Alyssa Norton, junior of Rushville, winds up to throw the shot put in the RMAC Indoor Championship in February- Photo by Alex Helmbrecht.

As the snow storm rose in Chadron, CSC’s track and field team was on it’s way to sunshine and beaches.  Despite the travel distance, Head Coach Ryan Baily had nothing but positive things to say about the bus ride to the meets.

“Our athlete’s were excited about the weather and the different level of competition they would be facing,” Bailey said, “the bus ride was long, but other things kept the trip worthwhile.”

CSC’s track and field teams were expected to compete Thursday, but got cancelled when a bomb threat forced evacuation of the California State Univeristy-Los Angeles campus.  The news of the bomb threat spread throughout each team present five minutes prior to the women’s vault competition.

“It was such an unfortunate situation because the athlete’s were ready to compete, but this threat didn’t set them back,” Baily said.

Aria Hughes, sophomore of Hay Springs, was about to make her mark for long jump when she heard the news about the bomb.

“I first heard these girls saying that there was a bomb threat I didn’t know what to think.  My first reaction was to get down to the field and tell coach what I had heard.  I told Coach Ritzen about it and he was very calm and said he was told it was just a fire alarm but I think that was just a cover up to keep everyone calm,” Hughes said.

Fortunately, there were still two meets after the CSU competition was cancelled. Chadron State first headed to the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University on Friday.

Three athletes broke school records for Chadron even with the heavy competition. Karl McFarlane, junior of Montego Bay, beat his own personal best and record in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.93 seconds. This time also captured second place overall, and qualified him for NCAA Division II National Championships.

The other two records were set by sibling duo Kolton and Kaelie Jelden, seniors of Eaton, Colo., both in the pole vault. Kolton Jelden vaulted 15 feet, nine inches to break the record by three and a half inches.

Kaelie Jelden also broke her own record in the pole vault with a height of 11 feet, 10 and a half inches. Her mark places her in second in the RMAC and provisionally qualifies her for the National Championships.

The Eagles then moved on to Long Beach, Calif., for the Long Beach State Invitational on Saturday. There were many athletes who athletes who recorded personal bests in their events.

Rebecca Volf, sophomore of Wood River, set the record for the steeplechase run in 11 minutes and 42.97 seconds. Volf’s time broke the previous record set in 2001 by nearly 20 seconds.

For the men, the 4X4 relay ran the second best time in school history, just 35 hundredths of a second behind the record. The relay team, Brandon Segelke, junior of Sidney, Frederick Culp, junior of Mililani, Hawaii, Gavan Archilbald, sophomore of St.Ann, Jamaica, and Phil Rivera, senior of Apple Valley, Calif., worked together to capture the time of three minutes and 16.47 seconds.

In field events, freshman of Eaton, Colo., Mel Herl threw a season best in the shot put with a throw of 43 feet, six inches.

Chadron State’s track and field team travels closer to home for their next competition, the RMAC Outdoor Championships, held in Golden, Colo., at the Colorado School of Mines.

Bareback rider Collin Chytka, sophomore of Broken Bow, talks with coach Dustin Luper before competing in the September 2012 Chadron State rodeo- Photo by Jennifer Parker.

The Chadron State College Rodeo Team had two event champions last weekend at the Casper College Rodeo in Casper, Wyo.

Katie Loughran, sophomore of Broken Bow, won the barrel race in both rounds with a 15.87 second run in the long go-round, and 15.80 seconds in the short go-round , winning the average with 31.67 seconds.   This is Loughran’s second win of the spring season.

“I had a bad run back in Torrington,” Loughran said Tuesday afternoon.  “I was pushing myself to do better this time around.”

Loughran is ranked fifth in the Central Rocky Mountain Region with 350 points, but said that she doesn’t think there is time left in the season for her to qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo.

Mitch McAdow, senior from Littleton, Colo., also won Tie Down Roping, tying his first calf in 11.0 seconds and his second calf in 10.6 seconds, tallying 21.6 seconds in the average.

“I work a lot on flanking and tying, because that’s where you really win it,”  McAdow said Tuesday.  “I try not to worry too much about how far down the arena the calf gets.”  McAdow is currently ranked second in the region with 625.0 points.

Russell Hipke, junior of Stuart, finished third in steer wrestling.  Hipke entered finals seventh out of the 10-man field after a shaky 6.6 second run in the long go-round, but wrestled his steer in 4.6 seconds during the final go, netting 11.2 seconds in the average.  Hipke is tied for first in steer wrestling in the regional standings with 320 points.

Two other CSC entries placed in the top six in the averages.

Bareback rider Colten Blanchard, junior of Sulphur, La., finished fifth in the average with 141 points.  Blackwell entered finals in tenth place after earning 67 points on his first ride, but tied for first with 74 points in the final go.   Blanchard is ranked sixth in the region with 487.5 points.

Junior Shelby Winchell of Scottsbluff placed sixth in the goat tying, with an 8.4 second run in the long go-round and a 7.7 second final run.  Currently ranked fourth in the region, Winchell is short of third place by only 22.5 points.

