FREDRICKSON REACHES 500 WINS AS WOLVES ROLL OVER CROOKSTON

Feb. 4, 2000

Northern State University coach Curt Fredrickson became the fourth active NCAA II women's coach with 500 career victories Friday night as the Wolves steamrolled University of Minnesota-Crookston 86-44 in Crookston.

Junior forward Memory Johannsen (Tolstoy) scored 20 points to lead NSU (19-4, 9-3 NSIC) over the winless Golden Eagles (0-21, 0-12 NSIC). Senior guards Jammie Coyle (Belle Fourche) and Amanda Mikuska (Platte) scored 16 and 11, respectively. Junior post Beth Carlson (Coon Rapids, Minn.) led NSU in rebounding with nine boards to go with 13 points. Sheila Roux led UMC with 12 points. NSU is ranked 19th in the nation and third in the North Central Region.

On the bad news front: junior forward and team leading rebounder Natalie Braun (Warner) went down with an undisclosed knee injury. NSU plays at Moorhead State Saturday night.

FREDRICKSON NOTCHES 500TH CAREER VICTORY FRIDAY NIGHT

Feb. 4, 2000

ABERDEEN, S.D. – No coach in NCAA Division II basketball has won a greater percentage of games through a longer period of time than Northern State University women's coach Curt Fredrickson. Friday night, the Aberdeen native notched his 500th win in an 86-44 decision at Minnesota-Crookston.

Midway through his 21st season at the helm of Northern's women's program, Fredrickson's career mark now stands at 500-112. That 82 percent winning clip through over two decades is unparalleled in NCAA Division II basketball. In fact, there are only four coaches with a greater winning percentage over a longer period of time at any level of collegiate basketball:

* Adolph Rupp: Rupp coached men's teams at University of Kansas in 1923 and at University of Kentucky from 1931-52 and 1954-72, ending his career with an 876-190 record (82.2 percent) through 41 years.

* Clair Bee: Bee coached men's Division I basketball at Rider from 1929-31 and at LIU-Brooklyn from 1932-45 and 1946-51, ending his career with a 412-87 record (82.6 percent) through 21 years.

* Pat Summitt: Summitt is in her 25th season as University of Tennessee's head women's coach. Entering the season, her career mark stood at 695-146 (82.6 percent).

* Phillip Kahler: Kahler is in his 26th season as women's basketball coach at NCAA Division III St. John Fisher's (Rochester, N.Y.). Entering this season, his career mark stood at 610-114 (84.3 percent).

Fredrickson became the fourth active NCAA II women's basketball coach to reach 500 wins. Barbara Stevens is well over 500 wins in her 23rd season at Bentley (Waltham, Mass.), while the other two coaches hit the mark earlier this season (West Texas A&M coach Bob Schneider in his 22nd season and North Dakota State's Amy Ruley in her 21st season). Fredrickson also ranks fourth among current NCAA II women's basketball coaches in winning percentage, but no one above him on that list has as many wins or has coached as long.

During Fredrickson's tenure, the Wolves have played in five NAIA national tournaments, winning the NAIA II national title in 1991-92 and 1993-94, finishing second in 1992-93, claiming third in 1980-81, and finishing among the final eight teams in 1994-95. Fredrickson's Wolves have also collected two district basketball championships and two regional crowns. In the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, the Wolves have had five first-place and four second-place finishes under Fredrickson.

The success hasn't stopped since NSU joined the NCAA II ranks in 1995-96. The Wolves have made post-season appearances in two of their four years under the new affiliation, falling to eventual national champion North Dakota in the semifinals in 1996-97 and making another semifinal run in 1997-98 by knocking off perennial DII powerhouse North Dakota State. The Sioux and Bison have combined to win the past seven NCAA II national championships.

This season, Fredrickson's Wolves stand at 19-4 on the season. NSU is ranked 19th in the nation and this week dropped to third in the rugged North Central Region after holding the top spot for five consecutive polls.

See the following page for Fredrickson's complete bio.

Curt Fredrickson Bio

Aberdeen, S.D., native Curt Fredrickson attended Northern State University, where he was an NAIA All-American in baseball and honorable mention All-American in football. After graduating in 1974, he taught at Canton (S.D.) High School. He returned to Northern in 1976 to work on a master’s degree. Fredrickson finished in 1977 and was named the women’s basketball coach that fall.

Fredrickson coached at NSU until 1983, spending two years in private business before returning to the women's program in 1985. In 1987-88, the Wolves were a sparkling 28-3, won their first-ever conference title, and finished second in the district.
During Fredrickson's tenure, the Wolves have played in five NAIA national tournaments, winning the NAIA II national title in 1991-92 and 1993-94, finishing second in 1992-93, claiming third in 1980-81, and finishing among the final eight teams in 1994-95. Fredrickson's Wolves have also collected two district basketball championships and two regional crowns. In the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, the Wolves have had five first-place and four second-place finishes under Fredrickson.

Some of the major highlights during the Fredrickson years at NSU were the Wolves' NAIA national championship campaigns in the early 1990's. The 1991-92 team won the national championship and finished the season with a 30-4 record. Northern advanced to the national tourney in Monmouth, Ore., with an at-large berth granted on the basis of its record and finish in the national polls. Northern advanced to win it all against Tarleton State in the national championship game.

Northern State set out to defend its national crown in 1992-93. A fourth consecutive loss to Northern Montana in the district finals robbed the Wolves of a district crown but NSU received another at-large berth to nationals. The Skylights and Wolves met up in the championship game with Northern Montana continuing to defeat the Wolves.

The Wolves made it to the title game three seasons in a row by posting wins over Tennessee Wesleyan, Panhandle State and Concordia-St. Paul in 1993-94. In a thriller against the home team, Western Oregon State University, Northern State utilized a steal and four free throws by senior Paula (Stolsmark) Krueger, to win its second national title by a score of 48-45 and finish the storybook season with a 32-1 record. Krueger is now the assistant women's basketball and head softball coach at NSU.

In 1994-95, the Wolves jumped out to 13-0 mark and set new NAIA II and NCAA II records with 45 consecutive wins from Nov. 1993 to Jan. 1995. NSU won the conference and region championships and finished the regular season ranked number one in NAIA II. NSU swept through games against College of the Ozarks and Sterling Kansas in the national tourney but the host team, Western Oregon, derailed the Wolves’ bid for back-to-back national titles. Western Oregon defeated Northern in the round of eight to end NSU’s season at 28-3.

In their first year as a Division II member in 1995-96, the Wolves featured five new starters but still managed 20 wins – four of them against North Central Conference teams – and an eighth-place regional ranking. Fredrickson notched his 400th win in the first game of the season against Augustana.

Fredrickson, 47, was named the NAIA II National Coach of the Year in 1992 and again in 1994. He has received additional coach of the year honors from the South Dakota Press Association, Royal Order of the Gyps, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, Midwest Independent Region (2) and NAIA District 12 (3). In 1992 he was inducted into the NSU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Curt’s family includes his wife, Vicki, daughter Lindsey and two boys, Cole and Blair.

The Fredrickson years (500-112, .817 winning percentage):
YEAR W L
1977-78 23 2
1978-79 24 4
1979-80 26 3
1980-81 28 4
1981-82 20 5
1982-83 24 3
1985-86 20 8
1986-87 19 10
1987-88 28 3
1988-89 20 8
1989-90 24 7
1990-91 25 6
1991-92 30 4
1992-93 28 7
1993-94 32 1
1994-95 28 3
1995-96 20 7
1996-97 24 5
1997-98 23 6
1998-99 15 12
1999-00 19 4
TOTAL 500 112