Young Raiders end season

The 2011 Central Lakes College volleyball season ended Friday at Thief River Falls, when the second-seeded Raiders lost in the Region 13B semifinal. Sophomore Melissa Widman (pictured) had 20 digs and Alanna Hansen added 10 kills against third-seeded Itasca, whom CLC had twice defeated during the regular campaign. The 3-0 loss was by identical game scores of 22-25. CLC finishes at 16-11. Itasca advanced to the championship against the host Northland Pioneers (23-2). Carlie Sweet contributed nine kills and four blocks. Alice Widmark added five kills and seven digs. Abbi Knutson finished with 31 set assists and eight digs and Hayley Hornick tallied 13 digs . “The other team was good,” said Coach Jane Peterson. “You have to give some credit. They played good defense and we were not our best. I think the pressure got to us. We were a young team and played like a young team.”

Season ends

The Ridgewater Warriors upset our 20th-ranked Central Lakes College Raiders, 26-14, in the final regular-season football game of the 2011 season. The CLC season ends with a 7-2 record while Ridgewater stays alive in the MCAC playoffs at 6-3. The difference: One Southern Division loss for the victors, 2 for CLC. The Raiders also relinquished "Paul Bunyan's Axe" as part of the friendly rivalry. It had been showcased on the Brainerd campus since the inception of the contest. The last two years, the Raiders went a combined 17-4, won the Division championship in 2010 and played in the Valley of the Sun Bowl in Phoenix last December. “It’s a special group of guys, who have made my life very enjoyable, and I value every minute that I have had with them and being able to work them," said Coach Greg Medeck. The Raiders played their typical style of stingy defense as they allowed just 124 total yards to the Warriors. CLC turned the ball over eight times and gave Ridgewater a short field on all four scoring drives.
Images by Mark Slupe for CLC http://www.flickr.com/photos/58518185@N04

Raiders sweep Rainy River

The Central Lakes College volleyball team won its final regular-season match Wed., Oct. 19, 3-0, at International Falls. The Raiders defeated the host Rainy River Voyageurs, 25-21, 25-21, 25-21, to finish in second place in the Northern Division of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference at 11-3. Next up is the Region 13B tournament. Contenders at this meet are Itasca (18-10) and Rainy River (18-12). On Friday, Oct. 28 No. 2 seed CLC plays No. 3 seed Itasca at 7 p.m. following the 5 p.m. No. 1 Northland (22-2) vs. No. 4 Rainy River match. The winners from those 2 matches play on Sat., Oct. 29 ay 1 p.m. in the Northland gym at Thief River Falls for the right to compete in the NJCAA Division III national championship tournament Nov. 11 and 12 in Rochester. Carli Sweet (pictured) of CLC was named All-Around Northern Division Player of the Week for Oct. 24, according to the MCAC report. She averaged 3.3 kills/game and 2.3 blocks/game and had an attack percentage of .500 with only one error and added a pair of digs. She is a freshman from Brainerd. Abbi Knutson was named Setter of the Week for having 36 assists (12.0/game) and averaged 8.48 set assists/game during the season. She is a freshman from Watkins.

Raiders shut out Ironmen

The Central Lakes College football team continued to roll in Minnesota College Athletic Conference play Saturday, shutting out Vermilion at Ely, 34-0. It was the seventh win in eight starts for the 19th-ranked Raiders, who play their final home game of 2011 this week, a 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 Battle for the Axe vs. Ridgewater at Findorff Field. The Raiders charged to a 20-0 halftime lead behind TD runs of 11 yards from Taz Seibert and 4 yards by Aaron White in the first quarter, with QB Carson Wessinger firing a 44-yard TD strike to Ryan Tri in the second stanza. Gabe Eppert kicked two of his four PATs in the first period. CLC put a couple more TDs up in the third, with QB Skyler Shearer tossing passes of 24 and 17 yards to wide receiver Averey Duncan to wrap up the scoring. The Raiders gained 161 yards on the ground, led by White's 85 in 20 carries and Seibert's 48 on 8 runs. Wessinger was 6-13 for 89 yards and Shearer 6-15 and 74 yards. Each QB threw one interception. Duncan's only catches of the day were scoring plays. Tri gained 56 yards on two receptions. Seibert caught 3 for 30 total yards. The teams each tried 74 plays from scrimmage, with CLC holding the home team to -22 yards on theground and 85 through the air. The total yardage edge: CLC 324, Vermilion 63. Greg Wright (pictured) recovered two Ironman fumbles, Dilan Gastecki had one. Go Raiders!

