my master’s degree at North Dakota State.”

After completing her degree at NDSU she served as an assistant softball coach at Humboldt State University in California and helped guide the Jacks to a 54-14-1 overall record and a third place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships.

“That was a great experience, a pivotal time in my life when I said ‘yes, this is what I want to do.’ I learned so much from coach (Frank) Cheek in one year on how to run a program, not only the Xs and Os, but the intensity of a program, and it taught me a lot about the kind of coach I wanted to be. He was a huge mentor in my life.”

Bagley was installed as head coach at Missouri Western in 2002 and has averaged 33 victories a season. The Griffs have qualified for the NCAA Central Regional Tournament five times in the last seven years under Bagley’s watch.

She has also taken her act abroad as head softball coach at American Internal Sports Tours for four summers, coaching athletes in Prague in the Czech Republic, Holland, Italy, France and Belgium.

“I’ve loved every moment of it. It’s so awesome to be a part of a program long enough where you have alumni that are ‘my girls.’ Watching these kids in this period of their lives---being real life career women, getting married and starting families---it’s really a special time in their life, and I’m just fortunate to be a part of it.”

While Bagley largely welcomed the warmer climes of Missouri, she confesses that she still misses the wacky winters of the upper Midwest. “Believe it or not, I miss the weather and being able to play in the snow, but we can be outdoors practicing in February and still have the change of seasons,” Bagley said.

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Foley's Finest

By Larry Scott, retired
Sports Information Director

Some things never change, and while there are few certainties in high school sports, there is one constant you can always count on---expect Foley High School to make a serious impact at the Minnesota State High School Wrestling Championships. Every year.

For over a half century the little school by the Rum River in central Minnesota has been a major player on the prep level, especially under coach Lyle Freudenberg, a former wrestling captain at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

The onetime Dragon recently completed his 29th season as head coach at Foley High and guided FHS to a fourth place finish at the 2011 Minnesota State Class AA Championships at St. Paul. “We were in the finals in 2009 and 2010, and we had a couple of really nice squads. We had a good squad this year, too,” said Freudenberg.

Under Freudenberg's watch Foley captured state titles in 1989 and 1993 in the two-class system, and again in 1994 in the expanded three-class field. He was twice named Minnesota High School Wrestling Coach of the Year.

Freudenberg was appointed head coach of the Falcons in 1982 at the age of 30, and admits he was attracted to Foley by the rich wrestling tradition.

“I wanted to get into a good wrestling program and learn a little bit more,” Freudenberg said. “When I came to Foley they had two coaches who had been here about seven or eight years, and they were both outstanding technicians and coaches,” said Freudenberg.

Freudenberg cannot imagine a more perfect place to chase his dream.

“Foley had a strong wrestling tradition back then. They started in 1954 and had only one losing season, 1959. We haven't had a losing season since, and they've always had success. The fans are very knowledgeable about wrestling, too, and sometimes we draw close to 2,000 fans for a dual. The community is really supportive.”

A 1970 graduate of Parkers Prairie High School, Freudenberg lettered in football, track and wrestling and placed third as a senior at the state wrestling tournament. It was a pair of former Dragons who pointed him to MSUM.

“Andy McCarty was my coach, and he had graduated from Moorhead State, and Al Holmes, an assistant coach at the time, recruited me. The scholarship depended if you made the varsity team. There were no guarantees then, but I did get a partial scholarship.”

A fast learner, Freudenberg barged his way into the Dragon starting lineup as a freshman, beginning a run of four productive seasons that created a batch of pleasant memories.

“In my senior year in 1974 I won a conference title at 150 pounds,” said Freudenberg. “I was one of the captains along with Bob Bowlsby, and I qualified for the nationals as a junior and senior. I was ranked in the top 10 at the time but didn't place.”

Freudenberg worked his craft under the careful eye of Hall of Fame coach Bill Garland.

