A rookie NFL season that saw him start every game at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles has earned Carson Wentz the Dakota Award from the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
The Dakota Award is given to a North Dakota native who excels in sports outside of the state.
Wentz was named the starting quarterback for the Eagles just days before the season opener and started all 16 games. He led the Eagles to a 4-2 start and eventually ended with a 7-9 record.
Wentz, the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, threw for 3,782 yards and 16 touchdowns in his rookie season. He had a completion percentage of 62.4% and a quarterback rating of 79.3
Wentz was a standout athlete at Bismarck Century High School before going to North Dakota State. He was a member of the Bison program during their run of five straight FCS national titles and led them as the starting quarterback in the final two years in 2014 and 2015.
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Other finalists for the award were Jamestown native Darin Erstad, the head baseball coach at the University of Nebraska, where he won the Big Ten Coach of the Year award and Minot native Donny Schatz, who won the World of Outlaws racing title in 2016.
Metz non-school athlete of the year
A USA wrestling championship has earned a former West Fargo High School standout the non-school athlete of the year award from the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
Brandon Metz won the Greco-Roman title at the USA Wrestling Tournament last summer in Fargo. He won the championship match with a pin in 28 seconds. Metz received awards for most pins in the least amount of time in the tournament, pinning four opponents in a total of 2 minutes, 22 seconds. All four pins came in less than a minute. He also won 10-0 and 12-0 technical falls in both the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Other finalists for the award included Mandan rodeo standout Ty Breuer and Stanley, N.D., native Riley Dolezal, who made the finals at the USA Track and Field Olympic trials in the javelin.
Minot State men's hockey honored
A program record 35 wins and a trip to the American College Hockey Association national semifinals has earned the Minot State University men's hockey team the non-school team of the year award from the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscaster and Sportswriters Association.
The Beavers finished with a 35-4-2 and were a perfect 18-0 at home, marking the second straight year they finished unbeaten at home.
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Minot State started the season as the fifth-ranked team in the nation and never fell out of the top five and held the No. 1 ranking in the nation for 11 straight weeks and were awarded the top seed to the national tournament. Minot State lost in the semifinals to eventual national champion Central Oklahoma.
In addition, Beavers head coach Wade Regier was named the ACHA National Coach of the Year for the second time.
Other finalists for the award were the University of Jamestown men's hockey team and the Carrington American Legion baseball team.