Raiders get 15th win

CLOQUET — Carlie Sweet’s 15 kills led Central Lakes College to a 3-0 Northern Division volleyball win Saturday, Oct. 15 over Fond du Lac in Minnesota College Athletic Conference action. It was the 15th match win in 25 starts for CLC. Abbi Knutson notched 30 set assists, eight digs and three ace serves for the Raiders, who are 10-3 in the division going into the next battle at Rainy River in International Falls. Melissa Widman recorded nine digs and seven kills. “We have had a lot of big games in a row," said Head Coach Jane Peterson. " We have kept showing up, so that is encouraging. Wednesday’s match against Rainy River will determine a lot.” Go Raiders!

Raiders sweep Itasca

GRAND RAPIDS — Carlie Sweet slammed 10 kills and fueled the defense with six blocks as the Central Lakes Raiders volleyball team defeated Itasca, 3-0, in a Northern Division of the a Minnesota College Athletic Conference match Friday. CLC and Itasca each entered contest with an 8-3 league record. CLC's win solidified a hold on second place in the North. Alanna Hansen and Emily Weber each had eight kills and Abbi Knutson launched 37 set assists. Libero Hayley Hornick had 16 digs. “This was pretty much a game for second place and we showed up,” said Head Coach Jane Peterson. Set scores were 25-21, 25-19, 25-15. CLC (14-10) is scheduled to play at Fond Du Lac today at noon. Go Raiders!

Northland edges Raiders

The division-leading Northland Pioneers (20-1), ranked fifth in the naton, won their second match of the season over Central Lakes College Wed., Oct. 12, 3-1, in the Brainerd campus gym. After dropping Game One, 13-25, the Raiders managed to win Game Two, 25-19, but errors plagued CLC’s momentum. The visitors won the final two games by the same score, 20-25. The Raiders finished with 14 attack errors and eight service errors. The Raiders were led offensively by Melissa Widman’s 10 kills. Emily Weber and Alanna Hansen each finished with nine. Widman added 12 digs followed by Hayley Hornick and Crysta Christensen with 11. “We just served tough and dominated the net in that second game,” said CLC Head Coach Jane Peterson. “They didn’t have big hits. They couldn’t get to the ball and we blocked some balls. They aren’t used to being blocked. They’re used to just pounding it repeatedly and no one touching it. I think our block did a pretty good job. Even when the block isn’t touching, it’s still doing the right thing a lot of the time.” Next: CLC at Itasca (Grand Rapids) Friday, 6:30 p.m. and at Fond du Lac (Cloquet) Saturday, noon. CLC record 13-10 overall, 8-3 Northern Division of MCAC.

Players of the Week

Two Central Lakes College football players have been honored as Players of the Week ending Oct. 8 in the Southern Division of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference as nominated by Head Coach Greg Medeck. The awards come after the 49-14 win over Minnesota West last Saturday. It was the sixth win in seven games for the 2011 Raiders, who are ranked No. 19 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III poll as of Oct. 11. Sophomore defensive back Dan Ngandali from Buffalo was the Defensive Player of the Week. Against Minnesota West, Dan made five tackles and returned an interception for a 46-yard score. Special Teams Player of the Week was Freshman Sean Nokken from Pillager. He returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown against Minnesota West.

Raiders defeat Mn West

Sophomore wide receiver Averey Duncan of St. Paul (left) caught three touchdown passes from freshman quarterback Carson Wessinger of St. John, Virgin Islands as the Central Lakes College Raiders won their sixth football game of the season, 49-14, over Minnesota West Sat., Oct. 8 at Findorff Field in Brainerd. The 20th-ranked Raiders led 28-6 at halftime, with Jared Hoemberg's interception the last big play of the CLC-dominant period. The scoring began with 13:44 left in the first quarter as Dan Ngandali taking a pass interception 43 yards. Gabe Eppert booted the first of his five PATs for the lead CLC would never relinquish on a drizzly, slippery afternoon. Taz Seibert scooted two yards with 5:46 to go in the first for the next TD after passes to Taz and Averey paced the attack. At 3:19 the Blue Jays popped over from a yard to get their first TD, but the PAT kick was blocked and Matt Mogere took it 85 yards for two points and a 16-6 Raider lead. Averey's athleticism added two more TDs in the second quarter as he caught passes of 35 and 13 yards from Carson to give CLC a 28-6 edge. Averey finished with six catches for 122 yards. Along the way Jared had two interceptions and running back Aaron White had some good runs for gainers. Jordan Hayes employed great quickness and pass-catching finesse to extend the offensive threat. White's 23-yard sprint for a third quarter score was nullified by a personal foul on Duncan and holding on another CLC player. Carson did his Fran Tarkenten impersonation to scramble for big yardage, setting up a 10-yard scoring strike to Averey, and Gabe's kick made it 35-6. Jared showed a deceptive versatility as the third quarter ended, tossing a 30-yard fake punt pass to Ryan Tri. As the fourth quarter began, Logan Baker ran 4 yards and Eppert kicked for a 42-6 lead as reserves took the field. Sean Nokken, a freshman from Pillager, bolted for the longest score of the day, a 62-yard punt return with 11:07 left, and Gabe's kick made it 49-6. The visitors scored on a 4-yard run with 8:26 left and the PAT pass made it 49-14 against Raider reserves. The game was delayed with just over 5 minutes to go when Bluejay receiver Brett Doeder, who had several outstanding catches, went down with a leg injury that required a 15-minute wait for the ambulance. The last big play came at 4:30 when Taylor Hradsky blocked a Mn West field goal attempt. This was one of CLC's best defensive games, and one that provides a vison of good things ahead if CLC gets another shot at unbeaten Rochester. CLC plays at Vermilion Sat., Oct. 15 before the last home game Oct. 22 vs. Ridgewater. Then, it's playoff time.

