Nov 18, 2008 - 04:05:24 CST
Local sports fans are probably still catching their breath after what was a hectic - and memorable - weekend.There was a little something for everyone, from football to swimming, to volleyball, even cross country and mixed martial arts.
Just a few extra thoughts on three events that Igot to see all or part of. One happened here (state swimming), one on the other side of the state (Bismarck's AAA football championship) and the other on the other side of the country (Brock Lesnar winning the UFC heavyweight title).
Mighty Demons
The last time Bismarck won a state title, in 2001, the Demons had two future pros in the lineup in Greg Eslinger and Weston Dressler.
This year's Demons probably won't be able to make that claim. But like that squad, the 2008 Bismarck football team had the look of a champion right from the start.
Sure, the Demons had stumbled against West Fargo, a loss avenged in the playoffs. But Bismarck was solid in every facet of the game. Like most successful teams, Bismarck was opportunistic, and their penchant for forcing turnovers was critical to their 28-19 championship victory over Fargo South.
There was AustinGunderson's interception return for a touchdown in the first half.
Then there was the clincher, Jake Miller thwarting an attempted hook-and-ladder, snaring the lateral and running it back 9 yards to wrap up the championship.
That's a play that will be etched in the minds of Demons' fans for a long, long time.
Record-breaker
Breaking records has become a habit for Minot swimmer Dagny Knutson. But setting three national high school marks, as Knutson did at this weekend's state meet, is extraordinary even by her lofty standards.
Knutson set new marks in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyles. In the longer events, she shattered long-standing records by several seconds.
Perhaps most impressive was Knutson taking down the 500 free record set by four-time Olympic gold medalist Janet Evans. Evans is considered by many to be the best female distance swimmer ever.
Knutson will be competing in the short-course nationals in three weeks. In January, she will go to Guam to swim in the Junior Pan Pacific championships.
KathyAspaas, the long-time head coach at Minot, is currently an assistant who helps train Knutson. Aspaas believes the 16-year-old junior, who already has competed in the Olympic Trials, will only get better.
"She's getting right up there with the best of the best,"Aspaas said. "Right now I think she's the best (in the nation) in her age group."
Call him champ
With his every appearance in the UFC, it becomes clearer what a freakish athletic specimen Brock Lesnar is.
The former Bismarck State College national wrestling champion used his physical gifts to overpower Randy Couture and win the UFC heavyweight title with a second-round TKO in just his fourth mixed martial arts fight on Saturday.
Nobody doubts that Couture, a five-time UFC champ, is at this point the more skilled all-around fighter. But Lesnar's wrestling ability combined with his overwhelming strength and speed have made him an imposing force in his new sport.
Styles make fights, even moreso in MMA than in boxing, and this was a bad matchup for Couture. A former All-American wrestler, Couture didn't have his customary edge in grappling, though he did do well trying to block Lesnar's takedowns.
At 220 pounds - 55 to 60 pounds less than Lesnar was on fight night - Couture obviously wasn't going to be stronger. But he wasn't the quicker fighter, either.
The most surprising thing about Lesnar has been his punching power. His three UFC fights all have been against top-notch opponents, and he has taken all three off their feet with strikes. The knockdown punch against Couture didn't even land flush, but it was enough to put the Hall of Famer down.
Lesnar was well-compensated for his efforts. He was reportedly guaranteed $250,000 with a $200,000 victory bonus. That's not even counting his pay-per-view bonus, likely to be the biggest part of his check if the card turns out to be the most popular in company history, as UFCpresident Dana White predicted.
Lesnar is not the best heavyweight in the world.That title belongs to Fedor Emelianenko, who is currently not under UFC contract. Some would say Lesnar is not even in the top five - yet.
Lesnar's next fight - scheduled to be a unification bout against the winner of the clash between interim champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former title-holder Frank Mir - will pose a threat to Lesnar. Both Nogueira and Mir - who survived an early barrage to submit Lesnar in his UFC debut - are jiu jitsu experts.
But to those who doubted Lesnar - who ignored his national wrestling titles at BSC and the University of Minnesota, who only saw a WWE wrestler and made ridiculous comparisons to the fraud Kimbo Slice - they can no longer ignore the obvious.
Lesnar presents matchup nightmares for anybody. And he's only getting better - quickly.
(LouBabiarz is the Tribune sports editor.)
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