Lake Superior College News Releases

Huskies Defeat University of Washington in Bronze Medal Match

(Duluth, Minn.) – Lake Superior College’s varsity curling team put a slight twist on an old cliché: It’s not the size of the Husky in the fight – but the fight in the Husky.

Their third-place matchup proved just that. The first-year Lake Superior College Huskies took on the University of Washington Huskies at the National College Curling Championship in Chicago last weekend. The tourney ended with LSC taking home the third-place trophy. LSC was playing in the Division I bracket, the highest level possible.

“I am extremely proud of our program for taking third in the college national tournament,” said LSC head coach Joshua Tesch. “Taking a spot in the medals of such a big event in our first year speaks to the level of our program, our curlers, and their dedication to our LSC team.”

Tournament officials placed Lake Superior College in the highest-level bracket based on their regular season success. Their bracket also contained much larger four-year universities including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Massachusetts Colleges (a consortium of colleges and universities from Massachusetts), University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The University of Minnesota, the eventual national champions, was also in the Division I bracket.

During the tourney, LSC beat Massachusetts Colleges and the UW-Oshkosh soundly, but fell to UW-Madison. This series of events lead to their third-place matchup and eventual win against the University of Washington.

In all, the tournament hosted 32 college curling teams from all over the country.

“Beating 30 of this nation’s best college curling teams sets the benchmark high for our program,” added Tesch. “My hope is that this will influence curling in our region and cause other local schools to adopt similar programs.”

The team is made up of LSC students Anders Silverness, Rob Carr, Connor McLeod, Sarah McLeod, Dan Wakemup, Andre Anderson, Kevin Blackwoods, Alisha Hollowell and Tom Trolson.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring semester, LSC is northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

(Duluth, Minn.) – Lake Superior College’s lone varsity sport is heading to nationals.

The LSC curling team will begin play in the 2009 National College Curling Tournament in Chicago, Ill. Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 15. Coach Joshua Tesch, also a Physical Education instructor at LSC, couldn’t more proud.

“This season has been a blast,” said Tesch, who’s the first and only coach of the LSC curling team. “We have some exceptional players. We have a tremendously dedicated and talented team. I think we have a chance to make a lot of noise at nationals.”

The team is made up of LSC students Anders Silverness, Rob Carr, Connor McLeod, Sarah McLeod, Dan Wakemup, Andre Anderson, Kevin Blackwoods, Alisha Hollowell and Tom Trolson.

“We have a whole array of great talents and experience levels on this team,” said Tesch. “Rob Carr is probably our most experienced and skilled curler, having been at it for 30 years. Plus, he’s a Thunder Bay native – the ‘curling capital of the world.’”

Tesch also pointed out that brother and sister Connor and Sarah McLeod are also quite talented and have been curling most of their lives. In fact, Sarah just returned from China where she competed at World University Games.

Ultimately, Tesch sees the success of the curling squad going further than the team itself.

“I feel the purpose of our team is to build community among students at LSC through the support and participation in a curling team,” said Tesch. “It creates a sense of belonging to LSC, not just through the classroom and a great opportunity to increase positive exposure to LSC by becoming members of the community. And most of all, I feel curling at LSC is a unique opportunity to take part in an important aspect of Duluth’s cultural environment.”

For more information about college curling and the national tournament, visit www.collegecurling.org.

(Duluth, Minn.) — The second annual Lake Superior College “Thrill on the Hill” Scholarship Fund Run for runners and walkers will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 3. Prepare to be challenged by this fun-filled event and its never-ending supply of hills. It is guaranteed to take your breath away!

The “Thrill on the Hill”? walk/run traverses a beautiful course through the neighborhoods surrounding Lake Superior College and showcases vistas of the Duluth Harbor and St. Louis Bay. The race course will include parts of the LSC campus, Trinity and Hutchinson Roads, and the Piedmont Ski Trails.

The event includes a 5K run/walk and a 10K course which features a hybrid half road/half trail run. A Husky Dash Kid’s Race is free for kids ages ten and under and starts at 11:30 a.m.

The early registration fee is $20; race day registration fee is $25. All race proceeds will benefit the Lake Superior College Foundation’s general scholarship fund. Participants are welcome to register online at www.lsc.edu/thrillonthehill. Chip timing will be used. The first 250 entrants will receive a “Thrill on the Hill”? T-shirt. All racers will be eligible for door prizes. The registration fee includes a post-race BBQ lunch donated by sponsor Upper Lakes Food. Packet pick-up will be held Saturday, May 3 from 8-9 a.m. in the Lake Superior College main concourse.

