Preston Emerson, a homeschooled senior from Pembina, has signed a basketball scholarship with Midland University, continuing his athletic and academic career at the collegiate level. Emerson, a guard, developed his game through a nontraditional path, spending much of his high school career competing on Canadian prep teams.

A busy weekend ahead, although without many sporting activities There is lots going on for the weekend upon us, but unfortunately not many spring sports are involved. There is one, which will talk up in a moment.

The Langdon-Munich girls softball saw their first action of the season on March 28 at a scrimmage in Belcourt. They played indoors at the new Turtle Mountain Sports Complex. The Cardinals girls played Bottineau and the Northern Lights team from Rolla, Rolette and St. John. We are told this was just a scrimmage, and scores were not kept. It was just a way to get teams some early softball action, as they all played their first games of the season. The Cardinals were scheduled to open their Region 2 schedule at Larimore on April 2 and have their first home game of the year versus Carrington on April 7. Both of those games were very much in doubt due to the weather.

Ethen Askvig, principal and athletic director at Langdon Area High School, has been recognized with multiple state honors for his leadership and service to education-based athletics. Askvig was recently named the Division B State Athletic Administrator of the Year, the top honor for Class B athletic administrators in North Dakota.

The Langdon Area Cardinals boys and girls track and field teams each turned in strong performances at the Pembina County Indoor meet on March 28, with both squads placing third against an eight-team field.

The Langdon Area Cardinal track team competed at the Dick Clay Invite on March 27 at the Fritz Pollard Athletic Center in Grand Forks, joining a field of 38 teams and approximately 1,440 athletes. The meet served as an early-season test, with the Cardinals turning in several top finishes.

Waiting endlessly for the weather to turn around The first full week of April is when things were supposed to get going for some spring sports activities. Mother Nature is not cooperating once again this year. As of this writing, we are expecting some more snowfall and had some earlier this week. It’s always a waiting game to see when things can get going outside and, of course, getting in the field for spring’s work. There have been a few things going on. Runners for track have been outdoors, and the Langdon-Munich high school baseball team got to work shoveling off American Legion Field, enough to sort of practice in the outfield. It looks like it’ll be a while before we see anything going on outdoors, so look forward to a number of postponements in the weeks ahead, unfortunately. We are told there will be an indoor track meet in Belcourt coming up sometime next week, which I guess is something.

GRAND FORKS — The Pembina County North track and field teams turned in a strong showing at the Pembina County Indoor meet March 27 at the Fritz Pollard Athletic Center, recording multiple top finishes and personal bests. The Grizzlies placed fourth overall in the boys and the girls divisions.

Gevo, the company that purchased the former Red Trail Energy ethanol plant in Richardton, North Dakota, announced this week it will double production capacity at the site. Gevo will add a second ethanol production facility capable of producing up to 75 million gallons per year of low-carbon ethanol.

The North Dakota Folkstyle State Championships were held in Bismarck March 27 and 28. The PCN Grizzlies placed 29th out of 64 teams.