Mayville State Home
Alumni and Friends
    - Giving
    - Alumni Directories
    - Alumni Chapters
    - Alumni Services
    - Awards
    - Update your information

Homecoming 2009

Schedule of Events

Friday, October 9

Comet Athletic Club Luncheon
Enjoy a great lunch and get the scoop on the Comets.
12:00 noon, Lewy Lee Fieldhouse

Northern Lights Art Gallery Open House
Janice Tingum: Coming Home
The 2009 homecoming exhibit will feature the work of Janice (Overmoe) Tingum (‘80). She will be debuting her oil paintings in this exhibit and displaying them together with her watercolor and acrylic pieces. In her work, Tingum tries to convey a sentiment about the place - a reason it should be remembered and revisited. Visit with Janice and enjoy refreshments. No admission fee.
4:00-6:00 p.m.,
Upper Level, MSU Campus Center

Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner *
Join in celebrating Comets Athletics with this year’s inductees, Stan Barta (‘61), Pam Huston (‘90), Gordon Leduchowski (‘74), Tim Pratt (‘78), and Jason Schwabe (‘93).
6:00 p.m., MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room

Alumni & Friends Social
All Mayville State alumni and friends are welcome! Snacks provided. Cash bar.
9:00 p.m., Mayville VFW Club

Saturday, October 10

Homecoming Parade
The traditional Homecoming Parade will begin at the MSU Campus Center and make its way through town, with parade marshal Dr. Harvey McMullen (‘50) and his wife Rusty (‘49, ‘72) leading the way. To register an entry in the parade, call Darcie at 701-788-4697.
10:00 a.m., Downtown Mayville

Alumni Volleyball Tournament & Social
Comets Volleyball Head Coach Lindsey (Johnsen) Kruse (‘02) invites all former Mayville State volleyball players to join in a 4-on-4 tourney. If you don’t wish to play, just come out and watch. The fun will continue at a social at The Back Alley Bar following the tourney.
10:30 a.m., Lewy Lee Fieldhouse/
Back Alley Bar, Mayville

Tailgating Party *
Meet your Mayville State friends, catch up on what’s been happening in their lives, and enjoy lunch at the tailgating party! The MayPort Ice Dawgs Hockey Club will be serving up burgers and all the fixings. Look for the blue and white tent just outside of Jerome Berg Field. There will be a charge for the food.
11:00 a.m., Jerome Berg Field

Alumni Association Awards Luncheon *
Enjoy a delicious lunch and congratulate the 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients on their achievements. Broc Lietz (‘93), Bishop William Rindy (‘84), and Dr. Thomas Seymour (‘70) are this year’s honorees. To add to the festivities, the MSU Concert Choir will perform and lead the audience in singing the alma mater and the Comet Fight Song.
11:30 a.m., Campus Center Luckasen Room

Art Gallery Exhibit Viewing
If you can’t make it to the NLAG open house on Friday afternoon, stop by after the Alumni Association Luncheon on Saturday. The work of Janice (Overmoe) Tingum (‘80) will be featured. No admission fee.
1:00-3:00 p.m., Upper Level, Campus Center

Homecoming Football Game
Mayville State University vs. Jamestown College
You won’t want to miss this game OR the halftime show! The Hall of Fame inductees and Distinguished Alumni Award recipients for 2009 will be recognized. Come out and show your Comet pride!
2:00 p.m., Jerome Berg Field

All-Alumni Homecoming Reunion, 1959 Football Team Reunion, & Salute to Harvey McMullen
All Alumni & Friends Are Welcome!
Call your friends … bring some memories … greet the Hall of Fame inductees and Distinguished Alumni Award winners for 2009 … visit with Harvey McMullen ... celebrate with the 1959 N.D.I.A.C. championship football team ... come to the KT Hall and have some fun! Join in this time of visiting and reminiscing. Cash bar.
5:00-7:00 p.m. - Picnic-Style Supper
7:00 p.m. - Salute to Harvey McMullen
7:00-11:00 p.m. - Social
All activities will be held at KT Hall, Portland, N.D.