“Bill was a good technician,” Freudenberg said. “My style in high school was quite a bit different than college. I was more of a mat wrestler in high school, so it took a couple of years to convert me to the college style of wrestling, but Bill was very patient with me. It took a while to get me over the hump.”

“Bill always wanted to wrestle the best competition. When I was a senior we wrestled against several Big Ten schools, and I learned a lot about the mental part of wrestling. Because I changed my major to Biology I needed another year, and I spent my last year an assistant coach under Garland.”

“I started teaching at Oakes, North Dakota in 1975. Back then jobs were hard to come by and it seemed like a good start for me. I coached there for three years and really enjoyed it, and came to Foley as an assistant in 1978. I got the head job in 1982 after four years.”

A great ambassador for his sport, Freudenberg is continually on the lookout for talent, someone who can help his Bears, and someone he can help.

“It gets tougher, and kids have a lot of options these days. One thing about wrestling, you're always talking to kids, trying to get them to come out. It's not a recruiting sport like football, everyone wants to play football. Wrestling is a very popular sport in Foley, but not everywhere. You still have to go out and get the kids.”

He remains convinced that wrestling can positively shape lives as well.

“You learn a lot about yourself, how to handle stress and develop a great work ethic,” Freudenberg said. “What I learned in high school and college allowed me to continue coaching at a pretty high level for quite a few years and still put in a lot of time and energy into the program, not only the varsity program but K through 12 as well.”

Despite his long and prosperous career, Freudenberg isn't ready to ride off into the sunset. “I'm close to retirement, but I enjoy the teaching part and coaching. I've got some great assistant coaches who make my job easier and make our whole system work. That makes it funs as well.”

His sons Josh (25), and Jared (23), both competed for him and daughter Laura (21) remains close to the sport as well. “Both of my sons wrestled for me, and that is one of the most rewarding things for a parent. It made doing all those extra things as a coach a lot easier knowing they were involved in the program.” His wife Lynn also teaches at Foley.


A seventh grade Life Science teacher, Freudenberg insists there are valuable measuring sticks other than victories to assess his teams.

“If the kids aren't much fun to coach, the season won't be much fun. We've always been successful, and it's fun to win, but the day-to-day thing in the room, and seeing them improving week-to-week is more important.”

SCOTTY'S STROLL: Lowell Bolger, the Ambassador of Dragon Basketball

By Larry Scott, retired Sports Information Director

For nearly six decades, he has been a been an integral part of the Minnesota State Moorhead basketball scene, a connection that has outlasted eight men's head coaches, four university presidents, three conference name changes and two home courts.

A member of the Dragon Hall of Fame and the exclusive 1,000-point club, Lowell Bolger enrolled at Moorhead State Teachers College in 1954, the beginning of a life-long love affair with the Dragons. More than a century later, he is still around, prodding his Dragons on and shouting encouragement from his traditional perch in the shadows of north basket.

Long after he stopped playing the game and almost 20 years since he retired from coaching it, Bolger is still drawn to basketball, fascinated by its ever-changing nature and the joy it still brings him.

“I watch a lot of basketball, and it's still enjoyable,” Bolger said. “It's a more physical game and a much, much tougher defensive game. Now you have to work hard to get your shot off. It's a fast-paced, tougher game.”

Bolger lives for game night, soaking in the environment while carefully observing MSUM coaches Karla Nelson and Chad Walthall work their courtside magic. “I enjoy watching our women play, and I think Chad's done a good job with the men's team, too. I really think he's just one or two players away.”

A Moorhead native, Bolger attended St. Joseph's School and Moorhead High, and caught the basketball fever at a young age. “We practiced at the high school, but played our home games on the hard, tile floor of the junior high.”

Bolger started three years with the Spuds and earned all-conference honors twice. He also lettered in football and baseball and helped Moorhead High advance to both the basketball and baseball state tournaments. Bolger was recruited by University of North Dakota head basketball coach Louie Bogan.

