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It's Naitonal Signing Day for Dragons Football!


Hello everyone and welcome to the MSUM Dragons Podcast where we believe the student-athlete experience here at MSUM is More Than a Game…I'm your host Jon 'Webbie' Wepking.


We've got Head Football Coach Steve Laqua as he explains the process of getting to signing day which is a 13 month process for his staff and recruits.  You want the names of this year's signees, head to MSUMDragons.com/NSD24.  It's signing day…right now…let's go!



 

The MSUM Dragons Podcast is sponsored by:





It’s signing day, it’s signing day, it’s signing day for Dragons Football!


Hello everyone and welcome to the MSUM Dragons Podcast where we believe the student-athlete experience here at MSUM is More Than a Game…I’m your host Jon ‘Webbie’ Wepking.


We’ve got Head Football Coach Steve Laqua talking about recruiting for the Dragon football program and how he likens this day to Christmas as the gifts of new members to the Dragon Family come pouring in.  Get the pitch from the Laqua himself as he explains the process of getting to signing day which is a 13 month process for his staff and recruits.  You want the names of this year’s signees, head to MSUMDragons.com/NSD23 that’s MSUMDragons.com/NSD23.  It’s signing day…right now…let’s go!

The MSUM Dragons Podcast is sponsored by:





Former MSUM Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President and Dragons track & field alum Rachel Schumacher was interviewed this week by the NCAA's Haydyn Gibson about the Joe's Heroes Make-A-Wish night which received the 2023 NCAA Division II Award of Excellence.  The NCAA and Gibson were kind enough to share their podcast with us. 



The Award of Excellence is the highest non-athletic honor the NCAA bestows to an institution.  The award was presented to MSUM athletic director Chad Markuson at the annual NCAA convention in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday morning. MSU Moorhead was named a finalist, along with 22 other institutions, on January 4. The award is intended to celebrate, recognize and champion a school's community engagement efforts.



"It was such an honor to be named a finalist.  To win the Award of Excellence is very humbling and exciting for our student athletes," said Markuson. "Their work in the community is both inspiring and aligns great with NCAA Division II core values."



MSUM's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee put together a massive event to honor their friend and Dragon superfan Joe Keller. Through SAAC's work, MSUM helped raise $4,385 for Make-a-Wish North Dakota to honor their friend who had previously had his wish granted. Keller was an MSUM student, superfan and athletics intern with muscular dystrophy who passed away in the summer of 2021. 



"I appreciate the NCAA's commitment to recognizing student athletes for their contributions outside of their sports. Our Dragon student athletes exemplify MSU Moorhead's core values of grit, humility, and heart—both on and off the playing field," said MSUM President Dr. Anne Blackhurst. "They inspire my Dragon Pride every day and I'm thrilled they've received national recognition for their extraordinary engagement with our community."





FULL AWARD OF EXCELLENCE PRESS RELEASE



 

The MSUM Dragons Podcast is sponsored by:





MSUM Softball sophomore Grace Oeltjen joined the National Guard on "kind of a dare".  We asked her what the similarities and differences are between her two teams and how they've prepared her for life.  

 

The MSUM Dragons Podcast is sponsored by:





MSUM junior running back Tyson Powell had his first competitive season of college football ripped away by COVID and by an ACL tear.  Not the worst time for an injury like that but a long road to recovery laid ahead.  Then, when the new season brought football back...another devastating ACL tear in the other leg.  Faced with a difficult decision and a hard road either way, Powell decided to come back.  He decided it was worth it to go through all that work again for a shot at playing college football for the Dragons.  



Then...after 2 years...it happened.  What did that feel like?  Was it worth it?  What'd he learn?  All that in this episode of the MSUM Dragons Podcast.





 

A ONCE IN A LIFETIME GAME FOR THE ICKERT TWINS

(Apologies in advance for the mispronunciation from Jon Wepking)


The Ickert twins, McKenzie Ickert and Alexa Ickert spent their youth playing soccer together…eventually they both succeeded at advancing to the collegiate level for different teams…Kenz with MSUM and Alexa with St. Scholastica.  Fast forward a few years, they’re now both seniors…playing in their final seasons competitively…and look who popped up on the pre-season schedule.  A twin sister face-off.  On this episode we talk to the Ickert twins about the once in a lifetime game and how the game of soccer has forged a special bond between the two sisters...





WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW BELOW