Podcasts about south dakota state

-Nebraska took care of South Dakota State, 4-1, on Friday; sending them to the Winner's Bracket, where they played Ole Miss onSaturday—who got there by outlasting Arizona State, 7-6, on Friday night (ending at 1:15am)-Saturday's game started promising for Nebraska in front of a massive, juiced-up crowd—Ty Horn was masterful with 9 strikeouts butgot in trouble in the 6 th inning, ending with 120 pitches and 3 runs allowed. Nebraska lost that game, 6-3…before falling behindyesterday by 10 runs at battling back to an 11-8 loss to Arizona State…Jake was on the scene all 3 gamesOur Sponsors:* Check out Hims and use my code hims.com/EARLYBREAK for a great deal: https://www.hims.com* Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On a special episode of the Husker baseball minute, Evan Bland and Gary Sharp react to Nebraska's win over South Dakota State, Ole Miss' late night affair with Arizona State, the wild day of regional upsets and preview tonight's showdown at Haymarket Park.

Today's the Day! We preview Nebraska vs South Dakota State and determine if Bolt makes a wise decision to start his ace now rather than later against tougher opponents.

-There were questions about who Nebraska would send out to the mound as the 1-seed in the regional---but they'll throw their ace,Carson Jasa, for today's 3pm game vs. South Dakota State to start the Lincoln regional-It's difficult to scratch your way out of the loser's bracket so the decision makes sense in terms of (hopefully) giving yourself the bestchance to stay on the winner's side…but also creates questions about how you can shut down Ole Miss or Arizona State with the rest ofthe staff which has been good to average most of the time…Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Connor and Mike determine what the Huskers will do with their bullpen and who they believe should be pitching in the South Dakota State game.

-Nebraska is hosting a regional for the first time since 2008, at a place they are 23-1 this year…how incredible has this run been for theteam?-Was there a point before the season or during the season where you thought hosting a regional was for sure in play?-The Lincoln regional is seen as one of the toughest of all with Ole Miss, Arizona State and South Dakota State joining theHuskers…what's the mindset of the team right now as we are 2 days away from it all starting?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Southeastern 16 crew previews the Lincoln Regional of the 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament with host Nebraska as well asOle Miss, Arizona State and South Dakota State. Southeastern 16 Merch: https://se16.printify.me/ HOMEFIELD https://www.homefieldapparel.com/ ROKFORM Use promo code SEC25 for 25% off! The world's strongest magnetic phone case! https://www.rokform.com/ JOIN OUR MEMBERSHIP Join the "It Just Means More" tier for bonus videos and live streams! Join Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv1w_TRbiB0yHCEb7r2IrBg/join FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: https://twitter.com/16Southeastern ADVERTISE WITH SOUTHEASTERN 16 Reach out to se16.caroline@gmail.com to find out how your product or service can be seen by over 200,000 unique viewers each month! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

-It was an unfortunate semifinal game for Nebraska on Saturday, falling 8-0 to Oregon, but it didn't prevent the team from hosting aregional—landing the 13 th overall seed-The Huskers will play South Dakota State on Friday at 3pm; the other teams in the regional are Arizona State and Ole Miss, so getting to asuper regional will be quite the achievement…can a massive home crowd help the Huskers move on?Our Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On a special episode of the Husker baseball minute, Evan and Gary react to Nebraska's No. 13 overall seed, a loaded Lincoln Regional with Ole Miss, Arizona State and upset-minded South Dakota State, the tricky decision Will Bolt has to navigate with his starting pitcher on Friday, and which 8 teams might most likely make the CWS. 

Coach Jackson joins Happer and Schaefer to discuss his upbringing of becoming the Jackrabbits head coach, to address roster building with the transfer portal, and to look ahead to his second season at the helm.

