Michael Savaloja
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Hometown: Churchs Ferry, N.D.; College: North Dakota
A recipient of the NDHSCA Award of Merit, Savaloja has been reporting sports for The Sun since 2008.
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Jamestown High School has remained on top of the Class A boys basketball media rankings for a fourth straight week. The Blue Jays (16-0) again received all 17 first-place votes in the latest poll released Wednesday, Feb. 6, and hold a 17-point lead over Fargo Davies (15-1). Jamestown hosts Minot (10-5) on Friday at 7:45 p.m. Bismarck Century (17-0) has stayed at No. 1 in the girls rankings all season. The polls are voted on by members of the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. NDAPSSA Class A Basketball Polls
Brian Mistro is batting 1.000 following his first home visit as a college football head coach. Just six days after the former University of Jamestown Jimmie was formally introduced as the 20th man to lead his alma mater, Mistro visited the home of local high school standout Aaron Mack and left after securing a commitment from the Jamestown High School senior. Mack is one of 25 recruits announced to have signed with the Jimmies during college football's National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 6.
Less than 24 hours after cruising past Dakota Wesleyan by 39 points at home, University of Jamestown jumped three spots in the latest NAIA Division II men's basketball top 25 coaches' poll released Tuesday, Feb. 5. The Jimmies (22-4) are ranked No. 15 in the country, up from No. 18. Jamestown currently sits second in the Great Plains Athletic Conference standings at 13-4 with three conference games remaining to the regular season.
Jamestown senior captain Connor Rene was nothing but proud of his Blue Jay hockey teammates Tuesday, Feb. 5, at John L. Wilson Arena. Jamestown stood tall over the final 6 minutes against Mandan in its last home game of the season, and not only protected a one goal lead but added to it in a convincing 5-2 Blue Jay victory. Jamestown locked up at least the No. 4 seed for the upcoming West Region tournament with the win. The WDA tourney begins Feb. 14 in Minot.
Concordia University (Neb.) remains No. 1 in the latest NAIA Division II women's basketball top 25 coaches' poll released Tuesday, Feb. 5. The Bulldogs (23-3) are one of six Great Plains Athletic Conference teams ranked in the poll, along with No. 2 Northwestern, No. 5 Dakota Wesleyan, No. 12 Dordt, No. 14 Morningside and No. 24 Hastings.
University of Jamestown's Colton Lund put his stamp of approval on what was arguably the best performance turned in all season by Jimmie men's basketball. The 18th-ranked Jimmies dominated No. 17 Dakota Wesleyan 102-63 on Monday, Feb. 4, at Harold Newman Arena. It was the second straight convincing win scored by the Jimmies since Lund called out his teammates for a lack of effort at halftime of Jan. 26's 92-91 home victory over Hastings College. Jamestown cruised over Midland University 92-70 in Fremont, Neb., on Saturday.
Playing in a game that tied a Great Plains Athletic Conference record in length was no solace for the University of Jamestown women's basketball team. But giving the defending NAIA Division II national champion a helluva game is something on which the Jimmies could hang their hat. Fourth-ranked Dakota Wesleyan—powered by a 6-0 spurt in the final stanza—defeated Jamestown 98-92 in four overtimes on Monday, Feb. 4, at Harold Newman Arena.
Kidder County girls basketball has reached the top. The Wolves (19-0), one of just two undefeated teams left playing, are ranked No. 1 in the latest Class B girls basketball media poll released Monday, Feb. 4. Kidder County received 12 of 17 first-place votes to edge out No. 2 Langdon-Edmore-Munich by four points. The Cardinals received the other four first-place tallies.
University of Jamestown's Kevin Oberweiser once again turned a basketball hoop into a barn door. The senior guard from Drummond, Mont., sailed eight 3-pointers through the bucket on Saturday, Feb. 2, in Fremont, Neb. Oberweiser scored a game-high 30, and No. 18 Jamestown rolled 92-70 over Midland University. "I don't know? It's hard to explain," Oberweiser said on finding "the zone." "The rim feels big, but it's just another basketball game. You just try not to worry about it too much and try to find other ways to help contribute also."
Jamestown High School's Haley Nelson stuck the landing and secured her best vault of the season Friday, Feb. 1, at the Kim Lupo Memorial Invite in Minot. The freshman scored a 9.4 out of a possible 9.8 with her particular choice in leap, and her reward didn't happen overnight. The fourth-ranked Blue Jays leapfrogged Grand Forks and Bismarck Legacy to place second at the eight-team competition with a team score of 136.950.