Category Archives: Sports

Podcasts, Sports, The Home Turf

The Home Turf: Episode 3

Leave a comment

EPISODE 3: The Professional Dream
By Jackson Odden
Hosted by Abby Smith

Official Transcript:

[THEME SONG – ORGAN.]

Abby Smith:

Hello everyone! This is the Mustang Post: The Home Turf, our new sports podcast, where we dive into not just the home turf of Sheyenne but the home turf of the love of all sports for fans and athletes who invest themselves and their lives in their passion. In this episode, Jackson Odden speaks with two Sheyenne baseball players about how they balance sports with education and their personal lives.

Here’s Jackson.

Jackson Odden:

Hello my Name is Jackson Odden I am a sophomore at Sheyenne High School and I will be interviewing two other sophomores.

Gavin Satrom:

I’m Gavin Satrom I’m a sophomore at Sheyenne high.

Ashton Loe:

My names Ashton Loe I’m a sophomore at Sheyenne High School.

Jackson Odden:

Every child has a dream. Sometimes those dreams are as simple as getting that new toy. However, there are those times where dreams become more complex, more life-impacting, bigger than big. Something like, “I want to be a pro athlete. A pro baseball player.” But what impact would attaining a dream like that have on that child’s life and the lives of his family and friends.

However, there’s a lot that goes into building that road to becoming a pro athlete. Namely, there those seemingly simple stages like preparing for a game. Gavin, a sophomore at Sheyenne High School plays on its C team and prepares for that moment he steps up to bat versus the pitcher.

Gavin Satrom: “Well, like if you scout the pitcher, you can like see how he throws, but um, I don’t really scout pitchers that much. So, I really just get there in the game and, like, see how fast he throws and try to time him up.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

Ashton, also a sophomore at Sheyenne high school on the C team, is a bit more focused and determined.

Ashton Loe: “When I am in the dugout or the on-deck circle I try and time him up, look at how he’s throwing what pitches he’s throwing basically all the mechanics of it.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

In order to accomplish the goal of playing professional baseball ball you need to know what goals to have for yourself and for the future. And more specifically the goals you have in life after you have gotten your high school diploma.

Gavin Satrom: “Well, I want go to college to play baseball, and then hopefully we get to the professional level, but like if not, then something probably something in like the accounting business.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

Ashton may share the same goals as Gavin but has a different perspective of life after high school.

Ashton Loe: “First I want to continue my baseball career in college and then if that doesn’t work out somewhere in the medical field like athletic trainer or something like that.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

Having a belief in yourself is a difficult thing to do when your goal is so high as to make it professionally. But it is a requirement in order to have confidence in yourself to accomplish it.

Gavin Satrom: “Well, I would like to say I am pretty good, but, like, you never know what’s going to happen. Its baseball it is up and down a lot of the time. You do good one time, really bad the other.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

Ashton Shares being honest with yourself about your ability can be difficult but necessary in the path of life.

Ashton Loe: ” If I am being honest I don’t really know because a lot of the players around me are really good and watching videos everywhere I see players younger than me that are throwing really hard so I don’t know.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

How does a baseball player maintain their focus amidst adversity, such as when they encounter struggles on the field? Can they find the inner perseverance, despite if they may be struggling in baseball?

Gavin Satrom: ” Well, like honestly you got to leave the last at bat or like batter when pitching behind you. And you just move on next batter, next at bat, all that.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

How can seeking out different environments to practice in help a baseball player regain their focus and improve their performance during tough times?

Ashton Loe: “Whenever I’m struggling on usually I just try and practice that more like go to the Ballyard practice that and get better at it.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

How has the discipline and teamwork learned from playing baseball translated into success? How have skills honed on the field, positively helped you in aspects of your life?

Gavin Satrom: “Baseball’s helped me by like keeping me in like so like for baseball, I have to focus on like on what ever I am doing, and then I can use that like in school too or for like what ever I am doing in my life.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

How does playing giving a person a good mindset in baseball and a peace of mind?