Sunday, October 11

Homecoming Concert
Top off the weekend with a concert by the MSU Concert Choir and Band.
2:00 p.m., Classroom Building Auditorium

* There is a charge for this event.

Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner

The 2009 MSU Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at a banquet scheduled for Friday, October 9, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room. Tickets for the dinner are $18.00 in advance or $20.00 at the door. RSVP by September 30 is strongly encouraged. To purchase RSVP and purchase tickets, contact the MSU Foundation at 1-800-437-4104, ext. 34750 or alumni_mail@mayvillestate.edu.

2009 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees:

Stan Barta Stan Barta, Michigan, N.D., came to Mayville State in the spring of 1958 after a stint with the Navy. Known by his teammates, coaches, and opponents for playing with passion and intensity, Barta was a four-year starter and letter winner for Coach Al Meyer on the Comets baseball team and a three-year starter and letter winner for Coach Jerome Berg on the football team. He was a key player on the Comets baseball team that advanced to the national tournament in Alpine, Texas in 1958. Stan was named a co-captain of the baseball team in 1961 and an all conference defensive back in football in 1960. Barta also played with the Mayville Red Caps baseball team and was named to several all tournament teams in state amateur baseball. He graduated from Mayville State in 1961 with a B.S.Ed. in physical education. He taught school in Michigan and St. Thomas, N.D. before beginning a career in retail sales. He officiated high school football, basketball and baseball and college football and basketball from 1959 to 1994. Stan and his wife Judy (Wedin) (’59, ‘79) are the parents of six adult children, Lori, Jeff, John, Kristy, Joel (‘95), and Jim (‘98).

Pam Huston Pamela Huston, Wausau, Wisc., was a four-sport athlete for Mayville State. She lettered four years in volleyball and softball, two years in basketball, and three years in softball. She earned all conference honors in volleyball and softball twice. In 1989, she was named the Most Valuable Graduating Senior in the Women’s Athletic Conference of North Dakota. She was a key player on the following Comets WACND championship teams: 1987 softball team, 1988 basketball team, and the 1989 volleyball team. In 1989, Pam was named the NASPE Physical Education Major of the Year, and set the Mayville State record in javelin, placing fifth at the conference meet. Due to injury, her basketball career ended in 1987. She then started the volleyball program and was head varsity coach at Finley-Sharon (N.D.) High School for two years and an assistant on the Mayville State volleyball and softball coaching staffs. Huston earned a B.S.Ed. in physical education and business education from Mayville State in 1990 and a master’s degree in administration from the UW-Superior in 1998. She is currently the activities/athletic director at Wausau (Wisc.) West High School. She is the first female to serve in that capacity at West, and first female athletic director for the Wisconsin Valley Conference. She enjoys playing golf, volleyball, and softball, as well as fishing and reading.

Gordon Leduchowski Gordon Leduchowski, Winnipeg, Manitoba, played baseball at Mayville State from 1970-1974. A shortstop for the Comets, Gordie and his teammates were the conference champions three times. Gordie was voted team captain in 1973 and 1974, and was an all conference selection in 1973. In 1974 he earned all conference and all district honors, in addition to being named the Most Outstanding Graduating Player in the North Dakota Collegiate Athletic Conference. The game of baseball has been a major part of Gordie’s life from the time he was young. Starting out as a bat boy for the Chatfield Cardinals at the age of six, he has been very active in amateur leagues throughout his lifetime. He played with Team Canada in 1977 and 1980, and was a coach for the team in 1990 and 1991. After graduating from Mayville State with a B.S.Ed. in physical education, Gordie returned to Canada where he was a program director for rural educational alternatives and later a teacher and coach at Riverton (Manitoba) High School. He is now retired from teaching, but works part-time as a head baseball coach for a college development team. He continues to play baseball, slowpitch, golf, and football, and he bow hunts, coaches 10 and 11 year-olds, and conducts baseball clinics for coaches and players. He and his wife Paulette raised their nephew, Kevin, who lost his family in a car accident in 1978.