With one last rodeo this season, May 3-5 at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo., it will be the last opportunity for the CSC cowboys and cowgirls to earn points and make it to the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, June 9-15.

Baily was hired this spring as the new head volleyball coach after working as the interim head coach for the 2012-2013 season. The volleyball team began practicing on March, 18. They had 24 practices for the players to improve both individually and as a team, Baily said.

She expressed great optimism about her team as they prepare for the upcoming season.

“Overall this spring has been very successful as far as getting the girls faster and stronger and improving techniques on the court,” she said. “We’ve broken a lot of things down for them and have given the girls a ton of reps to create good habits.”

The spring is a time for younger players to gain experience, and all the girls worked hard and have shown improvement,” Baily said.

“Shannon Durck, who medically redshirted in the fall, has established herself as a major contender for outside hitter,” Baily said.

Baily commented that several veteran players have improved this spring as well.

“Erika Roybal and Jessica Jester have really taken on leadership roles and have improved greatly in their respective positions,” she said.

She also noted that Barbie DeCent, 22, junior of Paxton, has worked hard this spring and blossomed into a dominating player.

Baily mentioned that the end of spring marked the beginning of summer training. Involvement between coaches and players is limited during the summer months, so they are given workouts to follow over the summer.

“As a fall sport, the work they put in over the summer will make or break our season,” she said. “I make sure they understand that and are motivated to continue with our lifting and conditioning program so that when we report in August we can focus on getting on the court and not just trying to get them in shape.”

Baily expressed high expectations for her team this fall.

“I expect to be much more competitive in pre-season tournaments and conference play. We will have a lot of new faces on the team and with that comes new team dynamics,” she said. “My biggest expectation is that they grow together as a team while fostering the competitiveness within so that they will be able to translate that into competing extremely hard against other teams.”

The new recruiting class also provides Baily with high hopes for the team.

“We have some very talented ladies coming who are hungry for starting time,” she said.

Baily mentioned that she hopes they take time to prepare over the summer and come into the fall dedicated and motivated to improve.

Brent Bargen, head men’s basketball coach, encourages the team during a time out at the November 30, 2012 game against Colorado Mesa State University- Photo by Ashley Swanson.

No one wants to have a job where their time and energy goes into something they are not passionate about. They want to go to work knowing they are going to love what is to come that day and be satisfied after clocking out. For head men’s basketball coach, Brent Bargen, passion for his job comes from his family.

Bargen’s father and two uncles were coaches at all levels as he grew up. He started coaching alongside his high school coach when he was in college for a summer with an Athletic Amateur Team. The first paid coaching job Bargen received was with a college teammate, Mark Wragge who was hired at Dorchester High School, a very small school in south central Nebraska.  After spending one season at Dorchester, Bargen moved to Lincoln where he was the junior varsity coach for a season at Nebraska Wesleyan University, a NCAA Division III school.

On his coaching start, Bargen  said that, “there is no such thing in life as a perfect situation, especially in coaching. There are many struggles and many rewarding things about coaching.”

One of the struggles is finding time for everything else, “because of the time commitments of the job, one of the worst parts of the occupation is being forced to miss out on a lot of family experiences,” Bargen said.

But there are also rewards that come with coaching.

“It is an awesome experience to see how young people grow while they are in your program,” Bargen said. “Not so much as players, but more so as people. It can be a very tough time for most young people going from adolescents under the supervision of their parental unit to becoming independent young adults.”

Bargen also relayed the idea that when he began coaching, it took a lot of persistance and dedication. After moving to Manhattan, Kan., after Bargen’s wife, Leslie, was promoted within her job, Bargen met up with old friend and opponent Bob Hansen. Hansen helped Bargen receive a meeting with Tom Asbury, the head coach at Kansas State University at the time. Unfortunately, the staff did not have an opening, but Bargen did not give up.

“I went to their office each day in hopes of them creating a job.  Eventually, the coaching staff would send me on errands and do random things for the program. Our family couldn’t survive on another volunteer coaching salary so I started working mornings for a construction company that was doing a project on KSU’s campus and going into the office in the afternoons for practice.  After a few months of volunteering, Coach Asbury did create a job title for me and I was hired as a member of his staff,” Bargen said.

Bargen then went on to coach for six seasons in Long Beach Calif., before moving back to Nebraska where he and his wife are from. He is originally from Milford, after being born in Superior, but spent his senior year in Crete, while his father coached at Doane College. His wife is now the events coordinator for the Chadron State Foundation and Alumni Association. They have three kids, Ashley who will be graduating this May, Zac who transferred to Chadron this year, and Jake who is a senior at Chadron High School.

Bargen has been coaching at Chadron State for seven years after being selected over almost 100 applicants in the summer of 2006. He has coached 11 All-RMAC athletes and had five of his players continue the sport overseas.

Being down 29-9 early in the game, the Whites picked up the pace when sophomore Alex Ferdinand of Rapid City, S.D., made four field goals to rack up points, especially in dire times. His longest kick was for 55 yards, but also made goals of 44, 38, 37, and 27. Long was also happy to see the defense scoring in the game as well.

