DCTC basketball player Kevin Thompson participated in the NJCAA National Men’s Basketball All-Star game at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV May 12, 2012. Kevin was 7 for 7 from the floor and 2 for 2 at the line for 16 points. He received the Scott Schumacher Sportsmanship Award for the East Team. See the Press Release below for more information.

IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE:

The NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association’s  6th National All-Star Game saw the West Squad Coached by South Plains Steve Green prevail over the East Squad coached by the coaching tandem of Steve Schmidt Mott Community and Mike Apple of Sandhills County Community College 123 to 103. The West squad broke out to a quick lead due to the hot outside shooting of Kirkwood’s Michael Weber and Michael Craig of South Mountain Community College as they combined for 7 of 12 shooting from behind the 3 point arch. The West squad lead 49 to 38 at half-time with the East squad staying close due to National Player of the Year Sullivan County Community Colleges Cleanthony’s 18 points.

The hot shooting of the West Squad 51.7 % and dominant rebounding 58 to 40 in team rebounding proved to be too much for the East Squad as they were outscored 74 to 64 in the second half leading to a 123 to 103 victory for the West Squad. The West Squad had balanced scoring with 7 players in double figures lead by South Mountain’s Michael Craig with 17 points. The East Squad was led by Mott’s John Taylor with 26 points.

See awards and other stats below:

MVP East: Cleanthony Early, Sullivan County

Scott Schumacher Sportsmanship Award: Kevin Thompson, Dakota County Technical College

MVP West: Stanton Kidd, South Plains
Scott Schumacher Sportsmanship, Michael Weber Kirkwood Community College

West 123 to East 103   1st half West 49 East 38

East Team Stats Leaders:

Leading Scorer  John Taylor Mott Community College (26) (9-16 fg) (3-6 3pt) (5-5 ft)
Leading Rebounder  Maurice Hernandez Central Lakes College (7)
Leading Assist John Taylor (3) Rishaad Alexander Milwaukee Tech. (3)
Team  FG% 46 (41-89)
FT%  73 (11-15)
3pt%  33 (10-30)
Rebs.  40

Coaches: Steve Schmidt Mott Community Mike Apple Sandhills County Community

West Team Stats Leaders:

Leading Scorer Michael Craig South Mountain  17 (5-9 fg) (3-5 3pt) (4-6 ft)
Leading Assists Tommy Woolridge North Dakota College of Science (4)
Michael Craig (4)
Leading Rebounder Tommy Woolridge (12)
Team FG% 51.7 (45-87)
FT%  64.3 (18-28)
3PT% 44.1 (15-34)
Rebs   58

Coach: Steve Green South Plains

Referees: Eric Curry,Deldre Carr,Ian Davis

Attendance: 400

Game Site: Orleans Arena Las Vegas,Nevada

DCTC’s own Jim Unger was featured on WCCO in a story about P.I.T. Training

We’ve all seen police chases on television, but what’s it like to experience first-hand what it takes for Minnesota police officers to stop a runaway driver?

Police call the highly specialized maneuver a P.I.T. maneuver, which stands for Pursuit Intervention Technique. The point is to get the vehicle off the road and ultimately arrest the driver.

When first seen, the maneuver involving the two cars looks more like a version of adult bumper cars, where the one taps the back of the other. There’s a thrill every second for those sworn officers who train on P.I.T. at Dakota County Technical College. But in reality, this maneuver is no amusement park ride. It’s serious stuff.

Read the entire story:

Behind-The-Wheel During Cop P.I.T. Maneuvers « CBS Minnesota

Story courtesy of CBS Minnesota

For more information about DCTC’s Public Safety & Driver Training program contact:

• Jim Unger
  Director of Public Safety
  jim.unger@dctc.edu
  651-423-8482
• Gretchen Strehle
  Assistant to the Directors
  gretchen.strehle@dctc.edu
  651-423-8224

(left to right) Dean of Transportation and Technical Careers Mike Opp, Heavy Construction Equipment Instructor Roger Gartner, Francis Rose, Michael Rehder, Heavy Construction Equipment Instructor Dan Ruzicka, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Kelly Murtaugh

Michael Rehder and Francis Rose, two students in DCTC’s Heavy Construction Equipment Technology program, each received a $1000 scholarship from the mikeroweWORKS Foundation in partnership with the AED Foundation, an affiliate of Associated Equipment Distributors.

Michael Redher, scholarship recipient

According to Roger Gartner, instructor of DCTC’s Heavy Construction Equipment program, the scholarships were awarded based on GPA and are to be used for purchasing tools. He said, “It’s great to see two excellent students receive the award. Not only are they outstanding scholars, they are also great guys. The scholarships are well deserved.”