Ashton Loe: ” I like playing baseball because it gives me something to do all the time I am always practicing it.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

In the intricate dance between failure and success on the baseball diamond, how do you navigate the fine line, seeking growth amidst strikeouts and home runs? Can you share the strategies and mindset that help you maintain in your journey as a baseball player?

Gavin Satrom: “Well, Like balance the success is really just how hard I practice and all that, but then with like the failure I can just practice even more and harder to like get that success back.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

Keeping to yourself and working on you can be a great way to challenge yourself.

Ashton Loe: “Well, usually I try to ignore how other people are playing, focus on myself, and make sure I am working hard.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

As the crack of the bat echoes through the air, what specific milestones and improvements do you envision achieving in your upcoming baseball season, both individually and as a team, to make it a truly successful and memorable?

Gavin Satrom: “Well, really, it’s just to win the season and the tournament, so win as much as we can and play as best as we can.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

Self challenges can make you a better leader and player than you think you are.

Ashton Loe: “I want to play really good hit a lot better than last year, and hopeful our team can win the tournament again.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

What aspirations and objectives do you envision for your journey through college and beyond, and how do you plan to achieve them?

Gavin Satrom: ” Well, with college, I hope to still play baseball and keep up good grades, but then after college, I want to play professionally; if it doesn’t work, then something in the accounting business.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

What would you do if everyone didn’t look at you what if baseball doesn’t work out?

Ashton Loe: “For college I want to continue my baseball career hopeful go D1 maybe make it to the majors otherwise probably stay in the medical field like I said before.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

How do you navigate the challenge of resisting comparisons to peers of similar age who might be excelling in various aspects of life?

Gavin Satrom: “When I’m playing the game of baseball, I don’t really look around to see how people are doing; I just care about how I am doing myself and think if I can perform better or, I guess play better.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

Comparing yourself to others can be a tricky thing how do you try to avoid it?

Ashton Loe: “Although I do see a lot of better players I just try and ignore them focus on myself get better get better than them.”   
 

Jackson Odden:

“How do you manage the juggling of your academic studies while also dedicating significant time to practice and play baseball, and what strategies have you found most effective in maintaining a balance between these?”

Gavin Satrom: “Well, I mean If I can focus on the grades, then I can go out and just play baseball.”   
 

Jackson Odden

One of the most beautiful parts of playing sports is you are a student athlete how do you balance being a student and an athlete?

Ashton Loe : “Usually I am pretty good at keeping my grades up keeping eligibility so I just focus on baseballs a ton during school.”   
 

[THEME SONG – ORGAN.]

Abby Smith:

There you have it, with one athlete confident with his rise to the professional level and another riding the wave, who knows what the outcome will be.

This podcast was recorded by Jackson Odden and hosted by Abby Smith and our thanks goes out to Ashton Loe and Gavin Satrom for their time which helped make this podcast possible.

In our next episode of The Home Turf, Reise Berg and Aiden Johnson, take a look at the world of professional basketball.

Goodbye everyone. We’ll see you soon.

This has been a production of Mustang Post News. 

Podcasts, Sheyenne Perspectives, Sports

Wins, Losses, and the Unexpected

Leave a comment

PART TWO: THE THRILL OF VICTORY
By Jaxson Miller
Hosted by Hailey Boehme

Official Transcript:

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]

Hailey Boehme: Hello everyone. This is Sheyenne perspectives, and I’m your host, Hailey Boehme, with Mustang Post News.

In Jaxson’s last episode of Wins, Losses, and the Unexpected, Sheyenne football’s defeat and heartache was his focus.

If you missed this podcast or any other releases, they’re all free to stream on mustangpost.news.

This week, Jaxson wraps up his two-part podcast by taking a turn toward Sheyenne volleyball’s state championship victory and joy.

Here’s Jaxson.

Jaxson Miller: A couple of weeks later, Sheyenne’s volleyball team was back in the state tournament once again. Even before the Mustangs catapulted themselves into the history books, the season they were having was already historic.

The Mustangs won their first 22 games, their best start in program history, finished undefeated in the EDC conference, which helped them capture the EDC regular season title, and then they went on to win the EDC conference tournament.

Sheyenne entered the state tournament 32-2 and had to face a tough Bismarck St. Mary’s squad. The Mustangs swept the Saints.