“I am impressed with Alex’s performance and his 55 yards field goal. He has worked so hard in the off season,” Head Coach Jay Long said.

One of the defensive scores was made by the Cardinals when Tyler Wright, senior cornerback of Arvada, Colo., intercepted the ball and ran 20-yards into the end zone. Quarterback Will Burgess, redshirt freshman of Omaha, also scored a touchdown for the Cardinals with a 20-yard dash. Burgess then later assisted on another touchdown, throwing the ball to Zac Bargen, junior of Chadron. Michael Madkins, junior tailback of Elk Grove, Calif., also scampered four yards to score for the Cardinals.

Junior quarterback of Gering, Patrick O’Boyle threw well for the Whites when he connected with two teammates for touchdowns. Antonio Thompson, junior wide receiver of Savannah, Georgia, scored on a 17-yard reception, and Isaac Holscher, junior wide receiver of Scottsbluff, caught a 33-yard pass to score again.

“Isaac has played a limited role in the past but he did a nice job,” Long said.

A redshirt freshman of Los Angeles, Calif., Cody Paul scored twice, one of his touchdowns putting the Whites ahead for the first time late in the third quarter.

“Cody Paul was definitely a redshirt standout he did a nice job,” Long said.

Ferdinand won the game for the Whites when he kicked a 38-yard field goal after Holscher caught a pass from O’Boyle, giving them the first down.

“It was a beautiful day with a neat atmosphere,” Long said.

Donnie Butler, sophomore of Mathis, Texas, participates in football and track on top of his school work- Photo illustration by Ashley Swanson.

Being a college athlete is a full time job and takes a lot of dedication, time, and effort outside of being a full time student. To add more on their plate, some athletes double up on sports, and have to continue their education.

Phil Rivera, senior of Apple Valley, Calif., plays safety for the CSC football team and is a sprinter for the CSC track team. Rivera received the winning in the 2010 RMAC Outdoor Championship in the 400-meter run and the 200-meter run Indoors. He also was named to the RMAC All-Conference Third Team for football in 2011 and worked himself a spot in the top five in both the 200 and 400 meters at the 2011 RMAC Indoor Track and Field Championships.

“To transition from football to track, I have to change my whole training regiment and diet. They are two completely different sports and require different skills; training for football is completely different than track,” Rivera said. “But the biggest challenge for me was my diet. I love to eat and for football I wanted to be big, this allowed me to eat bigger portions, but for track you don’t want to be too bulky so I have to watch what I eat and try to eat smaller portions.”

Changes that the athletes go through to make their seasons successful can be harder than the actual transition between seasons.

Sadie Waugh, senior of Paxton, plays forward for the CSC basketball team and throws for the CSC track team. Waugh was named into the 2010-2011 RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll. During the 2011-2012 basketball season, Waugh started 23 out of 25 games, qualifying her for CSC’s most consistent post player.

“The mental transition from basketball to track is probably the hardest transition. Going from a team sport to essentially an individual sport is such a different aspect,” Waugh said, “but in basketball I like the pace and physicality of the game and the fact that a team is only as strong as its weakest player, but on the other hand in track I like that success or failure is on me.”

“I love everything about both sports. The team aspect of football is my favorite part. There is just something about the comradery. Nothing beats going to battle on Saturday with your brothers and as for track; it’s all about pushing yourself to your limits,” Rivera said.

Both Phil and Sadie talked about the actual transition between sports and the struggles it caused them at the beginning.

“After doing this for so many years it seems to come natural now, but the first two years were pretty tough on me. I would try to make the transition happen so fast that it would ware me down fast. Nowadays, I know how to go about it so it is less stressful,” Rivera said.

Waugh recognizes that any transition can be difficult, but it does depend on what two sports an athlete is participating in.

“It has been different the past three years because I did basketball post season work as well as track season workouts. The transition is relatively easy for me because I go from fast pace to slowing down a bit, but every dual sport athlete is a little different. This year was even easier, as a senior I don’t have the basketball work too, so being able to focus just on track has been beneficial,” Waugh said.

An athlete has many reason of why they want to participate in two sports; one being that they just can’t chose one over the other.

“If I had a favorite I would be doing just one sport instead of two. When coming to college, I had to make a decision on which sport I wanted to do I loved them both the same,” Rivera said.

Both Rivera and Waugh admitted they wouldn’t be participating in two sports if they didn’t love and enjoy the sports as much as they do.

“I wouldn’t be doing them both for this long if I didn’t love them both, however basketball has been my sport since I was three and feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to play at this level and for as long as I did,” Waugh said.

Most of the athletes on this campus make doubling up in sports look easy, amid the juggling act with school. Rivera and Waugh have come a long way from their first year playing two sports, and even with the time and effort they take, their love for the sports have not changed.

All sports involve some form of movement of the body; therefore, an athlete’s physical well being needs to be sufficient enough in order to participate in their sport.  Due to the competitive nature and willingness to succeed by all means, athletes are always at risk of injuries. There is so much changing of directions, jumping, running, and tackling, the body takes a beating.  The most common injury for all sports is located in the knee, called the Anterior Collateral Ligament injury or ACL for short.