“Coach Bogan met with me and my family and offered me a scholarship, and I told him I was going to go. That summer after I graduated, I was playing baseball for the Moorhead Chix and (MSTC coach) Larry MacLeod was on the other team. I was at first base, and somehow we started talking, and he said he wanted to meet with me. A lot of my teammates, including Donnie Betzen, Ken Grabinske and Ron Miller, were already here (MSUM), and they said I should talk to him. Those guys really talked me into sticking around.”

Bolger accepted the invitation to join his pals, and hit the ground running as a freshman in 1954.

“I started all four years; it was a great experience. When I got here, I already knew a lot of the guys, and I was confident. I have no regrets; it was a lot of fun, a great four-year experience.”

He still has vivid memories of a cast of remarkable players, both fellow Dragons and opponents.

“I played with a lot of great players, including Sherm Moe, Denny Anderson, Kenny Reitan and John Torgerson, and that helped me a lot. If I got open, the ball would be in my hands.” Bolger also fondly remembers many of imposing opponents. “Vern Baggenstoss was a big, strong powerful player from St. Cloud. Bill Brady of Mayville State and Bill Quenette of Concordia College were both very good players.”

It was the best of times, but after four seasons with the Dragons it was time to move on, and Bolger was ready for another challenge.

“I graduated with Social Studies and Physical Education majors. I always wanted to be a teacher and coach. I still had a love for the area, and I really didn't want to go too far away.”

Bolger struck gold when he landed the head coaching job at nearby Hawley High School in 1958 at the tender age of 22 years. It was a union that would soon pay remarkable dividends for both parties.

“I knew they were going to be good,” said Bolger. “I watched them play at Concordia the year before, and I knew they had some good players, including Dick Reidberger and Ron Hendrickson. When Lyndon Sonju (transferred) in, that was the key.”

Bolger and the Nuggets carried their dreams all the way to the 1959 Minnesota State High School Tournament, a one-class show on the biggest stage of them all, Williams Arena. It was the premier sporting event in Minnesota, a wondrous adventure Bolger will never forget.

“We beat Moorhead in the district tournament, that was the biggest thing, and then we had to win two games in the regions at Concordia. That was great, the place was packed.”

“The state tournament was overwhelming, something I'll never forget,” said Bolger. “We got lots of telegrams left and right, including ones from the firemen and police. It was a great trip. There are so many great memories, and I still see some of those players.”

Bolger thoroughly enjoyed his stay with the Nuggets, but the call from his alma mater was too enticing. “I stayed at Hawley for three years and decided to go back to Moorhead State for my master's. Larry (MacLeod) had taken a sabbatical, and I worked for Glen Cafer.”

Bolger later moved to Duluth East High School as an assistant coach. “We got beat by Edina in the finals of the state tournament when (Jeff) Wright hit a corner shot. I started at Moorhead in 1966. My last year of coaching was 1982, and I retired from teaching in 1993.”

“I spent one year under Shocky Strand and then Bill Quenette came in as head coach. We went back to the state tournament my first year, and got beat again by Edina in the championship game.”

It wasn't just basketball, however, that stirred Bolger, and he was more than willing to become a champion for another group of eager but challenge young athletes.

“I used to bring a sack lunch to my phy ed office at Probstfield,” Bolger remembers. “I noticed a class of handicapped students would come in, and I thought maybe they would let me do some things with them. The other teachers thought that was great, so I brought some balls and we started playing little games and races. I really enjoyed it, and it hit me, so I went to the school board and said 'why can't we include them in our physical education program'? We did.”

Bolger quickly came up with a plan to put a foundation under his dreams.
“We raised money from the people in Moorhead, and we began taking the students swimming, going to the Y and the bowling alley and to Camp Confidence in Brainerd. Later, the Special Olympics started, and we really got involved. We ended up having the state and regional meets here for years. We worked hard to make it the best we could, and the people at MSUM were absolutely fantastic to us.”