What happens when your identity gets stripped away and you have to rebuild from scratch? I sit down with Jenna Rene Soto, a professional barrel racer, military intelligence analyst, author, and real estate investor who has lived through that exact challenge. You will hear how she moved from ranch life to the military, faced failure and financial collapse, and rebuilt her life with a stronger sense of purpose and self-worth. Jenna shares powerful lessons on identity, resilience, mentorship, and why chasing meaning matters more than chasing titles. I believe you will find this conversation both grounding and inspiring as you rethink what truly defines you and how to move forward when life forces a reset. Highlights: 00:39 – Discover how growing up on a ranch built discipline, work ethic, and a deep connection to horses 15:41 – Learn how making decisions without full information builds confidence under pressure 22:16 – Understand why focusing only on what you can control reduces fear and overwhelm 43:52 – Hear how hitting rock bottom can become the starting point for rebuilding your life 53:41 – Discover why your identity must go beyond your job or title to create real confidence 1:00:52 – Learn how changing your environment and taking small steps can help you break out of feeling stuck Bottom of Form About the Guest: Jenna René Soto is a real estate investor, author of Not Enough, professional barrel racer, and Mrs. Oklahoma City 2026. After serving nine years in the United States Air Force in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance roles, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, she transitioned into entrepreneurship and built a business focused on real estate investment and redevelopment. Her journey has not been linear. Following her military service, Jenna experienced financial hardship that forced a complete reset. Through real estate, discipline, and personal development, she rebuilt her life and business from the ground up. That experience became the foundation of her work today—helping others understand the connection between identity, decision-making, and long-term success. In addition to her business pursuits, Jenna has remained deeply connected to the rodeo industry as a competitive barrel racer. The lessons from that world—consistency, resilience, and performance under pressure—continue to shape her approach to both business and life. She is also a strong advocate for coaching and lifelong learning, crediting mentorship as a key factor in accelerating her growth. As Mrs. Oklahoma City 2026, Jenna uses her platform to speak to students, professionals, and community groups about identity, resilience, and rebuilding after adversity. She believes service is not limited by age or circumstance and is committed to helping others recognize their value and take ownership of their future. Ways to connect with Jenna: Website: https://jennarenesoto.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennarenesotoYouTube: https://youtube.com/@jennarenesotoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennarenesotoEmail: jennarenesoto@gmail.com About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:04 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe Welcome to unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. I'm your host. Michael hingson, speaker, author and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head on and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear, together, we focus on mindset resilience and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Well, hello, everyone, wherever you happen to be today? Or if I were playing Walter Winchell, I'd say Good evening, Mr. And Mrs. America and all the ships at sea flash. Anybody know who Walter Winchell was? If you don't know he was a reporter, did a lot of coverage in the world of radio and some on television. If you ever watched the old TV show, The Untouchables, with Eliot Ness, Walter Winchell was the narrator for that. He was a a pretty big reporter back in the day, as they say. But anyway, that's a different story, and we're not here to talk about Walter much today, but I want to thank you all for being here. Our guest today is Jenna Rene Soto. And Jenna has, well, she doesn't have a very exciting life. She's only been a barrel racer, Mr. Or Mrs. Northam, Mrs. Oklahoma City. She's been in the military. She's written a book. So you know, not much anyway. We're we're really glad that Jenna consented to be with us here on unstoppable mindset, and I think we'll have fun for the next hour or so. So, Jenna, welcome to unstoppable mindset. Thanks for joining us. Jenna Rene Soto  02:09 Thank you so much for having me. It's such an honor to be on your show, and I'm really excited to chat with you today. Michael Hingson  02:17 Well, and anything you want to talk about, we can talk about scandal is always a good thing, I'm sure. But anyway, that's another story too. Well, I'm glad you're here. Why don't you tell us a little bit about maybe the early Jenna growing up and some of that stuff. Speaker 1  02:33 Okay, so I grew up in western South Dakota on a rant that my great granddad homesteaded great great granddad actually in 1909 so my family grew up raising cattle and sheep, and then we ended up getting into the buffalo industry. But my love of horses really began at an early age, because we had horses to work on the ranch in South Dakota, it snows all the time, and the snow gets so deep, a lot of the areas where the cows would go to hide out from the weather you couldn't even access with a vehicle. So we had horses mainly to work, and my whole family ended up rodeoing, and I really just fell in love with it at an early age, and continued it all the way through college and competed on the equestrian team, and then I joined the military, and kind of got out of the military to pursue rodeo again, and ended up as a professional barrel racer. But horses have been a really big influence on my life and a huge passion of mine since I was just barely old enough to sit up, I'd been on the back of a horse. Michael Hingson  03:46 Well, what is barrel racing? I'm not familiar with it. I'm not sure if I've heard of it or not, but I'm not familiar with it. So what is barrel racing? Speaker 1  03:55 Well, barrel racing is the only women's event in the sport of rodeo, and you can think of it basically like a drag race, except instead of with cars, you've got horses. There are three barrels, and you can go around them from the left or the right first, but you make a clove release pattern, and the fastest time wins. The only penalty you might have is if you tip over a barrel. Yeah, five seconds. But if you are tipping over a barrel, the competition is so so close these days that we're down to the 100th of a second, so five second penalty, you're totally out. Michael Hingson  04:31 Yeah, so that's the only women's sport. So women typically don't participate in in other sports, or that's just the only exclusive women's sport. Speaker 1  04:43 That's the only professional level women's sport in rodeo. There are other organizations where women can actually ride bulls and ride broncs and rope, but in the main rodeo organization, it's only the barrel racing for the women. And it is exclusive to women as well, so you won't see any male competitors, but there are other organizations that allow that crossover. Why is that? I think it's tradition. Honestly, it's one of the oldest women's professional organizations in the country, and I think that is probably going to change in the future, because at least from my perspective, if I want to say that I'm the best in the world, I want to be competing against men, women, young and old. So I think they should do away with the age limits, first of all, and also the gender requirements. But I know that's a little bit controversial, but I think in the future, we'll see more male competitors trying to get involved with with this level of competition, Michael Hingson  05:49 but I would think also that women are capable of roping and riding bulls and so on. So I'm wondering why they're fewer and Speaker 1  05:58 further between. That's for sure. Writing is so physically demanding, it is a very, very challenging sport, but there are opportunities for women to compete, but I think the numbers just aren't there to make it more mainstream. But there, there are organizations where they can, yeah, but I will say I don't know, but maybe one or two, one or two people that do it, and I, I have tried riding a bull before, not a very aggressive one, and I don't care to get back up there again, because no matter what you're coming off, even if you make eight seconds, you're going to hit the ground. And it's not near as soft as it looks when you see other people. Michael Hingson  06:39 Yeah, the ground is not very forgiving, 06:43 is it not well? Michael Hingson  06:45 And I would rather make friends with an animal than ride it and get it mad at me. So I'm with you, in a sense. I like horses. I've petted bulls and cows and try to be friendly to them. And so I'm not, I'm not enamored with going up to one that's really likely to want a gourmet. Speaker 1  07:09 Yeah, yeah, I don't blame you. It is actually funny, though, a lot of the best bucking horses and bulls are really docile and pretty friendly when they're outside of the arena. And that's part of pro rodeo is born to buck program. So just like any other animal athlete, they have to instill you want to perform at that level and have the athleticism to be able to even get the cowboy off. So not every bull is even capable of doing that. And it is funny too, because if they don't want to, they won't, and there's nothing that you can really make them, you know, try any harder than they want to, but, but the top pro bucking bulls and pro bucking horses, they know their job. They're very athletic and prompted, and they really turn it on when the lights in the crowd are, you know, are over them. Michael Hingson  08:00 So they're smart and they know they're in a performing environment, as opposed to just always wanting to do it. I'm sure there are some that always want to, but mostly it's a performing thing, and they're smart enough to know that. Speaker 1  08:13 Yep, they are, and it's so cute. Each horse, at least, all of them that I've ever met, have such distinct personalities, yeah, and they're almost like a dog, if you're around them enough, you really get to know them and their preferences and their likes and dislikes. And it's really fun to get, to get that connection with your with your animal, Michael Hingson  08:32 yeah, and that's that's fine. So I didn't really know that, that it was more of a of a sport where the animals really do know what they're supposed to do and and they do it when they have to and when they don't have to, they're not necessarily feeling empowered to do that. They want to visit with people. Speaker 1  08:54 Yep, yep. That's right. That's cool. Michael Hingson  08:57 Well, there you go. Well, learn, learn something about that well and barrel racing that that keeps you busy. So how well do you do a barrel racing? Speaker 1  09:08 Well, I love it so much. I've been trying my whole life, honestly, and I I've won a lot, and I've had several setbacks, but it's something that I really enjoy, and the progress and the connection that I had with my horse in pursuit of greatness is is what I'm truly addicted to and keep coming back to. And I've had a couple of really great horses during my lifetime, but the thing I find the most rewarding is taking a young horse and watching them grow up on my ranch, and then finally, being able to get to ride them when they're big enough, and to see them learn and grow with you, and know that you know they had that experience because you you taught them and you gave it to them, and to see them be willing and proud of themselves. And that's pretty cool to me, and that's what, that's what I really enjoy. So I'll always have horses. Whether I'm able to compete or not. I think I'm a lifelong, you know, horse trainer, and just enjoy it so much. It's definitely something that I want to keep in my life. Michael Hingson  10:11 Well, it's also I would think about building a level of trust. And the reason you can be successful with a horse or whatever is that you you create and you develop that level of trust where you both know how to work with each other, you know how each other thinks. And, you know, I find that with every guide dog that I get, it's the same sort of thing. You've got to develop the relationship and make it work. Speaker 1  10:39 Yep, I can imagine this similar and just asking, you know, that animal to trust you and to, you know, take care of you as well. And something a lot of people don't think about in the rodeo world is that you're you're actually running full speed into an arena that you're not sure what the ground is going to be like, and there is a lot of responsibility on the horse to be able to find his footing and act quickly. And while I am hoping that we are able to turn the barrel as close as possible, if they're not able to do that because of the ground, that's where you'll see, some horses kind of be a little bit wider or maybe stumble, but a lot of times we'll just taking care of their rider. And so it is kind of cool how you you can work together and and there's always seems like there's more to do, but, but having that initial trust and bond is so important, because you really are asking a lot of them to go just totally full speed into arena lights and music and applause and to take care of you, and they eat it up. Yeah, they do. There are some that like it more than others, honestly. And just like the bucking bulls and the bucking horses, if they don't actually enjoy it, they're not going to perform well. And the sport is so competitive that they've really got to love it, and you also have to truly love it. And kind of, when you get to the rodeo, if you're showcasing what you've done at home, that's the fun part. But you've got to love the whole entire process, and more of it's going to be at home working through things than it is, you know, with the fringe flying at the at the arena and the performance, Michael Hingson  12:19 and again, like anything, it's a two way trust. So you both have to trust each other and learn to work together, which, which is so important. And I wish more people would recognize that with their pets, that that's what it's really about, and it's about developing a deeper, true trusting relationship than most of us realize. Speaker 1  12:38 Yep, that is right. And I've actually, I've actually got a little rodeo dog that I take with me too, and he's part of the family as much as any of the horses, but I don't know that I have near the trust in him to run off or to take care of me if he's awfully so I really admire that the dogs and the work that you do with That's really incredible. Michael Hingson  13:03 Well. So you, you went to college, right? Yes, yep. Where did you go and what did you study? Speaker 1  13:12 I went to South Dakota State, and that was part of the military. When I joined, they would pay tuition anywhere in the state that I wanted to go. So that's the college that I decided on, and I actually got a partial scholarship for the equestrian program there as well. But I ended up studying political science, and that was part of my military journey as well. I was in intelligence, so I was most interested in foreign policy and and things like that, kind of in that Intel Avenue. Michael Hingson  13:47 I was wondering what got you into the military, so that that kind of led you into then working and being a part of the military for a while? Speaker 