The difference between men and women that may lead to ACL injuries is a wider pelvis in women than men. This difference results in a wider angle at which the upper leg bone meets the lower leg bone.  This increased angle places more stress on a woman’s knee joint, which makes it less stable than a man’s knee joint.

Apolonia Calleja, junior of San Diego, Calif., has been a CSC Cheerleader in college for four years. During the Fall 2012 season, she suffered an ACL tear that ended her season.

“I tore my ACL when I was practicing my tumbling.  I did a tumbling pass on a mat, and when I landed my backflip, the mat slid and my knee popped out.  Recovery was the worst part because my body rejected all my medication. I could barely eat a grape for almost a full week.  It took me almost two months to finally walk decent and four and a half months to finally run.  Gaining back the muscle on my left leg is a struggle because I have so much muscle to build back up. But I just have to keep focusing on one legged exercises and gain the muscle,” Calleja said.

The medial collateral ligament or MCL is one of four ligaments that are important to the stability of the knee joint.  A ligament is made of tough fibrous material and functions to control excessive motion by limiting joint mobility. Freshman Jamie McLain, a Chadron native, also had knee problems during her high school career.

“I tore my ACL and MCL the end of my junior year basketball season.  I was going up for a layup when a player from the other team ran up behind me and I fell out of the court and as I was turning to come back in I heard a distinct pop in my knee and I went down instantly. In that week I got it checked out by an orthopedic surgeon and he could tell right away it was my ACL,” McLain said. “I got an MRI done and they discovered it was both my MCL and ACL. Luckily I didn’t need surgery on my MCL because it would heal itself while I was sitting out for my ACL.  My ACL injury kept me out of sports for six months.”

One sport that gives athletes a beating is football because it is a very physical sport that requires athletes to build endurance, build mental toughness, and gain muscle.  Contrary to the belief that football games are won only during practices, lifting weights during season and before season is just as important.  Football players are required to set time for recovery as well as weight lifting to build muscle and strength. If a player suffers an injury, they are put behind schedule to excel.

“My injury was a torn labrum in my shoulder, along with my cuff torn all the way around 360 degrees and bone chipped off my shoulder. The injury happened my senior year of high school in the 2008 football season. While running the ball, I was tackled by multiple defensive players and placed my hand out to brace myself to stay up and the weight of me and the other players dislocated my shoulder and caused the injuries stated previously,” junior safety Joseph Phillips, 21, of San Diego, Calif., said. “I was out for only a week before beginning to play again. It was not until a year and a half later in college I had surgery. After my surgery I was out for about five to six months. Rehab consisted of multiple shoulder exercises with no weight at first, and then vary lightweight later. It was also stretched out very carefully in order to gain flexibility back in the joint. After the five to six months passed my injured shoulder was still nowhere near as strong as my healthy one but today, two years later, I feel it is either as strong or stronger then my non injured one and I have gained even more strength then I had before surgery.”

There is no doubt that athletes’ bodies go through a great deal of training and performing, but there is nothing more frightening than season ending injuries.  Even with injuries, the athletes’ love for the sport they are in drives them to dominate recovery exercises and return to their sport brand new.

The CSC softball team had two wins and two losses to the Regis University Rangers Saturday and Sunday during the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in Denver.

The two wins came during Saturday’s two games with a 10-2 score in the opening game and a 7-1 score in the final game.

The two losing games on Sunday ended with final scores of 4-3 and 6-1.

The first winning game on Saturday started off good for the Eagles when Rebecca Wetsch, sophomore of Erie, Colo., hit a 3-run home run in the first inning and Danielle L’Argent, senior of Clovis, Calif., scored a 2-run shot in the fourth inning.

It continued well for the Eagles who scored four more runs in the fifth inning. Wetsch hit a 2-run double, Shea Graham, freshman of Colorado Springs, Colo., hit an RBI triple and Ashlynn Marino, senior of Fresno, Calif., also got a run in.

The Rangers were able to score one run in the fifth inning but Aryn Grywusiewicz, junior of Denver, was able to retire the final two batters. During the five innings Grywusiewicz managed to get only eight hits and struck out two batters.

Both Wetsch and Katie Londo, junior of Colorado Springs, Colo., went 3-for-3 for the eagles and Londo and Amy Schartz, senior of Brady, both scored two runs.

The second game on Saturday started with one run in by Regis during the bottom of the first inning but the Eagles rebutted with seven runs during the next innings.

Schartz went 4-for-4 and got four RBIs.

Sarah Knudsen, junior of Parker, Colo., and Graham each scored two runs.

Marino scored two runs in the top of the second inning with a 2-RBI double. Nikki Ritzen, a senior of Chadron, and Schartz each scored two runs.

Kylee Polsley, junior of Omaha, finished the game allowing only five hits and struck out two.

After winning both games Saturday the Eagleslost both games to the Rangers on Sunday.

