Dates Set for Party in the Park

Annual Neche (ND) Party in the Park.

July 26th & 27th in the Neche City Park

The party will start a 5:30 pm Thursday, with Food, fun and games, and a silent auction. NDSU Sr Assoc Athletic Director and former Basketball Coach, Erv Inniger will speak at 7:00pm. A charity golf scramble will be played on Friday, plans are for the Cavalier Country Club, Cavalier, ND. Watch this blog for more information on signup for golf and auction bidding.

Money raised will go towards Neche youth sports
Auction items will be open to internet, email bids soon.

Preliminary list of auction items
North Carolina Tarheel Team Photo
Duke Blue Devils Signed Poster
Robin Roberts Signed Baseball Cards
Ramon Hernandez Signed Photo
Utah Jazz Team Signed Ball
Amaree Stoudamire Signed Ball
Carlos Boozer Signed Shoe
John Salley Signed Shoes (2)
Terry Stienbach Signed Baseball
Shariff Abdur-Rahim Signed Jersey
Harlem Globetrotters Signed Mini-Basketball
1990's NDSU Bison Signed Basketball
1990's UND Sioux Signed Basketball
Vintage Neche Basketball Jersey
Piece of the Palace, Tile from the gym floor
Ozzie Smith Signed Photo
Eddie Mathews Signed Photo
Bart Starr Signed Photo
JP Losman Photo
Gayle Sayers Signed Photo

Prep Sports

Track & Field

Hatton-Northwood Thunder Invite
At Cushman Field, Saturday, May 12th

Boys team totals
Langdon 89, Griggs County Central 77, GF Central JV 70, Hatton-Northwood 69, Drayton-St. Thomas-Valley 64, Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg 64, Park River Area 56, GF Red River JV 56, Cavalier 53, Thompson, Nelson County 30, Larimore 25, Hillsboro 17, Grafton 12, North Border 6, Four Winds 2, Midway-Minto 1.

Girls team totals
Griggs County Central 117, Langdon 115, Park River Area 95.5, Larimore 59.5, Hatton-Northwood 59, North Border 52, Hillsboro 50, Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg 46.5, Drayton-St. Thomas-Valley 40, Grafton 38, Thompson 27, Cavalier 21.5, Midway-Minto 11, Nelson County 7.

Top Finishers
400 - 1. Thomas, PRA, :59.35; 2. Kiley Coles, Hills, 1:00.61; 3. Brandi Lorz, NB, 1:01.47.
1,600 - 1. Lauren Dietrich, Lang, 5:35.75; 2. Toni Fritz, NB, 5:37.38; 3. Emily Schenk, Thomp, 5:48.96.
4x800 relay - Langdon (Kathryn Kram, Julie Dinius, Tiff Stremick, Dietrich) 10:05.11; 2. Hillsboro 10:11.72; 3. North Border 10:12.57.

Golf

Park River Invitational
Friday May 11th

Team totals
Grafton 301, North Border 335, Northwood-Hatton 336, Larimore 340, Devils Lake 355, Minto 356, Langdon 357, Park River No. 1 369, Cavalier 374, Lakota 376, Thompson 394, Drayton-St. Thomas 402, Park River No. 2 433, Dakota Prairie 460

Top 5 individuals
1. Ryan Mohagen, Graf, 73; 2. Derik Callahan, Graf, 74; 3. Todd Presteng, Graf, 74; 4. Kyle Scott, Lang, 78; 5. Matt Phillips, NB, 78

Wooden equalizers

By Greg DeVillers, Herald Staff Writer

North Border's baseball team is averaging only 3.3 runs per game. But the Eagles have been competitive in almost every game.

Three of North Border's seven wins have been by three or fewer runs; nine of its 13 losses have been by three or fewer runs.

“That's the wood bat syndrome,” Eagles coach Jeff Carpenter said. “Everybody is playing more small ball.

“With aluminum bats, two or three runs isn't a lot to make up. But it is with wood bats. It's harder to string together a bunch of hits, and you don't get the big blows. I haven't seen a home run this year, either by us or anybody we've played.”

North Dakota high schools made a mandatory switch from aluminum to wood bats this season. With the regular season nearing its completion, the consensus of coaches in the area is that the switch has made a big change in the game.

“It's unbelievable how it has changed the game,” said Dave Hanson, the Drayton-St. Thomas-Valley coach. “We haven't hit a home run this year; last year, we hit 15. We're having a tough time hitting the baseball out of the infield at times.

“It fits my game. I like small ball - bunting, stealing, stuff like that. We're not seeing nearly as many runs.”