Raiders return the favor

The Raider volleyball team on Sat., Oct. 8 returned the favor. The Raiders avenged a 3-1 loss by winning 3-1 vs. Mesabi Range. On Sept. 16 at Virginia, the Norse had taken 3 of 4 games. This time on the Brainerd court, CLC emerged as the winner by game scores of 25-22, 25-29, 21-25, 25-16. The triumph was the sixth straight match win for Coach Jane Peterson's chargers, who have climbed into the Northern Division hunt. Their next battle is with the Division leading Northland team which hasn't lost to any other division team and is ranked fifth in the national Division III poll. It's a home showdown for CLC on Wed., Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m. Vs. Mesabi Range Carlie Sweet (pictured) had 16 kills, Alanna Hansen 11. Abbi Knutson had 44 set assists. While the Norse had their usual power punch with 6-3 outside hitter Morgan Hanson, a number of times the Raiders showed more overall strength throughout the line-up as each player continues to improve. From digs and blocks to serves, sets, and well-timed kills, the Raiders played more like a sophomore unit. The line-up in action Saturday included sophomore Melissa Widman and freshmen Hayley Hornick, Knutson, Crysta Christensen, Sweet, Emily Weber, Kaylie Hanson, Alice Widmark, and Hansen. CLC is now 12-9 overall, 8-2 in the division. The win secured CLC a spot in the post-season play-offs.

Raiders to 7-2 in division

The Central Lakes College volleyball team upped its record to 7-2 in the Northern Division of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference by defeating Vermilion, 3-0, on Friday, Oct. 7 in Brainerd. Alanna Hansen slapped 10 kills and stuffed 3 blocks in the sweep, which was by scores of 25-22, 25-10, and 25-20. The overall record went to 12-9 going into today's revenge match vs. Mesabi Range at noon in the CLC gym. Abbi Knutson had 35 set assists, Crysta Christensen 7 kills, 2 ace serves, and 2 digs, and Emily Weber popped 8 kills to go with 1 dig.

Raiders sweep Hibbing

The Central Lakes College volleyball team has swept the season series against Hibbing. The Raiders swept the Cardinals Wed., Oct. 5 in Brainerd, 25-18, 25-11, and 25-21. Freshman Abbi Knutson (left) stroked 9 kills, 17 set assists and 4 digs in the win, the sixth in 8 Northern Division matches for the second-place Raiders. Northland is unbeaten in 8. Reserve Betsy Helmeke produced 7 digs in the later part of the match, and freshmen Crysta Christensen and Hayley Hornick each had 6. The Raiders lost to the University of Minnesota-Morris junior varsity, 14-25, 22-25, and 16-25 in the nightcap. Abbi had another 17-set assist match. Hayley and Crysta each had 7 digs. Jazmin Massie tallied 6 kills, Carlie Sweet 5, and Alice Widmark 4. All are freshmen. The Raiders next host Vermilion Friday night (6:30), Mesabi Range Saturday (noon), and Northland Wed., Oct. 12.

Cody Cederberg qualifies

EAST GULL LAKE — Sophomore Cody Cederberg of Hawley has qualified to represent Central Lakes College in the NJCAA Division III national tournament. On Tuesday, Oct. 4 Cody carded a 75 to total 152 over 36 holes and take runner-up medalist honors just one stroke shy of the top spot at the Region XIII and MCAC state golf tournament at the Cragun’s Legacy course. The national tournament starts June 5 in New York. Over the last 18 holes Cody (77-75=152) was two strokes better than eventual medalist Ross Winters of Rochester (74-77=151) . CLC’s John Sund came in at 168 followed by Nate Richards (174), Taylor Wilke (204) and Morgan Quinn (224). Katie Tast was the only female CLC golfer in the tournament. She shot a two-day 199. Images from the tournament may be found on the CLC Athletics-Golf web page and also at http://www.flickr.com/photos/58518185@N04
Photo by Mark Slupe

