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Alex’s Tale of the Tape #1,998, Date: Sept. 26, 2019

Mix and matching was the name of the game as the Minot High School girls swimming and diving team hosted Bismarck High for a West Region dual meet.

Many of the Majettes tried out new events in a 118-68 home win.

“A lot of our swimmers swam off events today,” MHS coach Emily Jensen said. “They swam events they haven’t swum in a couple of years, so that was fun to see them try some new things and put in a full effort.”

The switch-up challenged the swimmers in a new way.

“I hope the kids take away that they are not specific to one event or one stroke,” Jensen said. “To be a more versatile swimmer, we have to practice all of those distances and all of those strokes. I want them to know it’s a team sport, and wherever you best fit in is where you will go.”

Out of the 12 events, Minot won nine of them. A trio of Majettes each won two individual events: Iris Jessen (200, 500), Allie Elliott (200 IM, breaststroke) and Brynn Neumann (50, 100).

The other three victories came in the 400-yard freestyle relay (Elliott, Neumann, Elise Altringer and Ava Wiliamson), 200-yard medley relay (Jessen, Juleah Morse, Erin Kerzmann and Payton Luzardo) and 1-meter diving with Ella Kesler.

Alex’s Tale of the Tape #2,311, Date: Feb. 8, 2020

Shouting “patience” over and over again, Minot State women’s basketball head coach Mark Graupe eagerly watched the clock tick down.

The Beavers were sitting on a double-digit lead in the final minutes of a conference game against Winona State, on the verge of a memorable upset victory.

When the clock finally struck zero, Minot State had stunned Winona State, 68-53, for its first NSIC win of the season inside the Minot State Dome.

The Beavers overcame a 12-point deficit to knock off the Warriors.

“We just kept chipping away,” Graupe said. “I’m most proud of the change they have made to keep fighting, which I didn’t see earlier in the year.”

In the final minute of the third quarter, MSU took its first lead since being up 4-2 with a Haley Hildenbrand jumper, 44-42. Lucy Chapman ended the quarter with a bang for MSU, hitting a last-second layup to beat the buzzer. It was her only points of the game.

Buzzing on adrenaline, the Beavers exploded with a 16-2 run in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter.

Mariah Payne, despite being shadowed throughout the contest, finished with a game-high 19 points. Hildenbrand (16), Bethany Theodore (12) and Calli Delsman (10) also finished in double figures.

Alex’s Tale of the Tape #2,115, Date: Nov. 16, 2019

In a 49-20 loss to Minnesota State Moorhead, Minot State wide receiver Lavante Bushnell catches his 18th career touchdown pass to break the MSU Division II school record for the most touchdown receptions.

“I guess it’s a good feeling to break the record, but not the loss,” said Bushnell, who finished with four catches for 45 yards. “That was a game we could have won right there. That was a game that I know my team is better than that team. We let this one slip from us.”

Moorhead junior quarterback Jakup Sinani shredded the Minot State defense with quick passes underneath, simple slants or infuriating out routes to the sideline. The Beavers had no answer.

Sinani was an impressive 40-for-51 through the air for a school-record 513 passing yards and four touchdowns. It was Sinani’s first game action since a Week 3 injury.

Most of the Dragons’ damage came in the first half, where they put up 406 yards of offense (356 passing yards).

Minot State’s lone score in the first half came courtesy of a 33-yard touchdown run by freshman Ali Mohamed. Mohamed was the Beavers’ most productive weapon with 109 rushing yards on 17 carries, plus one catch for 18 yards.