3/22/2006 – News
Volume 123, Number 7
Four Winds takes third in state
The Four Winds Indians boys basketball team took third place in the ND State Class B Boys Basketball Tournament. Pictured are, front row, Carolyn Lohnes, Wanda Stensland, Shantel Dubois, mascot Kris White, Jessica Stensland and Jani Adams. Middle row: Mattie Medicinestone, Donalda Littlewind, Brittany Iceman, Dallas Littlewind, Tony Ironheart, Kellen Littlewind, Chanze Herman, Samantha Baer and Tiffany Greybear. Back row: Shirley Stensland, Coach Rick Smith, Assistant Coach Doug Yankton, Steve Cavanaugh, Zack Alberts, Dave de la Paz, Reno Littleghost, Quentin Lovejoy, Mike Meade, Riley Smith, C.J. Ironheart and Assistant Coach Sean Gourd.|
Scenes from State Class B Basketball Tournament
Coach is native of this area
Four Winds Indians coach Rick Smith (standing) is a graduate of Warwick Public School in 1982 and a graduate of the University of North Dakota in 1988, with a degree in elementary education.
Rick has worked at Four Winds Community School for 18 years. He taught in the elementary and middle school. Rick was named NDIA Teacher of the Year in 1994. The past 4 years Rick has been the K-12 athletic director at Four Winds. Rick was named district and region Athletic Director of the Year in 2004-2005.
Rick has been head coach of the Four Winds boys basketball program for 9 years (1993-1998, 2000-2003 and 2006). Rick was named district coach of the year in 1996 and 2006.
Rick has also coached in the football program the past five years in the elementary and high school levels. He has also coached junior high and elementary basketball.
Rick enjoys working with the student athletes at all levels, whether it is directing summer youth camps or youth intramural programs at Four Winds.
Cheerleaders are, left to right, Wanda Stensland, Jessica Stensland, Carolyn Lohnes and Shantel Dubois. Kris White is the team mascot.
The Four Winds Indians’ mascot and the Bismarck Shiloh Christian Skyhawks’ mascot provide entertainment on the sideline with a fake battle.
The scoreboard reflected Four Winds’ third place win over Shiloh Christian Saturday.
Esmond native coaches his team to another championship
Esmond native Mark Brown coached his Limon (Colo.) Badgers to their second straight Class 2A state basketball championship defeating Holyoke 55-46 in Pueblo, Colo. March 11.
The previous night Limon struggled against Sangre de Cristo, winning 49-48 in a physical game.
But in the championship game, Amanda Brown couldn’t stop smiling as she stood at the free-throw line late in the fourth quarter Saturday night at the Pueblo Events Center before 4,100 fans.
The Limon junior forward knew she controlled the outcome of the Class 2A girls state title game and her confidence never seemed to waver.
Brown made 11 of 12 free throw attempts in the final quarter to seal Limon’s second consecutive title in a 55-46 win over Holyoke.
Our only goal in the second half was to drive to the basket so we could get to the line if we missed, Brown said. We played great defense and got some key baskets from a bunch of players to win it again. The feeling keeps getting better and better.
In similar fashion to last year, Brown and Justine Sandersfeld took turns hoisting the golden ball trophy, posing for pictures and screaming for joy in massive group hugs.
Both played key roles for Limon (26-0), which extended its winning streak to 52 games.
Brown got it started off the opening tip when she ran to the left wing and drained a 3-pointer.
With Holyoke holding a 14-9 lead in the second quarter, Brown drove and connected on a short jump shot. She later made another short jumper, put back a rebound and sank a clutch shot from the left wing to cut the deficit to two with a minute to play in the half.
Whitney Liggett’s 3-pointer with five seconds left gave Limon a 24-23 lead at halftime.
Then it was time for Sandersfeld, who finished with 18 points.
With the Badgers shooting poorly — 36 percent for the game — Sandersfeld kept her team in the game in the third quarter. The senior forward scored eight points, blocked two shots and had two steals in the quarter. Her second block came against Vanessa Timm, who scored eight points in the third quarter.
I’ve been in foul trouble all year long, Sandersfeld said. Coach tells me the team needs me in the game so I have to be careful, but that was the right time for those two blocks.
Brown said the blocks ignited the team’s defensive effort.
That was huge, she said. It gave some energy. Then we started getting big plays from other people like Hannah (Naylor) and Whitney (Liggett).
Liggett (11 points) finished with three 3-pointers and Naylor grabbed three defensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, when Limon coach Mark Brown utilized a stall offense.
Holyoke had won its previous 22 games and had not lost to a team from the state all season but, with Limon up four points and playing a stall game, the Dragons were forced to foul. Brown simply delivered for Limon, sinking foul shots with ease — and a smile.
She’s confident, especially at the line — I love her, said Mark Brown of his daughter Amanda, who finished with a game-high 24 points and scored Limon’s last 11 points. Ask any of the girls, they never get tired of winning state titles.
