I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
Jan. 15, 1999
By Devlyn Brooks
Track and field is a numbers game, and when you're BSU you don't have as many numbers as a Minnesota-Duluth.
Consequently, the Bemidji State men have finished second in the conference behind the Bulldogs for several years, while the women have lagged in the lower half of the conference.
However, with a larger team than last year, and with more experience returning, Beavers men's and women's track coach Craig Hougen believes his teams can challenge the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference elite this indoor season.
Last year will be hard to top, though, being 13 team records were broken and the men finished only eight points shy of conference champion UMD.
"Last year was the best year BSU track ever had. We're getting a lot better," Hougen said. "We broke nine men's records and four women's records."
This year's team lost some of the stars from last year, but overall team strength has increased.
"This year, we probably won't break as many records," he said, "but we're a better team."
BSU made a good argument that it is a better team Saturday with an impressive showing at a University of Minnesota meet.
And they hope to carry that success into the first of four home meets this Saturday -- the annual Super 8 Invite. The event begins at 1 p.m. and continues through the afternoon.
"Home meets area always important," Hougen said. "I would love to have one person place in every event Saturday."
Other home events this season include the Beaver Open Feb. 6, the NSIC Pentathlon Feb. 12 and the BSU Open Feb. 19.
In between, the Beavers have three more meets and the NSIC championships March 5-6
Men's outlook
The men's team, about 35 members strong, will miss graduated All-American Dan Pemble, who was selected as the NSIC's most valuable performer last year.
But, Hougen says he has some distance runners who have been working hard, and they will fill the void.
"We'll miss him," he said, "but we'll replace him."
The team also lost George Chittle, who didn't return to school, but set records in the 55 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter and participated in two record-setting relays last year.
This year's team is led by seniors Andy Eggerth and Brooks Grossinger, the first a hurdler and pole vaulter and the second a distance man.
Eggerth posted the team's best finish this season with a first in the 60 meter hurdles at Minnesota Saturday, and he also placed 11th in the pole vault.
Speaking of pole vaulting, the Beavers should also post some impressive marks here, with Jim Indahl and John Pietila following Eggerth's lead.
Pietila and Eggerth have cleared 15 feet, while Indahl has posted a 14-9.
"I maybe have three of the best pole vaulters in a four- or five-state area," Hougen said.
Another exciting athlete should be Ben Baird, a local boy who set an NSIC indoor weight throw record last year.
"He could have a great year," Hougen said.
Women's outlook
The women's team continues to grow in numbers, but with only 25 athletes, lacks the depth to compete with big schools in the NSIC, such as UMD.
Last year, the women finished fourth in the NSIC, some 80-plus points behind the first place Bulldogs.
The women lost only one standout athlete in sprinter and long jumper Jen Hollatz, who won the conference 100 meter, long jump and helped in BSU's winning 4x400 meter relay team.
Most of the team has returned, however, and has been bolstered by several talented freshmen.
Senior Amber Bohman and sophomore Darcy Faul should have excellent years, providing leadership for the team, Hougen said.
Bohman, a sprinter, paced the women Saturday with a fifth place finish in the 200 meter dash, even finishing four-tenths of a second faster than last year.
"That's very encouraging," Hougen said. "I'm excited to see what she does this year."
Faul, a hurdler, is a talented young runner who will be hard to beat when she matures to the collegiate level, the coach said.
She placed fifth place in the 60 meter hurdles at Minnesota.
"She doesn't need as much time running," Hougen said, "as she needs in the weight room. She needs to be stronger. It will be fun to see what maturation will do for her."
Overall, Hougen said the women could place anywhere from second to fourth in the conference, depending upon the meet they have at the NSIC championship.
"If we're fourth by 50 points, then we didn't do a very good job," he said. "But we may take second by a couple of points, and then there's not much difference between being second or fourth. Once we get more numbers, we're going to get better."
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