Something in the Water

Shane Zylstra holds the Minnesota State record for career
touchdown receptions

Minnesota State senior wide receiver Shane Zylstra has had a decorated career with the Maverick football program. 

Through 44 career games, the Spicer, Minn., native has reeled in 171 catches for 3,154 yards receiving and 42 touchdowns. Those 42 touchdowns are a school record. The previous record for career receiving touchdowns at Minnesota State was 36, held by former Maverick wide receiver Josh Nelsen (1991-94). The record is something Zylstra takes great pride in. 

“It means a lot,” Zylstra said. “Just being able compete at a high level each and every day at such a great institution, it’s just nice to be able to contribute to the team and win games because that’s what I came here to do. To not only contribute but to play at a high level,” he said.  

Named to the All-NSIC First Team and and AFCA Second Team All-American last year, Zylstra totaled 66 catches for 1,261 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior in 2018 in helping lead the Mavericks to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

Shane Zylstra (right) with
his older brother Brandon

Zylstra’s football success is obvious. But what isn’t known is that Zylstra was a competitive water skier long before he became an elite college wide receiver. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Zylstra grew up near a private lake called Green Lake in Spicer and attended New London-Spicer High School. One of the family traditions was to water ski.

“Every weekend we were out on that lake water skiing barefoot and just hanging out,” Zylstra said. “My dad and grandpa used to ski a lot, so that’s who got us into that, and it just built off from there,” he said.  

He started water skiing at age five and barefooting at age seven. Water skiing is one thing, but barefooting is a whole different required skillset. It’s similar to traditional water skiing, except you don’t use any water skis at all, just your feet, as you perform jumps and tricks behind a boat. Unlike traditional water skiing, barefooting requires faster boat speeds that reach up to 40 mph, which is required for the athlete to plane on his bare feet. The barefoot events of wake slalom, tricks and jumping are also similar to traditional water skiing. One may wonder, how does this help with being an elite receiver?

“It definitely helps with balance,” Zylstra said. “You constantly have to worry about balance when you’re on the water. There’s a lot of times when you’re basically balancing on one foot, so it’s just a huge part. And then on the mental side you have a constant challenge of improving on new tricks and new styles,” he said.

Zylstra, along with his three brothers Justin Zylstra, Brandon Zylstra, a wide receiver who plays for the Carolina Panthers, and Jaden Zylstra, joined the Little Crow Ski Team of New London, Minn.. He competed for ten years with the ski team, where he had weekly tournaments in the summer all around the Midwest.

“Every Friday, you host a show for public attendance, and then we traveled to different cities around us for public shows for Water Days events and things like that. And then we often traveled the Midwest doing competitions against other teams in the Midwest,” Zylstra said.  

From there, the water ski teams and individuals compete in regional tournaments for a shot to compete at the national level.

“Growing up we were always really successful at regionals, so we always went to nationals and competed at that next level,” he said.

Looking back at is water skiing days, Zylstra isn’t shy about who the best in the family is.

“Best water skier in the family, I have to give it to myself. Brandon’s great and all, but he’s even said it too, in college at least, that I’m a little bit ahead of him. We all have our own unique talents that make us all great, but I have to stick with myself,” he said.  

All four of the Zylstra brothers, Justin, 27, Brandon, 26, Shane, 22, and Jaden, 16, found success in water skiing at the national level. Brandon and Shane ultimately chose football over water skiing, but Jaden plans to pursue water skiing in college.

“Water skiing is probably my younger brother’s favorite sport. He’s working on pursuing it down in the southern states,” Zylstra said. “You can go to college for it, and that’s what he’s thinking about doing,” he said.

Fast-forward to today, Zylstra and the Mavericks are 5-0 and hold a No. 3 overall national ranking in the American Football Coaches Association Coaches Poll. He has one goal in mind for this season, and it’s to win a NCAA Division II national championship.

“It’d be really nice to finish that senior year with a National Championship,” Zylstra said. “It’s one last go-around, and I think we have the talent to do it. It’s just a matter of getting it done at the end of the day,” he said.  

              contributed by Collin Wilmes, Athletic Communications intern

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The Maverick From Down Under

Right-handed pitcher Bryce Collins
is in his first season with the Mavericks

It has been a long journey for new Minnesota State junior right-handed pitcher Bryce Collins as he has traveled far from his hometown of Brisbane, Australia to play collegiate baseball in the United States.

The story of how he ended up heading to America to play started with a professional scout that approached him after one of his games.