Amanda Brown, a junior, was named the tournaments most valuable player.
The Lady Badgers record for the past six years is 144-9. Mark Brown, a 1977 graduate of Esmond High School, has been the coach since 1992 and he was assistant coach for two years prior to that. He is the son of Reuben and Dorothy Brown of Esmond, who once again made the trip to Pueblo to see their son’s team win the state championship.
His team took third at the state in 2001 and it captured the state championships in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. In 2004 the team missed going to the state championship when it lost by 5 points in the regionals.
Coach Brown says the future looks promising for 2007. He only had two seniors on the 2006 team.
The following interview was conducted by Bob Schaller of The Gazette in Pueblo:
With the Class 2A state girls basketball title on the line, Holyoke decided to play physical against defending state champion Limon. But Limon’s Amanda Brown stayed cool, knocking down 11 of 12 free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter to ice the school’s third title in four years. Brown was named tournament MVP after scoring a game-high 24 points. The 5-foot-9 junior is The Gazette’s high school Athlete of the Week.
Did you feel pressure in the fourth quarter at the free-throw line?
No. There will be more pressure next year. When I shoot free throws, I block everything out and just think about making that shot.
Your father, Mark Brown, is Limon’s coach — has he stressed free-throw shooting to you through the years?
Actually, my dad has been the coach here since I was little and, as a result, I was always in the gym with the team. I was manager all through elementary and high school. So I had a lot of time to just shoot free throws.
Holyoke came after your team with a physical style of play — how did that affect you?
It did get pretty rough. We just adjusted. Everyone stepped up and that’s how we won.
You did miss one free throw in the fourth quarter — did that affect you?
Not at all. I shot a dozen — I think I can allow myself to miss one.
How important was it for you to help send senior teammate/standout Justine Sandersfeld out with another title?
For sure, that was important. We’ve been best friends since elementary school and have played basketball and run track together. So I’m happy for my best friend. She’s a great athlete, and a great person.
Might you two play together in college?
That would be awesome. She hasn’t decided yet. She might be going to UCCS for basketball, or to Northern Colorado for track. So it’s too early to say if we’ll have the chance to play together in college.
Was there a concern trailing at the end of the first quarter (12-9) in the title game?
We weren’t losing by very much. It wasn’t like we had to play catch-up. It’s frustrating though when you’re behind by a few points because you always want to be on top.
Everyone wants to beat your team — what’s that like, all season?
It’s crazy. We know before every single game that teams just want to beat us so they can say that they beat Limon. We just focus on what we have to do in order to win.
What makes Limon a special place?
All the community support. The community supports sports here tremendously. Everyone comes to all the sporting events. We come together as a town when it comes to sports.
How do you deal with your father coaching you?
He definitely goes harder on me than anyone else. It was hard to get used to as a freshman, but its better now. We watch film together after games and talk about what happened. As a freshman, it was tough, but once we made that transition and we got used to it, it’s all been great.
Could you have a new role on the team next year, maybe playing some post, with Justine graduating?
I don’t know. We have younger girls that are post players and they should be pretty good.
Will next year’s pressure to repeat again be unbearable?
I haven’t even thought about next year. I’m still absorbing all of this.
Do you feel like you have to win another title next year as a senior?
In Limon, there’s been a tradition in a lot of sports going back a long time, so it’s more doing what you have to do to be successful, and not worrying about the other stuff.
What do you do to relax?
To relax . . . what’s that? Usually, I watch TV, or get on the Internet, or hang out with friends.
What class is your favorite?
Math. I’ve been thinking about going into accounting or business, something like that.
Are you signing early with a college, or will you wait?
No, I’ll keep my options open. We’ll see what happens.
You also play softball — is there any overlap in terms of skills with basketball?
Mostly, it’s just being competitive, going out there wanting to win every game, and doing everything you can to make that happen.
This article was compiled from reports by Scott Prater and Bob Schaller of The Gazette in Pueblo, Colo.; Theresa Smith of the Denver Post; and Matt Southard of the Rocky Mountain News in Denver.
Esmond native Mark Brown coached his Limon, Colo. Badgers to their fourth state championship in five years.
A North Dakota group with ties to Esmond went to Pueblo, Colo. to cheer on the Limon Badgers, which are coached by Esmond native Mark Brown. Left to right, kneeling are Jason Brown of Limon, Jenna Coghlan of Valley City, basketball star Amanda Brown of Limon, Matt Brown of Limon and Nancy Roble of Thornton, Colo. (sister of Dorothy Brown). Left to right, standing, are Jerrilyn Coghlan of Valley City (sister of Mark Brown), Kathy Brown (wife of Mark Brown), Mark Brown, Dorothy Brown of Esmond (Mark’s mother), Kent Brown of New Rockford (brother of Mark), Reuben Brown of Esmond (Mark’s father), Tami Flink of Osnabrock (sister of Mark) and Terry Roble of Thornton, Colo. (brother-in-law of Dorothy Brown). Not pictured but also in attendance was Curtis Leier of McIntosh, Minn. (brother of Dorothy Brown).