Next up was the Jamestown Blue Jays. In another great performance, the Sheyenne Mustangs were able to get the sweep against another solid team. They were heading to the state championship for the first time in program history.

Kennedy Colter, one of the top servers on the team and one of the eight seniors on the team, described what she felt throughout the state tournament.

Kennedy Colter: “I think that whole weekend, I thought I was going to have a million heart attacks. That whole weekend was a lot because every game is so important. But, after winning that second game it still didn’t hit me because… just beating Jamestown, they are really good team, and we had to come out… and that we played really good against Jamestown so taking that whole game in was a lot after the game and I don’t think it hit me until later that night… like… holy cow, this isn’t real… like… we are actually going to the state championship.”

Kennedy Colter serving during Sheyenne’s matchup against Fargo Shanley on September 27, 2022. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

Jaxson Miller: Sheyenne had to face Bismarck Century, a team that was in the state championship for the 12th straight year, a team that was looking for their 10th state title, and their 8th in the last 12 seasons. An absolute dynasty.

Did that bring a lot of pressure or nerves to the Mustangs? Of course. That is part of being an athlete. If there are not any nerves, there is something wrong.

The best athletes in the world get nervous. The players or teams that win are the ones that are equipped to handle it. So how did Kennedy and her teammates manage their nerves?

Kennedy Colter: Our team has two songs that we like to play before big games and to get us into the mindset of how important volleyball is to us and how much we care about each other. We play “I Lived” and “Halo.” And we were like, ‘Okay we have all this extra time’ before the game ‘Let’s play the song’ so we turned off the lights, we all got in a circle, and you could just feel that everyone wanted to win, and that everyone loved each other… we still do. It was a really good feeling and I think that helped calm my nerves down. I think all of us were crying, bawling our eyes out before the game, so that was great, but it was just that moment where we all got together, looked at each other, and it was like… this is the last game we will ever play together as a team, and for some of us, ever again, so it just meant a lot to know that everyone in that huddle had each other’s backs.”

Jaxson Miller: Sheyenne had faith that they could beat this dynasty of a team that Bismarck Century was.

Sheyenne beat Bismarck Century at the Bismarck Crossover, where the teams from the EDC, the Eastern Dakota Conference, travel West to play teams from the WDA, the Western Dakota Association.

Century got the upper hand against Sheyenne at the Fargo Invite towards the middle part of the regular season.

The Mustangs and the Patriots were the top two teams in the Class A state poll all season long. With each team splitting the amount of time spent at the number one spot, it was the perfect matchup for a state championship game.

[VOLLEYBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

And the Mustangs did not shy away. They came out with a great amount of intensity and won the first set 25-21. Century responded with an early lead in the second set and won the second set 25-22.

Throughout the third set, Sheyenne and Century traded points with each other until Sheyenne was able to pull away. At this point, they were just one set away from their first ever state title, in their first ever state title game.

[VOLLEYBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: As a winning program, Century was simply not going to back down. With their backs against the walls, Century responded with clutch defense and minimal errors in the fourth set.

However, despite taking the fourth set, the momentum did shift back towards Sheyenne late in the set.

The Patriots had a lead of 24-18, but the Mustangs went on a five-point run to get the lead down to one before Century setter, Geneva Ding, faked out the Mustangs and got the point to close out the fourth set, 25-23.

[VOLLEYBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: The next set could have gone either way as it was a winner-takes-all scenario. What more could you have asked for as a fan? There was not a lot of room for errors. It came down to who wanted it more.

After the first half of the fifth set went back and forth, Sheyenne went on 5-1 run to go up 12-7. Century called timeout.

That momentum for Sheyenne did not stop. The Mustangs did not collapse and kept their foot on the gas pedal. Great setting by Kennedy led to Isabelle Albrecht and Lexus Terhark each getting a kill to make it a 14-8 game.

Sheyenne was now just one point away from knocking off Century and capturing their first ever state championship.

On the last serve of the game, Century was able to return the ball over the net. Khloe Brown passed to Brooke Johnson, who was serving to close out the game. Brooke Johnson gave outside hitter Reagan Bogenreif a great set.