1  13:57 Yeah, I think the main draw for the military, to me was to get out of the small town that I grew up in and get to see the world. And I didn't really know what career field I should go in. That was kind of by chance, but it ended up totally changing my life, and it's been a part of my life since then, and I'm really glad that that happened for me, because I had no idea what Intel meant. And I really didn't know a fighter yet, from an aircraft carrier, from anything. I just had no clue when I went in. So it was totally eye opening experience, but I ended up being very fortunate in finding a job that I actually do like. Michael Hingson  14:37 So what attracted you to intelligence and how did, how did you use that? How did it change your life? Speaker 1  14:45 Well, they had a signing bonus, which was very significant, especially at an at an age of 18, to get college paid for and have that sign on bonuses put you so far ahead of most of your peers. Financially, that that was truly what, what drew me to it, and my as that scores were high enough where I did qualify. And I think that's one of the reasons why that career field was so scarce, because it is tough to get into. The training is very long, and a lot of people don't, don't end up being good at it, even if they do qualify. So they're always looking for people who are going to be able to progress and stay in the career field a long time. But I ended up, you know, doing nine years in the military as an intel analyst, which is very interesting to me, and then I got out to Rodeo, but ended up coming back to do surveillance and reconnaissance, which is right underneath that Intel umbrella. And then any of the jobs that I would find here, you know, in the US would be right underneath that too. And an Intel is such a huge career field. There's so many different ways you can go with it. One of the things I'm looking at now is human trafficking in Oklahoma, which I didn't realize was, you know, such a big problem, or a big department, but the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics has several intel analyst positions to just battle the human trafficking that's happening here, which I thought was very interesting. But so Michael Hingson  16:14 what makes a person really good at Intel? You said you were good at it. There are a lot of people who may qualify, but they're not really good. What does that mean? Speaker 1  16:23 Yeah, well, I think you have to have a natural ability to make decisions without all of the information, to excel in intelligence that and being able to speak in front of you, know, your commander or a unit and talk about what you think and why based on just the information that's given is a unique thing for a lot of people, especially somebody who's younger. So I've always been comfortable in front of a crowd. I've done, you know, pageants, rodeo and things like that. So just the nature of being in front of a crowd isn't super intimidating to me. But once I learned, you know, the process, I wasn't afraid to study and once I would study enough, it gave me confidence to get up in front of people and make decisions. And I found it very rewarding once you get to actually see what those decisions mean, as far as the Intel cycle and the whole operation that's going on overseas. It's pretty cool to be a part of such a big thing. And and I really did enjoy that, and it keeps it super interesting, because the battlefield is ever changing and that the enemy is ever changing, and no operation is exactly the same. So just super dynamic, clear field well, actually, a lot of pressure and keep you awake. Michael Hingson  17:44 Yeah, fun. Well, I know we're all dealing with, of course, now, the whole issue of a war in Iran and all that that must, must be a really intelligence pressured situation, because there's so much that can happen and go wrong and and go right, but that must be a challenge. Speaker 1  18:05 Yeah. And it's funny, I'm not, not really involved anymore in intelligence, so I, I always do wonder, you know, what is the real picture? What are we really doing? What are we preparing for, and what's going on that the public hasn't found out about yet, yeah, but it has surprised me some of the things that have come out just because the the world that I grew up in the Internet didn't quite exist, and I was going through school and we never put anything online press wasn't, you know, even something we considered or talked about, Just wasn't, wasn't part of our world. So to see some of the capabilities that we're using to, like, find a down pilot, or to go in and knock out communications and electricity, that's crazy to me that they're able to talk about that on an unclassified network. But I think it also serves a purpose, just in, you know, a show of force. And there's always more to the story than is ever, you know, put on the news. So there's, there's actually a lot of analysis that everybody needs to do, just as far as where they get their news, and trying to determine what is actually the point, and what are we doing really, and what are some of the outcomes? It's just a very dynamic and uncertain world to dive into, Michael Hingson  19:24 yeah, because I'm sure all of that is true, and there's a lot that we don't know. And to put it this way, it'd be nice to be a fly on the wall and know some of those things, but at the same time, I also know why not everything is put out, and then that's fine there. There are things that that really shouldn't necessarily be disclosed. The other side of it is though, that people want to disclose, or they want everybody everything to be disclosed, and that just doesn't work all the time. Sometimes we really need to learn to respect silence. There's value in that. Speaker 1  20:01 Yeah, Yep, absolutely. And you can't give away all of your capabilities, or it changes the battlefield entirely. Just so not, yeah, you know, the rest of the world will be prepared to deal with deal with us, and I think should have an upper hand and keep our hearts kind of close to our chest. But at the end of the day, those decisions are so far out of my hands. And it's funny, even when I was, you know, actively working in a combat zone, they would usually only tell us just enough where you can succeed in your role. You didn't necessarily know the full picture or get to see outside of, you know, your little tunnel vision, but the people in charge, you know, you really had to have faith and trust in them, and what you're doing greater good and serves a purpose that we believe in and and it's interesting to think things back now on. You know, my earlier days in Intel, you just you have no idea what's going on truly, and how many different working pieces there are, and you're just doing your best to get this briefing out, but it's such a big, you know, wheelhouse, and there's so many parts, and it's a little overwhelming. Actually, they think they put 18 year olds out into that, and yeah, and expect them to thrive. Well, the other Michael Hingson  21:19 part of it is that just focusing on what you are are supposed to do probably makes a lot of sense, because you don't need to worry about everything so you so you were I didn't get the last of what you were saying. Speaker 1  21:36 I was saying that, you know, in your in your career field, you try to do the very best of the things that you can control, and you have to have a lot of faith in your team, the guy sitting next next to you, that they're going to also do their best. And you know, at the end of the day, you can't worry about the factors that you can't control, and that's something that's very challenging and in Intel to realize and to sit with, because there are so many dynamic moving pieces that it it will make you crazy if you try to read every single thing or know every single thing, and that kind of goes with rodeo too. You try to be as prepared as you can, but there's a lot you can't control. The more comfortable you can be in that the the better operator that you would be. Well, one of Michael Hingson  22:24 the mantras that I have lived by, especially since September 11, and have talked about on this podcast some, is that whole concept, don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on what you can. And one of the reasons that that's so important is especially for people who don't really know how to do this, well, if you just worry about everything in you, what if everything to death? You're going to create so much fear in your life, you won't really be able to cope with anything. And we all ought to learn to just focus on the things over which we really have control. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't be aware of other things, but we need to learn not to worry about them and only worry about the things over which we have control, because those are the things that will really be able to help you deal with any fear that you may have, and also deal with being able to control fear and not focus on stuff that doesn't make sense. Speaker 1  23:20 Yeah, I like that a lot, and it is sometimes easier said than done, but it is, Michael Hingson  23:29 well, it is, it is something that one can learn, however, how to do? You can learn to control, sir, you can learn to deal with just the things over which you have control and learn not to what if or not to what ifs in an emotional way, the things that you can't. I gave a speech a couple of years ago to the business continuity Institute, and business continuity as they just as the people who are in it describe it, they're the what if people. They're the ones that are always looking to analyze and consider what could happen to their business, or the business they work for that could cause it to crash or not succeed or or have a problem. And they're the ones that have to put in place the things that will allow a business to continue. So like with the wars over in in the Middle East and so on, businesses over there have to deal with finding ways to have business continuity, whether it's backing up computer data, other forms of communications, or whatever, and they've got business continuity people to help them do that. But the reality is that those business continuity people have been thinking about that for a while. The difference is they don't get emotionally involved, and they don't let it worry them, because all they can do is deal with what they can deal with, and they recognize that, and it's and it's really so important to focus on the things over which you really do have control, and the rest even, although you may be aware. But you need to learn to filter it out and not let it worry you, because that's just going to drive you crazy. And the reality is, like over 95% of the things we worry about will never happen, and there are things that we don't have any control over anyway. Speaker 1  25:15 That is very true. Yep, that is very true. Michael Hingson  25:20 So you, you eventually did get kind of out of the military, but you've built a lot of different life. You've been in the rodeo, military, real estate, involvement and author. What connects all of that? Speaker 1  25:37 Well, I think that, you know, I'm, I'm always interested in progressing and working towards something so if I feel like one avenue isn't isn't serving me anymore, I'm not afraid to pivot and try something new. And I think I just have the personality type where I want to, you know, live a meaningful life and create impact. And whether it's rodeo or real estate, I've always enjoyed giving back and sharing with you know people who are like me or people who are on a similar journey, some of the lessons that I had learned along the way to help them kind of skip through some steps with this class at all possible, but I know when I really made the most progress. It was because of the thing, what I had around me, or a coach or a mentor, or some type of educational content that I got a hold of that really catapulted me, or at least got me into the state where I could find the answers. You know myself, but just having a an environment where it encourages you to do more, be more. That's something that you know, that you're called to, getting around the right people can make a huge difference. Then I think it's it's fun to pursue different things that we're interested in, whether it's career related or just something because you love it, like rodeo. I don't know that I'll ever be just a full time cowgirl again, but I love it so much that I've found a way to make it part of my life. And I think that's important for people to know too, because a lot of people their passion isn't, maybe going to make them money, and they may not be able to pay the bills doing this, but that doesn't mean that you can't, you know, fill your life with things that you enjoy. And so it's been a difficult, you know, balance, to try to figure out how it's all going to work together, but, but I really do enjoy different different facets in different areas, and I feel like if I had more time, I would pick up even more hobbies, but really maxed out with what we've got going on currently. Michael Hingson  27:39 How did Mrs. Oklahoma come into it? Speaker 1  27:43 Well, I grew up doing rodeo Queen pageant, and it was actually one of the things I wrote about in my book, because it was the first time I really faced, you know, loss and judgment and the feeling of you just aren't good enough, and there are no other options, was to compete at Miss Troy to America and to not win. And I had set my sights and my goals on that since I was just a little girl. And it's unique in the rodeo world, because you only get to try one time, and there's no other organizations. There's no other options, actually. So it's just heartbreaking to realize that that dream is, you know, that dream is put to bed, and to figure out what's next ended up led it led to, you know, other pageant systems and other ways to give back and make a difference. And having been Miss Rodeo, you know, I know that with the crown and with that visibility is a huge avenue to make a difference. It gets you in a lot of the right rooms. It gives you credibility, and it it allows you, you know, the connection and the support to do whatever it is that you are passionate about, and more so in the pageant world than the rodeo world, because the rodeo world, your job is to represent Professional Rodeo for for that sport and to advocate for that organization. But in the pageant world, you can pick, you can actually go after whatever platform means the most to you, and the year is yours to do with it what you will. And so with my book coming out, it just seemed like an easy no brainer to kind of combine the two, and it's allowed me to go to different schools and speak, to get on different podcasts, and it's been a really great combo. So the book that I've written will be, you know, further than just this year, but Mrs. Oklahoma City is a year long title, and I'll get to get go compete for Mrs. Oklahoma here in about two months. Michael Hingson  29:40 Wow. Well, that'll be, that'll be kind of fun. Do you? Obviously, you enjoy the pageant world some Speaker 1  29:48 I do. And actually, even if you don't end up winning the ultimate title, it's so fun to be around like minded women that are, you know, similar in age, or also live in your. State, because those are the people that I really enjoy collaborating with, connecting with, and end up being lifelong friends with. I remember, you know, when I was Miss Rodeo, I was like 2013 I want to say so it's been several years ago, but the girls that I served with that year are actually some of my best friends this day, and I don't know that we ever would have crossed paths otherwise, but to get