The opening game was stuck in a tie of 3-3 in the sixth inning which sent the game to extra innings.

The Rangers scored in the bottom of the ninth to win the opening game against the Eagles.

Londo scored three of the Eagles’ nine hits and finished with an RBI and Grywusiewicz pitched eight innings allowing nine hits and three runs.

The second game was a struggle for the Eagles and they finished with a 6-1 loss.

Wetsch came out of the game with two hits for the Eagles.

Chadron State will be hosting Colorado Mines for the final home series this Saturday.

Coach Rob Stack was unavaliable for questioning on the upcoming games this weekend.

Jonn McLain, junior of Chadron. HT: 5’11”; WT: 188 lbs. 2012 SEASON:  Passing – ATT: 362; COMP: 239; TOT YDS: 2,606; YDS/G: 217.17; INT: 6; TD: 30. Rushing – ATT: 50; YDS GAINED: 135; YDS LOST:  123; AVE/G: 0.2. TD: 5. CAREER: Passing – ATT: 638; COMP: 441; TOT YDS: 4,919; AVE/G: 196.8; INT: 14; TD: 49. Rushing – ATT: 90; YDS: 38; TD: 17; AVE/G: 1.5.

“His head, he’s a smart player,” Offensive Coordinator Chris Stein said about McLain. “He knows the offense and he’s extremely accurate. He’s not the fastest player, but that’s kind of two-fold because we don’t ask him to run the ball. We’d rather him throw it.”

McLain’s thoughts: Individually, McLain plans on working hard in the offseason and being ready for fall camp.

“I want to prepare each week and have fun playing with the best teammates and coaches around,” McLain said.

As for the team, McLain expects to compete for the RMAC title and make a run in the playoffs.McLain will be the starting quarterback for the Eagles again this fall.

Patrick O’Boyle, junior of Gering. HT: 6’3”; WT: 200lbs. 2012 SEASON:  Passing – ATT: 11; COMP: 8; TOT YDS: 90; YDS/G: 30; INT: 0; TD: 1. Rushing – ATT: 9; YDS GAINED: 24; YDS LOST:  4; AVE/G: 6.67. TD: 0. CAREER: Passing – ATT: 28; COMP: 17; TOT YDS: 141; AVE/G: 5.0; INT: 0; TD: 1. Rushing – ATT: 14; YDS: 35; TD: 0; AVE/G: 1.7.

“He’s an unbelievable leader,” Stein said, “he gets the people around him to play better.”

Although O’boyle’s accuracy is one of his weaknesses, Stein said he’s improving tremendously this spring season.

“He’s a smart player,” Stein said.

“Individually I am going to continue to learn the game as a whole and gain a better understanding of all the different situations that could possibly happen,” O’boyle said. “I’m going to keep working hard to better myself as a football player.”

The positivity for the team continues with O’boyle’s expectations for the team.

“I’m expecting great things this upcoming season. We have a lot of athleticism and a lot of speed. We have a great bunch of guys on the team and we area very close team,” O’boyle said.

For the team O’boyle expects to be competitive in the RMAC.

“This team has a lot of potential and talent and we all think that our coaching staff, everyone on the team, and the hard work that we put in on a daily basis we can go a long way when the season kicks off in August,” O’boyle said.

RUNNING BACKS:     by Lindsey Ferguson

Glen Clinton, senior of Cody, Wyo. HT: 5’10”; WT: 200 lbs.; 2012 SEASON: Rushing – GP: 12-10; ATT: 217; YDS GAINED: 1368; YDS LOST: 18; Net: 1350; TD: 7; AVG/G: 112.5. Receiving – GP: 12-10; No: 21; YDS: 218; TD: 1; AVG/G: 18.2; TD: 8; Points: 48. Total Offense –Plays: 217; Rush: 1350; Total: 1350; AVG/G: 112.5. CAREER: Rushing – ATT: 587; YDS: 3138; TD: 19; AVG/G: 101.2. Receiving – Rec: 64; YDS: 502; TD: 1; REC/G: 2.1; AVG/G: 16.2. Total Offense – Rush: 3138; Total: 3138; AVG/G: 101.2.

“Glen Clinton is our returning starter,” Graduate Assistant Tailback Coach Jacob Iodence said. “He had a great season and is having a great spring. We feel confident in his ability and feel that some of our younger guys could use more reps than him so he has not taken a whole lot of reps this spring. Glen, being the guy he is has the respect of everyone on the team. He is fearless and although he does not say a whole lot, he is a leader by example.”