Bogenreif rose and hit the ball with great power. Century’s front row almost blocked it but… the ball made contact with the ground. At that moment, just a little after midnight, Sheyenne reached the summit at long last. They dethroned the Patriots.

[VOLLEYBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

KENNEDY COLTER: “I personally didn’t even see Reagan’s hit hit the ground. I didn’t even know, I was in an awkward spot, I couldn’t see, so I was like, ‘If everyone starts running, we won.’ And then everyone started running, and I just followed them. I was like, ‘This is not real’ and it was crazy. The best part of it was… I was sitting there… I think it was the fourth set and only in front of me, I could see our parents, our fans, and the Century fans. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh’ so I was like, ‘You know what? I need to take this all in.’ I stand up, I look around, and behind us is all the teams from the East, the West, and just everyone watching the game, cheering for us, so excited that they were jumping up for every single point. To have that feeling of everyone in the gym besides the Century fans cheering for you is something I will never forget, and that was a really cool experience too.”

Jaxson Miller: Kennedy says that what went on in all the huddles that occurred during the timeouts throughout the course of the match were a big factor.

Kennedy Colter: “I think that she (Newton) was just telling us to keep playing our game and to not get scared or tighten up because that is not going to help you win at all. I think when we got that run at the end of the fourth set, that really helped our momentum coming into the fifth set. I think that is really important and a huge thing in volleyball, is having the momentum of the game and although we did lose the fourth set, we did bring a lot of momentum into the fifth set, which was very helpful and that did push us to win the fifth set.

Jaxson Miller: Aiden Knodel was one of the many fans in the Bismarck Event Center that evening. He was in the student section with some friends.

Aiden Knodel: “Just seeing the redemption that the volleyball team was able to make up for our shortcomings, it was a really cool experience to witness and probably out of all the sporting events I have been to, it honestly was just like… crazy to watch, just the amount of energy that was inside the gym and just watching the emotions of the players, it was really cool to watch. And it kind of makes your heart ache because it is something that you wanted for yourself, but to see someone else go do that for you, was also a really cool experience.”

Jaxson Miller: It took Sheyenne’s volleyball team nine years to finally bring home a state championship trophy. The next step is to build off of this. They will have a good number of seniors to lead the team next year and will look to repeat as state champions.

The football team is hoping to rebound from the disappointing end to the 2022 season and return with vengeance next season.

Here’s the thing with sports, whether you achieve your storybook ending or not, it is important to understand that sports offer us the life-changing lessons that we need to grow as people and to make this world a better place. And for us to bounce back from our failures and our shortcomings.

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]  

Hailey Boehme: This podcast was recorded and edited by Jaxson Miller and hosted by Hailey Boehme. Sheyenne Perspectives theme music was composed and performed by Kolby Thompson under the direction of Mark Berntson (BURNT-son). Our thanks goes to Aiden Knodel and Kennedy Colter for their insight and time interviewing as well as Mustang Media and BEK Sports Network for providing the sports broadcast audio in this two-part podcast.

In our next episode of Sheyenne Perspectives, Carter Phillips returns for part two of his feature on creativity.

So long everyone. We’ll see you soon.

This has been a production of Mustang Post News.

 

Podcasts, Sheyenne Perspectives, Sports

Wins, Losses, and the Unexpected

Leave a comment

PART ONE: THE PAIN OF THE UNEXPECTED
By Jaxson Miller
Hosted by Hailey Boehme

Official Transcript:

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]

Hailey Boehme: Hey everyone! It’s your host, Hailey Boehme, and I’m here to welcome you back to another episode of Sheyenne Perspectives from Mustang Post News.

In our last episode of Sheyenne Perspectives, Carter Phillips delved into the human desire to create and share those creations.  

This week Jaxson Miller continues our series by taking a look at Sheyenne High School’s volleyball and football teams and how wins, losses, and the unexpected affected them.

Here’s Jaxson.

Jaxson Miller: The court.

[VOLLEYBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: The field.

[FOOTBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: Sports. They make the world a better place. They relate to the GAME we call LIFE.