in a room with other high achievers that have similar interests, that is actually that is worth it, in my eyes, even if you don't take home the actual crown. So it's fun, and I love it, and it just seems like a really good fit, and I'm glad that they don't put age limits on it across the board, because I'm married now, I'm I'm definitely older than, you know, winning as a teenager or even early 20s. So it's fun to get to do it at this stage. And I actually think it's more beneficial, because they have a lot more to say now and have a lot more lessons and that I've learned a little bit more perspective and just a an overall better package, I think, Michael Hingson  31:03 is there a lot of politics in those contests or or do you there is? Speaker 1  31:09 Yeah, yes, there definitely is. And it just depends, you know, what system and honestly, what year, and that's what drew me to barrel racing, because it's no one's opinion. It is against the clock. There's, there's not a lot of room for excuses. You're either the fastest that day or you're not. So I do love bear racing for that reason, but I also love what pageants bring. So I'm still active in both, but there are definite pros and cons. Michael Hingson  31:41 Do they measure the time in barrel racing? And she did us down to hundredths of a second with with all the movements of the animals. How do they measure the time so accurately? Speaker 1  31:52 Well, there's an electric eye that senses when the horse's nose crosses it, so that starts to clock digitally. So there is no room for error. So it used to be a flag, and a judge would stand at the line and try to accurately throw the flag down, and then the timer would stop by a secretary holding a clock in their hand. But the competition has just gotten so close that even to do that would be so inaccurate. So the electric eye is is awesome, and they've got so much technology now that they can even overlay your run with with the winner and see where they were faster. Maybe it's around the first world, maybe it's around second, and segment it down so you can break up, you know, your time to first, or your time to second, and see, you know, really, where you where you need to make improvements, or where you got beat, and it's ever so polite, I mean, just a little hesitation and you're out. Michael Hingson  32:47 Yeah, fascinating. It's, it's interesting. And I've never attended a rodeo. I know it's a lot more visual than probably typically I am used to, but it would be fun to, you know, to do it one of these days, so we'll have to come and watch you in Oklahoma. Speaker 1  33:04 Yeah, absolutely. And a lot of times the announcers do such a good job at explaining it, because they never know exactly what the crowd is. So they always do a good job of explaining exactly what's going on in the arena and like, what the penalties might be, or who this cowgirl is. That is enjoyable to listen to as well, cool. Michael Hingson  33:24 Well, so you, you are married. We, you talked a little bit about that, and your husband and you met in Afghanistan. Tell me about that. We did Speaker 1  33:34 romantic city of Bagram. There you are. Yeah, we, we both did the same job as contractors, but my husband was actually one of the guys who would be on the ground doing more of the hands on part of the operation, so it was cool to get to fly with him eventually, because he had, he had a lot to teach me, and I definitely became a student of his, and asked a lot of questions, and we really connected in in the sky, and with the platform that I was on, we would be up there for several hours, and that environment is secure, so you can't have you know your phone or music or movies or things like that, so you really just have your crew to talk to, and it was just him and I Really and we got to know each other for, you know, several months with no distractions of the civilian world, no, you know, makeup or horses or social media. So I just felt like our connection was so raw and honest that, you know, we just it was pretty simple. And the day that we met, we pretty much became best friends and inseparable system. So it's fun for him to get to come to Oklahoma and see a lot more about my background once we got out of Afghanistan. Jimmy definitely come from different different upbringings. He grew up in the city, and hadn't really been on a horse or even around horses until he met me, but. But now he, you know, he's got some booths and drop there. It's funny to see the the change. But yeah, we, we both bring different things to the table, but found a lot of similarities and ended up both really enjoying real estate. And now what we do full time is flip and renovate houses here in Oklahoma. So that's just very busy. Michael Hingson  35:22 How long have you been married? Speaker 1  35:24 We've been married for three years, and we've been flipping full time for one year. And I will say that if you are ever trying to test your marriage, just go ahead and buy a house together and see if you can renovate it, because it is a lot of collaboration and uncertainty and problem solving honestly at the end of the day, and a lot of hard work, but it's ended up bringing us a whole lot closer, because we've been able to see some of the fruits of our labor and make some really great deals happen. And we love it, just in that we can kind of control our schedule and get to be home all the time. So we're we're definitely going to keep going on the real estate path. Michael Hingson  36:06 My wife and I were married for 40 years before she passed in November of 2022 and we bought over our lifetime, several houses. We were pretty we were pretty aligned on all of that. And one of the things about Karen is that she was in a wheelchair her whole life, so a lot of what we did was based around either finding a house that we could modify to be accessible for her, or what we liked better was when we could find property and build a house. Because if you build a house, oh, okay, and you make the house accessible as you're building it. It doesn't cost anything to do that. You design in lower counters, you design wider doors, you design level entryways and so on. Whereas, if you buy a house and then you modify it, it costs hundreds of 1000s of dollars. But we had a couple of times where we knew we were going to be in an area where we couldn't find property to build a home, and when it came down to looking with real estate agents to find a home that we could modify, the problem is with some of them, if they just didn't get it, they took us to a house and we said, this is why this won't work. This is why that won't work. And then the next house they took us to was the same thing. And they said, Well, this is different. Well, no, it's not. It's the same thing. And so yeah, it does get to be a challenge come Speaker 1  37:34 by honestly, and it's such a big market, everybody's real to these days or knows somebody, but it is definitely a skill to to have a good realtor on your side and and we've definitely learned that through selling, selling different houses, because, yeah, lots of different ones, and definitely know how to appreciate a good one, Michael Hingson  37:54 yeah, and we were, you know, sometimes it took a little effort, but we were able to find good Realtors eventually, that we could, that we could work with. And then, you're right, they're such a blessing, we had to go through some bad one, not bad ones, but just lack of perceptive I won't say they're bad, because they probably did all right, but they they didn't get what we needed. But we learned a lot and and had a lot of fun. So we were pretty aligned on what we we needed in a house, because a lot of it was based on accessibility for Karen, because for me, it's not as magical kind of thing. But by the same token, we we learned a lot, and it worked well. But when we could build a house like this home I'm in now, we built in 2016 we moved down to Southern California in 2014 and lived in an apartment for almost two and a half years, and we were it wasn't overly accessible, but it was accessible enough for Karen to be able to do most things in it, but we were waiting to get a construction loan, and then we got it. And by June or July of 2016 they started building or working on the house. Maybe it was like May of 2016 and I remember one day, I think it was in July, we came over from the apartment, and we're watching as they put the big trusses up on the where the roof, for the roof, all the big beams and all that. We just kind of watched that for a while, but they did make it accessible, and that's what we needed, which was cool. Speaker 1  39:37 Well, good, yeah, that's such a feat to do all of that, and I've definitely gained some appreciation for contractors and people who work in the houses and on the houses, because it is such a fun experience for every homeowner, but to be new in it, there's just so much to learn. Yeah, it's a huge, huge world and a huge undertaking. Earn to build, for sure, but even to own a home and and it is fun and very rewarding when we get to, you know, make somebody's dream homes come to life, or to be able to do the deal with them and help them along their journey. And I think even if you're not, you know, innately interested in real estate, it is something that everybody should consider, because you do have to have some somewhere to live for your whole life. So to learn about it and to make a proactive decision, rather than kind of reactive, is is fun. And I like sharing our real estate journey with people from like rodeo world or the military world, because, you know, they end up, you know, thinking maybe this is something I'd like to do or learn more about, when initially they just probably thought, you know, I'll just rent and see how it goes. But there's a lot of value in buying early. And especially in the military, there's some cool programs that can really help, help the service members out and get into a house. Michael Hingson  40:56 Yeah, well, for you, being in the rodeo world, and I would think in the military and intelligence and so on, you have had a lot of issues dealing with pressure and identity and resilience and so on. What have you learned from these different kinds of environments that you've been in that really helps you do better at coping with pressure and being more resilient? Speaker 1  41:22 Well, the military is definitely a great teacher for a lot of those things. And that was kind of the first time that I had to ask myself, you know, who are you? Who are you without the military? And for a long time, I thought that was a barrel racer, until that was taken and then I was forced to look a little bit deeper and figure out, you know, what makes me happy, what makes me sick? What do I want with my life? Where would I like to live? Things like that? And I realized that a lot of it wasn't tangible. It's not necessarily the things that you have, but more than things you're surrounded with, and how you feel on a daily basis. And for me, it always ended up being with horses and connecting with animals and being out in nature and having a little bit of land and kind of getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city. But it took, you know, it took several years to learn that about myself and and I had to, you know, really see the world and try out a lot of different roles before I I kind of feel like I figured I figured myself out. I got to know myself a little bit better, but pivoting and getting that identity taken away from you that you you really just resonate with, like I'm a military member or I'm a professional cowgirl, to take that away can be life changing, and it can be very shocking for people emotionally, and lead to a lot of depression or questions and and the thing that the military, you know, teaches us all the time, and I didn't realize that without some reflection, but is is to shift flexibility. Is that the key to air power and something doesn't work out. That doesn't mean that you failed, and it doesn't mean that you need to quit. You just got to readjust, re attack, get a better plan and continue on. So I know the military teaches that without people realizing it, but it that is a lifelong skill, and it's a skill for people who aren't even in the military to take off on and to and to practice, because you can use it so many times throughout your life, and it's in different scenarios too, but, but for me, the the craziest thing ever was to think that I'm no longer in the military, or I'm no longer a barrel racer, and to ask just who are you? Who are you really? What makes you happy? Have you Michael Hingson  43:41 ever had a time where you kind of really hit rock bottom and what did, how did that all go? Speaker 1  43:46 Yeah, yes, I definitely have, and I go into a lot of detail about it in my first book, but it was, you know, when I ended up quitting the military or getting out to pursue pro radio I thought that was my fairy tale ending. I thought that was my Cinderella story. I thought that, you know, this was the time that I was going to make it, but instead, I ended up spending all of my money over leveraging my assets and totally going broke, and my horse ended up getting hurt. So it was, to me, it was devastating in a lot of ways, and I felt like I didn't have any options. And you know, when that state is so hard to see past this year or this hurdle or this, you know, difficulty, but what I did was to go back to Afghanistan, to go back to the work that I know that I was good at, that actually does pay and give it all up. I basically had to strip away everything that I loved about my life and kind of start over. And the the main thing that helped me was that stability of a long term job where, you know, in the military, they. Take a lot of care of you. They give you a bed, they give you food, they give you a job and a paycheck. And it might not be the most glamorous or most fun thing, and there's, you know, there's definitely some sacrifice that goes into deploying long term. I think I was there initially for about a year, and that was really hard for me to do, but it gave me that stability and the time and the space to just start over and think about what, what exactly I wanted to do with my life and where we could go from here. And I felt like I truly, you know, was at my lost bottom. I felt like I didn't have a purpose anymore or or anything to strive for. But that wasn't the case at all. And so it was a good experience looking back. What do you want to go through again? And I would hope you know, others can pick themselves up quicker than I was able to. But yeah, that's a definite lesson that I wanted to share with others. And I know a lot of people feel that to some degree when they go through major life changes, and that's a lot of about what my book is based on, and definitely the first one that is titled not enough, or just that feeling that you failed and that you're not good enough, when maybe you know your whole world is is crumbling, but, but there is a way forward. There is a path, and there's different tools you can use and you can get back up again, Michael Hingson  46:25 but you talk about not enough a lot. Where did that belief first show up in your life? Speaker 1  46:32 Well, I think it was ingrained, honestly, at an early age, and maybe people don't realize it, but the feelings of lack and obscurity, you know, you pick up throughout your lifetime. And for me, it just be, got became too heavy to even hold, and I just completely broke down. But I think that you know, whether it's a teacher that tells you, you know you're not, you're not a smart kid. You know, spelling isn't your thing, math isn't your thing. They kind of plant these little