BSU slips, but looks ahead

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. 17, 1999

By Devlyn Brooks

Normally, a coach wouldn't be overjoyed slipping three places in the conference in one year.

However, Beaver cross-country coach Karen Ladig can't help but to shrug off her team's fifth place finish in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference this year when she looks ahead to next year's season.

You see, Ladig loses only one of her top seven runners and gains two more that will increase Bemidji State's competitiveness immensely.

The Beavers 1998 season is a story in small college sports. One in which small teams struggle to compete with the likes of Minnesota-Duluth, and the loss of one athlete can have a huge impact.

A young and relatively small squad finished fifth in the NSIC at the conference meet, but in the 1997, the program finished second -- a drop of three places.

According to Ladig, due to the Beavers' inexperience, they just didn't have the experience to compete as a team this season.

This was only the fourth season for the Beavers' cross-country team, which was reorganized in 1995 after a long absence. And the rebuilding process is still happening.

"I knew we wouldn't compete as well as a team (in 1998), but there would be some outstanding individual (efforts)," she said in an interview after the season. "I mean half the team was new. And it usually takes a year or two for athletes to compete (at the collegiate level)."

As a team, their best finish of the year was second place at the Moorhead Invitational. At its remaining meets, the team finished no better than in the bottom half.

"But I think the highlight of the year is this was a cohesive unit more so than the last three teams," Ladig said. "I hope that team unity grows into next year."

The team loses only three members of its 11-member team this year, with the biggest loss coming in senior Robin Rosaaen -- one of BSU's top five runners.

Otherwise, the team returns six starters, including its all-conference runner Kandi Brick, and two more competitive runners.

Brick was the individual highlight of the season, finishing first among BSU runners at every meet and seventh in the conference meet -- earning her her second consecutive All-Conference honor.

She slowed to a 40th place finish at the regional meet, where the largest schools such as UMD, North Dakota, South Dakota and Northern Colorado dominated. But Ladig thinks she will compete with the best in 1999.

"Kandi is consistently a top 10 runner, who is very competitive," she said. "Next year she should be able to run with any team. She has a shot at reaching the nationals."

Also returning will be Kaia Swenson, the team's consistent second place finisher, and runners Cath Adrian, Lauri Nevalainen, Molly Reque and Ursula Whiteside.

The two top runners joining the team are Bemidji High alum Alicia Newby, who redshirted this year, and senior Leah Polzine.

Polzine, a former runner, took some time off this year to complete some academic requirements.

"With four seniors, we've got more experience returning (than previously)," Ladig said. "That alone says we should do pretty well. I'm already looking forward to next year."

She added that it could be as good of a year as they had in 1997 when they finished second in the NSIC.

"If everybody is healthy next year," she said, "we have a run at first place in the conference."