There are highs. After a thrilling state title victory, the team is on top of the world.

Yet, there are lows. There is agony. There is loss. And that loss is made even worse when it’s unexpected.

In this podcast, we’ll look at those losses AND the wins. But really, we’re focusing on the unexpected and how that truly impacts teams and teammates.

Sheyenne wide receiver Aiden Knodel looking to block during an offensive play against Bismarck Century during their 11AA quarterfinal game on Friday, October 28, 2022, at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium.

Jaxson Miller: When our expectations are not met, how do we react and why do we react the way we do? Change or the unexpected is hard, challenging. And yet, in that change, or in the unexpected, there’s more to learn, more to achieve, more to reflect upon, more to look forward to.

The Sheyenne football and volleyball teams’ seasons ended just a few weeks apart. One team achieved state title glory for the first time in program history and the other suffered an agonizing defeat in the first round of the playoffs.

The football team was upset in the quarterfinal round of the 11AA playoffs by Bismarck Century, who won 27-8 on Sheyenne’s turf at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium. The Mustangs were the number one seed and were looking to win their second consecutive title after taking home their first crown last year.

Aiden Knodel, who is a senior at Sheyenne High School, was pumped throughout the week leading up to that Friday night playoff game against Bismarck Century.

The Mustangs finished the regular season strong by beating Mandan at home, 28-17, in the regular season finale. The Mustangs and the Braves were the top two ranked teams in the state at the time and the Mustangs captured the number one seed for the playoffs with the win and extended their winning streak to seven games in a row.

[FOOTBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Aiden Knodel: Throughout the week we knew it was a playoff game, a playoff atmosphere. The week prior, we played Mandan, which was a team that we thought we would be able to see later in the playoffs, potentially a championship level team, and we were pretty high coming off that win, but our preparation was definitely serious for Century knowing that they have gotten the better of us before in years prior. During the regular season we were able to beat them 42-14. So in that element I feel like we maybe could have underestimated them, but because it was a playoff scenario I feel like everyone was locked in and ready to go.

Jaxson Miller: The Mustangs were looking to jump start another playoff run to reach their fourth consecutive Dakota Bowl and have a shot at winning back-to-back state titles.

However, the Patriots came out firing on all cylinders to start the game. The Mustangs fumbled on their second drive of the game and the Patriots capitalized. Throughout the first half, Sheyenne’s offense could not get anything rolling and they trailed 14-0 at halftime… something they were not used to all season.

[FOOTBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: And the momentum for Bismarck Century continued into the beginning of the second half. On 3rd & 8, with a little over nine minutes to go in the third quarter, quarterback, Kyan Barth, connected with running back, Peyton Arndt, for a 38-yard touchdown to extend Century’s lead to 20.

[FOOTBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: Trailing 20-0 in the third quarter, the Mustangs’ offense was finally able to find a spark on their next drive. They responded by marching down the field easily. The drive was capped off by a Kaden Rahr rushing touchdown. Sheyenne converted on the two-point conversion to make it a 20-8 ballgame.

[FOOTBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: However, that spark would not last long. The offense stalled again. Despite the defense keeping the Patriots at 20 points for most of the second half, the Mustangs could not climb themselves out of the hole that they were in. Aiden could not believe what was happening.

Aiden Knodel: Never did it cross my mind that we would be in that situation where we would be down, and it was just like… we were getting beat pretty bad at that point. Never in my mind did I think that we would lose that game. So, as the clock was ticking down, it was a shock to me as I was just standing there. It felt out of my control. Nothing I could do. It just felt like a bad dream.

Jaxson Miller: Bismarck Century went on to win 27-8. Just like that, Sheyenne’s season… was over. There would be no back-to-back champion. There was not much to say.

Aiden Knodel: After the game, the locker room was honestly really quiet. Nobody had much to say. There was lots of hugs, some tears. It was definitely the most emotional I have ever had in sports where you have been growing up with these kids your entire life and it is like the last time you are going to be able to share a field, share a court, like any of that, with lots of those kids. It is really surreal, and you are realizing that your sports career is coming to an end. All the friends, all the relationships, every practice you go to, you start to miss that type of stuff and miss those connections that you used to have.