Lowell and his wife Priscilla have three children, sons Jeff and Joe and daughter Kim and five grandsons. It's just perfect for a Bolger starting five, and basketball is in their blood. “Jordan (Bolger) is the first man off the bench at Eastview High School and Austin (Nelson) is a sophomore at Moorhead High.”

Bolger missed only one MSU Moorhead game this winter. “I had to watch my grandson play,” he said. Clearly he's not done watching basketball anytime soon.

While Bolger appreciates the Dragons, the feeling is mutually shared by members of the MSUM athletic staff. MSU Moorhead women's coach Karla Nelson especially appreciates Bolger's unwavering loyalty.

“One of the first things I notice when I walk out on the court is if Lowell Bolger and Jim Phillips are in the stands,” Nelson said. “When I see them I know it's 'game on.' ”

“Lowell is very supportive and his big heart matches his Dragon pride. He has always been very encouraging for me and the women's program, and I appreciate that very much.”

SCOTTY'S STROLL: Like a Good Neighbor, Frank Mosier Is There

By Larry Scott, retired Sports Information Director

Some suggest it was a college wrestler who once said a journey of a lifetime begins with just one small step, but for Frank Mosier, it started with a cross-country bus ride. One of the certified legends of Minnesota State Moorhead wrestling, Mosier left his hometown of Washington, Penn., in 1962 for Moorhead State College in search of a new challenge and a better tomorrow.

“I hopped on a bus for 36 hours and started a whole new life,” Mosier said. “When I came to Moorhead, I thought, my God, the people were nice; the houses were nice; it was clean; and the people were so friendly.”

It proved to be the perfect landing area.

“Moorhead State has been very good to me and a lot of athletes,” Mosier said. “Athletics has been very good for a lot of kids, and I happen to fit that category very well. If it had not been for athletics, I would not have gone to Moorhead State, and if it had not been for Moorhead State, I would not be where I am today because they gave me a great opportunity. I've been a lucky, lucky guy.”

Luck may have been part of the equation, but it was a healthy mix of talent and resolve that carried Mosier to the summit of college wrestling. A two-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) individual champ, Mosier and his Dragon pals became the first and only MSUM team to capture a national championship, winning the 1964 NAIA title at Spearfish, SD.

A three-time Northern Intercollegiate Conference winner, Mosier collected NAIA National Championships at 167 pounds in 1964 and 1967. His portfolio also includes induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (1984), the Dragon Hall of Fame (1990) and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Hall of Fame (2009).

Mosier grew up in southwest Pennsylvania. The western rim of the steel belt was a virtual gold mine of rich athletic talent, producing football legends Barry Alvarez, Mike Ditka, Kirk Ferentz, Jim Kelly, Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Dan Marino and former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer, a boyhood pal of Mosier. It was not always a comfortable neighborhood, however.

“It was coal mining, steel mills, and a little bit of farming, not a very wealthy area.” Mosier said. “Washington was a very ethnic community. There were Italians over here, Blacks over here and Poles over here, and nobody had any money, everybody was poor. It was dog-eat-dog; we were living in a tough time. There were also a lot of widows and widowers because of coal mines collapses, and people died early because of black lung. It was a real tough culture.”

It was a town for tough guys, indeed.

“I used to walk a half hour to the Catholic church every Saturday morning to go to catechism. On my way up, I would get a beating, and on my way back, some of those guys were waiting in the bushes, and I would get another beating,” Mosier laughed. “Sometimes the priest would give me another whack for coming in all beat up."

It was a crucible that forged talented athletes, including Mosier.

“The league we played in---the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League---was tougher than nails, probably the elite football and recruiting place in America. At the time, I was interested more in playing football than wrestling, “said Mosier.

