A total of 18 student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to attend and play football for the University of Minnesota-Duluth next fall.
\"We're very pleased with the quality of this group and think we have recruited some outstanding athletes,\" said fourth-year UMD head coach Bob Nielson. \"We feel this class addresses our needs at several positions and should really help us out in the area of overall team speed.\"
The 2003 Bulldog recruiting class, which includes eight individuals from Minnesota, nine from Wisconsin and one from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is as follows:
Player Pos Hgt Wgt Hometown (High School)
Cody Ahmann LB/DE 6-3 210 Bloomington, MN (Kennedy)
Bradley Aho RB 5-11 185 Ironwood, MI (Ironwood)
Nate Fears, LB, 6-1, 210, Richfield, MN (Richfield)
Nick Gigante LB 6-1 215 Marinette, WI (Peshtigo)
Dan Hall DB 5-10 190 Cato, WI (Valders)
Aaron Kelly RB 5-11 190 Green Bay, WI (Ashwaubenon)
JustinLeszczycski OL 6-4 265 Milwaukee, WI (Greenfield)
Paul Macken DL 6-2 250 Rochester, MN (Lourdes)
Derek Marks WR/QB 6-7 210 Lakeville, MN (Lakeville)
Colly Norman DB 6-1 175 Grand Marais, MN (Cook County)
Kyle Opahle QB 6-2 190 Kenosha, WI (Bradford)
Michael Rabas TE 6-3 205 DePere, WI (DePere)
Jon Rufledt LB 6-1 210 Bloomer, WI (Bloomer)
Joe Russell RB 5-9 185 Rochester, MN (John Marshall)
Mark Simonson DB 6-0 200 South Range, WI (Northwestern)
Steve Stolz WR 6-1 180 Greendale, WI (Greendale)
Eli Tintor QB 6-2 195 Hibbing, MN (Hibbing)
Clint Wolcyn OL 6-5 245 Cambridge, MN (Cambri)
Cody Ahmann - LB • 6-3 • 210 • Bloomington, MN (Kennedy HS) -- Two-time Lake All-Conference selection ... served as Kennedy’s team captain in 2002 and was bestowed with the Eagles’ Most Valuable Defensive Player award.
Brad Aho - DB • 5-11 • 185 • Ironwood, MI (Ironwood HS) - All-West Pac Conference pick in 2001 and 2002 ... topped the 2002 Red Devils in rushing and scoring ... captained Ironwood to an 8-3 overall record last fall ... started his final two prep seasons.
Nate Fears - LB • 6-1 • 200 • Richfield, MN (Richfield HS) - Captained the Spartans to the section championship and the quarterfinal round of the Minnesota State High School playoffs in his third year of starting activity last fall ... was a 2002 All-Classic Suburban Conference pick ... paced the Spartans in rushing and tackles as a senior ... his father (Nate Sr) played collegiately as a fullback at the University of Arizona.
Nick Gigante - LB • 6-0 • 215 • Marinette, WI (Peshtigo HS) - Two-time All-Conference pick at linebacker and running back ... ranked first among the 2002 Bulldogs in both in total tackles and in rushing ... was Peshtigo’s team captain during his junior and senior seasons ... four-year varsity starter.
Dan Hall - DB • 5-10 • 190 • Cato, WI (Valders HS) - All-State defensive back in 2002 and the Olympia Conference’s Player of the Year ... led the state of Wisconsin in scoring last fall .. selected to play in this summer’s Wisconsin All-Star Shrine Game ... captained the 2002 Vikings and earned the team’s Most Valuable Player Award ... four-year starter.
Aaron Kelly - RB • 5-11 • 190 • Green Bay, WI (Ashwaubenon HS) -- Was limited to six games of playing time as a senior due to injury ... All-Bay Conference selection as a junior ... was a member of the state champion Jaguars in 2000 and 2001 ... three-year starter.
Justin Leszczycski - OL • 6-4 • 265 • Milwaukee, WI (Greenfield HS) - All-Woodland Conference and All-Area honoree last fall ... three-time letterwinner and two-year starter .... received the Hawks’ Lineman of the Year award in 2002.
Paul Macken - DL • 6-2 • 250 • Rochester, MN (Lourdes HS) - Hiawatha Valley Conference Lineman of the Year in 2001 and 2002 ... four-year starter with the Eagles.