seeds of doubt along our lives. And maybe it's a parent, or maybe it's a friend or, you know, a lot of people go through a lot of trauma when they break up with a loved one or a partner, especially for the first time, and they start to maybe believe those things that they're being told, or they let the doubt get louder than their self confidence and their self worth and and for me, it it just slowly chipped away little by little until it just was all that I knew, and I ended up just totally believing that, yeah, I don't. I don't deserve to be out rodeoing. I I don't have any worth. There's nothing that I bring to the table, you know, I just completely shut down and felt just totally not enough and and that's not the case. And even if you feel like that, you know, there, the sun will shine again if you allow it. And it's a mental cage that I think we build for ourselves, but just kind of facing that and realizing, well, you're not alone in those thoughts, and that even some of the great, even some of the best athletes you'll ever follow, or some of the people on social media will just look like they have it all together, that their life is perfect. You know, we all have our ups and downs, and we all have battles and struggles, and not everybody shows that, and that's kind of the thing I didn't realize when I had first gotten to that place, is that I thought maybe I was alone or my story was somehow the worst. And that's totally not the case. And there's different things you can do to kind of pull yourself out of that mental state, but but definitely being open to learning from others, and collaborating and honestly giving back. And those are some of the things that I that I talk about in my book, that that helped me, but I maybe didn't realize it at the time, but looking back now, I can definitely say point to a couple of different things, but that definitely Michael Hingson  48:58 helped to turn it around. Yep, yeah. So you said your first book. Have you written other books since Speaker 1  49:07 I have. I've actually written four, and part of the reason I wrote four was because I was writing for several years. I think it was seven years ago that I had the concept for the book, and I wanted it to be a four part book, but it just got so big that it turned into four different books. So the first one is not enough. Had enough, am enough, and then never enough was the last one. And they all kind of talk about different different things, but the central theme is similar throughout all of them. So you can definitely enjoy each book individually, but it is more fun, I think, to read the series, and I really do think they get better as I go. I'm excited for the first one, but I'm the most excited for the last one, and they are all written, and I plan to release them one month. In between. So I just want to get it out into the world and get it off my desk, because it's been here for seven years. Michael Hingson  50:06 So not enough is released. Speaker 1  50:09 It will be released April 23 and then a month after that will be the second, and then a month, and then another month, and then they'll all be out. Wow. Michael Hingson  50:18 Well, congratulations. Are you self publishing, or are you self publishing? Or do you have a publisher? Speaker 1  50:25 I'm doing a hybrid publish, okay? And I looked at a couple different options. I wasn't sure which way to go, and it's certainly overwhelming as the first time author, but I thought, you know, I definitely could use some help as far as the admin side goes, or future, everything's set up correctly, but I know I do have an audience that wants to hear my story and maybe wonders where I went, as far as Pro rodeoing, or what happened to my horse, really, when he got hurt. And hopefully picked up a few new listeners too that haven't been with me as long. But yeah, think that that it'll be a good combo to just do a hybrid model. Michael Hingson  51:06 So how is your horse? Speaker 1  51:09 Well, I still have him. That was one of the things that I refused to do, was basically sell out, even though, you know, I had, I had trained him. He was worth a lot at the height of his career, and I turned down a lot of money for him just because I feel like I owe him my my life, my career, and a lot of my happiness. So he will always have a place in my pasture, but he will never probably be sound enough to run consistently again. He had a what's called navicular and easiest way to describe that is basically the really small bone in his foot. Kind of looks like Swiss cheese. And on the edges of the bone, it kind of sticks out, and the more that he uses it, it kind of severs a really important tendon in his leg, so as he runs more or strains himself too hard to get sore, and so he's just gonna stay at my house and ease around, eat a lot of hay, keep the others alive. Michael Hingson  52:10 Do you ride him every so often? Speaker 1  52:12 I don't, just because I don't want to put any pressure. Yeah. Pressure on his foot. Yeah? But I do what's called Liberty with him. So it's where he doesn't have any halter or saddle or anything on, and I'm also on the ground, and we just work together. You take a walk around, and as fast as he would want to go, yep, take a walk. Yeah. Injury is kind of in his front feet. He likes to come up off the ground. So I'm working on teaching him to rare up. Michael Hingson  52:45 Well, there you go. That's that's cool. How many horses do you have? 52:50 I have five with one on the way. Michael Hingson  52:53 Well, there you go. Now, is your husband in the rodeo circuit as well? Speaker 1  52:58 Anywhere? Definitely not okay to ride, if he can help it, but he is really handy, and can do everything that I would need to take care of him, but he prefers to be inside a car with a lot more horsepower. Michael Hingson  53:17 Um, well, maybe you'll still convert convert him at some point to be a little bit more horse oriented. Yeah. Well, you see, you say that most people tend to operate from the wrong identity. What do you mean by that? And how did you shift out of it, whatever it is? Speaker 1  53:35 Well, I think growing up, you get this idea of who you are and associate it with a label, and for most people, it's what their profession is. And so it's really jarring when you take that away and just operating from a place of tangible assets or a job that you do that actually isn't who you are, it is what you do, but to look a little bit deeper and figure out what makes you you is kind of the theme of the identity first framework. And I think that you know it becomes evident later on in life if you if you try to figure that out. But I think a lot of people are unhappy, and they realize that maybe in a job that they don't like and they realize they've done it for 20 years. Or, you know, they they wake up with a partner that isn't serving them, or they're just unhappy. And I think a lot of it has to do with their identity and realizing that they are enough. You know, in this job without, this job, with this partner or without, and the thing that makes you you actually can't be taken away only if you let it. And it's just building that mental you know, resilience and confidence to understand that no matter what setback you're looking at, you can rise again, because nobody is going to define you by some. Seems silly, like a like a job or even a title beside your name. You're much more than that, much deeper than that. And the passion the things that make you happy, taste those things and figure out a way to put those in your life consistently and to progress towards those things, is what I've found makes me the most fulfilled in my day to day. Michael Hingson  55:22 You've talked about coaching and mentoring, and you clearly value that. Why is trying to do stuff alone not a good idea? Speaker 1  55:33 Well, you don't have to spend so much time figuring things out the hard way. You can actually just find somebody who's been down that path before and take their advice and go where they where they point you. And I think it's really undervalued, but the people who aren't quite there yet, but they're a few steps ahead of where you are, those are the most valuable teachers to me, because they remember that struggle that you're experiencing, you know right now, they remember what it's like, and they have that next step, or however they figured it out, they've got it in their back pocket now, and it's not, it's not really something that that you need to pay for. There's a lot of mentors that are in your community or in your network, or they should be that you can reach out to. And I think a lot of people you know, when they're not taught to be a coach, they don't feel like they should be and but I've found so much value in giving back when I'm not the expert yet, but I can tell you how I've gotten to where I am, because I just loved it and and those are the people that I want to encourage to reach back and to mentor and to help. And I've found it very fulfilling to be able to help somebody else. It's not too much skin off my back to help you out, because I I know how to do it, but it can make a world of difference for somebody who's struggling, or somebody who wants to get where you are, and I think we're oftentimes too humble to think that. You know people do look up to you, even if you haven't made it yet, even if you're not entirely where you want to be. There are people who look to you as someone they want to be like and to reach back for them and send the elevator back down. That makes life so much more fulfilling. Michael Hingson  57:22 Well, so you you do real estate, you flip houses and so on. Do you also coach? Can people hire you as a coach? Speaker 1  57:30 Well, I'm working on building my coaching leg of my website. I do have some coaching options more in the horse space, but my husband and I have learned so much about real estate that we are always available through, you know, email or DM. We don't have an official program yet, but we would like to move towards that. But we are absolutely involved in different coaching programs in real estate. If you're interested at all, we can show you where, where we've learned, and you can also just reach out to us for some tips and tricks too. We'd love to connect. We'd love to help, help you. If you're interested in some of the same things that we are doing. Michael Hingson  58:07 Me, I'll be interested when I find out that your husband rides a horse and is in the rodeo business. Speaker 1  58:14 You made me wait in a while. I don't know if I know. I know, yeah, funny that the last time you rode a horse, I was busy trying to take a picture of him, and his horse ended up laying down in a lake. I could have seen it coming if I was paying better attention, but I was trying to take his picture so he had a couple boots full of water and a ruined cell phone. So I don't know if we're going to get it back on anytime soon, but I promise to pay better attention of the day. Michael Hingson  58:45 Stay away from the water. It's one effort. What do you say to people who say, Well, I'm too old to change direction and do things differently? Speaker 1  58:58 Well, I would say that's a really poor attitude, because there's so many examples around us of people who have succeeded when they only started at 45 or, you know, 60. And it just depends what industry you're in as to who you can can look to to be an example. But even if you don't have an example, why not you? And I think the biggest key to success is putting the right people and mentors in place to ensure that the path you're on is correct and kind of help you over some of those hurdles. But no matter what it is you you're still able to pivot and go in that direction and find a way to make it a part of your life, even if that might have to change just a little bit, like in the rodeo world, you can, you can still have horses. So you're, you're super old, like, I think the oldest gal to make it to the finals was 62 or 64 so don't be intimidated. There's always somebody a little bit older and a little bit busier. Than you that's making it happen. So don't be afraid to think you know, why not you and just go after, go after the dreams. Because if you don't even try, you're definitely not going to get there. I think you'll find along the way that the progress you're going to make and the friends you make along that journey is actually what you're after anyway, not necessarily the goal of the buckle or winning the rodeo, but to train a great horse or to meet some people along the way that you're gonna be lifelong friends with, that's the that's the stuff that I'm that I'm chasing. And I definitely have realized that over the last couple years, well, Michael Hingson  1:00:35 if somebody says to you, I really just feel stuck or I'm behind, what would you advise them to do. It sort of relates to what you just said, but still fair question to ask. Speaker 1  1:00:46 Yeah, I would say you've got to change your state, and that may look different, just depending on the person, but if you can get in an environment where you feel a little bit more empowered, you feel a little more optimistic, then you can start finding the answers for yourself. And it may be to go to a seminar to you know, go to a meetup, get around other high achievers that are doing what you want to do, or it may just be calling a friend who's uplifting, who asks you the right questions and provokes you to really explore a little bit deeper in your mind as to, what is it that is causing you to shut down, like, what is it truly? What are you afraid of? Is it, you know, judgment by others? Is that why you don't want to try or or, what are you what are you truly scared of? And to face that head on, and to put a name on it, a lot of times, you realize it's not so scary and not the end all, be all, and to just kind of work, work through it one day at a time, just don't, don't expect to go zero to 100 overnight. There's a lot to be said for showing up consistently and just making incremental progress over time. A lot of people are so impatient and they want it all right now, or they're comparing their year one to somebody else's year 20. But just realizing, you know, in the beginning you're you're not going to be very good at whatever it is, and that's expected, that's okay, but just showing up every day for several years, you're going to pass a lot of people, because there's just so much impatience these days, the way the internet, you know, advertises and hustle culture we've got, I think there's a lot of under appreciation for commitment and hard work and just putting in the time, Michael Hingson  1:02:41 if people want to reach out to you, how can they do that? Speaker 1  1:02:46 You can find me on any platform by just clicking my full name, Jenna Renee Soto, and that's my email as well. Jenna Renee Soto, at Gmail and also my website, just to play safe. Michael Hingson  1:02:59 Can you spell all that? Jenna Renee Speaker 1  1:03:00 Soto, sure it's j, e n, n, a Renee R, E N, E, Soto, s, O, P, O, okay. Michael Hingson  1:03:11 So Jenna Renee soto@gmail.com or on any of the platforms like LinkedIn and and so on, yep. Well, I want to thank you for being here. This has been a lot of fun. We've been doing this for over an hour. Can you believe it? Speaker 1  1:03:25 Oh, excellent. No. That actually flew by. Michael Hingson  1:03:28 It did well. I want to thank you, and I want to thank all of you for being out there and listening and watching the podcast. Love to hear from you. Please feel free to email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com, that's S, P, E, A, K, E, R, at, m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, O, n.com, love it

