Boys Tennis: Magi top Jamestown to remain unbeaten in WDA

The Minot High boys tennis team won six of seven singles matches – four in straight sets – to coast to a 7-2 victory over Jamestown on Monday, Sept. 15, to remain unbeaten in the West Region.

Connor Ressler and Henrik Evanoff claimed victory in both their singles matches as well as their doubles match. Ressler topped Aden Oettle in No. 3 singles, 6-3, 6-3 and Evanoff defeated Kale Backen at No. 4 singles, 6-3, 6-0. The two paired up to knock off Oettle and Backen, 6-1, 6-2.

Oliver Thompson, Tyson Barden and Aiden Bye also delivered wins for the Magicians (13-3 overall, 4-0 West Region). Barden and Bye both needed a third set for their victories. Barden defeated Haden Smith, 6-0, 1-6, 7-6 (5) and Bye topped Rajen Bansal, 6-0, 3-6, 6-1.

Luke LeFevre played a factor in both victories for Jamestown (4-8, 1-4). He defeated Nolan Moore in No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-2, and then he had Braxton Burkett bested Moore and Thompson in No. 1 doubles, 7-6 (3), 6-2.

The Magicians are right back at it on Tuesday, Sept. 16, when they host Mandan at 4 p.m.

Men’s College Hockey: Beavers No. 3 in ACHA preseason poll

The college hockey season is right around the corner and when the season does drop the puck, Minot State will be the No. 3 team in the country following the release of the ACHA preseason poll on Monday, Sept. 15.

The Beavers finished last season 39-3-3 and advanced to the national semifinal.

Defending champion UNLV garnered 23 of 24 first-place votes and earned the preseason No. 1 designation. National runners-up Adrian College (Mich.) received the final first-place vote and earned the No. 2 ranking in the top 25.

Liberty and Ohio University rounded out the top five. Minot State is the lone Midwest Conference Hockey representative in the top five, but several teams cracked the top 25. Jamestown, U-Mary and Midland are all ranked headed into the season, coming in at sixth, 14th and 18th, respectively.

The Western Collegiate Hockey League had the most teams represented in the Top 25 with UNLV, Utah (10), Grand Canyon (12), Arizona (13), Arizona State (21) and Colorado (25).

The Beavers hit the ice for their first exhibition game of the season when they host the University of Regina on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. They open the regular season on the road against the University of Jamestown on Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

College Golf: Beaver men 10th, women 14th after first round of MSU/CSP Fall Brawl

The men’s and women’s golf teams traveled to Hudson, Wisc., to compete in the two-day MSU/CSP Fall Brawl, which teed off Monday, Sept. 15. The men sit in 10th place out of 12 teams and the women are 14th in the 14-team field. The men shot a team score of 307, with the women carding a team score of 345.

Winona State leads the men’s tournament after the first day with a score of 272. The Warriors hold a 10-shot lead over both Concordia-St. Paul and Sioux Falls. Augustana (284) and Minnesota State (285) rounded out the top five.

USF’s Jadan Ford and WSU’s Peyton Coahran both shot 5-under 66s to lead the individual competition. Minot State’s Kasen Rostad had the best round for his team, shooting a 1-over 72.

Minnesota State-Mankato leads the women’s competition with a 301. Northwest Missouri is seven strokes back. Washburn (311), Winona State (314) and U-Mary (320) rounded out the top five.

Mankato’s Emerson Garlie shot even par 71 and leads Washburn’s Keira Ronsick by a stroke.

Zoe Banack finished the opening round in 25th for the Beavers with an 81.

The tournament concludes on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Girls Golf: Sentinels place second at St. Mary’s Invite

Minot North gave Mandan a run for its money, but ultimately had to settle for a second-place finish for the seventh time this season, finishing with a team score of 346 at the St. Mary’s Invite at Hawktree Golf Course on Monday, Sept. 15.

Mandan took home its eighth tournament title of the season, finishing the invite in 344 strokes to edge out the Sentinels. Mandan sophomore Isabella Hale won medalist honors with an 80, three shots clear of both Minot North’s Kinzy Welstad and Williston’s Kali Larson. Hale started strong on the front nine, carding a 1-over 37, before holding on down the stretch.

Welstad birdied the par 4 second hole and had nine pars as part of her round. She overcame a double-bogey on her first hold and a four-over on the fourth hole to finish in the top five.

Minot High finished in eighth place in the 11-team event. The Majettes accomplished something that neither Mandan nor Minot North did during the tournament: placing two golfers in the top 10. Katie Thomas and Taylor Deslauriers each shot 86 to finish tied for sixth.

Ally Larson and Emersyn Kopp each placed 11th with 87s.

The regular season concludes with the Mandan Invite on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The tournament also serves as the individual state qualifier.

Prep Football: Sentinels remain No. 1 in Class AA; Sabers new top team in Class AAA

Minot North continues winning and it continues to hold on to its No. 1 ranking as a result. The Sentinels received 18 first-place votes and are atop the Class AA rankings for the fourth straight week. Minot North handled Grand Forks Red River, 45-14, last week.

Kindred received the other two remaining first-place votes and held on to the No. 2 ranking. Grand Forks Central, Devils Lake and Central Cass rounded out the top five. Devils Lake got the edge over Central Cass after the two shared the No. 5 ranking last week.

Grand Forks Red River dropped out of the top five, but did receive votes along with Watford City.

There is a new No. 1 in Class AAA and it belongs to the team that has a pair of wins over previous top-ranked teams: Bismarck Legacy. The Sabers garnered all 20 first-place votes to become the unanimous top team. Legacy defeated Fargo Davies, 40-30, last week. The Eagles dropped to No. 3 as a result.

Fargo Shanley moved up two spots to No. 2. Bismarck High suffered its first defeat of the season and dropped one spot to No. 4. West Fargo Horace entered the rankings at No. 5. Bismarck Century, West Fargo and Fargo North all received votes in this week’s poll.