The Lake Superior College Foundation exists to facilitate active involvement in the development of Lake Superior College. Its mission is to support the educational, cultural, and service goals of Lake Superior College by acting as its designated friend and fund-raiser.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring semester, LSC is northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

(Duluth, Minn.) — Among the thousands of runners who will participate in running events during Grandma’s Marathon weekend this June, a few dozen will be there to take a final exam. Lake Superior College is offering its unique online marathon training course again this spring, providing an opportunity to train for and run Grandma’s Marathon or the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon for college credit.

The course provides race training and nutritional information in addition to history, etiquette, and basic skills. Course work is presented online through the Lake Superior College Virtual Campus, making it easily accessible to students at a distance. Enrolled students are guaranteed entry into the marathon or half marathon. They may also arrange to compete in a comparable race to meet course requirements.

Native Duluthian Katie Koski will teach the online physical education course. Koski is an elite runner who hopes to qualify for this year’s Olympic trials in Boston. She was asked to teach the online course for Lake Superior College because of her experience competing in Grandma’s Marathon. She has run in the event eight times, finishing in the top ten on several occasions.

The option to take the class as a non-credit course is also available for those who would benefit from the course content, but don’t need college credit.

More than 17,000 runners and 50,000 race fans from around the world are expected to participate in the June 19-21, 2008 Grandma’s Marathon weekend. The registration deadline to sign up for the Grandma’s Marathon course is March 21, 2008. For more information, contact Christine Torma, (218) 733-2030, c.torma@lsc.edu, or visit www.lsc.edu/online/.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,300 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

Skiers Earn College Credit for Training, Competing

Training and competing in the American Birkebeiner®, North America’s most prestigious cross-country ski race, is a big challenge. This year participants will have the opportunity to prepare by enrolling in an online class through Lake Superior College’s Virtual Campus.

LSC is offering “X-Country Ski Marathon,”? an online course intended to prepare participants to compete in the world-famous “Birkie.”? The class will provide race training and nutritional information in addition to history, race etiquette and basic Nordic skiing skills. The students will prepare for the event over 12 weeks, beginning December 5, 2007, then ski the Birkie (51 kilometers) or the associated Kortelopet (23 kilometers) on Saturday, February 23, to complete the course requirements. Students may substitute another race of similar length if they wish. The class is available in both for-credit and non-credit versions.

Each year nearly 8,000 skiers of all ages and abilities participate in the American Birkebeiner. The race was established in 1973 and has grown into a premier event, attracting the world’s elite skiers as well as thousands of recreational enthusiasts. Held on trails near Cable and Hayward, Wisconsin, the American Birkebeiner, more than any other event, is responsible for the growth and popularity of the sport of cross-country skiing as we know it today.

LSC will also sponsor an activity tent during the Feb. 23-24 race weekend.

“The American Birkebeiner is one of the most famous and long-running sporting events in the upper Midwest, attracting participants from all over the globe, as well as more than 15,000 spectators annually,”? Barry Dahl, LSC vice president for technology and the Virtual Campus explains. “They are also a great partner. The Birkie staff provides ongoing assistance with the development and promotion of our course, helping to make it an excellent educational experience.”?

LSC faculty member Joshua Tesch, a former Kortelopet champion, will teach the class. He encourages both beginners and veterans to sign up for the course.

The two-credit course, which is widely accepted for transfer, is available to any student wishing to earn college credit for skiing the race. Fees and tuition for the college credit version are $385.32, which includes race registration. The non-credit course is $150, including race fee. Enrolling in the LSC course provides each student with a guaranteed entry into either the Birkie or the Kortelopet.

Over the past two years, Lake Superior College has offered similar courses in cooperation with Grandma’s Marathon and the NorthShore Inline Marathon. The League for Innovation in the Community College recently recognized LSC’s online physical education courses, naming them an “Innovation of the Year”? for 2006. The unique classes also received a “Desire2Excel”? award from the National Desire2Learn Users Conference.

More information about the American Birkebeiner and related events is available online at www.birkie.com.

With more than 135 courses offered via the Internet and over 1,800 online students, Lake Superior College’s Virtual Campus is a leader in providing online for-credit college classes in Minnesota. For more information, contact Christine Torma, (218) 733-2030, virtual@lsc.edu or visit www.lsc.edu/online/.