Michael Madkins, junior of Elk Grove, Calif. HT: 5’7”; WT: 170 lbs.; 2012 SEASON: Rushing – GP: 12-10; ATT: 89; YDS GAINED: 522; YDS LOST: 35; Net: 487; AVG: 5.5; TD: 5; AVE/G: 44.3. Receiving – GP: 11-1; YDS: 63; AVG: 5.2; TD: 1; AVG/G: 5.7. Punt Returns – YDS: 68; AVG: 34.0; Kick Returns – YDS: 162; AVG: 18.0; TD: 6; Points: 36. Total Offense – GP: 11; Plays: 89; Rush: 487; AVG/G: 44.3. CAREER: Rushing – ATT: 180; YDS: 981; TD: 8; AVG/G: 44.6. Receiving – YDS: 96; TD: 1; AVG/G: 4.4. Punt Returns – NO: 15; YDS: 125; AVG/G: 5.7. Kick Returns – NO: 16; YDS: 367; Long: 48; 22.9; AVG/G: 16.7. Total Offense – G: 22; Rush: 981; AVG/G: 44.6.

“Michael Madkins was our backup last year and right now is in the same roll,” Iodence said. “Michael is a guy that we again feel very confident with. Michael has a great burst and is a great combination with Glen. Michael is the most vocal person in the group. He is a funny, light hearted guy and at times that is needed during the grind of a season.”

Donnie Butler, sophomore of Mathis, Texas. HT: 5’10”; WT: 161 lbs.; 2012 SEASON: Rushing – GP: 6-0; ATT: 9; YDS GAINED: 39; YDS LOST: 0; Net: 39; AVG: 4.3; TD: 0; AVG/G: 6.5. Punt Returns – YDS: 12; AVG: 12.0. Kick Returns – YDS: 43; AVG: 21.5. Total Offense – GP: 6; Plays: 9; Rush: 39; Total: 39; AVG/G: 6.5.

“Each of these three guys bring something different to the table,” Iodence said. Each of them has their strengths and weaknesses. They are all three having a great spring and competing well. It will be tough to say of those three guys who is the #3 running back; however it will depend heavily on who comes back ready to go next fall.”

“My personal expectations of the backs,” Iodence said, “are to be great competitors and constantly improve. I don’t have goals for them in terms of yards or carries. If we do our job, compete and get better we will win football games and that is the ultimate goal.”

WIDE RECEIVERS:     by Ashley Swanson

Nathan Ross, senior of San Diego, Calif. HT: 5’11”; WT: 185 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Number of receptions–54; YARDS: 805; AVE/G: 67.08; TD: 10; Kick Returns: 15; YARDS: 357. AVE/G: 23.8. CAREER:  Number of receptions–133; YARDS: 1771; AVE/G: 52.1; TD: 17; Kick Returns: 35; YARDS: 905. AVE/G: 26.6.

Travis Reeves, senior of Chadron, HT: 5’11”; WT: 200 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Number of receptions–17; YARDS: 177; AVE/G: 22.13; TD: 0. CAREER:  Number of receptions–59; YARDS: 778; AVE/G: 24.3; TD: 4.

“Travis and Nathan are going to be seniors; I want their best season. They’re both solid players,” Joe McLain, Graduate Assistant Wide Receiver Coach, said. “They’re going to be successful because they work hard.”

Danny O’Boyle, sophomore of Gering HT: 6’; WT: 175 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Number of receptions–9; YARDS: 127; AVE/G: 21.17; TD: 0.

“Danny and Kyle Vinch are both up and coming young players.” McLain said. “They’ll be contributors and [will] step up on special teams and be big assets on offense.”

OFFENSIVE LINE:     by Brooke Schumacher

Jake McCrary, senior of Valentine, HT: 6’5”; WT: 260 lbs 2012 SEASON:  GP: 12; Field Goal Blocks: 1. CAREER: GP: 23; Field Goal Blocks: 2.

“Jake McCrary is also a great leader who shows dedication and tough love towards his teammates,” Graduate Assistant Offensive Line Coach Josh Breske said.

Mike Lorenzo, junior of Oak Park, Calif. HT: 6’1”; WT: 270 lbs 2012 SEASON:  GP: 12. CAREER: Total GP: 22

“Mike Lorenzo is one of our most talented offensive linemen,” Breske said.

Sam Parker, junior of Harrison. HT: 6’2”; WT: 280 lbs

“Sam Parker started for us last season and some the season before; not only is he a hardworking athlete he is a great person who never takes the easy way out and is a great academic student while being an athlete,” Breske said.

TEAM AVERAGES: 4.5 per carry; Passing: YDS: 235.6; Total Offense YDS: over 440

“Our goal is to be the top rushing offense this season,” Breske said. “We always tell the boys if you can run you’re going to be hard to stop.”

“This next season we are bringing back a lot of experience and we plan to experiment with some new plays and blocking schemes, while staying focused on our basic fundamentals,” Breske said.

“The top three offensive linemen coming back this next season are Mike Lorenzo, Jake McCrary, and Sam Parker,” coach Breske said, “and the incoming offensive linemen who have been catching the coaches’ eye are Daniel Sotelo, who has worked hard over spring ball, and Tony Hartman, who has stepped up his game and is playing with a lot of confidence.”

INSIDE RECEIVERS:     by Molly Wedan 

Chapman Ham, junior of Rapid City, S.D. HT: 6’ 2”; WT: 235 lbs. 2012 SEASON: REC: 49; YARDS: 503; AVE/G: 41.92; TD: 4. CAREER: REC: 65; YARDS: 661; AVE/G: 20; TD: 7.