Derek Marks - WR • 6-7 • 210 • Lakeville, MN (Lakeville HS) - Chosen to the All-Lake Conference team after leading that circuit in touchdown passes last fall ... started a pair of seasons for Lakeville High School, splitting time between quarterback and wide receiver ... younger brother of Cody Marks, a sophomore-to-be quarterback with the Bulldogs.
Colly Norman - DB • 6-1 • 175 • Grand Marais, MN (Cook County HS) - The Duluth News Tribune’s Player of the Year for 2002 ... was a member of the Associated Press All-State second that season as well ... capped off a three-year playing career last fall by also securing All-Polar League acclaim ... captained Cook County to the 2002 Polar League title and section championship as a senior ... started at both safety and quarterback for three varsity seasons.
Kyle Opahle - QB • 6-2 • 190 • Kenosha, WI (Bradford HS) -- All State (honorable mention), quarterback in 2002 ... completed 189 of 305 passes (62.0 percent) for 2,727 yards and 23 touchdowns his senior year en route to attaining South East Conference All-South Division recognition and the team’s Most Valuable Player award ... captained the Red Devils last fall ... was a two-year starter.
Mike Rabas - TE • 6-3 • 205 • DePere, WI (DePere HS) - Was named to both the 2002 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and wisconsinprep.com All-State teams and was an Associated Press All-State second team pick .... a three-year starter (tight end and linebacker) for the Redbirds ... landed All-Bay Conference first team honors as a senior ... will participate in this summer’s Wisconsin All-Star Shrine Game.
Jon Rufledt - LB • 6-1 • 213 • Bloomer, WI (Bloomer HS) - Four-time selection to the All-Heart O’North team ... Wisconsin Football Coaches Association first team pick in 2002 ... captained the Blackhawks as a senior, junior and sophomore ... led Bloomer in tackles the last two seasons and in rushing (running back) in 2002 ... follows in his older brother Dave’s (the Bulldogs’ top rusher last year as a sophomore) footsteps to UMD.
Joe Russell - RB • 5-9 • 185 • Rochester, MN (John Marshall HS) - An All-Big Nine pick as both a junior and a senior ... topped the Big Nine Conference in scoring both of those two seasons ... ranked first among the Rockets in rushing in 2001 and 2002 ... was a three-year starter in the Rockets’ offensive backfield ... team captain in 2002.
Mark Simonson - DB • 6-0 • 200 • South Range, WI (Northwestern HS) - A Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State pick for the second year in a row last fall .... was credited with more interceptions (nine) than any other high school player in Wisconsin in 2002 ... twice landed All-Heart O’ North Conference honors ... The Superior Daily Telegram’s 2002 Player of the Year and a member of the Duluth News-Tribune’s All-Area team ... two-year starter for the Tigers.
Steve Stolz - WR • 6-1 • 180 • Greendale, WI (Greendale HS) - Was shelved for all but three games last season because of injuries ... was an All-Parkland Conference wide receiver as a junior and an Associated Press All-State honorable mention pick ... started two season for the Spartans.
Eli Tintor - QB • 6-2 • 195 • Hibbing, MN (Hibbing HS) - Two-time All-North Country Conference and Duluth News-Tribune All-Area team selection ... started for four years at both quarterback and free safety for the Bluejackets ... Associated Press All-State pick as a senior ... also is a standout on the Bluejacket baseball team (catcher).
Clint Wolcyn - DL • 6-5 • 245 • Cambridge, MN (Cambridge-Isanti HS) - North Suburban All-Conference honoree this past fall ... started all 19 games at both offensive tackle and defensive end during his junior and senior seasons for the Blue Jackets ... racked up 110 career tackles ... his father, Tom, was member of the Minnesota varsity baseball team for four years.
All signings are contingent upon admission to UMD and compliance with NCAA rules, including certification by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
UMD finished 2002 with an 11-1 overall record (which was Bulldog all-time high for wins) and a 9-0 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference mark (for its first league championship since 1996) and was ranked 11th in the final American Football Coaches Association Division II poll. The Bulldogs, who posted a perfect 11-0 regular season record for the first time in their 70-year history, fell to host Northwest Missouri State University 45-41 in their first-ever NCAA II playoff appearance on Nov. 23