Jaxson Miller: It is hard to describe the amount of agony an athlete feels after an upset loss. It is like getting punched in the gut, like something that you wanted for so long just suddenly becomes out of reach.

But yet, in these agonizing moments, sports offer us life changing lessons that can prepare us for tough times in the future.

Aiden Knodel: Never take anything granted. I thought my football career would end with playing in a state championship where I would know that it is the last game I will every play. Luckily for you, when you got to that championship, you knew this was the last game I was going to be playing these girls, last game I was going to be playing with these guys. That is what I thought I was going to be feeling. I felt like that was stripped away from me so suddenly, so shockingly, I definitely thought that I kind of took things for granted. I didn’t really love every moment that I should have. Just don’t take anything for granted.

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]

Hailey Boehme: Sheyenne’s football team may have suffered from over confidence. And maybe that led to the unexpected… their early exit from the playoffs. But what if confidence is completely justified? What if the outcome defies the expected, defies defeat? That’s where Jaxson Miller will continue, next time in Part Two of Wins, Losses, and the Unexpected on Sheyenne Perspectives.

See you soon everyone.

This has been a production of Mustang Post News.

Sports

Sheyenne Girls’ Basketball – 2023 Senior Send-off

Leave a comment

By Hailey Boehme

Coming off of a great 2021-22 season last year, the Mustang Girls’ Basketball team has continued to make some noise. Six seniors returned to the court this year with head coach, Kenyon Wingenbach. Since joining the Mustangs, Wingenbach has led them to 20 victories in the 21-22 season and 12 so far this year, as of February 22, 2023.

Hoping to end this season on another positive note, the Mustangs gear up for the end of season EDC and State Competitions. Their last run came close with a 5th place finish. 

The recent senior night, celebrated on February 21st, honored players Kaitlyn Haas, Peyton Breidenbach, Maya Metcalf, Brooke Johnson, Karson Sanders, and Alayna Holder, as well as student managers Maddy Hustad, Karli Urlacher, Connor Anderson, Lexy Terhark, Kyra Narum, and Jordyn Beyl. 

With the graduating class being so large, many wonder what Wingenbach will bring to the table next year, however, the roster looks promising even beyond the talented class of 2023. 

Coaches across the state are familiar with one in particular, the record breaking Brenna Dick. Brenna has demonstrated her phenomenal ability to make shots from any place on the court and play with incredible speed. Within the current season, she has shattered school scoring records numerous times.

In a game against the Shanley Deacons, Brenna put up 34 points, passing the 2021 graduate, Jadyn Feist (33 points). Despite the accomplishment, Brenna knew she could push herself even harder, and break her own record. On January 23rd at Horace High School, fans and the team yelled out in celebration following her 35th point. To no one’s surprise, she didn’t stop there. She ended the night with 41 points and rivalry game victory.

Aside from her total points, Brenna also holds a record for most 3-point makes in a game with 7 versus Valley City High School. Being only a junior, Brenna is well on her to becoming a 1,000 career point scorer. Her teammates and coaches couldn’t be more proud of her, and can’t wait to see what the future holds for her – on and off the court.

Click to access filedownload.ashx

Access link to view updated Sheyenne GBB Program stats!
Sheyenne GBB Program Statistics as of 9:30 AM, 2/22/23. Current 22-23 season is highlighted in yellow.

Featured image photos are courtesy of Mustang Media. Thank you to Ruth and Lillian Wirtz for capturing so many amazing moments this season!

Sports

Raan Rules Tennis Court: Makes SHS History

Leave a comment

By Jaxson Miller

West Fargo Sheyenne senior Ethan Raan is on top of the North Dakota high school tennis world after he claimed the singles championship on Saturday, October 8, at Hammond Park in Minot.

Raan defeated Grand Forks Red River’s Espen Schneider in the final round of the NDHSAA (North Dakota High School Activities Association) Boys Tennis Singles State Tournament.

Raan is the first player to win an individual state championship for the Sheyenne boys’ tennis program.