“A professional scout came up to me and asked if I had any aspirations to play pro ball and I told him that I did,” Collins said. “He then got into contact with the recruiting coordinator at Indian Hills Community College in Centerville, Iowa and then proceeded to exchange emails with him."

Within six hours there was a mutual agreement in place that would have Collins attending school in Iowa in the coming fall where he ended up playing two seasons before transitioning Minnesota State. At Indian Hills he was voted Freshman of the Year in 2015, where he started eight games while pitching 53 innings and recording 45 strikeouts. He also helped lead Indian Hills to a second-place finish in conference and region in 2015.

The recruitment of baseball players in Australia is a little bit harder for guys to get noticed. Collins also stated that “not as many people play it and it isn’t as popular there. Other sports take more of a priority such as rugby and cricket." Considering that baseball may not be as popular in Australia, Collins felt as though playing for his country would give him as good of an opportunity to get seen as any.

He played for Team Australia at the U19, U17 and U13 World Series which took him to places such as Taiwan, Mexico and the United States (Maryland). He also went up against current big league pitcher Julio Urias of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“The experience playing for my country was awesome, you have a lot of pride putting that jersey on,” Collins said. Playing in Taiwan and Mexico were very unique experiences because the areas that they played in were not the best so to speak. Every time their team left the hotel while they were in Mexico, they had to have police escorting them to and from the field. The ability to experience playing with the national team prepared him for coming over to the United States and not being intimidated.

“Everything over here is pretty similar to Australia which helped me feel very comfortable when I first got here,” he said.

Adjusting to a new culture has been a lot of fun for Collins. He has enjoyed meeting new people while also being able to get a degree playing baseball. An exercise science major, Collins has appeared in six games in his first year with the Mavericks, all in relief.

Currently in the midst of a 17-game winning streak, Minnesota State is rated 21st by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and stands 21-4 overall.

Right in Their Backyard

Sisters Allison and Erica Ellstrom are members of the
Minnesota State women's swimming & diving team

The list of siblings who have competed for Minnesota State is a rather lengthy one.

The women’s basketball-playing Andrews and Walters sisters. Bryant and Bennett Black played golf together for the Mavericks. The Dusosky’s and Enlgehart’s (women’s soccer), Lepel’s (baseball), Erickson’s (softball) and the Essel’s, Carroll’s, Follmer’s and Jutting’s (men’s hockey). The Kelly family had Tim, Marty and Pat, all who played football for coach Dan Runkle. Kathy (vollleyball) and Nancy (volleyball and softball) are also part of the Kelly family-Maverick connection.

There are others.

Allison and Erica Ellstrom didn’t have to travel too far when finding a school that was right for them to compete at. Hailing from Mankato East High School, their roots stayed here in Mankato.

A senior at Minnesota State and a four-year letterwinner with the Mavericks, Allison was named an NSISC Scholar Athlete as a junior. Erica, who like her older sister, competes in the freestyle events for Minnesota State, is in her first season of swimming collegiately. Both of the Ellstrom sisters were team captains at East High School and both were team MVPs as prep athletes with the Cougars.

“Allison is a very hard worker. She is very passionate about what she does and is always looking to get better. She has also exceeded the coach’s expectations and is having her best season yet,” said assistant swimming coach Sophie Kaeter when asked about the role the two Ellstroms play on the team. “As for Erica, she is competing in some tough events and always has a great attitude.”

Both Erica and Allison came to Minnesota State after not knowing what they wanted to study in college. They wanted to swim after high school and so they looked for colleges to attend. Both girls toured the school and found their niche here in Mankato.

“It is nice to have somebody on the sidelines cheering you on when you swim," said Allison. "She (Erica) knows what’s good and bad when I compete.” Erica also enjoys having someone to cheer for her and be supportive of her when she swims.

Not only are the Ellstrom sisters well-liked and compete on a team that is ranked 22nd in the CSCAA national poll, but they have also been swimming with many new and young faces.

“Practically a third of all swimmers and divers on the team are new faces,” said Nathan Owens, who is in his 12th year as head coach of the Mavericks.  “We have a big and fun freshman class on the team. They bring lots of new energy and talent and strive to improve and get better each day.”  The younger Mavericks have greatly stepped up and played a huge role on the team, including Erica.

The Maverick swim and dive team competes in the New South Conference. Owens takes his squad to Cleveland, Miss., this year for the NSISC Championships, which takes place Feb. 17 through Feb. 20 with the goal to be in the top three or four team in the meet. Ultimately, the primary objective is to qualify as many swimmers, relay teams, and divers as possible for the NCAA Championships.