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I'm getting into my FCS Way Too Early Top 25 for the 2026 season. This comes from seeing the Flo Sports Way Too Early Top 25 and having some thoughts on how I would do it differently. Donald Trump signed an executive order on college sports that seeks to make sweeping changes to the wild, wild west landscape that we see today. I give my thoughts on some of the proposed changes and what they would mean going forward. All of this and more in this week's Akem's Analysis, so stay tuned for the entire episode. Like and comment your thoughts down below! SUBSCRIBE BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!! My Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/94xbp6y30:00 - Intro5:00 - My Way-Too-Early FCS Top 2519:39 - Trump Signs Executive Order On College Sports30:27 - FCS Conference Realignment I 2026 & Its Implications46:18 - Idaho Opts Into House Settlement49:34 - My Dark Horse Teams For 202653:48 - Final Thoughts 56:43 - EndFollow My Socials: Twitter/X:https://x.com/s_akem18?s=21INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/s_akem18?igsh=NWp2Njdta216OTZq&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samuelakem18?_t=8kcXTSonq6E&_r=1

Nathan Stacken and Travis Kriens react to the first weekend of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and preview the Sweet 16. South Dakota State women's basketball has its season come to an end. Opening Day of the 2026 MLB season.

A few first and second round games and players to watch in each region, a little game of ‘upset city', and more with Brittany Carper and Brian “BMac” Mackay. HerHoopStats.com: Unlocking better insight about the women's game.The Her Hoop Stats Newsletter: https://herhoopstats.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff sits down with University of New Mexico Head Football Coach Jason Eck to explore what it truly takes to build belief inside a team. In his first season leading the Lobos, Coach Eck engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football—leading the program to nine wins, a bowl game appearance, and Mountain West Coach of the Year honors after being projected near the bottom of the conference. But behind the wins is something deeper. Coach Eck shares how leadership, culture, and mindset shape the foundation of a high-performing team. Drawing from more than two decades of coaching experience across Division II, FCS, and FBS football—including championship runs at Minnesota State and South Dakota State—he explains how leaders create environments where confidence grows and teams outperform expectations. Throughout the conversation, Eck discusses how belief is rebuilt in struggling programs, how players develop mental toughness for high-pressure moments, and why culture must become player-driven rather than coach-driven for lasting success. This episode is a powerful reminder that confidence and culture aren't built overnight. They are created through daily standards, aligned leadership, and a mindset that prepares teams to perform when the stakes are highest. You'll Learn: • How Coach Eck helped players build real confidence after a turnaround season • What leaders can do to help teams handle pressure and rising expectations • Mental habits athletes use to stay composed in high-stakes moments • How leaders rebuild belief in teams that haven't experienced success • Leadership lessons from rebuilding multiple football programs     Episode Resources & Links Learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/ Follow University of New Mexico Football: (1) New Mexico Football (@UNMLoboFB) / X Follow Jason Eck on X: (1) Jason Eck (@Coach_Eck) / X Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call with Dr. Cindra or her team: https://freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ Download our Confidence Research Study: https://confidencestudy.com/

KSU (13-4):K-State Head coach Pete Hughes & his carry a lot of momentum into their Big 12 opening series this weekend after shutting out South Dakota State at home on Wednesday night!