Hatton-Northwood coach Chad Omdahl also has seen a decline in power.
The Hatton ballpark is hitter-friendly - 270 feet down the left field line, 325 down the right field line and, while the alleys are deep, the fences angle in so that it's only 290 feet to dead center.
Yet Omdahl's team hasn't hit a home run this season after getting approximately 10 in 2006.
“You look at our park and you'd think there would be some home runs,” Omdahl said. “The sweet spot is so much smaller on wood bats. It takes quite a bit to get the ball over outfielders' heads.

“We're stealing more bases. We're seeing a lot more bunting and hit-and-run.”
Defense benefits

The switch to wood bats has reduced the long-ball capabilities. As a result, that's led to more of a defensive game.

“We're seeing outfielders playing more shallow,” Lakota coach Joe Harder said. “You're daring people to try to hit the ball over (outfielders') heads. Now the little bloops that might have dropped in for hits before are being taken away, too. It's been tougher to score runs.”
Likewise, coaches say, infielders have more time to react to ground balls that aren't coming off the wood bats as hard and fast as they were off aluminum bats.

“It's closed the gap between the good teams and the lower-tier teams,” Omdahl said. “It's made average pitchers into good pitchers, because the ball is staying in the ballpark more against them.”

Breaks of the game
One concern heading into the season was a cost factor.
Teams had to purchase a new stock of wood bats. And, while the aluminum bats usually would last for several seasons, how many wood bats would be broken?

Coaches have found there haven't been a lot of breaks. Lakota, for instance, hasn't had a broken bat yet; Hatton-Northwood has had only one. Langdon, on the other hand, has broken 10.
Wood bats range in price from $40 to $100, coaches said. But the higher-end bats also have 90-day warranties, so any new bats broken during the season will be replaced.

“We've only broken three so far,” Hanson said. “That does surprise me. I can remember the old days when it seemed like they'd break a lot easier. Maybe they're built a little better now.”
The bottom line for coaches is that wood bats have changed the game. Bunts, stolen bases and hit-and-run plays are now in vogue.

“You have to coach a lot more,” Carpenter said. “You can't just sit around waiting for the home runs and the big innings. There's more strategy in the wood-bat game. We're seeing lower-scoring games and not as many blowouts.”

Said Hanson: “Wood bats have been an equalizer. It's a slower game, a lower-scoring game. It's brought the lower-level teams up some and dropped some of the better teams down a notch.”

Spring Sports

Track & Field

Cavalier Invitational
In Cavalier, N.D., Tuesday, May 8th

Girls team totals
North Border 138, Larimore 115, Hatton-Northwood 109, Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg 85, Grafton 82, Drayton-St. Thomas-Valley 64, Cavalier 61, Midway-Minto 42

Top Finishers
100 - 1. Alexis Tossett, H-N, :13.50; 2. Brandi Lorz, NB, :13.52; 3. Jill Farrell, Lar, :14.00.
400 - 1. Lorz, NB, 1:04.43; 2. Sarah Bakke, Lar, 1:06.02; 3. Kim Cute, H-N, 1:06.65.
800 - 1. Jess Schanilec, M-M, 2:26.65; 2. Kelsey Adamsen, Graf, 2:29.12; 3. Aimee Chale, NB, 2:37.87.
1,600 - 1. Nicole Woinarowicz, Graf, 5:29.50; 2. Toni Fritz, NB, 5:40.81; 3. Ashley Lopez, Graf, 5:50.90.
Long jump - 1. Lorz, NB, 15-2; 2. Amanda Nordstrom, NB, 14-6½; 3. Dani Wold, H-N, 14-0.
Javelin - 1. Sara Strauss, Lar, 105-11; 2. Houston Scharmer, D-ST-V, 88-2; 3. Kaylin Soeby, NB, 79-8.
4x200 relay - 1. Grafton (Hanna Thompson, Morgan Thompson, Brooke Gaustad, Adamsen) 1:54.34; 2. Mayville-Portland-C-G 1:56.52; 3. North Border 1:57.27.
4x400 relay - 1. North Border (Lorz, Morgan Beattie, Ellie Bjornstad, Fritz) 4:22.24; 2. Hatton-Northwood 4:35.76; 3. Grafton 4:46.00.
4x800 relay - 1. North Border (Beattie, Bjornstad, Chale, Hailey Longtin) 10:36.96; 2. Grafton 10:41.99; 3. Cavalier 11:05.09.

Boys team totals
Hatton-Northwood 157, Drayton-St. Thomas-Valley 125, Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg 109, Cavalier 83, Larimore 67, North Border 66, Grafton 53, Midway-Minto 29

Top Finishers
800 - 1. Mike Molina, Lar, 2:08.34; 2. Cale Benoit, NB, 2:08.40; 3. Derek Dame, NB, 2:34.99.
4x800 relay - 1. Cavalier (Kyle Weik, Brennan Thorlakson, P. Askew, A. Askew) 9:23.62; 2. North Border 9:49.87; 3. Grafton 10:32.09.

