SMSU Athletics

September 5, 2014 – Hoof Prints Article
 
Hello Mustang Fans!
 
Wow, where did the summer go? This Wednesday, we had our first Mustang Booster Club Luncheon where our fall head coaches gave us a preview of their upcoming seasons. The coaches talked about potential freshmen that could make an impact this fall and how our new student-athletes were adjusting to the pace of NCAA Division II athletics. They also talked about the team leadership and what returners would be impacting each of the teams throughout the fall. This weekend, cross country, football, women’s soccer, volleyball and women’s golf are all competing to kick-off the fall athletic season.
 
As always, the SMSU Department of Athletics and the Mustang Booster Club have a full schedule of events for you and your family on the campus of SMSU and out in the community this fall. This Saturday, September 6, SMSU Athletics will host the 9th Annual Mustang Shootout at Shooter’s Sporting Clays presented by the Marshall Radio Station and Shooter’s Sporting Clays.
 
Registration starts at 8:00 am with the sporting clay competition (100 birds) beginning at 9:30 am. Last year, we had over 100 shooters join us and this year, we are looking to increase our numbers. If your not signed up yet, you can still  come on out to Shooter’s Sporting Clays and register at the event.  We look forward to seeing you out at Shooter’s Sporting Clays this Saturday.
 
Last Saturday, the cast of characters reunited to host Saturday Morning Mustang on 1400 AM KMHL beginning at 9:00 am. It is a great way to hear what is going on in SMSU Athletics as well as hear the weekly updates from our head coaches. Join Aaron Ziemer, Kelly Loft, Tim Steinbach, myself and our head coaches for an hour of Mustang Athletics.
 
Please mark your calendars for all our  fall athletic events. For all the details on these events and Mustang Athletics, please go to SMSUmustangs.com.
 
This Week in SMSU Athletics
Head Soccer Coach TJ Buchholz, and the #21 ranked SMSU Women’s Soccer team will open the 2014 regular season at home this weekend with a couple of Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) opponents at the Schwan Regional Event Center. SMSU opens the season taking on Fort Hays State (Kan.) on Friday night starting at 6:00 pm, before taking on Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday starting at 1:00 pm.

The 2013 season was a break-through season for the Mustang Women’s Soccer team. TJ Buchholz was named the 2013 NSIC Coach of the Year by his peers. Coach Buchholz had a busy off-season as he welcomes a total of 30 student-athletes­, including 17 returning letterwinners, one transfer and 12 incoming freshmen.
 
The Mustangs recorded their best record in school history, were ranked nationally for six weeks and finished the season ranked No. 18. SMSU qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history and advanced to the region championship game. SMSU returns seven of the top eight scorers from last year’s team. We look forward to another exciting year of SMSU Women’s soccer starting this Friday.
 
The Mustang Football team will open the 2014 season on Saturday at 2:30 pm in Bismarck, ND versus the University of Mary. The Mustangs are coming off an impressive season going 7-5 with its first NCAA Division II post-season appearance in the Mineral Water Bowl. Head Football Coach, Cory Sauter, begins his fifth season at the helm of the SMSU Football program compiling a 19-27overall record.
The Mustangs return a number of key players on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. On offense, SMSU will have two familiar names in the back field with quarterback, Charlie Kern, and running back Tyler Tonderum, who was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award last year. On Defense, the Mustangs return defensive ends, A.J. Page and Jake Levtzow.
 
The SMSU Volleyball team begins the year ranked #7 in the country and will open the 2014 season competing in the Concordia St. Paul Tournament this Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the Mustangs will take on Wheeling Jesuit (WV) at 2:30 pm before facing NSIC foe and host of the tournament #1 Concordia St. Paul. On Saturday, SMSU will turn around and face Ashland (OH) at 9:30 am and conclude tournament play against Missouri S & T at 2:30 pm.
 
Terry Culhane returns for his 11th season as head coach with an impressive 260-71 record. Coach Culhane will welcome nine returning letterwinners, one transfer and five incoming freshmen to his 15-member roster.The Mustangs made their tenth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in school history, including its ninth consecutive trip.
 
The Mustang Women’s Golf team opens the 2014 season of competition this weekend traveling to Detroit Lakes, MN, for a pair of tournaments hosted by Concordia College at Wildflower Golf Course. On Friday, SMSU will compete in the 18-hole Cobber Open starting at 1:00 pm, while on Saturday and Sunday, the Mustangs will play in the 36-hole Concordia Invite.
 
The Mustangs finished sixth last season at the 14-team Cobber Open and earned an eighth place finish in the rain-shortened 14-team Concordia Invite. SMSU finished second at both the Cobber Open and Concordia Invite in 2013 and won the Concordia Invite in both 2010 and 2011. Mustang head coach Ross Webskowski, in his 11th season, has nine players on this year's roster, including four returning letterwinners from last season's team.


Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach, Nate Wolf, begins his third season at SMSU and will open the  2014 season on Friday night competing at the Augustana Twilight Meet in Sioux Falls, S.D. The race will take place at Yankton Trail Park with the running path throughout certain parts of the course illuminated using glow sticks as well as lights from the soccer fields adjacent to Yankton Trail Park. Over 20 teams are expected to compete in the event with the women's 3-mile race starting at 8:30 pm, followed by the men's 4-mile race at 9:00 pm.
 
Coach Wolf, will have seven of his eight-member women's roster in the race, while 11 of the 13-members of the men's team are expected to compete this weekend. The SMSU Women’s and Men’s Cross Country teams were reinstated three years ago and are looking to improve on the 2013 fall season.
 
I would like to wish all of our teams the best of luck this season!
 
Go Mustangs!
 
Hoofprints Trivia Question (please put this in a box with the title on top)
 
What former SMSU student-athlete was inducted into the NSIC Hall of Fame this summer for her accomplishments in Women’s Basketball?
 
The first person to email me at MustangHoofPrints@SMSU.edu with the correct answer to this question will receive an SMSU t-shirt.