Hello Huskies and Happy April!
 
The winter sports seasons – and winter (hopefully) – are in the rearview mirror and it is shaping up to be a very busy spring here at NIU!
 
This week alone, we've announced additional activities for kids (Victor E's Sports Fest) and adults (Gear Sale) prior to the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 22nd. Children (ages 2-13) are invited to come out and travel to the different sports stations managed by Huskie student-athletes and try their hand at basketball, tennis, golf, soccer, baseball, softball and more. The Gear Sale is a great place to find shoes and cleats, NIU game worn jerseys and equipment.
 
At noon, head into Huskie Stadium to see the 2023 Huskie football team as they wrap up spring practice. I love the energy I've seen in practices so far. The defense is flying around and coming together as a unit, and the young quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers are making plays. The newcomers added in January are already making an impact. Come and see for yourself, hear from Coach Hammock after practice and pick up a schedule poster.
 
While you're on campus, or really anytime, be sure to renew or purchase your 2023 football season tickets either online or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225). Our Huskie Athletic Fund donors and season ticket members are critical to the success of NIU Athletics, our teams and student-athletes. We've kept season ticket prices the same this year, have added general admission ticket sections on the West Side, and I hope you've heard about the new "Build Your Membership" model with fans now able to design their own benefits package! Get all the details here.
 
If you haven't already visited the newly redesigned Huskie Athletic Fund website at Huskieathleticfund.com, take a minute and check it out. Huge graphics and easy navigation allow you to find complete information on HAF benefits, programs and ongoing campaigns. The website also provides easy access to donate to support Huskie student-athletes, teams and programs.
 
Volleyball season tickets are also on sale now. New head coach Sondra Parys and her team just completed their spring competition season and the staff is busy filling the roster as we launch a new era for Huskie volleyball in 2023.
 
The NIU Baseball team entered a new era with the opening of Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park, which will be officially dedicated on Sunday, April 16 prior to the Huskies' game against Western Michigan. This facility is a game-changer for NIU Baseball, and we are so honored that it will bear the Owens' names. The new turf infield has already made an impact, allowing the team to practice and play in weather that would have forced cancellation in previous years.
 
Baseball and softball are already halfway through their seasons with softball above .500 in the conference and looking to make a run to the conference tournament. The Huskies' roster features 11 freshmen, with five in starting roles.
 
The Huskie tennis teams, meanwhile, have just a few weeks of regular season matches remaining. Men's tennis is 12-7 on the year with an 8-1 mark in matches played inside the beautiful Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House, while the women's team has hovered around the .500 mark all season. Men's and women's golf will play their conference championships this month as well. Women's golf looks to knock off perennial champion Kent State for the first time, while the NIU men's team still has three regular season tournaments before heading to Alabama for the MAC Championships beginning April 30.
 
Track and field made the transition from the MAC Indoor Championships in late February to outdoor season which this year features a home track meet on May 6 at the NIU Track & Field/Soccer Complex.  
 
We saw four individuals from the NIU gymnastics and wrestling teams cap off the winter sports seasons at NCAA Postseason competitions. NIU gymnasts Natalie Hamp, Alyssa Al-Ashari and Emmalise Nock extended NIU's streak of sending at least one individual to NCAA Regionals in each of the last nine years at the NCAA Denver Regional on March 31.
 
While impressive, that streak has a way to go to match NIU Wrestling's mark of 52 consecutive seasons with at least one national qualifier. In 2023, 165-pounder Izaak Olejnik extended that streak after first winning the MAC Championship at 165 for the second consecutive season and picking up the MAC Most Outstanding Wrestler Award along the way. At the NCAA Championships, Izzak fought his way to a top eight finish to become the 10th All-American in NIU wrestling history, earning the honor with a 2-1 win over the No. 10 seed from Ohio State in the so-called "Blood Round." What a run for the senior who qualified for the NCAA Championships four times during his NIU career. 
 
Earlier in March, the Huskie Basketball teams both advanced to Cleveland after finishing in the top eight of the MAC during the regular season. The NIU men's team defied expectations to grab the No. 7 seed and finish 9-9 versus league teams with a roster rated as one of the youngest in the country in terms of experience. The Huskie women's basketball team used their experience, led by All-MAC honorees A'Jah Davis, Chelby Koker and Janae Poisson, to finish fifth in the MAC during the regular season and earn a spot in the Women's Basketball Invitational.  
 
Quick reminder that we are less than one month away from the Victor E. Bash, our spring fundraising event, which will be held May 1-6 this year. We have two in-person events during this year's Bash as The Victors, our student-athlete awards ceremony, will take place May 4 in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium at the Holmes Student Center. If you want to come and feel great about supporting NIU student-athletes, I invite you to attend this event! Then, we will wrap up the Victor E. Bash on Saturday, May 6 with a Concert at the Convo! This is an important event as we strive to bring more live music shows to NIU and to the community so please consider purchasing a ticket and joining us for some great country music by Russell Dickerson, Lauren Alaina and Uncle Kracker. Click here to purchase tickets.

Finally, shout out to our facilities and events team and to the staff at the NIU Recreation Center, who have put in a lot of hard work to turn the Rec into a more welcoming and functional space for ALL NIU students. There is new signage both outside and throughout the building, new lockers have been installed and several other improvements have been made.
 
How about that for a few spring things going on here with NIU Athletics?  I hope you have marked your calendar and are making plans to join us here in DeKalb, whether for the dedication of Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt & Janice Owens Park, Victor E's Sports Fest and Gear Sale prior to the Spring Showcase, some of our baseball and softball home weekends and of course, the Victor E. Bash, including The Victors and Country at the Convo Concert.  By the way, all of these events except the concert are completely FREE to attend. Also, stay tuned and look for the dates soon as the Huskie head coaches and I will be hitting the road for the Summer Circuit in June!
 
Thanks for reading. Enjoy your spring and Go Huskies!
 
 





Sean T. Frazier
Vice President/Director of Athletics and Recreation