Recapping Thursday's action, previewing what lies ahead. What to make of the impacts on the Bubble, Top seed lines, mid-majors, and more with Megan Gauer and the Podcast Hall of Fame-worthy injury replacement, Brian “BMac” Mackay. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New Iowa State Cornerbacks Coach Mike Banks visits with John Walters. Mike was with Jimmy Rogers at South Dakota State and Washington State. He's a former four-year starter for Illinois State.

Greg Belfrage talks to South Dakota State Senator Erni Otten about what's going on in South Dakota politics. Ernie talked about the new property tax bills that are coming out, the Lt. Governor tie breaker is still in place, setting up multiple budgets, and more...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An SEC collision course with itself in Greenville, some players, teams, and conference tournaments to keep an eye on, and much more with Brittany Carper and Jamie Steyer Johnson. HerHoopStats.com: Unlocking better insight about the women's game.The Her Hoop Stats Newsletter: https://herhoopstats.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send a textEpisode 8 is filled with laughs. First, we take a look at the front court prospects in the 2026 wnba draft and discuss what all of the top teams need. Then, we dive straight into women's college basketball with our game of the week (MSU vs Minnesota), demon of the week and which teams are dancing in the tournament this year. The episode is capped off by live reactions of the Michigan vs Ohio State game that was an overtime thriller. 0:00 - Intro0:13 - Agenda1:21 - Frontcourt Prospects26:39 - South Dakota State, can you do something for me??27:05 - Michigan State ruins Minnesota's senior day33:34 - Demon of the Week43:10 - Lady Vols' Outlook50:34 - Potential Upsets this week57:55 - How is Princeton still ranked?!59:35 - Which teams typically make the tournament 1:07:00 - Toxic relationships with our favorite basketball teams1:11:14 - Live reactions of Ohio State vs Michigan1:23:55 - MBB loves reheating WBB's nachos1:24:46 - The Big 12 is not real // Kansas' ascension1:28:09 - Regular season conference champions1:28:57 - Live reactions of Ohio State vs Michigan1:42:10 - other things to smile about: impact transfers, picking better and closing thoughtshttps://linktr.ee/pullup3 | Distributed via SteadyHype Studios

In this episode of Around the Bird Bath, hosts Dan and Rylan discuss the opening weekend for UTSA Baseball, highlighting the team's performance in their series against South Dakota State. They delve into the unfortunate injury of junior ace Rob Orloski, the pitching staff's performance, and the offensive explosion that saw the team score 43 runs over the weekend. The conversation also touches on the upcoming midweek game against Illinois Chicago and the potential challenges ahead as the team prepares for tougher competition. 00:00 Weekend Recap and Opening Series Highlights 06:19 Rob Orloski's Injury 15:05 Pitching Performance Overview 18:54 Debut of Freshman Pitchers 26:03 Offensive Explosion: Hitting Highlights 27:39 Aggressive Base Running and Player Development 29:01 Spotlight on Aidan Eshelman 32:44 Caden Miller's Leadership and Performance 35:43 Previewing the Upcoming Game Against UIC Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMor6-ws_T8

Join the guys as they sit down with South Dakota State wrestling's 141 pounder Julian Tagg

Dan and Rylan are back to discuss the excitement surrounding the 2026 UTSA baseball season. They reflect on the previous season's successes, the key contributors returning, and the newcomers expected to make an impact. The conversation also covers preseason predictions, rivalries, and the upcoming series against South Dakota State, highlighting the team's expectations and the challenges they may face. 00:00 Excitement for the 2026 Season 06:26 Key Contributors and Roster Changes 09:11 Preseason Predictions and Rankings 12:08 Returning Players to Watch 19:22 Newcomers and Fresh Faces 27:30 Series We're Most Excited For 44:504 Previewing the South Dakota State Series Video: https://youtu.be/vFLgqVdXlrM

First year head men's basketball coach Tim Bergstraser joins Voice of the Pioneers Tyler Maun as they recap the Pioneers big weekend in North Dakota and preview Thursday night's match-up with South Dakota State. 

Iowa native Logan Ogden is in his first season as the director of men's basketball athletic performance for the University of Iowa men's basketball program.Ogden brings 14 years of experience with him to Iowa City, including the past four seasons as the director of strength and conditioning at Utah (2021-25), where he provided year-round comprehensive training for the Utes' men's basketball program.He also served in a director role at Utah State (2018-21) and Nebraska Omaha (2015-18), he was an assistant strength coach at Augustana University (2013-15) and served as a graduate assistant at South Dakota State (2011-13).Ogden was named to Silver Wave Media's list of most impactful strength and conditioning coaches in the country in August of 2022.$1 Trial Membership to SCN

Greg Belfrage interviewed South Dakota State Senator Chris Karr. They went over the protest at the church in the Minneapolis, property taxes, protecting South Dakota waters, Data Centers and Utilities, Sales Tax, and more...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textJacob and Sam are BACK to talk Cyclone wrestling. This weekend features a pair of Big 12 duals, including against #15 South Dakota State. The boys preview that big matchup and catch up on all the action from the past few weeks. 

Griffin Warner talks betting for Thursday January 22nd Griffin Warner opened his latest betting breakdown with a wide ranging look at the week's most prominent markets, beginning with the NFL conference championship matchups and extending through European soccer and college basketball. His analysis centered first on New England traveling to Denver, where the Patriots were listed as four and a half point road favorites with a total of forty two and a half. Warner focused on the quarterback situation for Denver, noting that Jared Sittum was expected to start after Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle late in the previous round. He framed the spread as a strong market reaction to the quarterback change and questioned whether it overstated the true gap between the teams. Warner emphasized Denver's defense as the primary driver of its top seed status and suggested that the total, rather than the side, offered more value. He highlighted the under, particularly in the first half, based on expectations of conservative offense, ball control, and limited explosive plays. Turning to the late game, Warner examined the Rams as short road underdogs against Seattle with a total of forty seven. He described a matchup shaped by familiarity, coaching tendencies, and narrow margins in prior meetings. Despite recent inconsistency from Los Angeles, Warner argued the Rams matched up well with Seattle and were live to win outright, expressing interest in grabbing a full field goal if it reappeared before kickoff. He characterized the game as likely tight throughout, with special teams and late game decisions playing an outsized role. Warner then shifted to the UEFA Europa League, where motivation and situational edges formed the backbone of his approach. He highlighted Real Betis as quarter goal underdogs away at PAOK, stressing Betis's incentive to secure a top eight finish and bypass the knockout round. He also discussed Viktoria Plzen hosting Porto, Fenerbahce versus Aston Villa, Roma against Stuttgart, and Celta Vigo hosting Lille, repeatedly returning to the importance of draws, defensive structure, and pricing around quarter and three quarter goal lines. Warner explained how Asian handicap splits can protect bettors in draw heavy competitions and create incremental value. In college basketball, he described a thin Thursday slate, briefly touching on Wisconsin at Penn State, South Florida at UAB, and South Dakota State at St. Thomas, while noting market uncertainty and situational volatility. He closed by offering a promotional discount code and officially logged Real Betis as his personal wager for the day, reinforcing his belief that motivation and price aligned in their favor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Dr. Jay and Brad as they interview their guest, Dr. Josiah Fitzsimmons.Dr. Josiah Fitzsimmons is originally from Ames, IA. He played college football at South Dakota State and graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and a master's degree in Nutrition, Exercise and Food Sciences in a five year span. He then attended the fountainhead, Palmer College of Chiropractic.After completing his residency out in Denver, he came back to West Des Moines to open Vero Health Center, a state of the art, neurologically based health center. Dr. Josiah has extensive training and experience in pregnancy, pediatrics, athletics, and overall wellness promotion. He has seen results with chiropractic for infertility, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, migraines, sinusitis, arthritis, acute pain, and much more. He has also had the opportunity to watch many children benefit from chiropractic care with health issues like autism, ADHD, colic, bed wetting, and ear infections. Dr. Josiah is a member of the International Chiropractic Association, the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce, the West Side Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the Young Professionals Connection and genYP.He also founded one of the fastest-growing chiropractic clinics in the history of the profession. Just four months out of school, he had already secured over 400 prepaid appointments before they even opened, and in the first year, they generated more than $1.2 million in revenue.By year four, their revenue had skyrocketed to over $5.5 million, all within just 1800 square feet. Through this journey, he discovered that building a thriving business comes down to two key principles: understanding the numbers and taking decisive action.Dr. Josiah's passion is to educate and support the families of West Des Moines and the greater Des Moines area through neurologically based chiropractic care so that babies, children, and adults may live a life of greater health. In his spare time, Dr. Josiah loves to spend time with his wife and son, read books and workout.To connect with Josiah, visit his website at https://www.verohealthcenter.com/ or at https://morelucro.com/about-us/.

President Kathleen Wooden Knife of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe delivers the State of the Tribes address on January 14, 2026. Wooden Knife delivered the speech at the South Dakota State Legislature in Pierre, South Dakota.

