The new school year is here. For some, it will be a completely new beginning, while for others, it will be an opportunity to continue on the path they have already started. There will also be those who will see it as an opportunity to hit the reset button, starting with a clean slate. All three scenarios describe the Rugby Panther athletic teams and where they are now.

cross country

Led by head coach William Jansen and assistant boys and girls coach Jennifer Bartsch, the boys and girls rugby cross country teams are expected to be successful once again. The 2024 cross country team will aim to continue the great performances of past rugby teams. A number of athletes have been part of previous rugby teams and will aim to use the experience gained from this campaign to set the tone for this year’s and future rugby teams.

The 2023 Rugby Girls team finished top two at Regional and top three at State in cross country. The Boys team finished top three at Regional and top five at State.

For the 2023 season, the girls’ rugby team placed fourth at the Northwood cross country invitational with 99 points, while the boys placed second overall with 99 points. At the Mandan Kiwanis Invitational, the girls’ rugby team placed fifth with 119 points, while the boys placed eighth with 275 points.

At the 7th Annual Devils Lake Grahams Island Invitational, the Panther girls placed 2nd with 42 points while the boys placed 2nd with 58 points. The rugby team continued their strong performance at the Blue & White Invitational with the girls placing 4th with 107 points and the boys placing 6th with 26 points.

Hosting the 29th Annual Rugby Booster Club Invitational was when the Panthers cross country teams stepped up to the plate. The girls finished first with 83 points, while the boys finished 8th with 209 points.

The Panthers were in top form when they arrived at the Cooperstown Bible Camp meet with a state championship just around the corner. The girls took first place overall in the 5,000-meter finals in Cooperstown with 31 points, while the boys finished second with 140 points.

The rugby girls won first place at the ND Class B Eastern Regional Cross Country Championships with 54 points. The boys finished fifth overall with 194 points.

Showing what they can do throughout the season, the Rugby girls finished the season with a second-place finish at the 2023 NDHSAA Class B State Cross Country Meet, proving once again that they have an impressive season.

The Panther 2024 girls cross country squad will feature junior Hannaah Senechal, a four-time All-Region and four-time All-State athlete; sophomore Keyara Lundstrom, a two-time All-Region and one-time All-State athlete; senior and one-time state meet participant Mya McNeff; sophomore and two-time All-Region participant Evyn Jacobson. The team will also feature 2023 state meet participants in senior Ashlyn Dibble, sophomore Mauvlyn Kirchofner, junior Sara Schmaltz, freshman Kathryn Kuntz and junior Jaelyn Lunde.

Returning to the boys team are: senior Holdyn Jacobson, who made two All-Region teams; sophomore Brayden Green, who made one All-Region team; senior Jenner Johnson, who was a one-time All-Region team member. They will be rounded out by the 2023 State Meet participants: sophomore Austin Duchscher; fourth-grader Maddex Kirchofner; 8th-grader Zeke Puente; freshman Sawyer Brossart; sophomore Dane Whorley; junior Damien Herman and freshman Liam Wurgler.

There is still time for potential athletes to try out and be added to the team; roster spots will not be finalized until practices begin.

As the team moves forward, it will be without some seniors from last season. Graduating players include Brooklyn Bartsch, the 2023 NDHSCA Girls Cross Country Outstanding Senior Athlete. Bartsch is also a 5-time All-Region, 4-time All-State and 6-time state qualifier. Amelia Shepard, a 3-time All-Region, 3-time All-State and 5-time state qualifier, has also graduated. Tressa Arnston and Haylee Jundt will also be missing from this year’s girls team.

The Boys will be without Connor Klein, a recent graduate and 4-time state champion.

Practices for both the boys and girls teams will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 12 at Johnsen Field in Rugby.

The Panthers’ first match is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 24 at Parkhurst Recreation Area in Jamestown. Rugby is scheduled to compete in the Eastern Regional meet on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Cooperstown Country Club in Cooperstown. The State Class B meet is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 25 at Parkhurst Recreation Area in Jamestown. There are still more matches to be added as the schedule is not yet finalized.

