Area notebook: McNamara closes in on NCAA record

Zumbrota-Mazeppa’s Maggie McNamara is hoping to become the NCAA Division II all-time leader in set assists today.

McNamara and the Golden Bears of Concordia University, St. Paul, will play their last regular-season contest today at St. Cloud State University. McNamara needs just 20 assists to reach the record.

The Golden Bears clinched their seventh straight Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title last weekend with a win over Minnesota State University, Moorhead. McNamara had 35 set assists and six digs in the contest.

The Golden Bears are 30-0 on the season and McNamara has started in all 30 matches. She has 1,260 set assists on the year. Her solid play hasn’t gone unnoticed. She’s been named the NSIC Setter of the Week six times this season and was featured as a Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd athlete in September.

•Zumbrota-Mazeppa’s Mariah Simonson is playing volleyball for Iowa Lake Community College. The Lakers recently won the District C championships and advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Championships in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. The tournament runs from Thursday to Nov. 21. Simonson and the Lakers have a 24-20 record and enter as the No. 12 seed in the 16-team tournament.

•Morgan Place of Ellsworth continues to add to her long list of accomplishments in cross country. Place won the NCAA II North Central Regional meet Saturday in Wayne, Neb. The sophomore finished the 6K course in 21:39 and became the University of Minnesota Duluth’s first the regional champion.

The Bulldogs placed sixth among the 22 teams and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championship in Evansville, Ind., on Nov. 21.

In the same meet, Kyle Blakeslee of Cannon Falls finished 11th in the women’s race. The Augustana College freshman ran the course in 22:29.3. Her teammate on the men’s side is Travis Beniak of Z-M. He took 27th place in the men’s race in a time of 32:53.3.

•Olivia Warren of Goodhue recently wrapped up her sophomore season with the Gustavus Adolphus College volleyball team. Warren, an outside hitter, had a team-high 274 kills. The Gusties finished the season 11-17.

•Alison Albers of Goodhue is playing volleyball for Erskine College. Albers, a junior, is a middle hitter for the Flying Fleet. She and her teammates finished the regular season with a 3-0 loss to Lees-McRae College Saturday. The Flying Fleet head into the first round of playoffs with a 13-18 record.

•Red Wing’s Andrew Bergeson, John Burns and Danny Bergeson are all playing football for Augsburg College. The Auggies lost 28-7 Saturday against Saint John’s University at the Metrodome. The squad will play it final regular season game today at Bethel.

Andrew Bergeson is a senior linebacker/running back, while Danny Bergeson is a freshman running back. Burns is a sophomore lineman for Augsburg.

•Ellsworth’s Jared Hines is a senior with the North Dakota State University football team. Hines is a defensive end for the Bison and has played in eight of the team’s nine games so far this season. He had returned three kicks for 54 yards. NDSU has a 2-7 record and plays Indian State University today.

•Ryan Hayes of Red Wing is in his junior season with the University of Minnesota Duluth football team. Hayes has played in nine of the team’s 11 games. The tight end has three catches for 41 yards.

Ben Helmer of Ellsworth is also a tight end on the team. The Bulldogs won their second consecutive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title and earned the No. 1 seed in Super Regional Three for the Division II playoffs.

•Aaron Christianson and T.J. Martin of Cannon Falls are playing football for the North Dakota State College of Science. The North Dakota State College of Science football team will participate in the Graphic Edge Bowl Nov. 22 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Tags: sports notebook, maggie mcnamara, mariah simonson, morgan place, kyle blakeslee, travis beniak, olivia warren, alison albers, andrew bergeson, john burns, danny bergeson, jared hines, ryan hayes, ben helmer, aaron christianson, t.j. martin, cannon falls, red wing, sports, zumbrota, mazeppa, ellsworth, goodhue