Hoof Prints - Feb. 24, 2011
February 24, 2011 – Hoof Prints Article
Hello Mustang Fans!
It is another big weekend on the campus of SMSU for Mustang Athletics as we will host the Mustang Booster Club’s largest fund raiser of the year, in the Gold Rush Raffle beginning at 6:00 pm Friday evening. We will also pay tribute to three alumni student-athletes, a championship team, a former director of athletics and a community member as they will be inducted into SMSU Athletics Hall of Honor on Saturday at 1:00 pm.
We will conclude the festivities on Saturday with SMSU Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day at the Mustang Women’s and Men’s Basketball games sponsored by PreferredOne health plan provider presented by Midwest United Insurance Services, Inc. out of Marshall. We will also be honoring seven Mustang Seniors for the women’s and men’s basketball teams during the evening’s activities as part of Senior Night. It is a great weekend to bring the family out to SMSU and experience Mustang Athletics!
The Gold Rush Raffle is in its final stages of preparation with Tim Steinbach, Executive Director of the Mustang Booster Club, reporting over 500 Gold Rush Raffle Tickets have already been purchased and accounted for. There are not many tickets left, so please contact us today to secure your opportunity to win some great prizes and be part of an enjoyable social atmosphere. Tickets are just $50.00 each for your chance to win the grand prize of $5,000. If you are interested in purchasing a ticket call the athletic department at 507-537-7204.
This year’s Gold Rush Raffle hosted by the Mustang Booster Club this Friday in the SMSU Conference Center Ballroom. If you have not been to the Gold Rush Raffle, you should buy a raffle ticket and join us for a night of fun, friendship and laughter. Every year, the raffle gets great reviews from the people who attend. It is a mid-winter social event that you will not want to miss with cash prizes, give-aways, mystery prizes, games, and silent and live raffle items.
The Gold Rush has sold out all seven years. For more information on the Gold Rush Raffle, please go to SMSUmustangs.com and click on the “Gold Rush Raffle” button on the right side of our webpage.
Here is a rundown of the Mustang Booster Club and SMSU Athletics Department special events coming up this weekend:
Gold Rush Raffle Friday, February 25 @ 6:00 pm (Social Hour)
Hall of Honor Saturday, February 26 @ 1:00 pm
SMSU Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day & Senior Night Saturday, February 26 @ 6:00 pm
As mentioned above, Saturday the SMSU Athletics Department will induct three alumni student-athletes, a championship team, a former director of athletics and a community member into the Southwest Minnesota State University Athletics Hall of Honor. The SMSU Athletics Hall of Honor is the highest athletic distinction awarded by the University.
The newest Hall of Honor members are former volleyball and basketball player Jenai (Hutchinson) Wright; former football player and track athlete Carlton Lance; former tennis player Carolina Gomez; former director of athletics Butch Raymond; community member and long-time supporter of SMSU athletics Dick Jorgensen; and the 2000-01 men’s basketball team.
The luncheon ceremony will begin at 1:00 pm and will be held on the second floor of the SMSU Conference Center. Tickets for the lunch and ceremony are $15 per person. To reserve a ticket for the banquet please call the SMSU athletics office at 507-537-7271. The group will again be honored at halftime of the men’s basketball game against Minnesota State, Mankato later that night.
The SMSU Women’s Basketball team (7-18, 6-15 NSIC) returns home this Saturday to close out the 2010-11 regular season. The Mustangs welcome Minnesota State who enters the final weekend of play 12-13 overall and 9-12 in NSIC play. The two teams are set to tip-off beginning at 6:00 pm at the R/A Facility on the campus of SMSU.
The SMSU Men’s Basketball team (12-13, 9-12 NSIC) is currently holding down eighth place in the NSIC standings all alone as they head into this Saturday’s contest with Minnesota State University, Mankato. The Mavericks are on top of the conference with a 22-3 overall and 18-3 NSIC record. It is a big game for the Mustangs who have their eyes set on securing a spot in the NSIC post-season tournament with a victory Saturday night.
Saturday night will also be Senior Night for both Mustang Women’s and Men’s teams. The SMSU Women’s Basketball team will celebrate the careers of four seniors; Tori Fink, Laura Kramer, Lucia Puchelova and Heather Smith, who will all put on the Mustang uniform for the final time Saturday evening. All four seniors will be recognized during a ceremony at the conclusion of the women’s game.
The SMSU Men’s Basketball team will recognize their three seniors; Chris Aggen, Taylor Huseby and Scott Roehl. All three seniors will be recognized prior to the men’s game begin around 8:00 pm. A big thank you to our seniors for all their hard work in the classroom, community and as a Mustang Women’s and Men’s Basketball student-athlete.
The SMSU Wrestling team earned two NSIC victories last weekend beating the University of Mary and Northern State University to finish the season in fourth place in the NSIC standings. The Mustangs end the regular season schedule with an 8-4-1 overall and 3-4 in the NSIC. The Mustangs will be competing in the NCAA Super Regional Three Tournament being hosted by Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD beginning at 10:00 am this Sunday, February 27.
The Mustang Wheelchair Basketball team earned a split over the weekend falling 55-53 to the Milwaukee Bucks and defeating the Junior Timberwolves 70-32 on Saturday afternoon. SMSU is now 11-8 overall on the season. The Mustangs will return to action on Saturday, March 5 hosting the Junior Timberwolves in two games beginning at 1:00 pm in Marshall.
The SMSU Tennis team (2-4 overall, 2-2 NSIC) will continue NSIC play on Friday taking on Minnesota Duluth at 5:00 pm in Duluth before squaring off with Winona State on Saturday in Minneapolis with the match beginning at noon.
The SMSU Softball team returned from Denver, CO opening the 2011 season in Crossover competition with three RMAC schools; Metro State, Regis and Colorado School of Mines last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Mustangs went 1-1 with each of the RMAC schools in some great non-conference, in-region games.
The Mustangs will continue non-conference play this Saturday and Sunday participating in the St. Cloud Dome games hosted by St. Cloud State University. The Mustangs will take on Augustana College at 7:00 am on Saturday before playing Minnesota, Crookston at 1:00 pm. On Sunday, SMSU will play Northern State at 7:00 am and St. Cloud State at 9:00 am. A busy weekend for the Mustang Softball team.
Still to come, Mustang Baseball and Women’s Golf will begin their season over Spring Break at SMSU when the SMSU Baseball team will head to Winter Haven, FL to begin the season with 10 games and SMSU Women’s Golf will head to Palm Desert, CA to compete in the Classic Club Invite.
Good luck to all of our Mustang Teams this week. Go Mustangs!
Go Mustangs!
Congratulations to Rick Haberman, who provided the correct answer to last week’s Mustang Hoofprints Trivia Question: SMSU has had eight Head Softball Coaches in a 40 year history, what Head Coach has accumulated the most wins over their career at SMSU? From 1989-1997, Marilyn Strate compiled a 225-138 (.620) record at the helm of Mustang Softball. This year, current Head Coach Shawn Semler (2004 – Present) has an opportunity to pass Coach Strate as he is just 11 wins away from the top spot with a 215-144 (.598) overall record in his tenure with the Mustang Softball Program.
Hoofprints Trivia Question (please put this in a box with the title on top)
Who were the two SMSU Student-athletes who spoke at the 2010 Gold Rush Raffle?
The first person to email me at MustangHoofPrints@SMSU.edu with the correct answer to this question will receive an SMSU t-shirt. The winner will be announced on The Saturday Morning Mustang Show between 9:00 am and 10:00 am on 1400AM each week.
