MSU President's Newspaper Column
May 11, 2024
Senior student athletes represent Mayville State well on and off the courts and fields
It was an honor and a pleasure to attend the 2024 Mayville State Comets Senior Athlete Recognition Banquet. The event was held at the Mayville Golf Course on May 1 and included a time for recognition, as well as a meal for all who attended.
It is bittersweet to say “farewell” to the senior athletes who have represented Mayville State so well on and off the playing fields and courts. We will miss them and the opportunity to cheer for them. At the same time, we know they are ready to move forward to further success in their lives and in their careers.
The 2024 Comet Senior Athletes are as follows:
- Volleyball: Kylee Baumgarn, Natalie Hadrava, Nicole Kortan, Elora Passa, Thyra Peterick, and Payton Richter.
- Football: Zechariah Caesar, Joevontay Clayton, and Ryan Kelly.
- Women’s Basketball: Sydney Brekken, Taylor Dean, CJ Decker, Kayla Rocholl, Erin Walcker, and Jordan Zrust.
- Men’s Basketball: Jesse Bergh, Keyshaun Bolen, JC Canahuate, Thomas Gieske, Jamison Kramer, Steele Senske, Jacob Strand, and Brenton Woods.
- Softball: Courtney Boll, Megan Elliott, Emily Haines, Mackenzie Iverson, and Samantha Shumway.
- Baseball: Connor Cory, Gregor Farquharson, Ryan Froemke, Marcus Hughes, Caleb Jamison, Channing LeNoir, Ricky Marquez, Austin McClure, Nick Paulsrud, Henry Smith, Mark Turnquist, and Anthony Villanueva.
- Golf: Miriam Carignan and Jamison Kramer.
The season and post-season play for golf, softball, and baseball are now in the books. We’re very proud of the student athletes who played on these teams.
Softball ended the season the weekend of May 4 at the NSAA conference tournament, where they took fourth place overall and went 2-2 on the weekend. They doubled their wins and then some this year with 16, going 16-31 overall and 9-15 in conference play. In pre-season, they played four top-25 teams in arguably one of the tougher schedules in the conference.
There were some conference award-winners too! Megan Elliott and Lindsey Tulla were first team all-conference selections, and Emily Haines was a second team all-conference selection. Megan Elliott won the NSAA Gold Glove Award and was Newcomer of the Year. Lindsey Tulla was the NSAA Freshman of the Year, and MacKenzie Iverson won the Champions of Character award.
Megan Elliott broke the single season hit record with 63 on the year. She also sits in 3rd place for RBIs on a season with 34. Lindsey Tulla tied the single season doubles record at 18. She also is tied at 4th with the most RBIs in a season at 34. MacKenzie Iverson broke the walks record at 24.
Baseball ended the season the weekend of May 4th also, where they went 1-2 at the NSAA conference tournament. They beat the #2 seed Dakota State in the opening game of the conference to advance to the winners bracket. The Comets ended the season at 14-38, 6-17 in the conference.
All-Conference award winners for baseball included First Team All-Conference selections Chris Shopbell and Riley Rankin. Carson Lundmark and Gunner Thompson were honorable mentions. Marcus Hughes received the Champions of Character Award.
Men’s and women’s golf finished their first-ever regular season at the NSAA Golf Championships April 29 and 30 in LaCrosse, Wis. The team competed in ten meets over the season, and the women’s team improved by 60 shots over the course of the season. They look to increase the number of members on the teams to 18 to 22 next year.
As the academic year comes to a close, we thank all who have made an impact at Mayville State, including our outstanding student athletes. In some cases, athletics is what draws a student to a university. It is our goal that they leave as professionals prepared for the workforce. We’re Comet Proud of our student athletes and all that they contribute to our university and the community.