NSIC RELEASE

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Southwest Minnesota State University football team was picked to finish ninth overall in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, while SMSU senior quarterback Ryan Ratekin was named the NSIC South Division Offensive Preseason Player of the Year.  In addition, SMSU was picked fifth out of seven teams in the NSIC South Division preseason poll.  The announcement came Tuesday from the NSIC office in St. Paul.

Minnesota Duluth was chosen as the overall preseason favorite to earn its third straight conference title, as well as the North Division title.  The Bulldogs were the unanimous choice of the coaches as they received 13 first place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team).  Minnesota State University, Mankato received the other top first place vote in the overall voting and were the unanimous pick in the South Division.  St. Cloud State and Augustana tied for third place in the poll while Bemidji State rounded out the top five. 

Wayne State was picked to finish sixth overall, ranking ahead of Winona State, the University of Mary and SMSU.  Concordia-St. Paul, Northern State, Upper Iowa, MSU Moorhead and Minnesota, Crookston rounded out the poll. 

In the NSIC South Division poll, Minnesota State, Mankato earned 36 points, including six first place votes, followed by Augustana with 27 points and one first place vote.  Winona State was ranked third with 26 points, followed by Wayne State (24), SMSU (15), Concordia (13) and Upper Iowa (6).

Ratekin, a 6-foot-3 native of Chico, Calif., was named the NSIC Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2009 and was also a second team All-NSIC South Division honoree.  Ratekin started all 11 games a season ago, completing a school record 63.9 percent of his passes (225 of 352) for 2,963 yards and 33 touchdowns.  His 33 touchdown passes ranks as the third highest single-season total in school history.  Ratekin finished the 2009 season with five 300-yard passing games and passed for three touchdowns or more in eight games.

Winona State junior linebacker Matt Ulrich was named the NSIC South Division Defensive Preseason Player of the Year, while Minnesota Duluth senior running back Isaac Odim was named NSIC North Division Offensive Preseason Player of the Year and UMD senior linebacker Robbie Aurich was named NSIC North Division Defensive Preseason Player of the Year.

SMSU sophomore running back Gannon Moore and junior safety Levi Reiff were both named “players to watch” in the conference.

Southwest Minnesota State will report for fall practice on Wednesday and has its first team conditioning drills on Thursday.  The Mustangs open the 2010 season on Thursday, Sept. 2 hosting Northern State in a non-conference game at the Regional Event Center.