Football

The Panthers rugby team will welcome the new season under new head coach Tyler Green. The start of a new season will provide the Panthers with an opportunity to rest the clock and start fresh after finishing the 2023 season with a 1-8 record, winning a 22-16 match against the Park River Aggies. The Panthers will rely on the development of the players, the tough competition and their health to take steps forward in 2024.

“I have high expectations for the season. We expect the season to be a transformation. We play to be competitive and have fun doing it.” said Head Coach Tyler Green.

Players who could change the Panthers’ fortunes include Taytum Risovi, Tucker Volk, Kolton Bohl, Bryce Zeitz and Cole Anderson.

Notable players who will not be returning to this year’s team include Austin Schneibel and Micah Musser, who were named members of the 2023 District 2 All-Region Team. Other graduates include Hudson Hjelden, Cy Walker and Dane Heidebreder, who were honored on the 2023 District 2 All-Region Team.

The season of coverage provides an opportunity for young players to seize the moment and take the next step. A few players who are expected to return from serious injuries and contribute this year include forward Jose Ortega, who missed the entire season last year due to injury, and tackle Landon Zietz.

Rugby Football assistant coaches are Isaac Ripplinger, Levi Lemer and Luke Bacon.

The Panthers’ first practice will be on August 8th and their first game of the season will be against the Nedrose Cardinals on August 23rd. The Panthers Varsity Football team will play a total of ten games during the 2024 season.

“We want to improve our overall record from last year, but more specifically we want to improve our running game and our run defense.” said Green.

Volleyball

The Panthers volleyball team is excited to kick off the season under the leadership of head coach Jessica Fritzl. The youth team will be coached by Deb Goven and C coach Olivia Erpelding, while the middle school team will be coached by Alyssa Mattern and Suzanne Darling.

Rugby volleyball, like the rugby teams of the past, is aiming to get things back on track and have a better season next fall.

“After last year’s tough season, I expect our returning players to bring new confidence to our season, return to the regional tournament and turn heads.” said Head Coach Jessica Fritz. “We look forward to building on the success of our program over the years and bringing it back this season.”

The 2024 Panthers will return the following kickers: Lacie Deplazes, Katie Sullivan, Reese Gullickson, Alli Blessum, Sam Blessum and Brylee Amyotte, plus roll-setting specialist Jesse Wolf.

The Panthers girls are ecstatic to welcome Brooklyn Hager back to their roster. A three-sport athlete who plays volleyball, softball and basketball, Hager has been out of action for the past year with a knee injury. Ava Jacobson is a player who is set to contribute to the Panthers’ 2024 campaign and is expected to help with the adjustment here.

Our female volleyball players who will continue on their path without their new graduates: Setter Kaedyn DeMontigny, hitter Haley Solem and libero Taylor Pritschett.

The girls will begin practice on August 19th and their first match will be on September 3rd against North Star, a non-region team that will provide great early season competition in preparation for the rest of the season. They are scheduled to compete in three major tournaments this season, one of which will be the Des Lacs Burlington Tournament.

“Our biggest goal would be to improve our overall confidence on the field. We were a young team last year and this year we expect that experience to lead us to a stronger result than last season.” said Head Coach Fritz. “We hope to make a solid statement again in our district and our region. With our height and athleticism, we hope to reflect that in our game.”

Golf

The Rugby Golf Girls team will be coached by Angie Zietz and Lance Zietz. The varsity team will gain experience with the following players returning for another season: Ashlyn Dibble, Brooke Kleespie, Marly Santjer, Tallie Dosch and Avery Santjer. The girls team will be rounded out by new additions: Addie Mack, Helen Medalen and Bella Grove.

They will hold their first practice on August 5th, with less than a week to prepare for their first exhibition match of the season.

“We will work together to ensure that these girls focus on course management and know where to make mistakes. Working hard but also having fun is the key to success. We start training on August 5.” said Head Coach A. Zietz. “The girls travel to South Heart on August 11th for a 2-day tournament starting on the 12th. We return for a JH/JV meet at Velva and a varsity meet also at Velva on the 16th! We are excited to see where the season takes us.”