Rehder is very grateful for receiving the scholarship. “Keeping my grades up and doing well in school really paid off.”

Francis Rose, scholarship recipient

Rose was shocked when he heard he received the scholarship, and said he was thankful for people like Mike Rowe, who recognize the importance of careers in trade-related fields. “Attending a four-year college just wasn’t a good fit for me, but I have found my place here at DCTC, and look forward to putting my skills to work.” Both students graduate this spring.

Mike Rowe is the creator and host of the widely-watched and acclaimed show “Dirty Jobs” on the Discovery Channel.  I’m sure you have also seen him on television and the web talking about his relationships with Ford, Caterpillar, Inc., Cat Footwear, Master Lock and Kimberly-Clark.  What you may not know is that Mike is dedicated to promoting the skilled trades, including our construction-related industries, in an effort to address image and workforce issues. At his website, mikeroweWORKS.com, young and not-so-young alike are exposed to the great industry we work in, provided lots of resources to help make informed choices as to career and technical job options,  and information as to where they may find schools and financial aid to help them achieve their goals.  His latest project is the recent launch of the “Dirty Jobs” cleaning product line (buydirtyjobs.com). 

A portion of the sale from all products will go to The mikeroweWORKS Foundation.  If you have not already done so, I encourage you to visit www.mikeroweWORKS.com for yourself.  The site will give you an idea of the broad scope of his mission.  As is evident by his involvement with “I Make America” (www.imakeamerica.com) and “Go Build” (gobuildalabama.com and gobuildgeorgia.com) campaigns, and the continuing work of The mikeroweWORKS Foundation, Mike is not just talking about things, he is doing them!

For more information about DCTC’s Heavy Construction Equipment Technology program, contact:

• Roger Gartner
  Instructor
  651-423-8337

• Dan Ruzicka
  Instructor
  651-423-8481

Put your running shoes on!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

• 1 Mile, 5K Runners, 5K Walkers  |  4 p.m.

Where: DCTC Rosemount Campus

Register for the 4th Annual Healthy Knight Run/Walk and be entered to win four Twins tickets and a parking pass!*

*Minnesota Twins vs. Los Angeles Angels, May 7, 2012. Seats are Section 13, Row 12 in the Dugout Box.

Early Bird registration – by April 27, 2012: $15 ($10 for DCTC students)

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

1.  Pay online now (includes online registration)

• Discount code for students: knight-run2012
• Registration form will be completed electronically as part of payment process.

2.  Pay by cash/check

• Make checks payable to the Dakota County Technical College Foundation.
• Complete and submit this form: Healthy Knight 5K/1 Mile Registration Form
• Checks can be dropped off in Student Life or mailed to:
  DCTC Student Life – Healthy Knight Run/Walk
  Attn: Laura McGlauchlen
  1300 145th Street E
  Rosemount, MN 55068

3. Register on race day!

• $20 ($15 for DCTC students)

• Bring registration form along with fee on race day.

All proceeds go toward the general scholarship fund!

For more information, contact:

• Laura McGlauchlen
  Student Life Center
  651-423-8330

Congratulations to DCTC’s first All-American men’s basketball player

Dakota County Technical College’s Kevin Thompson, a 6’ 1” Sophomore Wing, was named a National Junior College Athletic Association Division II All-American. He is the first DCTC player to earn this honor. “My work ethic makes me a good basketball player,” said Thompson. “I’m never satisfied. I feel like even if I do good at something, I have to do better at it.”

Head Coach Jay Pivec led DCTC’s men’s basketball team during their inaugural season in 2011-2012 and has coached ten All-American players. “If the team does well, individual successes usually follow,” said Pivec. “As a coach, your best player is your hardest worker. There is little doubt that Kevin was the hardest worker. Everyday he came ready to play.”

Thompson was also named NJCAA DII Player of the Week in November 2011. He finished the regular season with 450 total points, an average of 16.071 per game. He made 67 percent of his free throws and 28 percent from the floor. Thompson led the team in rebounds with 66 offensive and 181 defensive, reaching an 8.821 rebound average per game. He was one of 30 players from more than 100 colleges across the country selected for the NJCAA DII All-American Award. Thompson credits his success to his coaches, family support, and personal experiences. “[They] help me get to the next level,” he said.

The DCTC Blue Knights men’s basketball team reached #8 on the NJCAA DII poll and finished in the top 20. They ended their inaugural season with a 24-7 overall record.

For more information about DCTC basketball, contact:

• Jay Pivec
  Head Coach
  651-423-8675
• Ron Gates
  Associate Head Coach

Or visit GoBlueKnights.com