“My goals for the postseason and the NSISC Championships are to make it back to the finals, where the top 24 swimmers and divers make it back," said Erica. "I would also like to drop my time a lot at the NSISC Championships.”

While Erica’s time of being a student-athlete at Minnesota State has just begun, the time is coming to an end for Allison’s swimming career as a Maverick. “My goals for the post season are to not have any regrets,” said the four-year veteran. “I am going to miss the girls and the team, but not so much practice.” 

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      contributed by Shelbie Werden, Athletic Communications intern

The Sleeping Giant

Now that we're thoroughly past last weekend's festivities in Mankato, we can fully jump in to what's going on with out spring sports.

Sort of.

Almost across the board, our winter sports teams have emulated what our fall teams accomplished.

That is, rank amongst the nation's best. Unequivocally. The Maverick football team and women's soccer team both at one point in the fall were rated number one in the country at the same time. To have two teams rated #1 at the same time is something that had never occurred previously at this fine institution. Then, at one point this winter the Minnesota State men's hockey program and our men's track & field program were rated #1 in the nation at the same time.

Having our football team play in a national championship game was something that had never happened before. So was having a pair of teams rated #1 in the nation happen twice in one season.  As is having four programs during the course of the season rated #1.

We hosted the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships last Thursday and Friday, a pair of Western Collegiate Hockey Association games at Verizon Wireless Center Friday and Saturday and also hosted the NCAA DII Wrestling Super Region 3 Tournament in Taylor Center Saturday and Sunday.  Nearly 15,000 fans visited Mankato for these events over the course of four days and they saw some unbelievable performances in which our student-athletes won conference and regional championships. Hockey fans were treated to a battle between the #2 (Minnesota State) and #3-rated (Michigan Tech) teams in the country.

We're sending three wrestlers to the national championship meet, we're sending seven members of our track & field teams to nationals and four members of the Maverick women's swim team will also compete at the DII national championships. The brackets for the NCAA DII basketball tournaments will be announced Sunday and hopefully, both our men's and women's teams will find out their postseason destinations. 

The Maverick baseball and softball teams are in Florida with their seasons in full swing. Women's tennis and men's and women's golf will follow suit. Along with outdoor track, expectations are that those sports are ready to compete on a national level.

One of the top athletic departments in NCAA Division II (with DI men's and women's hockey) is situated in Mankato, Minnesota. I know it sounds like bragging, but as one of our local writing denizens likes to say "is it not true?"

When I first came to Mankato in 1985, I had a colleague tell me that he thought Mankato State was "a sleeping giant."  That was a while ago, but it appears that the giant is no longer so sleepy.

It's great to be a Maverick!

Just Waiting on a Friend

We recently paused to have a conversation with one of our professors on campus, Dr. Donald Friend.  Dr. Friend, who is a professor and Chair of Minnesota State's Department of Geography, regularly attends Maverick Athletics events and we thought it might be insightful to get his take on a few things.  Here you go.

Dr. Don Friend

Please give us a little background information on yourself. Where are you from? Where'd you go to school?
I was born in San Francisco and lived there until age 11 when my family moved across the bay to Berkeley. I graduated from Berkeley High School and then attended the home town school, Cal, California, the University of California at Berkeley. Go Bears! I was an undergraduate in the student section to witness, live and in person, “The Play!” The Stanfoo (that’s not a typo) band helped us win the game as they charged on the field as the clock expired but before The Play was completed… I watched a trombonist get knocked over and his instrument crushed as the Cal ball carrier blew past and scored!


As a boy I went to San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s games riding the city bus… I watched both Willy Mays and Reggie Jackson hit home runs! My family had season tickets to Cal football to which we always walked from our home one mile from Memorial Stadium. After Berkeley I lived and worked in Alaska for a year, then finished a master’s degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I completed the PhD at Arizona State University. Most summers while in graduate school I worked as an Instructor for the Colorado Outward Bound School, teaching novices rock climbing, mountaineering, canyoneering, river rafting, and communication and leadership skills on three-week long excursions in the Rocky Mountains and in Canyonlands. Between the out-of-doors and the classroom, I’ve been teaching since I was 22 years old… I am proud to say that’s 34 years of experience in education. I still take students on a winter field-based course to the Colorado Rockies every February.

