Dustin Monke

Grove is killin’ it: DHS senior goes from secondary player as a junior to senior offensive leader

Abby Grove has a certain confidence on the volleyball court. The Dickinson High senior’s poise has been built through both steady and sudden improvements. In Grove’s case, confidence is a new development — and it’s one she and the Midgets have used to their advantage this season.

“I just expect to do well and I want to do good, no matter what,” Grove said. “I figured this year might be a good year for me.”

The 5-foot-10 outside hitter, who was only inserted into the Midgets’ varsity rotation as a contributor halfway through her junior season, is at the top of her game.

Grove has a team-high 357 kills, an average of 11.2 per match and more than double any of her teammates. Senior Ali Moody is second on the team with 175 kills.

Using a powerful and directional spike on her attacks, Grove has accumulated a .308 hitting percentage while also playing well defensively. She is third on her team in digs (232) and aces (40) and has 21 total blocks.

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No. 10 Hawks are a promising group

Hawks Wrestling — Dickinson State head coach Thadd O’Donnell, right, sits next to assistant coach Justin Schlecht during the DSU alumni wrestling dual Friday night at Scott Gymnasium.

There is something good happening in a noisy room tucked away in the basement of Weinbergen Hall.

Back where very few even lay an eye, in a room encased with brick and typically blasting hard rock music through its lone door, is perhaps Dickinson State’s most consistent program of the past decade — its wrestling team.

This year, the Blue Hawks look like a team that could find its footing early.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been on such a talented team, as far as not just wrestling but dedication and focus,” said senior Jesse Hellinger, who is ranked No. 11 in the NAIA and third in the North Region at 184 pounds.

The Blue Hawks enter the year ranked No. 10 in the NAIA and stand a good chance of moving up as the season wears on.

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Running down their dreams

Patricks — Dickinson State junior cross country runners and brothers Denis Patrick, left, and Daniel Patrick parents fled Sudan and Uganda for America when they were children.

More than a decade after their family fled Africa, the Patrick brothers are living the American dream as cross country runners and students at Dickinson State.

Run! The word has so many meanings for Denis and Daniel Patrick. As children, it meant escaping danger. As students at Dickinson State, running is helping Denis, 23, and Daniel, 21, build their lives in ways they never would have believed possible a little more than a decade ago. “I always tell these kids, ‘Running’s not everything, but it can get you to where you want to go,’” Dickinson State head cross country coach Mike Nekuda said.

The Patrick brothers are living by that attitude.

Refugees from war-torn Uganda and sons of Sudanese refugees, the Patrick brothers are soaking in every aspect of life and savoring the chances they have been given to make lives for themselves half a world away from where they were born.

“I look at it as a blessing,” Daniel said. “There’s not many people who get opportunities like us. We were blessed enough to get an opportunity to come here. We’re doing whatever it takes to take advantage of it. We’re using running. We love running, but we have bigger dreams than running.”

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SMALL WONDERS: Senior running backs Ewoniuk, Hecker the 1-2 punch driving Heart River

Hecker Ewoniuk — Heart River Cougars football standouts Cole Hecker, left, and Seth Ewoniuk, right,

BELFIELD — Dave Hendrickson was in his second season as Heart River’s head football coach when he heard rumblings about two small, yet exceptionally fast eighth-grade running backs.

Planning to stick around for a while, Hendrickson decided he should check out the Cougars’ junior high games.

Hendrickson barely had to watch Seth Ewoniuk and Cole Hecker to realize he had a special pair of players waiting in the wings.

“I knew, after watching film for years and years, there was no question those two were going to develop into good athletes,” Hendrickson said. “They were good already as eighth-graders.”

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Former NBA All-Star Mark Eaton speaks at energy summit in Dickinson

Everyone, it seems, wants to have their picture taken with Mark Eaton.

The 7-foot-4 former NBA All-Star center said he doesn’t mind. In fact, he’s used to it. “It’s who I am and you just kind of have to accept that and use it to your advantage,” Eaton said.

Eaton’s positive attitude, fan friendliness and rich, commanding baritone voice have made him an in-demand motivational speaker in the past five years.

He spoke about businesses eliminating internal competition on Friday morning during the 2012 Energy and Infrastructure Summit at the Ramada Grand Dakota Lodge in Dickinson. Afterward, he greeted people and, of course, took side-by-side photos with whoever asked.

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