“My Dad, Frank Sr., died when I was 12. He was a great football player and wrestler, and he said, 'Look Frank, promise me you'll play football and won't wrestle.' My mother raised six children, and she wanted me to play football instead, but I had more people chasing after me for big time wrestling than big time football. I was only about 180 pounds, maybe 5-10, but I had a shot at going to the University of Maryland.”

“Some of the guys from my hometown had gone to the University of Indiana, but their coach quit and Bucky (Maughan) and Bill Garland left Indiana for Moorhead State. I knew Bucky from nearby Canonsburg, and he said 'Come up here; it's a whole new world from where we live in.' Bucky told me I could make the football team and do both, but it didn't work out.”

Mosier pounced on the invitation to start over, and credits Garland, his collegiate coach, with much of his success.

“Nobody worked as hard in his own way to do as much for every athlete who wrestled for them,” Mosier said. “It's good to get a mentor, to get somebody who will be your advocate. There were a lot of people who grew up in my environment who needed that encouragement. We didn't have many role models who had college degrees; we had role models who were great athletes but stayed home and didn't go to college.”

Mosier's post-wrestling career almost included a military stint.?
“In 1963 I was doing a giant swing in Roy Domek's PE class, and I fell off the thing and broke my jaw. I had it wired shut and was out for a while, but I pulled through that and won the small college (wrestling) title. It wasn't a month later I was drafted, but I flunked the physical because of my knees. Can you believe that?”

“I went back home and taught for one year, but decided I couldn't teach so I went to graduate school at West Virginia University. I changed my major to Psychology and got my master's degree. I was a school psychologist at Trinity Area Schools for three years, but I found out I didn't like that, so I went down an interviewed for the Dean of Men (position) at Waynesburg College (PA) and they hired me.”

After three years in academia, the call of business became too loud to ignore. “I married my high school sweetheart in 1967, and her dad was a scout for the Pirates and the number one life insurance manager for Baltimore Life Insurance. He kept trying to get me into the business. In 1975 I joined the State Farm Insurance Company and loved it.”

He moved rapidly up the corporate ranks from State Farm Insurance Companies, including positions as agent, Director of Agent Education and Training, Agency Manager, Agency Director, Executive Assistant to the President's Office, Agency Vice President Agent for Management Training and Development and Vice President Agency of the North Atlantic Region.

It was an ambitious career calling, and Mosier was ready for a new role. “I finally got tired of all the travel, and I said I'm tired of traveling, Let me go do an agency again, and now I have an agency in Milbourn.”

Mosier remains active on several fronts and served as co-founder and president of the New Jersey chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. He also answered a call from his alma mater.

Last summer Mosier was invited to join an athletic summit called by MSUM President Dr. Edna Szymanski to explore possibilities for expanding athletic scholarships. “The opportunity that Edna is providing is overwhelming to me, and Edna has her heart in the right place. It's right, it's time and giving back is so important; the more you give the more you get. . .”

Frank and his wife Leslye have two sons, Frank, Jr., a banker and investment specialist in Moscow, Russia, and Michael, a lawyer in the United States Department of Justice.

“All my life I've been humbled. Everybody in every sport and every facet of my life was smarter and better than I was, so I've always had to fight and outwork people. That's what inherent in my personality and in any success I've had. I'm not a Phi Beta Kappa, but nobody will outwork me. You can knock me down, but I will get up, and if there is any message I can pass on to my kids and grandkids, that's it.”

SCOTTY'S STROLL: Ex-Dragon Still Keeps Watchful Eye on MSUM Swimming Program

Larry Scott, retired Sports Information Director

She's been there from almost day one, a pioneer of sorts who helped lift the emerging Minnesota State University Moorhead women's swimming and diving program into the fast lane. There's much to celebrate, but Stacy Bourassa is quick to downplay her role.

“We never thought of ourselves as pioneers; we were just having fun and enjoying the closeness that being on a team sport provides,” said Bourassa. “We were competitive within the team, but there were a lot of people who didn't have much experience with competitive swimming so this was new to them. They were in it for the experience, to make friends and get in shape.”

