On Top of the World

Winona players and Warrior fans celebrate basketball national title

During the last couple of minutes of the NCAA Division II basketball championship game, big smiles, raised arms and a few hugs crept across the Winona State bench. The players on the floor contained themselves, but just barely. With a double-digit lead, they knew their goal of a national title was in the bag, but wanted to be assured by the sound of the final buzzer.

Up in the stands, purple-clad students, parents and WSU faculty and staff who had made the trip out to Springfield, Massachusetts, weren't waiting for the horn. They were rocking, exchanging high fives and chanting “We're number one” to the rest of the Mass Mutual Center crowd.

And back in Winona, you could hear triumphant yells as the clock ticked down (or at least I could in my neighborhood), thanks to national coverage on CBS television. And if you live anywhere near a WSU alum, you might have heard “Go Warriors” a few times as head coach Mike Leaf's team closed out Virginia Union 73-61 for Winona State's first NCAA Division II national title.

Perhaps all the celebrating was out of shear relief. The win over the Panthers was relatively easy, but the road to the championship was filled with cardiac moments. In the Elite 8 the Warriors had to come back twice from big deficits in quarterfinal and semifinal wins over Barton and Stonehill. In the opener against Barton, center John Smith's layup rolled in and out to send the game to overtime, where the Warriors dominated for an 86-76 win. Against Stonehill, WSU put a big second half together after trailing by as many as 15 in the first.

It took the same thing to get to Springfield in the first place. In the North Central Region tournament, played in McCown Gymnasium, the Warriors had to rally from way back to knock off South Dakota and Northern State. But the most impressive comeback was against archrival MSU-Mankato. Behind 64-48 with about eight minutes to go, the Warriors, led by David Zellmannn's 26 points, outscored the Mavericks 25-7 down the stretch for a 74-71 win. The pattern for the championship run was set.

When national television probably would have preferred a close game, WSU eliminated all the suspense by jumping on Virginia Union from the opening tip. David Zellmannn stroked a 3-pointer in the first minute, and the Warriors never looked back after building an 18-point first half lead. Maybe the Warriors figured their fans had witnessed enough near misses for one season.

It's always fun to back a winner, but the Warriors completed a season to remember in the most memorable way possible. They went 32-4 overall, and wrapped up the year with 22 straight wins. Zellmannn became the Winona State's all-time leading scorer, John Smith proved himself one of the best big men in the country and Jonte Flowers was every opponent's least favorite defender. Along the way, the Warriors produced enough stories for a month of programming on ESPN Classic, brought the WSU community together and put Winona on the map.

Just look at the number of fans who made the 20-hour bus trip out to Springfield, watched the game, and then re-boarded for another 20 hours home. CBS announcers commented over and over on the large Winona contingent at the game, as the cameras focused on purple-painted, wig-wearing Warrior fanatics in the stands. The two day odyssey was exhausting and exhilarating, and produced an experience that those who made the trip will never forget.

Think back on Zach Malvik. Almost everyone knows the story of the Warriors' junior point guard, who broke his leg the day in practice right before the North Central Region tournament opened up. Thought to be out for the rest of the year, he found a way to get back on the court for six minutes of the regional title game against Northern State. It was a huge emotional lift, and helped WSU to its fourth win of the season over the Wolves and put them into the Elite 8 for the first time.

If you were on campus during Elite 8 week, you could feel the buzz. Everyone, from students to staff to faculty, talked about the Warriors chances, the players they knew or had in class, or where they planned to watch the next game. The Riverport Inn had big crowds for the games first two games, which were not shown on network television. There was a noticeable outbreak of “Purple Friday” T-shirts, jackets and caps almost every day of the week.

At least 200 fans watched the semifinal game on Thursday night in Kryzsko Commons. Steve Fix ('74), who was on duty in Kryzsko Commons during the semifinal game against Stonehill, observed, “I don't think there was a lot of studying going on that night.” Those who weren't a Kryzsko were enjoying the game at the Riverport and other downtown Winona bars.

Or consider the impact of the national championship on the University. It will certainly help recruiting for head coach Mike Leaf. But momentum should spread to WSU's other sports, too. Although the Warriors already have one of the best overall athletic programs in Division II, other teams on campus will want to duplicate the basketball team's success.

It will also influence recruiting for the men's and women's programs. “The exposure was unbelievable. This shows that we're a quality institution with quality athletic programs,” said Larry Holstad, Winona State Director of Athletics. And Director of Athletic Development Dan Schumacher has already seen a rise in the number of alumni inquiries and donations to the Warrior Club, which supports student-athlete scholarships.

