Northern State athletics are back into the swing of things with I Hate Winter taking place this weekend in Wachs Arena. The Wolves basketball teams will host defending NCAA Division II champions Minnesota State on Friday and take on Winona State on Saturday.

“Sam Masten and our staff does a lot of work preparing, kind of thinking about what do we wanna do? The traditional things with the hot tubs and we do that kind of Hawaiian tropical theme,” said NSU athletic director, Nate Davis. “And then each year, we try to come up with some additional things that we can do that’s just different.”

The additional thing Northern Athletics has added this year: DJ Rob Moore in the student section. The I Hate Winter environment gives a home court advantage like none other.

“I think it’s just a huge advantage for us. That’s one thing that I’ve heard of just my couple years at Northern is just how much of an advantage it is playing in Wachs Arena in front of the home crowds,” Davis said. “I think just being able to play in front of that home crowd that’s got that extra juice and that extra energy. I think it makes a huge difference … our basketball student athletes feed off of that.”

For some athletes, it will be their first I Hate Winter experience. Marcus Burks, James Glenn, and Kwat Abdelkarim are just a few of the members of the men’s team who have never competed in a I Hate Winter weekend, the same with Michaela Jewett and Izzy Moore on the women’s team.

“It’s kind of cool to talk to the ones that have come through a time or two, and I get their take on it, and then compare that with new student athletes that are coming in, whether they’re incoming freshman or transfers,” said Davis. “They kind of heard the stories and heard the lore of it, and then compare and contrast the two. And then to see them go through it is always cool.”

The games will begin on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and at 4 p.m. Saturday, with the men kicking off both days, followed by the women’s game immediately after. “This is a fun weekend to be out there and enjoy the traditions of Northern State Basketball,” said Davis. “And the traditions of I Hate Winter and just to come out and kind of take all that in.”

The wrestling squad kicked off Wolves athletics last Thursday with a dual win over 7^th-ranked Augustana, the third win over Augie in the history of the Wolves’ program, and first time since 2019.

The Wolves started off hot, winning the first four out of five matches, including a ranked matchup between 6th ranked Wyatt Turnquist and 3rd ranked Cael Larson of Augie. Turnquist pulled off a 3-0 victory.

The script was flipped after halftime as Augustana went on to win the following four matches, leaving the dual up to NSU’s Nathan Schauer. He won the final match of the day 6-3 giving the Wolves their third conference dual win of the season.

The Wolves went on to compete at the Worthington Open walking away with nine top-8 finishes, taking third as a team with 435 points. Karstyn Lhotak took 3rd at 141, Travis Smith took 2nd at 174, and Ryan Hirschkorn took 3rd at 197.

The basketball teams traveled to Southwest Minnesota State last Friday to take on two ranked squads. The men opened the night with a 79-60 loss to the 22nd-ranked Mustangs. Freshman Marcus Burks led the way with 19 points and 6 rebounds, followed by James Glenn with 14 points and a team high five assists.

The women fell 82-72 to the 23rd-ranked Mustangs. The Wolves were down by 18 with 7:15 left in the game and got the deficit down five with 90 seconds left. However, that was the final points the Wolves scored as SMSU scored the final five points for the 10-point differential.

NSU was led by Madelyn Bragg with 20 points, Michaela Jewett with 17, Rianna Fillipi with 13, and Izzy Moore with 12 off the bench. Jewett also added 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the year.

Saturday, both teams traveled to Sioux Falls to take on the Cougars. The men fell 81-71. Burks led the scoring once again with 17 points, followed by Kwat Abdelkarim with 16. Ethan Russell put up 14 off the bench.

The women secured a win against the Cougars 81-70. Alayna Benike and Bragg had the same exact stat line putting up 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists. Fillipi followed the duo with 15 points and 6 assists.

The Wolves Track and Field squads faced off against Jamestown in a home meet at the Barnett Center. The men and women both defeated the Jimmies by scores of 121-17, and 92.5-44.5, respectively.

For the men, in the 55m the Wolves took the first six places led by Chris Weber, and in the 55m hurdles the Wolves took the first five places, with Joel Matehs winning the race. Julian Scott won the 200m, Seth Martens won the 400m, Lincoln Woodring took home gold in the 800m, and Bailen Hayford won the 3000m.

Jeffrey Boschee won the high jump, Jayden Munroe won the long jump, and Eli Radtke and Sam Tremelling both tied for first in the pole vault. Justin Jacobseon took the first spot in shot put, and Treyson Schulz won the triple jump. The men capped off the day winning the 4x400m relay.

For the women, Renea Taylor won the 55m, Morgan Sheldon won the 55m hurdles, and Anna Skachenko won the 200m and 400m. Summer Carlson took the top spot in the 800m, with Emaleigh Olesiak winning the mile.

Tayla Dobrenski took first in the high jump, with Bekah Walz winning the pole vault. The women finished off the day taking home gold in the 4x400m as well.

The Swim and Dive team took on the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons, dropping the dual 142-79. Jacie Flockhart broke her one-meter dive record, qualifying for Nationals in the 11 dives, also winning the event. Other first place finishes came from Haley Osborne in the 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle.

The swim and dive team will compete in Marshall against Southwest Minnesota State and Augustana on Friday starting at 5. On Saturday, the men’s and women’s track and field team will compete in the UMary Winter Classic, and wrestling will travel to take on Parkside, Wis.