“Those of us who had experience enjoyed the diversity of the team and valued the friendships that we made. Everyone, no matter their experience or skill level, was important on the team and had something to contribute.”

Bourassa joined the MSUM program in year two and quickly helped put Dragon swimming on solid ground. That the 1998 graduate of Moorhead High School contributed at all was something of a surprise.

“Originally, I wasn't planning to swim and had enrolled at North Dakota State,” she said. “The summer before college, I was coaching the USS Team Moorhead Marlins with Todd (Peters), and he convinced me to come to MSUM and swim for him. I had never considered myself good enough to be on a college swim team, but after talking with Todd he showed me I could be competitive.”

Bourassa competed for two seasons with the Dragons and specialized in the 100 and 200 backstroke, 200 IM and the 200 freestyle. She remained with the MSUM program for eight seasons as an assistant coach.

Bourassa enjoyed the competition of swimming and also learned valuable life lessons.

“Swimming taught me teamwork, and while many people think of swimming as an individual sport, I think of it as a team sport. We all compete in our own events and have our own goals, but at the same time, we are all working together as a team.”

“Swimming also taught me patience. There is nothing more difficult than hitting a plateau and not being able to drop time in an event. Sometimes, it requires you to change your stroke, learn to be more diversified or just work harder. You have to be mentally strong to be a swimmer in order to have high achievements.”


A Biology major, Bourassa is convinced her swimming experience proved beneficial in the classroom as well.

“Swimming made it easier to balance academics,” she said. “I had better time management skills because there was so much going on. During the off season, it was more difficult to be motivated to get homework done. It's much easier to procrastinate when you know you have time later to do it.”


A registered nurse at Sanford Health, Bourassa left the Dragon coaching staff last year after eight seasons.

“I was fortunate to coach for MSUM for eight years,” said Bourassa. “This is the first year that I have not coached swimming, and I miss the time with the team and seeing the improvements that can be made. The Dragon team has always focused on having a positive atmosphere. I love their attitudes, how well they get along with each other, support each other and push each other to be better athletes.”

“What I will miss most is daily interactions with each individual, working with them at practices and coaching them at meets. I also miss seeing the excitement on someone's face after a race where they reached a goal time or won a race.”

“I watched the team grow from a team with little experience to a team very competitive at conference (level), one that sends swimmers and divers to the NCAA Division II Nationals. I was there the first year we qualified for nationals in swimming. It was elating to see that time on the scoreboard, to watch the celebration of our team, and our coaches. I am proud to say I was a part of that team.”

“The diving team has also grown in leaps and bounds. When I started, we didn't have any divers, but the work past diving coach Steve Wrangham and current coach Lindsey Gunderson have put into the program is visible in the talents of their divers. I have enjoyed very much watching the growth and success of our diving team.”

While Bourassa misses the daily connection to the MSUM program, she is appreciative of the time she spent with her teammates and coach Peters.

“I am very grateful for the time I spent with the Dragons, both as a swimmer and as a coach. I value the friendship I have with coach Peters. He is a great coach and has wonderful ideas about swimming. His love for swimming and diving is what motivated me to be a part of that team for so many years.”

Would she be excited to see her daughter Alexis, 10, follow in her wake?

“I would love to see her become involved in the future if she shows interest. I think it is a great sport and a very good total body exercise that can be done at any age.”

SCOTTY'S STROLL: Former Dragon Kicker Gets Kick Out of Life After Footba

By Larry Scott, retired Sports Information Director

A young and inexperienced Minnesota State Moorhead offense had to endure some serious growing pains in 2010, and while there were clear signs of progress there was also a sizable spike in the workload of punter Pat Haynes. The junior from Pardeville, WI eclipsed the Dragons' single season record for punts with 74, surpassing the former standard of 70 set by Randy Bishoff in 1979.

