Hotline // October 29, 2025
This week’s Hotline includes the following articles:
- VCSU Athletes Competing at Trap Shooting National Championship
- VCSU Hosts Interim Higher Ed Committee
- CSSE students and faculty attend Digi-Key Collegiate Computing Competition
- Student profile: Sarah Monilaws
- Viking Sports Update
- What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…
VCSU Athletes Competing at Trap Shooting National Championship
The Valley City State University shooting sports team is sending five competitors to the USA Clay Target League 2025 College National Championship this weekend in Bunker Hill, Illinois.
Cali Steffan, Gretchen Deaver, Kasey Odegaard, Jake Hennings and Tyler Johnson will represent VCSU at the national championship, which includes 26 teams and more than 240 shooters.
The competition runs Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 1-2, with teams arriving for practice on Friday. Athletes will shoot 100 targets each day. Their cumulative 200-target score is used for both individual and team competition. The team competition includes a 5-person score.
Both Cali Steffan and Gretchen Deaver enter the national championship just outside the Female Top 10 rankings for season scoring average.
For more information about the Trap Shooting National Championship event, visit the event webpage.
Conference Results
Valley City State University finished its Fall conference season in second place, trailing only Lake Land College in Illinois in the five-week conference competition.
Individually, the Vikings have four shooters in the Top 10 of the conference. Ty Awender and Kasey Odegard are both 10th in the male conference standings with a shooting average of 23.2 out of 25. On the female side, Steffan is ranked #3 in the conference with a 23.5 average and Deaver is ranked #4 with a 23.2 average.
VCSU Hosts Interim Higher Ed Committee
Valley City State University hosted the Interim Higher Education Institutions Committee for its monthly meeting Tuesday in McCarthy Hall.
During the meeting, VCSU had a chance to present a 90-minute overview of our campus, promoting some of our programs and partnerships while touching on key demographic information requested by the committee.
The Interim Higher Education Institutions Committee is comprised of North Dakota state legislators and citizens and includes 22 members.
Presenting on behalf of VCSU were President Alan LaFave, Vice President for Academic Affairs Larry Brooks, Assistant Professor Harmony Richman and Executive Director for University Advancement Cory Anderson.
Presentations by Josh Johnson, Valley City Public Schools Superintendent, and Jennifer Feist, Director of Development at Valley City-Barnes County Development Corporation, showcased the partnerships VCSU has with their organizations and the community.
CSSE students and faculty attend Digi-Key Collegiate Computing Competition
VCSU students Conner Bowling, Aaron Cutshall, and Jacoby Hunt, along with their advisors, Dr. Yang Du and Dr. Xin Wang, traveled to the Digi-Key Collegiate Computing Competition (DKC³) in Thief River Falls, Minn., on Oct. 16- 17.
DKC³ has been an annual contest at Digi-Key headquarters since 2000. This year, twenty-six teams from fourteen universities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin were challenged to solve twenty-five logical problems, fifteen short coding problems and four long coding problems within four hours. VCSU’s team was excited to sharpen their skills in such a real battle and gained experience and strategies in computing and teamwork!
Student profile: Sarah Monilaws
Attending VCSU has allowed Sarah Monilaws, a senior from Absaraka, N.D., an opportunity to pursue communication, marketing and digital design, all while putting those classroom skills to use in her internships.
What are you studying at VCSU?
Corporate communication with minors in marketing and digital design
What made you choose a communication degree?
I wanted to do something that allowed me to work closely with people and the organization I am a part of. I also knew that with a communications degree it would give me a variety of career options.
Why VCSU?
I chose VCSU because of the atmosphere and the small campus feel. I came from a small high school and I knew I wanted to have that when I went to college. I love how everyone knows me by name and I can walk around campus and have a conversation with anyone I pass by. I also love that it is close to home and how wonderful the Valley City community is to college students.
What extracurricular activities are you involved with on campus?
I am president of VCSU DECA, North Dakota Collegiate DECA vice president, a Viking Voyage mentor as well as a New Student Orientation mentor and secretary of Viking Catholic. I participate in intramural sports and was a member of the women’s golf team. I have also done PA announcing for some home games. I am the student employee for the VCSU marketing team and I intern with the Valley City Chamber of Commerce!