2. Can you tell us about your family?
I have been happily married for 20 years to Lisa who manages, and we are co-owners of, Tandem Bagels in downtown Mankato (come on in, we make them from scratch and bake ‘em fresh daily… they are the only genuine boiled bagels in town!). We have three kids. Brittany is a professional staff member at MSU; she is one of the Construction Project Managers in Facilities. Scanlon is a 10th grader at Mankato West HS; he plays soccer and basketball. Our daughter, Reilly, is in 8th grade at Dakota Meadows Middle School, plays soccer and is a member of the Mankato Ballet Company.

3. How'd you get to Minnesota State which has led to your current role as a Professor and Chair of our Department of Geography?
As a young married man who had just finished his doctorate with a daughter about to enter high school I was attracted to universities where I could responsibly and successfully raise a family. MSU and Mankato were the perfect fit! We arrived here in August of 1997 and I have climbed the ranks, from Assistant Professor, to Associate Professor and finally to Professor. In addition to teaching courses and advising students, I was Director of Earth Science Programs at MSU for 17 years and have published a fair bit of research including a recent book entitled, Mountain Geography. In 2005 my departmental colleagues honored me with their trust and elected me Chair… other than brief hiatuses for Sabbatical Leave and serving as Special Assistant to the Provost, I have served as Chair since then.

4. How do you perceive athletics fitting into the "college experience"?
Student-athletes are among the hardest working students on campus. Being a student is a full-time job, and being a competitive athlete is nearly a full-time job and not all are scholarship athletes. They really want to be here, they are very proud to represent our august university and the Great State of Minnesota. I have the highest respect for student-athletes, to succeed they have to manage their time and energy very, very carefully; if they do not, they will likely perform poorly – in both their academics and athletics. I really like the NCAA – DII tagline, “I chose DII.” The lessons our student-athletes learn about the importance of doing their very best, working towards a common goal, leadership, dealing with adversity and having compassion for others not as successful or fortunate, are most powerful and critical to the formation of young people. I hope our coaches use some of their time to stress these personal qualities. It is very nice to win, but to me, winning is only a very nice side-effect of the life lessons athletics provide. I also believe being a student-athlete can be part of the quintessential college experience; it doesn’t get more real at college than working to represent the institution by being a part of it while completing your degree.

5. Do you have a favorite Maverick sports program?
They are all my favorites, but Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Women’s Soccer and Football are at the top of the list. We have been basketball season ticket holders since the opening of Taylor Center… all along we’ve had the same seats just a few rows up from the scorer’s table and Maverick bench! I get to every basketball game, most every home Soccer and Football game, and try to attend a few Volleyball, Wrestling, Softball and Baseball games every year. Hockey… I have to confess, growing up in California, I’ve been to a few games when invited by friends and have really tried to get into it but... it just doesn’t do it for me.

6. Can you share a positive experience with a Maverick student-athlete you've had with in your class or as an advisor.
Gosh, I can’t think of a negative experience, they’ve all been positive. However, one student-athlete who was my academic advisee comes to mind. Karly Klein was a four-year varsity swimmer and team captain for two years. She was also an MSU Presidential Scholar and Academic All-American. I met Karly when she was a sophomore and enrolled in my course, GEOG 101 – Introduction to Physical Geography. Afterward she changed her major to Geography. One summer she garnered a National Science Foundation – Research Experience for Undergraduates scholarship… all expenses paid to study at the National Severe Storms Laboratory at the Univ. of Oklahoma where she storm-chased tornados and analyzed and published her own research. She became part of the Friend family… even babysat our kids! She is now the Associate Director of Admissions at the Univ. of Missouri – Kansas City and is married with two kids.

7. In your observation as a person who follows Minnesota State Athletics, how has the program evolved during your career at MSU?
I’ve been here 17 and-a-half years and have observed the building of Taylor Center, the new Meyers Field House, the revamped Otto Arena now Rec Center, and expanded practice fields. These were the first “shot in the arm” or “kick-start” of a years-long very purposeful campaign
to bring increasing resources to Maverick Athletics and to place all of our programs at the nationally competitive level. Well, it’s working! We have nearly 600 student-athletes and only about a quarter are on scholarship. This speaks volumes… these athletes want to be here because we have the finest facilities, the finest coaching staff and athletic administration, and all are a part of a very fine university. Increasingly successful athletics leads to an increasing profile of the institution across the nation which, in turn, leads to increased applicants for admission which allows the University to succeed in many, many ways. Add it all up, and “it’s great to be a Maverick!”