Cederberg 2nd, Tast 7th

Central Lakes College golfers Cody Cederberg and Katie Tast are second and seventh, respectively, after the first day of the Region XIII and MCAC golf tournament at The Legacy at Cragun's. Play concludes today, determining who advances to the NJCAA championship tournaments next spring. Cederberg fired a 77 to pace the Raider men's team, which is in fifth place after 18 holes. Nate Richards shot 83, John Sund 84, Taylor Wilke 106, and Morgan Quinn 110. The team total of 350 counts the best four scores. The team totals: M State 320, Rochester 334, SW Wisconsin Tech 340, Mesabi Range 348, CLC 350, Bismarck 351, Hibbing 392. On the women's side CLC's Tast, a freshman from Big Lake, shot a 98. First-day leader Melissa Hill of Mesabi Range carded a sensational 79 for an eight-stroke lead. Bismarck College is the lone school with a full team and thus will qualify for the national meet. Four Bismarck golfers shot 98 or better.

4-0 for the week

The Central Lakes College volleyball Raiders wrapped up their four-win week on Saturday, Oct. 1 with decisions over Fond du Lac (3-0) and Anoka-Ramsey (3-1) in the CLC gym. Earlier in the week CLC defeated Rainy River and Itasca, giving the Raiders a 4-0 record to start their homestand. Now 5-2 in the Division and 10-8 overall, the team awaits Hibbing (5 p.m.) and the University of Minnesota-Morris JV (8 p.m.) on Wed., Oct. 5 in home matches. Abbi Knuston (pictured) had 22 set assists, 3 digs, 1 block, 2 ace serves, and 4 kills in the win over FDL, and she followed with 42 sets, 8 digs, 2 blocks, 4 ace serves, and 1 kill in the win vs. A-R. Match scores were CLC vs. FDL: 25-8, 25-18, 16-15; vs. A-R: 24-26, 25-21, 25-19, 25-17. Among stats vs. FDL: Crysta Christensen 11 digs, 6 kills; vs. A-R: Melissa Widman 12 kills, 19 digs, 3 blocks; Alanna Hanssen 11 kills, Hayley Hornick 16 digs.

Big first half aids FB win

The Central Lakes College football team ran its record to 5-1 with a 26-6 win at Fergus Falls to spoil the Spartans' homecoming Sat., Oct. 1. All the scoring came in the first half. Taz Seibert was the first Raider to hit the endzone on a 9-yard scamper. Jordan Hayes did likewise, scoring on a 22-yard run for a 12-0 first-quarter lead. Hayes plunged a yard in the second period and QB Carson Wessinger fired the 2-point PAT pass to Ryan Tri (pictured). The last tally was a 15-yard pass TD from Wessinger to Averey Duncan. Seibert carried 18 times for 109 yards and Hayes 9 times for 49 yards as the Raiders managed 193 yards on the ground. Wessinger completed 15 of 17 passes for 128 yards. Skyler Shearer hooked up on 3 of 4 and 35 yards. CLC had 173 air yards as Ryan Mills added a 10-yard pass. Jared Hoemberg's only attempt was intercepted. Eleven Raiders were receivers for the diversified passing game. The hosts managed just 166 yards of offense against the tough-as-nails Raider defense. Nate Bigley had an interception and Pete Stenger and Nate Hofman each had fumble recoveries. CLC hosts Minnesota West on Sat., Oct. 8 at 2:30 p.m.
Photo by Mike Welde, courtesy of Craig Olson Sports

Raiders knock off Itasca

Improving with each match, the Central Lakes College Raider volleyball team knocked off the Minnesota College Athletic Conference Northern Division leader, Itasca, in four games Friday, Sept. 30 on the CLC court. Itasca won the first set, 24-26, and then the Raiders mounted the decisive campaign, 25-15, 25-23, and 25-22. The Vikings came in tied for the top of the Division at 5-0, while CLC had been in the middle of the pack. Team play made the difference for the young Raiders, with the lone starting sophomore, Melissa Widman, in a leadership role. She had 18 kills, 2 ace serves, 17 digs, and a block. Crysta Christensen added 8 kills, one ace, 9 digs, and 2 blocks. Carlie Sweet slapped 11 kills, 3 ace serves and managed 2 blocks. Abbi Knutson delivered 45 set assists. Alanna Hansen nailed 9 kills and put up 3 blocks. Hayley Hornick popped 12 digs. Emily Weber produced 6 kills. Kaylie Hanson fired a pair of ace serves and scooped 8 digs. CLC plays Fond du Lac at noon and Aboka-Ramsey at 4 today in the Brainerd campus gym. The Raiders are 4-2 in the Division and 8-8 overall.