Nick Hartley

First let me introduce myself. My name is Nick Hartley and I am a superfan, an SDSU superfan to be exact. Ever since I was six I have bled yellow and blue. You might have seen me all over at SDSU sporting events. I have been given the chance to have a column with my thoughts on anything and everything sports related.

With the start of the basketball season almost here I have some thoughts on both teams. The women will be a tough team and could be back in the WNIT again. I think the starting lineup will consist of Allison Anderson at the point, Andrea Verdegan at the two spot, Ketty Cornemann starting the year in the small forward position. Jenn Warkenthien returns to the starting lineup as the power forward for the third year in a row and Courtney Grimsrud returns as center this year. The small forward will provide the most competition this year with Kristin Rotert, Cornemann, Stacie Oistad and Morgan Meier all having a possibility of starting some point in the year.

The men will have a better team this year and look to win more games than in the past couple of years. Jackrabbit Nation is looking at an awesome and talented team this year. You will see a completely different team this year. Incoming freshman Michael Palarca will start the year at the point-guard spot, with Garrett Callahan filling in at the shooting guard spot. Kai Williams, one of the most underappreciated small forwards in the country returns and should average a double-double a game. Ben Beran returns after a year off at the power forward position, and Mo Berte makes his triumphant return after one heck of a year and a half. The Jacks will have a chance at being competitive in more games this year and the fans will not be disappointed.

A disturbing trend that has happened in the past, continues this year. Our students seem to have the idea that student involvement in campus events is over after Hobo Day. For those few hundred students that made their way to Coughlin-Alumni Stadium on Oct. 20, they saw an impressive Jackrabbit victory over a ranked Cal Poly team. This trend has to stop otherwise the Bison will provide more fans for the Nov. 17 game than the Jacks will have. As it is right now, the Bison travel well and 10,000 Bison fans is not out of the question for the Dakota Marker game. A few bad breaks have cost the Jacks what could have been a 7-1 record.

Another thing that bugs me is The Pride. They may be the Pride of South Dakota, but not to play at the most important game of the year is a downright sin. Excuses about cold weather are unacceptable. NDSU plans on bringing their band down. To be embarrassed by the Gold Star Marching Band of NDSU showing up is a sad state of the Pride members’ thinking. Extra practice needed for the Rose Bowl parade is no excuse, you can practice at THE BIGGEST GAME of the year.

SDSU volleyball after struggling in October is still on pace to make the playoffs. Chemistry has been lacking lately but the return of Mackenzie Angner makes the chemistry sure to return. The Jacks are a dangerous team and very well could be the first team to represent SDSU in the NCAA tourney. With two home games left, the Jacks need the fans to support them.

Lang Wedemeyer’s soccer club has had an impressive year but is hosed by the fact they can’t make the tourney this year. As the second place team in conference play, they have been a good team this year. The NDSU double overtime game ranks up with some of the best games I have seen this year. Only the quadruple overtime football game against Western Illinois ranks higher.

This has been an impressive year so far for SDSU athletics with many more exciting moments to come. I look forward to seeing some of you out at upcoming games. Feel free to come up to me if you see me at sporting events and tell me what you think of things.