“It was very rewarding to bring the boys’ tennis program at Sheyenne its first state title and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates” Raan said. “Coach Anderson and Coach Healy have always set high standards for the team and encouraged hard work, and I feel that my success is a direct product of that.”

Ethan Raan holds the bracket of the singles state tournament after his state championship victory. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

He redeemed himself against Schneider in a third set tiebreaker, 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3). Schneider defeated Raan 6-2 and 6-4 in the EDC (Eastern Dakota Conference) singles championship just a week prior.

Ethan Raan had nothing but a humble attitude towards his state championship opponent, “In regards to Espen, my opponent, it was our fifth time playing against each other this season and at this point we were 2-2. He’s a great tennis player and I enjoy playing competitors like him.” Raan was able to get the last laugh.

Ethan Raan went into the state tournament as the number two seed player from the East region.

He started off with a great win (6-0, 6-1) over Bismarck’s Gabe Hanson in the first round and got the chance to play his Sheyenne teammate, junior Mason Christensen, in the quarterfinal round.

Raan defeated Christensen 6-4, 6-4, to move onto the semifinal round.

He had a blast playing against his teammate in a match that had a lot on the line, “Playing Mason in the quarterfinals was great because it meant we had both been successful in the rounds prior” Raan said. “We had fun playing each other and continued to support each other in the matches that followed. He’s a great player and teammate and I can’t wait to see where next season takes him.”

Raan continued his state title run with a semifinal win over Grand Forks Red River’s Saylor Kuenzel, capturing a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
The journey to the mountain top was complete with the win over Schneider in the final round.

The EDC players came to play at the state tournament as Ethan Raan was in the mix of seven players from Sheyenne, Fargo South, Fargo North, and Fargo Davies, who were either in the championship or consolation semifinals.

Grand Forks Central’s Evan Panzer and Cole Wilber won the doubles state championship over Mandan’s Karter Hatzenbuhler and Brady Helbling.

Raan was hungry for a state title this year as he was close to achieving one last year but lost in the single semifinals to Shanley’s Kai Pierce (3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4).

He finished last year’s season on a high note with a win (3-6, 6-1, 6-3) over Grand Forks Central’s Ryder McDonald in the third-place match.

Fortunately things turned out differently this year.

The state champion himself was extra motivated all season long, “I didn’t feel that I had to redeem myself after taking third place last year as I went out on a win and played great players in the semis and the third place match. If anything, I gained confidence from it and it encouraged me to work harder for my senior season.”

Due to his success, Ethan Raan was voted the 2022 Senior Athlete of the Year.

Sheyenne’s boys tennis team went 19-3 overall and 8-1 in conference play. The program took third place as a team in the state tournament.

The 2022 West Fargo Sheyenne boys tennis team took third place as a team at the state tournament in Minot, North Dakota. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

Raan felt that the team’s success helped him create a champion mindest going into the state championship, “My mindset going into the state championship was it was now or never. It was my last match of my high school tennis career and for that reason I wanted to win for myself and for my team” he said.

With that mindset, Raan also felt no pressure, “Although I was very motivated to win, I was also grateful to have made it that far and felt fortunate to have the opportunity. With the team qualifying for state, it had already been a great season that I and my teammates were proud of. So I went into the match feeling no pressure.”

The three seniors, Ethan Raan (left), Nate Angus (middle), and Kasen Baer (right), with the third place team trophy. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

One of the best things an athlete can do is finish their high school career on a high note, and go out with a bang, and Ethan Raan did just that. The young man has a bright future ahead of him.

Raan spoke about his future plans, “I plan on playing tennis in college in some capacity, whether it’s for a college team or club team. It all depends on what school I attend. At the moment, I’m interested in studying astrophysics/astronomy and aerospace engineering and aspire to have a career in a space-related field.”

It is safe to say that the Mustang faithful is very proud of Ethan Raan. He will look to have more success this spring, which will be his final high school track season.

Raan is an explosive, fast-twitch athlete, who will qualify for state in the 100m and 200m dashes once again along with being on the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams.

One thing is for certain, Ethan Raan’s tennis state title run is something he will remember for the rest of his life.