What has been your favorite memory from VCSU so far?
My favorite memory from VCSU so far would have to be traveling abroad the summer of 2024 and getting to visit London, Paris, Caen, Normandy, and Rouen. This trip was such a wonderful experience and I got to learn so much about WWII and all the history behind it and how it affected the whole world. I’m so grateful for Steven King and the History Club for putting on the trip and I would say if you have the chance to take a trip abroad, do it!
Where is your favorite spot to be on campus and why?
I love hanging out in the bookstore talking to my two friends Jenni Richman and Todd Rogelstad. I love going in there because we always give each other grief and it’s always a good time joking with them.
What are some professional experiences you’ve had at VCSU?
VCSU has opened the door for me in so many different professional aspects of my life! Throughout my time at VCSU I have done a lot of career focused events and activities that have shaped me into who I am today. Some things I have done are, winning NAM Miss North Dakota 2023, completing a 10 month internship with the communications department at Noridian Healthcare Solutions, worked three years with the VCSU Marketing team, attend the North Dakota Professional Communicators Conference as a key note speaker in 2025, obtain my office position for North Dakota Collegiate DECA, interning with the Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce and getting to plan events like our 2025 Community Days and Crazy Daze. I have also started competing in pageants for the Miss America Organization where I have been able to win scholarships and a top interview award!
Keep reading Sarah’s story at https://www.vcsu.edu/sarah-monilaws/
Viking Sports Update
FOOTBALL
It was a great way to celebrate Senior Day! Beat Dickinson State. That is exactly what the Vikings did on Saturday, handing the Blue Hawks their sixth straight loss. Vikings pick up win over Dickinson State. It that game, Junior Jake Deutsch had a career game which earned him Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the week. Deutsch earns Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Vikings are off this week before heading to Havre, Montana to play Montana State-Northern on November 7th.
VOLLEYBALL
The Viking volleyball team split its two matches at home last weekend. After a tough loss Friday, the Vikings bounced back with a sweep on Saturday on what was a big night for Senior JayCee Richter. Volleyball falls 3-2 to (RV) Carroll College. Richter takes the school record as the Vikings defeat Rocky Mountain. Richter along with Macy Fridgen earned conference POTW honors and Richter took it one step further. Fridgen, Richter earn Players of the Week Honors. Richter earns NAIA Defender of the Week. The Vikings travel to Dickinson State on Thursday and Bismarck State Friday for conference action.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
After a scrimmage with Northern State on the 23rd, the Viking women’s basketball team will open the regular season at home this weekend with games against Providence University College. Friday’s tipoff is at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday’s tipoff is at 1:00 p.m. The Vikings will be celebrating Halloween Friday night. Come Dressed in your favorite Halloween costume and enter your name to win one of two $25 gift certificates for the Viking Store. Kids stop by the Bubble lobby for trick or treat candy.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Viking men wrap up the preseason with a scrimmage against Bemidji State University on Wednesday, October 29th. Tipoff at the Bubble will be at 5:00 p.m. This scrimmage against former Hi-Liner Mike Boschee’s Beavers is open to the public.
Come meet your 2025-26 Valley City State University Men’s and Women’s basketball teams on Tuesday, November 4th at the cafeteria. Bring $5 worth of non-perishable food items or hygiene products and get a free lunch. Coach Montgomery and Coach Johnson will introduce their teams to you and talk about the upcoming season. That’s Tuesday, November 4th at the cafeteria and Viking Basketball Meet and Greet for all students, faculty, and staff.
All donations collected will go to the Barnes County Food Shelf in Valley City. Items needed are:
- Jelly
- Pancake mix
- Instant Potatoes
- Mac & Cheese
- Saltine Crackers
- Cereal
- Canned items: diced tomatoes, ravioli, peaches, pears, corn, peas, carrots
What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...
October 28 – November 28
VCSU Art Gallery Presents: Uncensonred: The Art of Politics, Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts Gallery
Gallery Hours: M-F 8 a.m – 5 p.m.
October 30
7 p.m. Valley City Community Band Concert, Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts Performance Hall
November 1
Viking Visit Day
Find out what’s happening at VCSU: https://www.vcsu.edu/news-events/
Find out what’s happening in the community: https://www.valleycitycalendar.com/