Tracy Dill to Step Away From BSU Athletics

After nine years at the helm of Bemidji State’s Department of Athletics, Tracy Dill will retire June 30. Just the second full-time director of athletics at BSU, Dill’s tenure will be remembered for success and growth. He has guided Beaver Athletics to five conference championships, three Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference divisional championships and eight NCAA Tournament/Championship appearances.

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The department has also received seven conference and national coach of the year awards during Dill’s tenure. Under his direction, a total of 259 BSU student-athletes have been honored as all-conference members, 29 as All-Americans and 16 as conference players of the year. In the classroom, eight have earned Academic All-America honors, while the BSU student-athletes carried a cumulative GPA of 3.24 in 2021. In addition, Dill provided leadership for the renovation the John S. Glas Fieldhouse into a year-round, indoor training facility and weight room, now called the Frederick P. Baker Training Center, and the Jeff “Bird” McBride Golf Clubhouse, a golf simulator.

Bachmann and Yoder Reach 1,000-point Plateau

BSU women’s basketball team is off to its best start in decades and has added two members to the 1,000-point club. Brooklyn Bachmann became the 21st BSU player to reach 1,000 career points with six points in BSU’s November 16 win against Valley City State. Trinity Yoder followed her into the history books January 29 with a game-high 25 points to lead BSU to a 60-51 come-from-behind win over Wayne State College.

Sillinger Opens 2021-22 as National Player of the Month

Owen Sillinger, BSU’s senior co-captain from Regina, Saskatchewan, led the Central Collegiate Hockey Association with 14 points on seven goals and seven assists in six November games en route to CCHA and Hockey Commissioners’ Association Player of the Month laurels and a spot on the ballot for college hockey’s top honor—the Hobey Baker Award. On January 15, he became just the seventh BSU men’s hockey player since 1999-2000 to surpass 100 career points.

Cross Country Earns All-Academic Team Award

BSU’s cross country program was named an All-Academic Team for the 2021 NCAA Division II cross country season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA). It was BSU’s fourth award in five years under head coach Kevin Kean. BSU cross-country harriers finished the fall semester with a team cumulative grade-point average of 3.58.

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Jordan Petersen Takes the Reins of the BSU Softball Program

Jordan Petersen’s first season as head coach of the BSU softball program began February 11. The Brooklyn Park native and Winona State University graduate is a first-time head coach after spending four seasons as an assistant and graduate assistant coach with NSIC rivals MSU-Moorhead and Northern State. Petersen finished her career as Winona State’s all-time leader in fielding percentage and guided the program to two NSIC Championships and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths.

Football Advances to First-Ever NCAA Tournament

For the first time in 95 years of competition at Bemidji State, the Beaver Football program earned a spot in the 28-team NCAA Championships. The Beavers avenged a bitter Homecoming defeat by toppling 25th-ranked NSIC rival Augustana, 28-24, in the first round before falling to Colorado School of Mines in the second round. BSU finished the season ranked 18th in the d2football.com national poll, its highest finish ever. Individually, quarterback Brandon Alt finished fifth in balloting for the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to Division II’s national player of the year.

Schicker Earns All America Scholar Athlete Honors

Seth Schricker became the BSU men’s golf program’s first ever Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar Athlete. Schricker earned the Golf Coaches Association of America award after posting a 77.3 scoring average and a 3.52 cumulative grade-point average.