Tim Pratt

Jason Schwabe Jason Schwabe, Thompson, N.D., played baseball for the Comets from 1988-1990, earning all conference honors and lettering all three years. In 1989, Schwabe was named a Converse All American and received district and regional player of the year honors. One of the most exciting players ever in Comets Baseball, Schwabe played on three conference champion and playoff teams. He was a team MVP and the career leader in stolen bases (124) and single year stolen bases (60). He participated as a member of the Canadian National Team in 1990-1991. He returned to Mayville State in 1992 and 1993, distinguishing himself as a prominent football player for the Comets and earning all conference wide receiver and return specialist honors. Schwabe was electrifying with his long touchdown runs and big plays at both positions. In 1992, he was a seventh round draft pick of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, but his career was cut short because of injury. Jason graduated from Mayville State in 1993 with a B.S.Ed., earning a major in physical education and minor in health education, and from North Dakota State University with a master’s degree in 2005. He has taught school in Munich and Starkweather, N.D., and at Langdon, N.D., where he also served as a high school principal. Schwabe is currently the high school principal at Thompson (N.D.) Public Schools. He and his wife Collette (Schaan) (’93) are the parents of four children, Calen, Cadyn, Sydney, and Jena.

The 2009 recipients of the MSU Distinguished Alumni Award will be honored at a luncheon scheduled for Saturday, October 10, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room. Tickets for the luncheon are $14.00 in advance or $16.00 at the door. RSVP by September 30 is strongly encouraged. To RSVP and to purchase tickets, contact the MSU Foundation at 1-800-437-4104, ext. 34750 or alumni_mail@mayvillestate.edu.

Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients

Broc Lietz Broc Lietz, Casselton, N.D., graduated from Mayville State University with honors in 1993, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and specializations in human resources and management. Lietz was an active student leader at Mayville State, participating in student government and Phi Beta Lambda at the local and state levels. He served as the student representative on the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education from 1992-1993, and is the only Mayville State student to have served in that capacity. Always true to his alma mater, Lietz served as the executive director of the MSU Foundation from 1994 to 1996. He continues to support the university through involvement in various fund-raising activities. Broc is currently the Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration at North Dakota State University and is active in various human resources associations. Broc and his wife Karen are the parents of two sons, Jonah and Christian.

William Rindy William Rindy, Fargo, N.D., was elected to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Eastern North Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American in 2008. Rindy graduated from Mayville State in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree. He earned majors in mathematics and general science, and then became a respected teacher of mathematics and physics at Carrington (N.D.) High School. Throughout this time, his desire to teach on a different level continued to grow. This pushed him to study theology and to learn to teach people about faith. He left his mathematics teaching position to become a student again. In 1992, Bill graduated from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. Following his ordination, he served as pastor of Shiloh Lutheran Church, Elmore, Minn., Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisbon, N.D., and First Lutheran Church, Fargo, N.D. Bishop Rindy and his wife Louise are the parents of two daughters, Brianna and Kristina.

Thomas Seymour Thomas Seymour, Minot, N.D., is known for service to his community and state. Seymour graduated from Mayville State in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree, earning a major in business and minor in French. He holds a master’s degree in business education from the University of North Dakota (1972), and Ph.D. in vocational management from Colorado State University (1975). Dr. Seymour is currently the chair of the Business Information Technology Department at Minot State University where he teaches technology classes in the classroom and via the Internet. He has published more than 80 articles in refereed journals and edited proceedings and college textbooks. He has given numerous presentations in 41 states and 10 foreign countries. A North Dakota State Senator from District 5, Tom was elected to his first term in 2002 and was re-elected in 2006. Senator Seymour has served on the Appropriations, Agriculture, Education, and Finance and Tax Committees during the regular sessions and on the Education, Technology, and Transportation committees in the interim. Tom and his wife Anita are the parents of two adult children, Dan Seymour and Jenny Seymour Huschka.