While Bishoff's long-standing standard vanished, another Dragon special teams whiz from yesteryear--- Cory Schmidgall--- can take comfort in knowing he still maintains a firm grip on a couple of special teams records.

A native of Morris, Schmidgall built a seasonal average of 41.2 yards as a senior in 2000, a mark that still stands after 10 years. He also delivered a career high 178 punts in three seasons with the Dragons and still owns three of the top five punts in Dragon history, including an 81-yard bomb against Minnesota Morris in 2000.

Schmidgall was a second team All-NSIC choice as a sophomore.

A multi-talented prep star, Schmidgall was an All-West Central Conference selection in track and basketball and twice was decorated with all-state track honors. A three-sport captain, he helped the Tigers claim four district basketball titles and league championships in track and football. His father Doug also lettered in football at MSU Moorhead.

Schmidgall joined the Dragons on the rebound and spent three prosperous years at State.

“I started at Southwest State as a runningback in football and a shooter on the basketball team,” said Schmidgall. “My ankle problems cut that short, so I started only punting and kicking while playing hoops. After my first year playing receiver at MSUM, I had ankle reconstruction in the winter which stuck with me throughout my career. It was my kicking foot, and I always wonder if it helped or hurt my punting.”

One of Schmidgall's favorite memories is a 75-yard punt against backyard rival Concordia College in a rainy Power Bowl showdown.

Despite his booming resume, Schmidgall was ignored in the National Football League draft, but he wasn't about to abandon his professional dreams.

“After college, I moved to Lake View, IA to work for my dad and saved money to pursue the NFL dream. I also lived in Modesto, CA with my kicking coach for a couple of years while trying out, but an injury cut that stint short. I tried out two more times but never made it.”

Schmidgall put his punting dreams on hold.

“I settled back into life in Iowa where I've been the general manager of a precast concrete plant for seven years now while finishing up another degree in Business Administration. At one point, I took up Muay Thai kickboxing and made it to instructor level. I still play flag football every fall and have toyed with the idea of trying out for the (Iowa) Barnstormers.”?

“I have a wonderful wife, Lauren, an amazing person who actually understands my humor and can tolerate it. We have a great time doing about anything, and both enjoy working out and golfing. She is an Occupational Therapist, which means that after all my injuries I have someone who can take care of me.”

“We recently had our first little Dragon. Our son, Kane, was born on June 10, and I now understand how amazing it is to be a dad. He's doing great and starting to smile, which is the greatest thing ever. I can't wait to see what's next. We also have a little pug puppy named Roxy. She's the weirdest little thing I ever seen, comic relief for a tired mom and dad.”

While family comes first, Schmidgall still has special memories of his short but memorable career with the Dragons. “They are great memories, and I will never forget the teammates, wonderful guys with plenty of unique characters. From the meetings, fall camp, songs in the lunchroom and bus rides to away games, some of the best times were the ones I shared on the field with the guys I played with. All of them taught me a little bit about life and the fun of college. I was glad to be a part of the team. I've always felt football, in general, is parallel to many life lessons.”

SCOTTY'S STROLL: NSIC Linebacking Legend Celebrates Special Anniversary this Fall

By Larry Scott, retired Sports Information Director

The dawn of the Golden Age of Dragon football can be traced to 1970 and the arrival of Ross Fortier as head coach. The football fortunes at Moorhead State College began to change swiftly under Fortier's watch, and by year two the Dragons were ready to make a serious run at a Northern Intercollegiate Conference championship.

It was the beginning of a wondrous era that spanned nearly three decades, a reign that included eight conference titles and 10 trips to post-season play, but there were a few speed bumps along the way. Dick Sagehorn remembers all too well.

“The biggest disappointment was not winning my senior year,” remembers Sagehorn. “It still haunts and bothers me to think about it.”