Ray McDaniel meet
In Devils Lake, Monday, May 7th

Girls team totals
Jamestown 145, Langdon 132, Bottineau 94, Carrington 78, Devils Lake 73, Rolette-Wolford 62, Park River 61½, Surrey 37, Valley City 34, Belcourt 8, North Border 4

Golf

Northeast Conference meet
In Larimore, Monday, May 7th

Team totals
Larimore 328, Grafton 335, Hatton-Northwood 359, Langdon 361, Park River/Valley/Fordville-Lankin/Edinburg 367, Minto 372, North Star 376, North Border 377, Dakota Prairie 383, Lakota 386, Larimore JV 399, Cavalier 403, Drayton-St. Thomas 447


Robert Snell
Snell, Robert, age 62 of Neche, ND, died on Saturday, May 12, 2007, at the Wedgewood Manor, Cavalier, ND. (Jensen-Askew Funeral Home, Cavalier, ND)

ENGAGEMENT: Kearns- Symington

Nichole Symington, Neche and Jonathan Kearns, Cavalier announce their engagement and upcoming marriage.

Nichole is the daughter of Brenda Symington, Fargo and David "Cooter" Symington, Neche. She graduated from Neche High School and is currently completing a degree as a registered nurse. Nichole is currently employed by Altru Health Systems in Grand Forks as a LPN.
function photoFull

Jonathan Kearns is the son of Barb and Donny Kearns of Fargo. He graduated from Cavalier High School. Jonathan has a degree in architectural drafting and estimating. He is currently employed by ICS as a project manager.
The wedding ceremony will by Saturday, May 5, 2007 at 5 p.m. at Sharon Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND. Adinner reception and dance will follow at the VFW in East Grand Forks, MN.
The couple will reside in Grand Forks, ND.

Prep Golf

Boys

Cavalier Invitational
In Cavalier, N.D., Thursday, 4/26/07

Team totals
Grafton 318, Larimore 320, North Border 325, Park River 348, Cavalier 351, Langdon 351, Minto 356, Devils Lake JV 359, Drayton-St. Thomas 405

North Border Invitational
In Walhalla, N.D. 4/28/07

Team totals
North Border 335, Grafton 354, Cavalier 362, Langdon 362, Devils Lake 375, Drayton-St. Thomas 424

Top 3 individuals
1. Ryan Hills, G, 80;

2. Marcus Ramsay, NB, 81;

3. Matt Phillips, NB, 83

North Star Invitational

In Cando, N.D., Tuesday, 5/1/07

Team totals
Northern Lights 326, North Star 352, Cavalier 356, North Border 356, Park River 357, Leeds 391, Langdon 392, Maddock 395, Rugby 395

5. Brenyn Hardy, North Border, 83

Girls

North Border meet
In Walhalla, N.D., Tuesday, 5/1/07

Team totals
North Border 242, Grafton 258, Langdon 273, Munich-Starkweather 286, Park River 291

Top 5 individuals
1. Megan Callahan, Grafton, 49;

2. (tie) Sam O'Hara, North Border, 53;

Alyssa Johnson, Park River, 53;

4. Ashley Anderson, North Border, 60;

5. Ashly Halley, North Border, 64

Track

Cavalier Invitational
In Cavalier, N.D., Thursday, 5/27/07

Girls team totals
Langdon 180, North Border 105½, Hatton-Northwood 95½, Park River-FLA-E-E 78, Grafton 67½, Cavalier 58, Thompson 57½, Northern Lights 36, Midway-Minto 31

Top individuals
Long jump - 2. Brandi Lorz, NB, 14-9½;

Triple jump - 3. Lorz, NB, 30-6
800 - 3. Aimee Chale, NB, 2:42.40
1,600 -2. Toni Fritz, NB, 5:50.00;
4x100 relay - 3. North Border :57.68
4x200 relay - 3. North Border 1:54.24
4x400 relay - 2. North Border 4:24.68;
4x800 relay - 2. North Border 10:45.53;

Boys team totals
Langdon 128, Hatton-Northwood 121, Park River-FLA-E-E 108, Cavalier 8, Northern Lights 75, Thompson 73, North Border 42, Devils Lake 39, Grafton 27, Midway-Minto 15

Individuals
4x800 relay - 2. North Border 9:28.90;

800 - 3. Cale Benoit, NB, 2:07.87
3,200 - 3. Matt Chaput, NB, 11:23.52