Students of Quarter
The Leeds High School announces its Students of the Quarter for the third quarter of the 2005-2006 school year. Students are selected for this honor based on their academic performance, cooperation, personal behavior, attendance, responsibility and school spirit. Left to right, back row, are freshman Elliott Gunderson, son of Randy and Sue Gunderson; senior Cody Biby, son of Darryl and Connie Biby; and junior Corinne Baker, daughter of Rod and Michelle Baker. Front row: 8th grader Ashley Manley, daughter of Jeff and Michelle Manley; sophomore Nikki Herman, daughter of Reg and Eileen Herman; and 7th grader Allison Manley, daughter of Jeff and Michelle Manley.
Wins scholarship
The 80th Annual Little International was held Feb. 10-11 at NDSU. Beth Horner was the grand champion winner of the lamb lead competition. She was sponsored by Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority. Beth also recently returned home from Mesa, Ariz. where she competed in the National Make It Yourself With Wool competition. She placed sixth runner-up in the senior category and won the mohair scholarship of $1,000. Beth is a junior at NDSU, double majoring in family consumer science education and apparel and textiles. She is the daughter of Dick and Jane Horner of Graham’s Island.
Recital raises scholarship money
Thirteen pianists from Maddock participated in the first annual Marge Duren Legacy Piano Recital on Sunday, Feb. 26 at the North Viking Lutheran Church. The event was sponsored by the Heart of the Plains Cultural & Performing Arts Society to honor the long-time Maddock piano teacher and to raise funds for a yearly scholarship to be given to a graduating high school senior musician (or musicians). Duren died in 2004 of complications from chronic kidney disease.
The program included comments by participants on their love of the piano, their experience with their piano teacher (about half had been students of Marge), and/or the important contribution pianists and piano teachers in particular make to their communities. Many also had anecdotes about Marge they shared with the audience.
Eighteen solos and duets were performed at the recital, including the following: Rachel Markestad performed Grande Valse Brilliante by Frederic Chopin and Tre Sonate, Op. 2, No. 1 by Ludwig von Beethoven; Paula Duren and Kathy Daeley performed Charge of the Uhlans by Carl Bohm; Joann Bergrud and Paula Duren performed The Russians are Coming by Robert Volkman; Jennifer Hagen performed Someone Just Like You by Lorie Line and How Beautiful by Twila Paris; Kathy Daeley performed O Polichinelo by Heitor Villa-Lobos; Karen Smith performed Sonata Pathetique by Ludwig von Beethoven; Jennifer Hagen and Heidi Backstrom performed Qui Vive by W. Ganz; Joann Bergrud performed Sonatina, Opus 36, No. 1 by Muzio Clementi; Paula Duren performed Classical Gas by Mason Williams; Paula and Morgan Duren performed I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing by B. Backer, B. Davis, R. Cook, and R. Greenaway; Becky Wald performed Come Worship the Lord by John Michael Talbot; Rae Ann Lynne performed a hymn selection; Isaac Engels performed Prelude No. 1 by George Gershwin; Preston Gilderhus performed Bewitching Boogie by June C. Montgomery; and Heart of the Plains director Lisa Faleide performed Fur Elise by Ludwig von Beethoven and Lacrimosa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Faleide also served as the recital’s master of ceremonies.
A reception was served following the recital by the Maddock Lutheran Parish Super Youthrans. The group is raising money for a trip to the National Youth Gathering in Texas in July.
Contributions to the scholarship fund are still being accepted at the North Star Community Credit Union in Maddock and may be mailed there or to Lisa Swanson Faleide, PO Box 159, Maddock, ND 58348. Checks should be made out to Marge Duren Legacy Scholarship Fund.
Performers at the recital in Maddock were, left to right, back row: Jennifer Hagen, Joann Bergrud, Heidi Backstrom, Isaac Engels, Rachel Markestad, Kathy Daeley, Preston Gilderhus, Paula Duren and Becky Wald. Front row: Lisa Faleide, Karen Smith, Rae Ann Lynne and Morgan Duren.
Sells Girl Scout cookies for US Marines
Rachel Blackburn, 8, daughter of Angie and Denny Blackburn of Santa Maria, Calif. and the granddaughter of Helen and Jim Shatynski of Brinsmade, has sold 1500 boxes of Girl Scout cookies for shipment to the 1100 US Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, who are on their third wartime deployment for Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Enclosed with each box of cookies will be a personal letter of thanks and concern from a student in the Orcutt School District.
Rachel is a second grade student at St. Louis de Montfort Catholic School in Orcutt and a member of Brownie Troop 72.