Minnesota State Mavericks
Encyclopedia
The athletic teams of Minnesota State University, Mankato
are known as the Mavericks. More than 600 students participate each year in athletics for the university. Most of the university's athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division II level in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
(NSIC). The men's and women's ice hockey
teams compete at the Division I level in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
(WCHA).
Minnesota State began competition in the NSIC in 2008-09, due to the dissolution of the North Central Conference
.
Minnesota State finished third in the NACDA Director's Cup Division II 2007-08 rankings, finished second in 2008-09 and was fourth in 2009-10.
the Mavericks lost in the championship game to Marshall University
73-59.
, having defeated Elmira College
5-2 in the final. The Mavericks earned their first berth in the NCAA Division I Tournament
in 2002-03. They lost to eventual East Regional champion Cornell University
5-2 in the opening round.
Mavericks alum who have played in the NHL
include Ryan Carter
(Anaheim/Carolina), Steve Wagner
(St. Louis/Pittsburgh), David Backes
(St. Louis), Tim Jackman
(Columbus/Phoenix/Los Angeles/New York Islanders/Calgary), Grant Stevenson
(San Jose) and Jon Kalinski (Philadelphia).
Ryan Carter
became the first former Maverick to have his name engraved into the Stanley Cup
. He was a member of the 2007
Stanley Cup
-winning Anaheim Ducks
squad.
David Backes
became the first former Maverick to be selected to the U.S. Olympic Team for men's hockey and won a silver medal during the 2010 Winter Olympics
.
, both attended Spring Lake Park High School in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota
.
In 2010, Senior Denise Mokaya won the Division II Indoor NCAA National Championship in the 800m, winning in 1:51.41
Minnesota State wrestlers Jason Rhoten and Andy Pichar each won individual national championships during the 2007-08 season.
Minnesota State University has been the location of the summer training camp for the Minnesota Vikings
National Football League
team for over 40 years.
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota, a community of 53,000 located southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. As of Fall 2011, the student body is the third-largest in the state of Minnesota with over 15,000 students...
are known as the Mavericks. More than 600 students participate each year in athletics for the university. Most of the university's athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division II level in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. Nine of its members are in Minnesota, with two members in South Dakota and one member each in the states of Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota. It participates in the NCAA's...
(NSIC). The men's and women's ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
teams compete at the Division I level in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
(WCHA).
Minnesota State began competition in the NSIC in 2008-09, due to the dissolution of the North Central Conference
North Central Conference
The North Central Conference , also known as North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was a college athletic conference which operated in the north central United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...
.
Minnesota State finished third in the NACDA Director's Cup Division II 2007-08 rankings, finished second in 2008-09 and was fourth in 2009-10.
Men's
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Ice HockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one... - TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- WrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
Women's
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- BowlingBowlingBowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Ice HockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
- Soccer
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one... - TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
Basketball (men's)
Minnesota State men's basketball player Atila Santos was named an All-American by the NABC and the Division II Bulletin this year.Basketball (women's)
Minnesota State won the 2008-09 NCAA Division II national women's basketball championship with a 103-94 win over Franklin Pierce University, March 27, 2009 in San Antonio, Tex.Golf (men's)
In 19471947 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1947 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 10th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format . It would be the first time since 1945 the NAIA Semifinalist would feature...
the Mavericks lost in the championship game to Marshall University
Marshall Thundering Herd
The Marshall Thundering Herd are the intercollegiate athletic teams that collectively represent the Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Thundering Herd athletic teams compete in Conference USA, which are members of the NCAA Division I...
73-59.
Ice hockey (men's)
The Mavericks are presently led by head coach Troy Jutting, who was named the WCHA Coach of the Year during the 2007-08 season after finishing 19-16-4 overall. Jutting has held post as head coach since the 2000-01 season after replacing longtime coach Don Brose. His assistants are former MSU defenseman Darren Blue and Todd Knott. The Mavericks commenced play at the Division I level during the 1996-97 season. The Mavericks competed at the Division II level prior to joining the Division I ranks and won the 1980 NCAA Division II National ChampionshipNCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known...
, having defeated Elmira College
Elmira College
Elmira College is a coeducational private liberal arts college located in Elmira, in New York State's Southern Tier region.The college is noted as the oldest college still in existence which granted degrees to women that were the equivalent of those given to men...
5-2 in the final. The Mavericks earned their first berth in the NCAA Division I Tournament
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known...
in 2002-03. They lost to eventual East Regional champion Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
5-2 in the opening round.
Mavericks alum who have played in the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
include Ryan Carter
Ryan Carter
Ryan Michael Carter is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
(Anaheim/Carolina), Steve Wagner
Steve Wagner
Steven Wagner is a former field hockey goalkeeper from the United States, who finished 12th with the men's national team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.-References:*...
(St. Louis/Pittsburgh), David Backes
David Backes (ice hockey)
David Anthony Backes is an American professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League ....
(St. Louis), Tim Jackman
Tim Jackman
Tim Jackman is an American professional ice hockey player, currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was the first player from Minnesota State University, Mankato to be drafted after becoming the Columbus Blue Jackets' second round selection, 38th overall, at the...
(Columbus/Phoenix/Los Angeles/New York Islanders/Calgary), Grant Stevenson
Grant Stevenson
Grant Thomas Stevenson is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for German club Augsburger Panther of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
(San Jose) and Jon Kalinski (Philadelphia).
Ryan Carter
Ryan Carter
Ryan Michael Carter is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
became the first former Maverick to have his name engraved into the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. He was a member of the 2007
2006-07 NHL season
In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage, which gives them a maximum possible four games on their home ice, with the other team getting a maximum possible three...
Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
-winning Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
squad.
David Backes
David Backes (ice hockey)
David Anthony Backes is an American professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League ....
became the first former Maverick to be selected to the U.S. Olympic Team for men's hockey and won a silver medal during the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
Track and Field
Junior pole vaulter Kaitlin Rains claimed her second NCAA Division II Indoor Pole Vaulting championship and was named the USTFCCCA National Field Athlete of the Year. Rains has established herself as the most decorated Track and Field athlete in Maverick history having claimed three NCAA Division II National Championships in Pole Vaulting. She hails from the same high school as former Maverick and U.S. Olympian David BackesDavid Backes (ice hockey)
David Anthony Backes is an American professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League ....
, both attended Spring Lake Park High School in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota
Spring Lake Park, Minnesota
Spring Lake Park is a city in Anoka and Ramsey counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 6,412 at the 2010 census. The city lies mainly in Anoka County....
.
In 2010, Senior Denise Mokaya won the Division II Indoor NCAA National Championship in the 800m, winning in 1:51.41
Wrestling
Minnesota State's wrestling squad finished the 2007-08 campaign with a second-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships.Minnesota State wrestlers Jason Rhoten and Andy Pichar each won individual national championships during the 2007-08 season.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
team for over 40 years.