During Sagehorn's final season at State in 1975, MSC, cursed by several narrow losses, slumped to a frustrating 2-7-0 finish. Despite the drop off, few could fault Sagehorn. A rock solid fixture at middle linebacker and the leading tackler for three years, he was clearly at his best as a senior and exited with All-NIC honors.

League coaches felt so strongly about his spirited contribution they also voted him as the Most Valuable Player award, a remarkable anointment for a player off a losing club.

The coronation as the league's best provided some consolation for Sagehorn.

“At the time it was a mixed emotion between having a losing season and winning the award. It was an honor, a kind of a thank you for how I tried to play the game of football.”

A graduate of tiny Bertha-Hewitt High School, Sagehorn was off the recruiting radar of most colleges. “I enrolled at Moorhead State in 1972 and was somewhat timid about playing football at that time. Moorhead State was known as a very physical football team, and I didn't feel I had come out of a strong program. My high school coach was Leo Jacobson, a Moorhead alum, and he gave me a lot of inspiration and helped prepare me for the mental as well as physical part of the game. The biggest adjustment was that the hardest hit I made in high school was a just a weak to routine hit in college. The part of college that appealed to me the most was that I wasn't forced to be there; I choose to be there, so that made it easy.”

There were several highwater marks at Moorhead State for Sagehorn.

“My sophomore year we won the conference, and were a close (team),” Sagehorn said. “I remember being named all-conference as a junior and being elected captain, meeting (Green Bay Packer legend) Ray Nitschke, and (voted) all-conference, all-district and team MVP as a senior.”

There were a few anxious moments along the way, especially the post-season awards parade.

“I remember on the way to the MVP banquet in Minneapolis when I learned I had to prepare a speech. That award was surreal at the time. It seems now that it means a lot more because of where the award came from.”

While the football awards were nice, Sagehorn has other special memories as well, including a rewarding student teaching experience under legendary coach Sid Cichy at Fargo Shanley High School, graduating from college and being inducted into the Dragon Hall of Fame.

Sagehorn surely enjoyed the rough-and-tumble lifestyle of college football clearly profited from the experience.

”I learned no job is impossible; anything can be accomplished with a plan and hard work,” said Sagehorn. “I will not allow others to be my judge; my standards for myself may be greater.”

The Sagehorn name returned to Dragon headlines with the arrival of daughter Kari in 2005. A transfer from University of Minnesota Duluth, she quickly became a trusted member of the MSUM pitching staff and is currently completing an advanced degree in athletic administration at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Sagehorn is a system administrator for a manufacturing company in St. Michael. “I do computer, printer and network maintenance, contracting for a few small companies on the side,” Sagehorn said. “I have refereed basketball in the metro area the last seven years and also umpire fast pitch softball at the high school level. Early on I coached some football but in the last eight years I have pretty much coached only fast pitch.”

Once the focal point of his collegiate career, sports have clearly taken a backseat to family for Sagehorn.

“I am celebrating my 25th year married to a great wife, Sandy, with three great children, Tara, Chad and Kari, and a new grandson, Hugh Thomas. We live in Maple Grove, and our family has (enjoyed) lots of blessings.”

After all these years, Sagehorn still keeps an eye on his Dragons.

“I've always followed them and tried to make games when ever possible. I've also watched the financial effects take its toll, and my wife and I try and contribute something to football and softball each year. There needs to be more support from all athletes who played in the past, and if every athlete would donate something back I think MSUM could regain its place of respect and start growing again.”

Sagehorn was a member of the Dragon Hall of Fame induction class of 2001, an honor he will never forget.

“When I was selected into the Hall of Fame it was right after my dad died, and that will always help me remember when it happened. When I was giving my acceptance speech, I heard (former Dragon coach) Ron Masanz told people at his table that the way I played football, I was the real deal.”

Thirty-five autumns ago Dick Sagehorn produced a season for the ages, not to be forgotten by Sagehorn or his Dragon pals.