Tribune Notebook: Yusuf sets another record
Apr. 29—MOORHEAD — Nadir Yusuf is tearing up the track yet again.
Yusuf, a senior at Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead and a 2016 Willmar High School grad, set a school record and made an NCAA qualifying time in the 5,000-meter run at the Drake Relays on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa.
Yusuf finished sixth in the race with a time of 14 minutes, 12.70 seconds, putting him in the top 30 of all Division II athletes. It is the second fastest time in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference this season.
On April 14, Yusuf set another MSU-Moorhead record and made an NCAA qualifying time in the 10,000 run. Competing at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California, Yusuf finished fifth with a time of 29:03.05, breaking his previous school record by nine seconds. That is the fastest time in the NSIC and the seventh fastest in Division II.
With Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg's 12-3 win over Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa on Tuesday, Fighting Saints softball coach Eileen Suter climbed into rarified air with her 500th career win.
In her 29th season, Suter is the 11th coach in state history to reach 500 career wins, according to the Minnesota Fastpitch Coaches Association.
Suter's career record is 500-170 and she has led the Fighting Saints to five state appearances (2004, '07, '11, '12, '13).
Other coaches to reach 500 career wins include: New Ulm Cathedral's Bob Mertz (802); Winona Cotter's Pat Bowlin (767); Hermantown's Tom Bang (710); Morris/Chokio-Alberta's Mary Holmberg (608); Zumbrota-Mazeppa's Kevin Nelson (569); Shakopee's Neil Johnson (552); Park of Cottage Grove's Charles Whitbred III (525); Mankato East's Joe Madson (521); Pipestone's Troy Bouman (506); and Minnewaska's Steve Hoffmann (503).
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa senior boys basketball player Ashton Dingmann will continue to play in college.
The Jaguars standout committed to Division III Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter.
A first team All-Area selection, Dingmann averaged 17.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game while helping BBE to a 28-5 record and second place in the Class A state tournament. He was also named to the Class A state All-Tournament team along with teammates Kaden Pieper and Luke Dingmann.
In 2021-22, Gustavus finished 14-9 overall and was fourth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at 11-6.
Ashton Dingmann will be the area's second basketball player on the Gusties' roster. MACCRAY's Brady Kienitz played 13 games in his first season with Gustavus.
Carthage College (Wisconsin) senior men's swimmer and 2018 Willmar High School grad Garrett Shuldes is a recipient of the 2021-22 Merle Chapman Leadership Award, the school announced on Wednesday.
The award is named after former Millikin University (Illinois) athletics director and the second ever College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin commissioner. The CCIW is a Division III conference.
The award identifies student-athletes that exemplify loyalty, enthusiasm, leadership, sportsmanship and commitment to academics, athletics and personal excellence. Each CCIW school selects one men's and one women's athlete from their Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Shuldes is a four-time CCIW All-Academic honoree and helped the Firebirds win the conference championship for the fifth straight season.. He swam the starting leg of the 400-meter freestyle relay that took first by a tenth of a second.
A Physics/astronomy major, Shuldes is the son of Lynn and Carl Shuldes, the boys and girls swimming coach at Willmar.
The Class C state amateur baseball preseason poll was released on Tuesday.
With last year's state champion, Sobieski, moving up to Class B, the Watertown Red Devils will begin the season as the top-ranked team in the state. Watertown lost to the Skis in the 2021 Class C championship 3-0 in 11 innings.
Voters in the Class C poll are: Tom Elliott of Willmar; Aaron Worm of Albert Lea; Chad Knutson of Heron Lake; and Kip Kovar of Howard Lake.
The 2022 Class C state tournament will be held in Dundas, Faribault and Miesville.
The Class C preseason rankings:
1. Watertown Red Devils
2. St. Patrick Irish
3. Waconia Lakers
4. Sartell Muskies
5. Alexandria Black Sox
6. Watkins Clippers
7. Fairmont Martins
8. Loretto Larks
9. Maple Lake Lakers
10. Milroy Yankees