According to the ‘59-’60 edition of The Mill, “The year 1959 will be long remembered by Comet football players, coaches, alumni, and fans. The football team relished its best season in the history of the school with a 6 win and 1 tie record. The team realized its best potentialities when the Comets enjoyed a 22-0 Homecoming victory over Valley City Teachers. Play before this time had been rather spotty. The most exciting game would certainly be the victory of Dickinson Teachers. The Comets were trailing 20-0 going into the fourth period. In that period they exploded for 5 touchdowns and 3 conversions to win 33-20. This victory was sweetened by the fact that it meant Mayville Teachers had won he N.D.I.A.C. football title - its first since 1940.”

Row 1 (left to right): Charles Margerum, Myron Strand, Dean Bladow, John Endrud, Roger Dahlstrom, James Sondreal, Don Ostenson, Wendell Garrett, Assistant Harley Ludwig, Coach Jerome Berg, Manager Gerald Fleming, Assistant Don Overbo. Row 2: Ray Paulson, Stan Mersberg, Vernon Spitzer, James Mann, Jack Boyum, Stan Barta, Gerald McGurran, Wendell Corbett, James Huset, Gerald Hamstad, Ken Towers, Assistant Coach Al Meyer. Row 3: Darryl Gulbranson, LeRoy Ashland, Bert Olson, Art Oliver, Wesley Fossum, Harvey Smith, Bruce Kramer, Don Amiot, Perry Lyson, Dennis Kiedrowski, Clint Lein. Row 4: Lester Johnson, Carl Hefta, Marlin McLean, John Brayton, Kenneth Nessa, Dallas Kopp, John Koppy, Percy Morrison, Graydon Rostberg, David Page.

Salute to Harvey McMullen Mayville State Emeritus Dean of Men Saturday, October 10 - 7:00 p.m. - KT Hall in Portland, N.D.

Harvey has been an active member of the Mayville community as a park board member, Sunday School teacher, president of the local golf course, and an advocate for summer youth baseball.

A Hoople, N.D. native Harvey McMullen graduated from Mayville State in 1950 with a major in physical education and minor in social science. After serving a stint in the Army, he taught high school in Hope, N.D., Sharon, N.D., Ada, Minn., and Mayville, from 1951-1958. McMullen completed a master’s degree at the University of North Dakota, and in 1959, began work toward a doctorate in guidance and counseling, earning that degree from UND in 1966.

Harvey and his wife Eileen (O’Hara) (‘49, ‘72). They are the parents of five adult children, all of whom attended or graduated from Mayville State: Susan Strand, Julie Graham, Laurie Weiskopf, Mary Jo Amb, and Jim McMullen.

Are you celebrating a Mayville State anniversary this year?
Class of ... 2009 • 1999 • 1989 • 1979 • 1969 • 1959 • 1949 • 1939 • 1929
If you graduated from Mayville State in a year ending in “9,” the Alumni Association extends an extra-special invitation to you. Come “home” to Mayville to celebrate your special milestone. Contact your friends and classmates and ask them to join you for a time of fun, festivities, and reconnecting with your Mayville State family!

Craft & Vendor Show:
Saturday, October 10 - 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. • MSU Campus Center
The activity is being sponsored by the Mayville State University Theatre Department. Funds raised will be used to purchase a Clavinova keyboard for the Theatre Department.

Volleyball Alumni:
All former Comet volleyball members are invited to participate in an alumni 4-on-4 tournament at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse, beginning at 10:30 a.m. on October 10. A social will follow at the Back Alley Bar in Mayville.

Comets Baseball Alumni:
All former Comet baseball players are invited to return for Homecoming 2009. A special invitation is extended to the members of the 1989, 1999, and 2009 teams. Gather at the KT Hall in Portland following the homecoming football game on October 10.

Tailgating Party:
Meet your friends outside Jerome Berg Field after the parade for a tailgating party! Renew acquaintances and make new friends while enjoying burgers and the fixings served by the MayPort Ice Dawgs.

MSU Bookstore:
Isn’t it time for a new Mayville State sweatshirt? The MSU Bookstore will be open after the parade until kickoff on Saturday, October 10.

Questions?
Contact the MSU Foundation at 800-437-4104, ext. 34750 or alumni_mail@mayvillestate.edu.