Vote daily as Minnesota State Mankato seeks #1 ranking in the Star Tribune’s annual Readers’ Choice polling. Cast your vote at www.votemnbest.com/MinnesotaStateUniversityMankato. Voting closes April 17. For three years straight, Minnesota State Mankato has been voted Minnesota’s Best in the College/University category. Past recognitions were thanks in large part to all of the students who voted. Last year, the Mavericks were also voted as the #1 College Sports Team.
Minnesota State University, Mankato’s 2023-2024 Good Thunder Reading Series will conclude its season Thursday, April 4, when it hosts author Melissa Febos with a series of events. Events at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. are free and open to the public. The evening program in Ostrander Auditorium includes readings by Febos and Nathan Larson, MFA candidate, readng from his short story, “The Shades In-Between.”
MARCH 27 – The Mavericks Women’s Basketball Team advance to the NCAA DII NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Friday after defeating Cal State San Marcos Wednesday night 70-68. The win came on an Emily Herzberg layup with 0.2 seconds left in the game. The Mavericks go for the national title Friday at 7 p.m. against Texas Woman’s University. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
MARCH 28 – ANASTASIA, the musical stage production based on the 1997 animated film, opens in Ted Paul Theatre April 4. The MSU Theatre’s spring stage spectacle runs through April 14 and features a cast of 29 and a 12-piece orchestra. Student tickets are just $5 at msutheatre.com
“Rock and Roll” is the theme April 8-12 as Fraternity and Sorority Life at Minnesota State University invites the campus to join in celebrating Greek Week. Activities include a Monday FREE hot dog cookout for the campus community as well as cardboard boat races, and the popular lip sync contest among the FSL chapters. The week concludes Sunday, April 14, with the annual awards banquet recognizing the Chapter of the Year and other outstanding accomplishments among the FSL community.
MARCH 25 – The Maverick women’s basketball team advance Wednesday, March 27, to the NCAA DII National Final Four to face the Cal State San Marco Cougars after defeating Georgia Southwestern State 93-88. The Maverick overcame a 10-point first half deficit led by senior guard Joey Batt with 21 points. The Cougars beat top-seed Gannon U. in overtime.
MARCH 25 – Malik Willingham was named to the NABC All-Central District First Team. The Mavericks’ senior guard from Waseca, Minn., led the team this season in scoring averaging 18.9 points per game. Earlier this season, he was named the NSIC Player of the Year and the D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year.
MARCH 25 – Matt Margenthaler, Mavericks Men’s basketball coach, is the NABC Central District Coach of the Year. Earlier this season, Margenthaler was named NSIC Coach of the Year for the fourth time. The Mavericks face Ferris State in NCAA Division II Elite Eight National Tournament.
MARCH 24 – In his latest episode of the Maverick Minute video series, President Edward Inch visits with Jana Weber from the Center for Global Education. Learn how the office assists students seeking to study abroad or at other institutions domestically. Find out what opportunities await for expanding your educational experience. The Maverick Minute series alerts students to a wide range of resources available on campus.
MARCH 21 – Exploring the link between good health and social connections is the focus of Wednesday, April 3, Health Summit. The annual event featuring more than 15 speakers is hosted by the College of Allied Health and Nursing. All sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be in the Centennial Student Union. The event is FREE to students. Registration is required.
MARCH 22 – Maverick Women’s Basketball senior guard Joey Batt, from New Ulm, is one of the WBCA’s NCAA DII Women’s Basketball All-Americans for 2023-24. Leading the Mavericks to the NCAA DII regional title, Batt is the first Maverick All-American to earn All-American honors since 2009. The Mavericks (29-5) take on Georgia Southwestern (29-3) on Monday, March, in the first round of the NCAA DII Elite Eight National Tourney in St. Joseph, Mo.
MARCH 22 – Tony Malinowski, Maverick Men’s Hockey 2023-24 assistant captain, has signed with the Reading Royals, an affiliate with NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. He joins Sam Morton as the second Maverick to sign professional contracts in a week’s time. Morton signed with the Calgary Flames/Calgary Wranglers.
MARCH 19 – Minnesota State Mankato will continue to honor in-state tuition rates for prospective South Dakota students enrolling at the University for Fall 2024. The announcement by President Edward Inch comes after the South Dakota Board of Regents terminated the tuition reciprocity agreement between the two states beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. Inch said the decision ensures South Dakota students entering Minnesota State Mankato will not be impacted by unexpected higher out-of-state tuition rates.
MARCH 18 | BETHANY, Okla. (Maverick Report) – The #7 seed Minnesota State Mavericks (29-5) win the NCAA Central Region Tournament Championship, 80-48, in an upset victory over the #1 seed Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm (30-3). Joey Batt and Destinee Bursch combined for 51 points. The Mavericks advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since the National Championship team in 2008-09.
MARCH 18 – Minnesota State senior captain Sam Morton from Lafayette, Colo., has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames organization. His contract will begin with the 2024-25 season. He will be joining the Wranglers (AHL) on an amateur tryout contract (ATO) for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign. Former Maverick Walker Duehr (2017-22) plays on the Flames’ current NHL roster.
CSU Hound Hugs and Kanine Kisses in cooperation with the Mankato area Alliance of Therapy Dogs again offers its monthly therapy dog sessions on Thursday, March 21, from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. in the CSU Hearth Lounge.
On Friday, March 22, and Monday, March 25, photographer Josh Madson will be in the CSU Hearth Lounge 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The campus community can reserve a photo session to be part of an official University Collage that Madson is creating.
Denisha Cartwright, the Mavericks national record holder in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, was named NCAA Division II Central Region Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year on Friday, March 15. The recognition by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association follows Cartwright’s National NCAA D2 Title in the indoor women’s 60-meter hurdles. Cartwright’s record-setting time of 7.93 is the third highest in all levels of NCAA competition.
Minnesota State senior Malik Willingham has earned D2CCA All-Central Region Player of the Year honors for his efforts this season with the Maverick men’s basketball team. A guard from Waseca, Minn., Willingham averaged 19.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season. He has scored 20 points or more in 14 games this season, including a season-high 33 points vs. Sioux Falls in the second round of the NSIC Tournament.
Maverick Men’s Hockey senior captain Sam Morton was named CCHA Player of the Year. The announcement on Friday, March 15, marks an exceptional season where Morton leads first in goals, first in shots, first in faceoff wins and first in power-play goals.