MINOT, N.D. -- The Ultimate Fan Experience, a tour across the state featuring University of North Dakota student-athletes, coaches and staff, made its final stop today in Minot. The Experience, which is sponsored by Midcontinent Communications, spent three days across U.S. Highway 2 meeting fans, students and alumni.
With no early morning driving on the schedule, the Minot stop gave the student-athletes a chance to catch a few more ZZZs and get ready for a full afternoon at Jim Hill Middle School. It also allowed some time to eat lunch at the Minot Buffalo Wild Wings, where the student-althletes ran into UND hockey legend Reggie Morelli. He spoke with the group and offered some words of wisdom.
At Jim Hill, the student-athletes were split into various sixth-grade rooms, answering questions as the kids rotated every 15 minutes. Ready with questions only middle schoolers might think of, things ranged from the more traditional (what it's like to be a UND student-athlete) to the strange (see: next paragraph).
Women's basketball player Mallory Youngblut was asked who was the hottest teen celebrity. Football player Ryan Kasowski was asked his opinions on the Twilight movies. Men's basketball player Derek Benter was asked if he liked Miley Cyrus. (It turns out that question should have been directed to football player Jake Landry, who revealed he was a fan during an interview at 97 Kicks FM later in the afternoon.)
With some at the radio interview, others checked out the Scandinavian Hertiage Park. The group reunited for dinner at the 7 p.m. Experience event at the Minot Auditorium.
Fans asked questions and got a chance to get autographs and meet the UND athletes. One giggly fan seemed especially pleased to have her photo taken with men's hockey goaltender Brad Eidsness and her homemade sign. The loudest cheer came from another young fan, who gave an overjoyed yelp after winning the autographed men's hockey jersey.
It was one cheer of many over the three days of events, as Fighting Sioux fans got a chance to meet their favorite players and UND got a way to thank its many fans across the state. By the end of it all, the only ones not happy were the bugs, who didn't have a chance against the three UND vans' windshields driving across North Dakota.