8. Anything else you'd care to add?
My maternal Grandmother, Kathryn Agar, was in the first Olympics and World Championships that included women. On the wall in my home is her team plaque. She competed in track and field running the 440 relay and threw the javelin. She held the world record in the javelin for 13 years until it was broken by Babe Didrikson. She also competed in and won the basketball throw, an event of the day, my niece has her first place medal… they were all silver then, no gold, silver, or bronze. She taught me how to throw and catch a baseball… my Dad always took it easy on me, my Grandmother’s throws hurt! When I am at any women’s sporting event I cannot help but think of my Grandmother and how she would have loved the opportunities available to girls and women today. I also think of her and her teammates and competitors in 1922 and 1924 upon whose shoulders women’s athletics stand today; I know they would all be most gratified and proud of how things have changed now 90 years later. I think they’d be a bit envious too, they would want to compete! Another confession…. Because of this family history, sometimes I get a little choked up when watching women’s, girls and youth sports; it makes me so proud, young people being strong and striving to do their very best. Our Maverick athletes are doing just that, striving. That’s why I can’t get enough of watching them and supporting them, their dreams are only beginning to come true and the lessons they learn as scholar-athletes is laying the foundation to build those lifelong dreams. GO MAVS!

To reiterate Dr. Friend..."it's great to be a Maverick!"

Behind the Scenes: Dan Rickbeil



Dan Rickbeil is in his seventh year as Minnesota State equipment manager

For Minnesota State Athletics, game days start early and end late for Dan Rickbeil and his staff.

Making sure that everyone looks good and and everything's working properly is a full-time job for the Maverick equipment manager and and his army of student workers. Getting prepared for a home game takes a lot of time and effort from the equipment room and the Worthington, Minn., native does his job with equal parts elbow grease, comedic give-and-take and mechanical know how.

MavBlog took a few moments to do a Q & A with one of MSU's most integral pieces to the puzzle.

Please tell us a little about your background. Where did you grow up, where'd you go to school, what sports did you play, etc.
Rickbeil says: "I grew up and graduated high school in Worthington, Minn. I played hockey, football, golf, and also did a lot of waterskiing and downhill skiing. I went to college here at MSU."

Tell us about your family.
Rickbeil says: "I have been married to my beautiful wife Angie for almost eight years. We have three amazing children - Eliana is five and ready for kindergarten, Claira is three and loving preschool and Kian is 1½ and loves playing with and teasing his big sisters. I also have three brothers and three sisters. My younger sister, Anne, played hockey here at MSU.

What did you do prior to becoming the Head Equipment Manager at Minnesota State?
Rickbeil says: "I was a golf course superintendent at Red Lodge Mountain Resort in beautiful Red Lodge, Montana."

In general, what does your job entail?
Rickbeil says:  "Ordering, issuing, fitting, inventorying, repairing and laundering equipment and uniforms. Setting up fields, courts and locker rooms for game day.  It’s not equipment management, it’s preparing athletes to succeed."

What's the best part of your job?
Rickbeil says: "Working with great people and helping athletes succeed."

What's the worst part of your job?
Rickbeil says: "Poor communication and last minute “EMERGENCIES”.

Do you think there's any misconceptions about being an equipment manager?
Rickbeil says:  "Some think that all I do is laundry, they don’t see or appreciate the behind the scenes things or long hours. I have heard a coach in the past say that I work a “thankless job.” The only time it is thankless is when people don’t see or appreciate what we do. Slowly, I think that more and more actually understand what I do and they would have to do if we did not have an equipment manager. Though there are many that do understand and appreciate all that we do and the time that we put in."

Who's got the biggest feet in the athletic department?
Rickbeil says: "Staff: Chris Brunkhorst, Strength & Conditioning Size 15

Athlete: Michael Bernarde, Football size 17."

Any funny stories about requests from coaches or student athletes?
Rickbeil says: "Steve Robinson, one of our football players, tried to tell me on a Saturday morning in Duluth that someone got under the bus and stole his helmet. He had me going until he came back and said they took his pants too. Figured out pretty quick then that he had forgotten them in his locker back at home."

Any tips on getting a grass stain out of a pair of baseball pants?
Rickbeil says: "Right water temp and right chemicals. Don’t dry it until the stain is out."

If someone wanted to be an equipment manager, what advice would you give them?
Rickbeil says: "Get involved early and be ready to work extremely long and odd hours."

Thanks Dan!  It's great to be a Maverick!