Mic'd Up Sports

Ivane Tensaie accomplished a lot at Concordia Academy, but one goal that eluded her was a chance to play Division One basketball, so she took the junior college route and spent a year at North Dakota State College of Science. Ivane's penchant for scoring and perimeter shooting attracted several Division One schools. After conducting several visits, Ivane announced her commitment to Penn State in A...

In sports, you may hear the saying that if you're good enough, someone will find you. That line rang true for Savannah McGowan, who recently announced her verbal commitment to play Division One women's basketball at Illinois State, even if her phone camera isn't fully on board with her decision. McGowan currently headlines the Robbinsdale Armstrong girls basketball team, averaging a double-double...

Before Mandy Hill officially became part of the first family of Minnesota basketball, she was a respectable basketball athlete at Richfield and Concordia University in St. Paul. Mandy was the first female basketball player at Richfield to score over 1,000 points, and she tallied a few more as a member of the Golden Bears. Following her playing days, Mandy transitioned to a career in education, but...

Phillis Webb was a three sport athlete at Osseo. Volleyball was her favorite sport. Basketball was the sport that fulfilled her goal of perfection. Track was her "suicide" sport, but the only thing she killed was records and gold medal finishes. Phillis parlayed those talents to Eastern Michigan, where she accumulated over 1,100 points and 700 rebounds. Phillis shares what her life in sports has d...

Mike Peden and LaToya Turk discuss the developing situation with Minnetonka girls basketball, where one of their players was accused of using racial slurs against other Minnetonka students. We also highlight responses from Nia Holloway of Eden Prairie, Edina and Hopkins. #mshsl #basketball #racismnotwelcome

Janay Morton's plans after college did not include coaching in the slightest, but an opportunity at Jamestown changed her line of thinking, and now she can't get enough of guiding the next generation of athletes. Janay had solid credentials of her own as a multi-sport athlete at Osseo before scoring over 1,000 points in college. Janay's college career began at Eastern Michigan, but she still had a...

Kachine Alexander left an indelible legacy as a player. In high school, she won a Class AAA state championship at Benilde-St. Margaret's. Committing to Iowa in college, she became the first woman in Big Ten history to earn two triple-doubles in the same season. Her 34 double-doubles and 910 rebounds ranked second in Iowa women's basketball history when she graduated, an impressive mark considering...

Few athletes hold the distinction of setting all-time records in both high school and college. Tyzashia Holt was one of them, rewriting the record books at Humboldt High School and St. Catherine University. The kicker? Holt didn't play a single minute of hoops until she turned 14. Holt's progression from novice to expert included career scoring records in high school and college, and she became th...

You don't have to be a star athlete to make a difference, and Jazinae Patterson is living proof. She had a solid prep career at Minneapolis Washburn, reaching two state tournaments and leading the team in scoring as a senior. Along the way, she won the Boys and Girls Club Minnesota Youth of the Year and a full-ride scholarship to the University of Northwestern (not to be confused with Northwestern...

Most sports stories are centered on star athletes who are on their way to big-name schools, but there is a lot more to sports than records, rankings or stats can tell you. Fametta Zubah was a three-sport athlete at Richfield High School and will start the next chapter of her education at the University of Minnesota. She had a few college offers, but elected to concentrate on her studies and other...

Next season, the Lamar University women's basketball team will add a powerful forward and skilled hairstylist in NJ Weems. Weems returns to our podcast to discuss her season at Moberly, going through the recruitment process a second time before choosing Lamar, and her burgeoning skills at styling hair that has clients calling her up.

If you're wondering about the title, Katelyn Diegnau doesn't play basketball for three different teams. The group of Minnesota cities near the southern border represent a co-op, a common sight in order to compete in the state's smallest class. Diegnau lives in a town of 70, and just about all of them cheered her on when she verbally committed to Augustana University in South Dakota. In this conver...

Katie Loberg holds a rare distinction among college athletes, competing in both women's basketball and track and field at the University of Minnesota. Originally from Princeton, Loberg's commitment to Minnesota fulfilled a promise she made to her grandfather, one of her most inspiring figures. Loberg's playing days are done, but her involvement in sports continues as a sport manager for the Amateu...