Winona enjoyed its day in the spotlight, too. The Winona Daily News covered the game extensively, culminating with a 12-page special section on the Friday following the Warriors' win. The word “Winona” caught your eye in the New York Times and USA Today sports sections. During the CBS broadcast you could hear announcers Craig Bolerjack and Dan Bonner hesitating for a split second to pronounce it “WE-no-nah,” and not “WY-no-nah.”

The run to the national title captured the campus and the entire Winona State community. The outpouring of pride was in evidence even a couple of weeks after the win over Virginia Union. Fans and well-wishers lined the streets around campus for a parade on a perfect early spring Saturday morning, and then packed McCown Gym for a recognition celebration. For almost two hours, music blared, video highlights rolled, fans lined up to purchase commemorative T-shirts, dignitaries gave speeches, and coaches and players reflected the season. It was a fitting salute to the Warriors, but probably not the end to the joy and pride felt by the Winona State community about this barely believable season.

The Warriors are sitting on top of the world, and we can all sit there with them for a little while.

ZELLMANN
Adds Scoring Record to List of Honors

All-NSIC, All-North Central Region, All-Elite 8 Tournament Team, All-American … and now all-time leading scorer at Winona State. David Zellmann, a leader on perhaps the greatest team in WSU basketball history, will also go in the record books as the Warriors top scorer. The senior finished his career with 2,059 points, surpassing Gus Johnson's ('76) 1,698 points.

While Zellmann is pleased to be the Warriors' all-time leading scorer, he's it led to a national title. “I'm a scorer, but I focus more on the things it takes to win games. Our goal all year was to make the Elite 8 and get a shot at a championship, so it feels good.”

“I'm happy for him,” said Johnson when he learned that Zellmannn had broken his scoring record. “I never thought it would last for 31 years, but, hey, they say records are made to be broken.”

Johnson ranks as one of the best to ever wear a WSU uniform. Now an investigator for the Chicago Police Department, he was a dominating inside presence. In addition to his 1,698 points, Johnson pulled down 1,603 rebounds and blocked 606 shots in his four year career. The center never missed a game for the Warriors, and he once grabbed an incredible 32 rebounds in a single game.

20 Hours
to a National Title

Spending more than 20 hours on a bus from Winona to Springfield to watch a 2-hour game takes dedication. Knowing that you've got to get right back on the bus afterwards for another 20 hours back takes something beyond dedication.

At least they were rewarded with a Warriors championship. About 40 students, plus a couple of WSU staff members made the 2-day journey out to Springfield. The plan hatched late after Winona State's semifinal win over Stonehill. Michael Majerowicz, a sophomore on the football team, started calling friends on his mobile phone. His sister, Jamie Majerowicz, who is a forward on the women's basketball team, decided to join him.

“We went and talked to Larry Holstad (WSU's Director of Athletics), and he said if we could get 40 people, he would find a way to get the bus,” said Jamie.

The Majerowicz family got their 40 people, and Jani Baures, Facilities Coordinator in the athletics department, organized the bus. Merchants Bank subsidized part of the costs of the trip.

Mark Zellmannn, David's older brother, decided to make the trip at the last minute, as did Debbie Sing, Records Manager in University Advancement. She heard there was a seat at 11.30 a.m., made the round trip to her Fountain City home to pack, then returned to board at noon.

“We traveled with the men's team to games all season,” said Jamie Majerowicz. “They're a great group of guys and we had lots of fun on our trips. This was the least we could do.”

Players Return with Hardware

The Winona State fans made an impression in Springfield, but the guys on the court achieved some notice, too.

At 6-8, John Smith (Johnsburg, Ill.) is big, and he had a big impact on the Warriors' run to the title. The center scored 55 points, had 41 rebounds and blocked 16 shots in his three Elite 8 games. Smith was named the most valuable player of the Elite 8 tournament.

“There's no doubt the kid can flat out play,” said Dave Robbins, whose Virginia Union team faced Smith in the national championship game.

David Zellmannn (Lewiston, Minn.) also made the Elite 8 all-tournament team. WSU's all-time leading scorer had an outstanding season, averaging 19.3 points a game and winning All-American mention from the Division II Bulletin, Daktronics and Basketball Times.

For anybody who watched the game, they noticed Jonte Flowers (Cottage Grove, Wis.) all over the court, both offensively and defensively. The sophomore guard was named the CBS Player of the Game for his 15-point, five assists, three steals and one blocked shot performance.

The Warriors should turn heads again next year. Zellmann is the only senior listed on the roster, and Smith and Flowers return with first team All-NSIC guard Zach Malvik (Holmen, Wis.) and conference Newcomer of the Year Quincy Henderson (Madison, Wis.). And the coach ought to be pretty good, too. Mike Leaf won the Molten / Division II Coach of the Year, as well as NABC North Central Regional and NSIC Coach of the Year honors.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 9:52 by Brooke Sherer