Cody Roes, junior of Chadron. HT: 6’2” WT: 217 lbs. 2012 SEASON: REC: 32; YARDS: 317; AVE/G: 28.82; TD: 4. CAREER: REC: 63; YARDS: 685; AVE/G: 22.8; TD: 9.

Austen Stephens, junior of Lincoln, HT: 6’3”; WT: 240 lbs. 2012 SEASON: REC: 10; YARDS: 60; AVE/G: 6.2; TD: 1. CAREER: REC: 10; YARDS: 68; AVE/G: 4.9.

Zach Sandstrom, junior of Chadron. HT: 6’1”; WT: 255 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Tackles – UA: 11; A: 11; Tackles- YDS LOST: 3-6; Sacks – YDS: .5 – 3

What are your expectations for the coming season?

“We want to make it even further into the playoffs this year and possibly even to the championship game,” Sandstrom said. “If everyone does their job on defense, the defense will work. I expect everyone to do their job on the team and have a defense that works as it should.”

Dillon Breinig, junior of Arapahoe. HT: 6’2”; WT: 250 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Tackles – UA: 3; A: 3

Olufemi Aaron, sophomore of Pasadena, Calif. HT: 6’3”; WT: 226 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Tackles – UA: 3; A: 1

“I have high expectations for the season and hope to make it pretty deep into the playoffs. I hope everyone continues to work hard on the team,” Aaron said. “There is a lot of work to do and I want everyone to step up and dominate this coming season.”

“I expect 100 percent effort from the guys,” Graduate Assistant Defensive Line Coach Kyle King said. “I want to see them flying on the field and working hard. I expect them to lead by example and give 100 percent effort when playing and practicing.”

CORNERBACKS:     by Emma Stokely

Lane Haller, junior of Gordon. HT: 6’3”; WT: 205 lbs. 2012 SEASON:  Tackles – SOLO: 32; AST: 27; TOTAL: 59; TFL-YDS: 5.0-10. Pass defense- Int-Yds: 3-37: BU: 1; PD: 4. Fumbles: RCV YDS: 1-0. CAREER: Tackles – UA: 46; A: 37; TOT: 83. Interceptions- G: 21; YARDS: 42; LONG: 37.  Scoring- TD: 1.

“Lane had a great winter and spring. We expect good things from him in the fall.  He is a leader on and off the field.  He works hard in the classroom, in the community, and helps the younger players become better,” Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Craig Jersild said.

“I always have really high expectations for myself.  I want to do whatever I need to do to make the team better.  I don’t see myself as an individual leader, but I do try my best to help the younger players be the best they can be,” Haller said.

Conor Casey, junior of Rapid City, SD. HT: 6’2”; WT: 200 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Tackles – SOLO: 28; AST: 8; TOTAL: 36; TFL-YDS: 3.5-14. Pass defense- INT YDS: 4-80 BU: 10; PD: 14. FUMBLES: RCV YDS: 1-0. CAREER: TACKLES – UA: 31; A: 9; TOT: 40. INTERCEPTIONS: G: 19; YARDS: 80; LONG: 41.

“Conor is a great player and we can’t wait to see what he’s going to do this fall.  He is great with helping the younger players improve.  He is not only a great player, but also a great student and member of the community,” Jersild said.

“I want to improve myself from last year and make myself a better player.  I try to lead by example and keep everyone positive.  It is important for me to try to lead the younger plays both on and off the field,” Casey said.

SPECIAL TEAMS:     by Salah Eddine Salmi

Alex Ferdinand, junior of Rapid City, S.D. HT: 5’-10”; WT: 185 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Field Goals: ATT: 19; MADE: 16; BLOCKED: 1; Long: 47; CAREER: ATT: 50; MADE: 46; Kickoffs- NO: 4; YDS: 253; OUT: 2.

“Alex is a down to business guy, not a vocal leader but takes pride in what he does,” Graduate Assistant Linebacker Coach Richard Fairhead said.

“The team is definitely improving, and everyone is working hard,” Ferdinand said. “My leg got a lot stronger , I am kicking really well, but  I still need to work  more on my leg shrink, and work also on my punting as well.”

“I am not trying to lead but I really try hard to work for the team and do my best, and hopefully they see that,” Ferdinand said.

LINEBACKERS:     by Teri Robinson

Bryant Miller, senior of Minatare. HT: 6’0”; WT: 205 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Tackles: – SOLO:13; AST: 35; TOTAL: 48; TFL: 4.5; YDS: 10; Sacks: -NO: 1.0;  YDS: 3; INT: – NO: 1; YDS: 0; PASS: – BRUP: 2; CAREER: INT: – G: 17; NO: 1; All Purpose: - G: 17; Tackles: – G: 17; UA: 23; A: 38; TOTAL: 61; TFL: 5.5;  PD: 4; Sacks: – G: 17; UA: 1; TOTAL: 1.0; YDS: 3;

“We need to work on fundamentals,” Miller said.  “Everyone this year has experience.”