Grace Landvik and Ivane Tensaie have experienced a lot together as athletes at Concordia Academy. Their talents as basketball players is without question, but how will they handle a series of questions that puts their friendship to the test?

Crystal Flint is not just the head coach of Cretin-Derham Hall girls basketball. She is also the organizer of the Triple Threat Girls Basketball Showcase, an exhibition to salute the senior class and a preview of what's to come with youth games featuring 6th, 7th, and 8th grade teams. She joins Mike Peden to discuss how the event was founded in 2018 and the excitement surrounding its return. If yo...

Between them, Jade Hill and Adalia McKenzie scored over 5,000 career points. Jade is a 2-time Minneapolis City Conference Player of the Year, Adalia holds the Park Center school record for most career points, and the two finished 3rd and 4th in the state in scoring this season, respectively. Before Jade and Adalia begin the next chapter of their careers at St. Thomas and Illinois, they put their f...

Basketball has given Meghan Mandel a sense of purpose. She played a key role in transforming the girls basketball program at Orono High School, and her success led to a Division I scholarship at Marquette. Although she reached the NCAA tournament in her first year of college ball, it wasn't enough to shield Meghan from physical and mental health struggles. She thought about leaving the sport, but...

Wherever she goes, Gabi Haack is a woman of firsts. In 2017, She was the centerpiece of the first Elk River girls basketball team to win a state championship. Gabi was also the first Elk River athlete to win Miss Basketball.  4 years later, she led the Bradley Braves to their first appearance in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Along the way, Gabi set the Bradley record for most career...

Inspired by the GQ Couples Quiz series, we put the friendship of Holy Angels athletes Kassie Caron and Rachel Kawiecki to the test by having them quiz each other! What began as an inquisitive spin-off turns into a non-stop roast of Kassie for not watching WandaVision :-)

Kiara Buford is one of only two women in the entire state of Minnesota to win a girls basketball state championship as a player and coach. She won two titles in Class AAAA when she was a student at St. Paul Central, and she would guide Robbinsdale Cooper to the Class AAA state championship in 2018. In between those accomplishments, Kiara was a finalist for Miss Basketball Minnesota in 2008 and sco...

Brianna Edwards, Crystal Flint and Tisa Mitchell of Cretin-Derham Hall Girls Basketball make plenty of coaching calls in games. In this episode, they draw up a few plays to advance the conversation of racial justice, police brutality, and other issues of equality under close examination since George Floyd's death. Our three guests also share ties with Minneapolis North, opening a portal to some ba...

The adults take their turn on our podcast to discuss the impact citizens and companies are having on the racial justice movement, and the work that remains to address the obstacles caused by systemic racism.   THE PANEL  Tia Elbert - Founder, Rate My College Coaches (Indiana)  Suzanne Gilreath - Host, Beneath it All Podcast (Wisconsin)  Cayla McMorris - Professional basketball...

Our Mic'd Up Sports panel discussion series continues with a trip to campus...virtually, that is. Four college students converge for a thought-provoking conversation on the impact George Floyd's death continues to make worldwide.   THE PANEL  Nevaeh Galloway - Iowa Central Community College (Minnehaha Academy)  Avery New - Normandale Community College (Minnehaha Academy)  Zarin...

In basketball, we often celebrate the athletes who win titles, break records, and make history, but you don't have to score 20-30 points per game to make a difference. Rai'Janee Meadows was putting up those numbers when she played for Humboldt through 8th grade. That changed when she got to Roseville, but she wouldn't change one thing about her journey. A first-generation basketball athlete in her...

You know the saying "Listen to Your Elders," but when it comes to race relations, our youth have plenty of wisdom to offer. We invited five women's basketball players from five different teams to come together and share their hopes, frustrations, and anything else pertaining to the spotlight on racial injustice over the last several weeks.   ON THE PANEL  Demaiyah Hill - Maranatha Christ...