“Getting him on All Conference is important,” Fairhead said. “He got injured last season.”

Shea Koch, senior of Custer, S.D. HT: 6’1”; WT: 220 lbs.; 2012 SEASON: Tackles: – SOLO: 40; AST: 57; TOTAL: 97; TFL: 5.5; YDS: 20; Sacks: – NO: 4.0; YDS: 17; Fumble: – FF: 2;  Pass: – QBH: 1; BRUP: 1; Career: Tackles- G: 21; UA: 64; A: 82; TOTAL: 146; TFL: 9.5; PD: 1; FF: 2; Sacks: – G: 21; UA: 4; A: 1; TOTAL: 4.5; YDS: 20

“We need to be leaders on the field,” Koch said. “Everyone needs to know what’s going on. I need to improve overall my skill as a player and make sure to get my responsibilities down.”

“He was Second Team All Conference and would be awesome to get him on First Team,” Fairhead said.

“Shea and Bryant should have a good season as seniors and the younger guys need to step up.”

Dylan Furrier, sophomore of Tucson, Ariz. HT: 6’0”; WT: 225 lbs.; 2012 SEASON: Tackles: – UA: 12; AST: 17; Total: 29; TFL: 2.0; YDS: 4; Fumble: – FF: 1; CAREER: Tackles: – G: 10; UA: 12;  A: 17; TOTAL: 29; TFL: 2.0; FF: 1;

“To stay healthy since I was out last spring and last season. Also, to play the whole season and be out on the field,” Furrier said.

“We are looking at him to become a more consistent player. Get him to be more of a full time starter,” Fairhead said.

“We are looking for leaders,” Fairhead said. “Shea Koch and Bryant Miller are doing a good job of making calls on the field. As a whole we are looking for fast, physical players.”

SAFETIES:     by Celeste Lee

Trelan Taylor, senior of La Mesa, Calif. HT: 5’10”; WT: 195 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Interceptions – 8; TOT YDS: 107; AVE/G: 13.38 TD: 1. Punt returns – 22; TOT YDS: 269; AVE/G: 12.23; TD: 1. CAREER: Interceptions – 10; TOT YDS: 149; AVE/G: 14.9; TD: 1. Punt returns – 61; TOT YDS: 578; AVE/G: 9.5; TD: 1.

“He will be a big play maker and knows defense well,” Assistant  Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Craig Jersild said.

“For the upcoming season, I want to lead the league and country in interceptions. Playing at that high intensity will encourage my teammates to match that level of play, making us the best,” Taylor said.

“The coaches and players look to me as one of the few guys to lead this team.  I humbly accept that.  The coaches have always told me that I need to step up and be a more vocal leader.  Even though it is in my nature to lead by example, I am willing to change in order to help the team.  I count on the rest of the guys on the team just like they count on me.  When adversity strikes, I will step up to the challenge and show my teammates that we are tougher than anyone out there.  And I think that is part of what being a leader is about,” Taylor said.

Jojo Phillips, senior of La Mesa, Calif. HT: 5’11”; WT: 205 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Kick returns – 1; TOT YDS: 10; AVE/G: 10. Tackles – UA: 8; A: 7; TOT: 15. CAREER: Kick returns – 1; TOT YDS: 10; AVE/G: 10; Rushing – ATT: 22; TOT YDS: 90; AVE/G: 4.1. Tackles – UA: 13; A: 9; TOT: 22.

“He was really good this year and I have high hopes for him this fall,” Jersild said.

“I will contribute to the team by making turnovers. I am not much of a vocal leader, but lead with actions more than words,” Phillips said.

Cole Montgomery, sophomore of Casper, Wyo. HT: 5’11”; WT: 195 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Interceptions – 1; Kick returns – 12; TOT YDS: 32; AVG/G: 2.7. Tackles – UA: 21; A: 21; TOT: 21; CAREER: Interceptions – 1; Kick returns – 12; TOT YDS: 32; AVG/G: 2.7. Tackles – UA:  21; A: 21; TOT: 21.

“He made big plays last year and will be more comfortable next season,” Jersild said.”

“I try to help the team do better as a team. It is only my second year, so I let Taylor and Sasse lead,” Montgomery said.

Pierre Etchemendy, senior of Douglas, Wyo. HT: 6’1”; WT: 200 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Tackles – UA: 20; A: 15; TOT:  35.  CAREER: Sacks – UA: 1; TOT: 1. Tackles – UA: 65; A: 37; TOT: 100.

“He will make a lot of plays,” Jersild said.

“I want to have at least one interception and create more pass breakups and tackles. Since I will be a senior, I will be a vocal leader for the defense,” Etchemendy said.

Clint Sasse, senior of Martin, S.D. HT: 5’11”; WT: 215 lbs. 2012 SEASON: Tackles – UA: 12; A: 19; TOT: 31.  CAREER: Tackles – UA:  41; A: 70; TOT: 111.

“He will make big plays that will help us,” Jersild said.

“First I want to have the defense win RMAC championship and I will play my best. I am a vocal leader that brings excitement to practices and helps everyone,” Sasse said.