In this episode of The Milk Check, Ted Jacoby III welcomes Lloyd Metzger and TJ Jacoby of Valley Queen Cheese Company for a deep dive into the science, functionality and future of dairy proteins. The conversation starts at the molecular level – the difference between casein and whey – and builds toward the real-world implications for product developers, processors and nutrition brands. We cover: Why casein is built to carry calcium (and whey isn’t) How heat and pH change protein behavior Fast versus slow digestion and why both matter The role of whey protein in muscle maintenance, aging and GLP-1 nutrition What pro cream really is and why its value may be underestimated Why cellular agriculture is more niche than threat If you work in dairy, food formulation or nutrition, this is a protein conversation worth digesting. Got questions? We'd love to hear them. Submit below, and we might answer it on the show. Ask The Milk Check TMC-Intro-final[00:00:00]Ted Jacoby III: Hi everybody, and thank you for joining us today for this very special recording of the Milk Check Podcast. Today, our topic is: what is the future of dairy proteins? And we have two very special guests. The first is Lloyd Metzger, VP of Quality and Technical Services for Valley Queen Cheese Company, and formerly Professor of Dairy Science at South Dakota State University. And the second, particularly special to me, is my son TJ Jacoby, Whey Technologist for Valley Queen. A South Dakota State graduate. Someone who has been interested in dairy proteins since his first biology class in high school. Guys, thank you for joining us today and welcome to The Milk Check. Lloyd Metzger: Glad to be here. TJ Jacoby: Good to be on, Dad. Ted Jacoby III: It’s December 18th, 2025. Milk production in the US is up 4%. Milk production in Europe is up something similar. Milk production in New Zealand is up. Milk production in Argentina is up. We are definitely in an [00:01:00] environment today where the supply of milk and dairy is overwhelming demand, at least for the moment. Cheese prices are near historical lows. Butter prices are near historical lows. Nonfat milk, skim milk powder prices are on the low end of the range. This market is a market that feels heavy, and I think most people out there would say, it almost feels like even though we’re at lows, we may actually go lower before we go higher. And yet, on the other hand, there are whey proteins, Josh, if I’m not mistaken, whey proteins just hit historical highs. Josh White: Maybe the highest prices we’ve ever seen for whey protein isolate and WPC 80. Ted Jacoby III: So, we have an environment where the demand on the protein side is extremely strong, and the trends on protein consumption are extremely strong and really feel like they’re gonna be around for quite some time. We’ve got baby boomers retiring and whether it’s because of GLP-1s or it’s just a general knowledge and understanding of what human nutritional needs are as people age, they know that they need more protein in their [00:02:00] diet. So, it begs the question: what is going on with dairy proteins and whey proteins and how is this going to evolve in such a unique market where demand is so strong for protein right now? And so, I’m gonna ask the question first. What’s the difference at a molecular level between whey proteins and milk proteins? Because when we’re in an environment like we are now, where you’ve got the demand really, really high, you also have a market that’s gonna start looking for alternatives, simply because prices are so high. What is the difference between milk proteins in general and whey protein specifically? Lloyd Metzger: It’s important to talk about from a functional perspective how the proteins are different. I’m sure we’ll get into the nutritional differences between those proteins as well. It’s important to understand what’s driving those differences in functional characteristics. And it’s really all about calcium. The casein system is designed to carry calcium. The whey protein system is not designed to carry calcium. That differentiates the two groups of [00:03:00] proteins and makes their properties very different. TJ Jacoby: I’ll explain it like this. Milk proteins, there’s two classes of proteins, right? There’s casein and then there’s whey. The casein is used to make cheese, and then the whey protein is what comes off. So, the whey protein is everything that is not used to make cheese. So, the reason why casein proteins works so well for cheese because those proteins like to fall together in these spheres, they like to stick to one another. They like to stick to one another ’cause they have certain groups that latch onto the calcium and then they bridge with phosphate. When they do, they have multiple proteins, different types of casein proteins that bridge together with phosphate and then based on their repulsion forces, they stick together. Calcium and phosphates really help it stick when we make cheese. The outside of that casein, micelle, that ball, when we make cheese, that outside is stripped off, it becomes hydrophobic, and that causes those spheres to stick together. That’s a huge functional property of casein. Whey [00:04:00] protein is the opposite. Whey protein is really hydrophillic. It’s very polar. So, they like to float around in solution and stay floating around in solution. And they don’t like casein. It likes to stay separate from casein. And so, when you make cheese, it readily is released into the whey stream because it likes to stick with the water. In the same way, those kind of stick together with these sulfur groups. But when you heat it up, they unfold. And when they unfold, now there’s certain reactions that can take place. So, those are the two major differences between casein and whey. Lloyd, what did I miss? Lloyd Metzger: I would try to simplify it a little bit. The difference between casein and whey protein is casein is what’s trapped when we make cheese. And whey protein is the soluble protein that’s left over in the water phase of cheese. Cheese making is a dehydration process. We concentrate the fat and protein that’s in milk, the casein version of protein in milk. But you gotta look at the properties of those two [00:05:00] systems and the groups of protein. So, the casein protein is actually really stable to heat, but it is not stable to pH. So, casein will always coagulate at low pH. So, you lower the pH of milk, you get a yogurt-like product. That’s all the casein that’s coming out of the system. Whey proteins don’t mind a low pH, and they’ll stay soluble at a wide range of pH. But now, when you get to temperature, the complete opposite happens. Casein can handle super high temperatures and be very stable. Whey proteins can not handle high temperature at all, they start to gel. I think it’s important to look at the two different groups. Now you get into the functional differences between those two and the very different properties you have between those. Lloyd Metzger: That’s why you get all these products that are very different from each other. Why cheese is so much different than whey protein. And then you have these dairy products that are a combination that have the two together. So like when we make yogurt, we end up with the two products together and get this property that’s partway in between the two proteins. Ted Jacoby III: [00:06:00] Based on what you’re describing, when we’re talking about milk proteins, MPC 80, for example, there’s a higher level of calcium, I take it in milk proteins than compared to whey proteins. Is that true? Lloyd Metzger: Absolutely, but let’s remind everybody: milk protein is both casein and whey protein together at the normal ratio that’s in milk. So, of the protein, 80% is casein, 20% is whey protein. So, when you say milk protein, you’re actually meaning 80% casein and 20% whey protein. Now, when we talk about cheese or casein, we’re basically a hundred percent casein and 0% whey protein. Now, when we talk about whey protein, we’re essentially a 100% whey protein, no casein except for one fragment of casein that actually gets solubilized, as TJ described, and now actually becomes part of whey protein. Something that a lot of people don’t understand is that about 15% of what we call whey protein is actually a piece of casein that gets lost in the whey and now gets [00:07:00] captured and harvested in the whey protein manufacture process. But again, it’s important to remember milk protein is a 80 / 20 combination of casein and whey protein together. So, when you’re talking about milk protein, you’re actually talking about whey protein and casein together. Ted Jacoby III: It’s funny, I just learned something never really quite had my head around, and that’s that 80 / 20 ratio, that 80% of all the protein in milk is actually either alpha or beta casein. Correct? Lloyd Metzger: There’s actually four different casein fractions that are involved that make up that 80% of the total protein. Ted Jacoby III: Okay. The casein molecule isn’t really any bigger than most of the whey protein molecules, but they tend to clump together in those micelles. And so, they act as one big humongous mass compared to whey proteins. Correct? TJ Jacoby: Whey proteins may be collected like in pairs like two at a time, but casein proteins, there’s hundreds, right? Lloyd, that will just clump together. Thousands. TJ Jacoby: So, these spheres are absolutely massive protein complexes, but in fact there are a lot of little individual [00:08:00] proteins that make it up and they’re all bridged together with calcium and phosphate. Lloyd Metzger: It’s a packaging system that was designed to package up calcium and phosphorus. So, the whole casein system was designed by nature as a delivery vehicle for calcium and phosphorus, because calcium is not soluble by itself. Calcium phosphate is essentially rock. It’s the material that makes up eggshells. Think, think about a ground up eggshell that calcium phosphate complex is not soluble and it will sink to the bottom of your container of milk if you didn’t have the protein complex to hold it in solution. The analogy I use is it’s basically a kidney stone. Think about how much fun milking a cow would be if all the calcium and phosphorus was in the form of a kidney stone as you’re trying to milk the cow. All that calcium and phosphorus can be solubilized with the casein system and put it into solution and then make it so you can deliver that in a nutritional product. Ted Jacoby III: That makes perfect sense. That’s really cool. I think you guys also already touched on the differences in solubility as you were [00:09:00] describing the different proteins. But there’s differences in digestibility as well. What’s the source of that difference? TJ Jacoby: I’ll take this one. Returning back to the infant stage, I feel like we could set this up in light of why nature created these proteins. Dairy is the fundamental human food for infants. You have babies that can live up to a year off of just their mother’s milk. All the proteins that are found in there, those building blocks to grow an infant, can be boiled down to those two protein streams: whey protein and casein protein. The purpose of the casein protein for the infants is it’s fast acting. It’ll go right into the gut, and the gut is full of enzymes, but also really, really low pH, so low that it actually causes even those whey proteins to unfold. And It allows the stomach enzymes to break it up super, super fast and be absorbed. It’s considered one of the most bioavailable proteins known to man. It’s designed for that, that’s why nature created whey protein. Well, whey protein itself is also very nutritious. It has one of the highest concentrations of [00:10:00] essential amino acid, and the second highest known to man of branch-chain amino acids. That means it doesn’t have to be processed through the liver before it can be used by the human body. If your body’s actively using and consuming protein whey protein’s really good because it can be absorbed into your system and go right to the muscles. 33% of your muscle is branched chain amino acid. That’s what’s getting broken down while you’re working out. And then in the elderly, that’s what’s getting broken down that’s causing some muscle degeneration. Whey protein can help fortify that very quickly. However, all protein that is consumed in the body could also easily be processed through the liver with time. And so, if you have time, that’s where the casein comes into play. The casein, when it hits that acidic environment in the gut, it immediately clumps together. It actually creates cheese curds in the gut. And the reason why that’s so important is it slows down digestion so that slowly over time, that will be absorbed into the system. So it’s not [00:11:00] like a rush of energy right after the baby eats and then it goes away right away. Instead, it slows it down. The casein itself also likes to trap other nutrients. The casein in the gut will house the fat and the vitamins and the nutrients so that it’s slowly absorbed over the course of the next few hours before the baby’s next feeding. Ted Jacoby III: As a result of those digestibility differences, what are the differences in the amino acid profiles between casein and whey proteins? The body’s gonna need to break down most of that casein in order to absorb it. When the body breaks down that casein, what are the differences in the way that it absorbs some of those amino acid profiles and short-chain protein strands from the casein versus what’s readily bioavailable from the whey proteins? TJ Jacoby: Casein does not have the same percentage of those essential amino acids. It’s not as high, but it’s designed to be slow absorbing. Protein itself, it almost doesn’t matter the amino acid structure, as long as your body has enough of those vitamins and nutrients to absorb and to restructure it to [00:12:00] a different protein within the liver — that’s what your body needs. Most of us, the protein doesn’t have to be fast-acting. It’s not like our muscles are actively breaking down all the time. It can slowly be absorbed, be processed through the liver, and then used for almost any other function as long as we have all the vitamins and minerals that we need. Lloyd Metzger: Part of this huge shift we’re seeing in demand for protein, especially whey protein, this started 25, 30 years ago with bodybuilders and wanting to build muscle mass. And the realization that TJ mentioned: branch-chain amino acids are very important if you wanna rapidly put muscle mass on. It is also very important if you’re elderly or if you have sarcopenia where you’re starting to lose muscle mass. In those nutritional states, it’s really important to have high-level branch-chain amino acids, so you can put muscle on. Or if you’re on a GLP-1 medication where you’re not gonna be able to eat very much, you need a very efficient source of protein to build muscle mass. So there’s certain nutritional states where it is important to have branch-chain amino acids [00:13:00] and be able to get those from a protein like whey protein that has ’em at a very high level. But for the normal person, it’s not really all that relevant. You could get the protein you need from any protein that provides all the essential amino acids. Now, most plant proteins don’t do that. We’re talking about the difference between casein and whey protein. Both of them are an order of magnitude higher in nutritional quality than plant proteins because they have all the essential amino acids. And to TJ’s point, as long as you have the essential amino acids, the body can produce the non-essential amino acids from those essentials. Essential ones are amino acids the body can’t produce. You have to have those in the food you’re consuming to be able to produce the components you need. Josh White: We’ve got listeners from the dairy side of the equation and listeners from the utilization side that are making different products. And some of those customers are currently faced with the reality that a part of the equation for their adoption of whey proteins as an ingredient has shifted. The competition level’s very [00:14:00] high. They’re having more difficulty accessing some of it. And the price has changed quite a bit. And I think that when you’re talking about these products going into CPG applications as a lower inclusion rate ingredient, but with a lot of label power, being able to put whey protein, for instance, on that label, there’s several of them out there that are struggling to determine what the functional differences might be between the various dairy proteins. And what I’m afraid that is happening is some of these companies that are on the lower end of the value scale and can’t afford to keep up with all of the great products that are demanding whey protein or even milk protein, are gonnastart exploring alternatives outside of our space. and I think that we don’t want that, right? And what we’re seeing is this popularity of whey protein is driving a lot of customers for R&D projects to be asking us specifically for whey protein. And so help us understand what applications might make sense to use one, the other, or both. Lloyd Metzger: It completely depends on the product that [00:15:00] you’re after and the characteristics of the product that you want. Something like a beverage can go two different directions. So, if you’re gonna retort the beverage and put a lot of heat on it, you can’t do that with most whey proteins. They’re gonna gel. The most comparable protein to whey protein would be an egg protein. And everybody understands what happens when you heat eggs; they turn into a gel. So, whey proteins will happily do that. If you have a high enough concentration and you expose them to enough heat. Casein actually helps to protect whey protein from that coagulation. A lot of these high-protein beverages, they’re oftentimes a combination of casein and whey protein. They might alter the ratio a little bit from the 80 / 20. They might bump the whey protein up a little bit and have a 60 / 40 casein to whey protein. And so you’ll see ranges in that ratio of casein to whey protein, depending on the characteristics of the product that you’re actually after. The heat is a big piece of that. And then we go to pH as a big piece of what changes the functionality of casein to whey protein and makes you [00:16:00] change those ratios. Yogurt is another great example. You’ve got these super, super high-protein yogurts and a lot of cases they fortified with quite a bit of whey protein to be able to have more protein and still have the characteristics that you want in that product. In the protein bars, there’s all kinds of whey proteins there. In that application, you actually don’t even solubilize the protein. There’s hardly any water in that bar. It’s really almost a dry protein that has a plasticizer with it, some carbohydrates that actually make that edible. You’re almost eating a dry product. There’s a lot of food chemistry that goes into which product category you’re putting it in. There’s not this straight fast rule that you use whey proteins in this, you use casein and that. It depends on what food chemistry you use and how you put the blend together and then what processing you couple with that to get the characteristic that you’re actually after. Josh White: Can we spend a minute or two talking about the acidified products? They’ve gained a lot of popularity. The market potential is quite large. Can we talk a bit about the [00:17:00] differences between the clear WPIs and our traditional products? Lloyd Metzger: I wanna clarify the question. Are you talking specifically about whey protein only in the clear whey protein beverages versus the normal whey protein beverages? Ted Jacoby III: Yes. Lloyd Metzger: We really start to get into the weeds because we’ve got different whey products. So we’ve got whey protein concentrate. And then that comes in various forms. WPC 34 or WPC 80 are the most common. The 80 and the 34 correspond to how much protein on a dry basis those two products have. And they have whey proteins in the normal ratio that would be in the starting whey. Then we get into a group of products called whey protein isolates. And whey protein isolates go through an additional manufacturing process that allows you to purify the protein further and they’ll have more than 90% protein on a dry basis. And you may start to alter the ratio of the various whey proteins that were present in the starting whey. Now, when [00:18:00] we get into the clear whey protein isolates, we really start to alter the ratio of the proteins that are in there. We’ll also start to change some of the mineral profile of the components that are in that product. And then when we use those isolates in a formulation, we gotta be careful about all the other ingredients ’cause they’re gonna have an impact on whether or not the product is actually clear and whether or not it can be stable to heat. So, you can actually make whey protein stable to heat by controlling the mineral profile and controlling some of the processing conditions. You’re now taking a category of dairy ingredient and you’re starting to use technology IP to be able to provide specific functional characteristics that aren’t normally part of that ingredient. All of these may be called the same thing, and the basic consumer has absolutely no idea what the differences between all these things are. And when they’re looking at a label, they’re probably looking for the word whey protein, and that’s all they’re looking for. Josh White: As we’ve seen the market tighten up, we’ve seen [00:19:00] more inquiries and exploration about the use of pro cream,also called WPPC, also called WPC 70, so many different names. Definitely, in our experience, there’s quite a uniqueness as we originate this product from different manufacturers. Perhaps we can talk a bit more about what this product is and how it differs from the other proteins in the complex. Lloyd Metzger: I talked about WPC 80. That’s just the normal whey protein that we concentrate out of whey. And then, I mentioned whey protein isolate. To convert WPC 80 to a whey protein isolate, you use a filtration step called microfiltration. And in that microfiltration step, you remove any protein that is interacting with fat and take that out of the system. So, if you start with a normal WPC 80 and we’re gonna change it into a WPI. We are gonna go through a microfiltration process and we’re gonna lose about 25% of the protein that was there and all of the fat that was there. And [00:20:00] we’re gonna make a WPI out of that. And that WPI is gonna have about 75% of the protein we started with. The protein that we harvest out of that is actually pro cream. pro cream is just a byproduct of converting WPC 80 into WPI, and it’s gonna have about 25% of the mass of the protein that you started with, and all of the fat that was in that starting WPC 80 material. So that’s why you see it called high-fat WPC 30, and if you dry that down, it’s about a WPC 60. You can take that and blend that with WPC 34. You can do all kinds of things with that ingredient. Manufacturers are always trying to find a home for that. ’cause you’ve got a very high value product that’s easy to market in WPI. Ted Jacoby III: Lloyd, that pro cream, our hunch is there’s a lot more value in that pro cream than the market currently has its head around. Lloyd Metzger: they’re the same proteins that are in WPI, they’re just interacting with a fat. Now the fat [00:21:00] is very unique in that there’s quite a bit of phospholipid fat in there. And so there’s a lot of literature and research being done on the potential health benefits for brain development of phospholipids for infants as well as elderly to help with memory retention and actually help to prevent some Alzheimer’s effects. So, you see some companies starting to market that component that they’ve isolated. I think there is a lot of potential value there. But we’re in the early stages of where that’s gonna go. And you have some companies leading the way that are producing very specialized pro cream type products that are being used in infant nutrition or elderly nutrition. TJ Jacoby: But Lloyd, how do those phospholipids affect the shelf life of pro cream? Lloyd Metzger: They don’t help. The phospholipids are unsaturated fats or partially unsaturated and unsaturated fats are very easy to oxidize, so if they’re not handled properly, you’ll get very stale and oxidized off flavors in the product. It’s something you gotta be careful of. Ted Jacoby III: Oxidized fats, [00:22:00] another way to call that. That’s rancid, right? Yes. Lloyd Metzger: On its way to rancid. Josh White: Another selling point that people will make of the benefits of pro cream are IgGs. Can you guys explain a bit more of what that is to the layman? Lloyd Metzger: So, immunoglobulin is a protein that’s also present in milk. It’s really high in colostrum. It’s at very low levels in milk about 72 hours after the cow was started milking, the levels drop way down, but there is still a low level there. Those immunoglobulins are a very large protein. So when you go through your WPI manufacturing process, they’re gonna partition with that fat and that protein portion that you’re capturing. So they’re gonna go in that pro cream. Looking at the composition of IgG in the different waste streams, you’ll find it’s elevated in that pro cream portion. Now I’d be a little concerned about what kind of shape that IgGs in because you’ve seen a lot of heat [00:23:00] and different manufacturing conditions through that process. So you’d really have to be careful about what kind of claims you’re making based on what kind of shape that IgGs in. Mm-hmm. TJ Jacoby: For an infant, those IgGs will go right into the bloodstream. It’s whole proteins, but for us, it actually has to break up the protein entirely before it can be absorbed into our system. So what kind of functional benefits does IgG bring for an adult? I’d be curious to see what that literature entails. Mike Brown (2): Over the last couple decades, DNA technology has been used more and more to produce valuable proteins, often for medical use like insulin. Are we gonna see a point with the cost benefit of that kind of technology we’ll reach where we can actually use that to produce these whey proteins rather than using a cow? Lloyd Metzger: There’s different levels of concern depending on the particular protein. An individual protein and an individual soluble protein like beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin that are in [00:24:00] whey, those have more potential to be produced in a fermentation type process. ’cause they’re an individual protein. You can over express it, you can get a lot of that produced. But when you get to the complexities of multiple proteins that are in whey, that’s when it really becomes uneconomical to do that from a fermentation standpoint. ’cause you’ve gotta produce all of those individually, try to put ’em together, then purify ’em. What people forget is how efficient the cow is. The cow is essentially a walking fermentation tank that feeds itself, controls its own temperature, cleans itself up. All you’ve gotta do is get the milk out of it. When you look at all the steps that go into the process and what it takes to produce it, it’s really hard to beat the efficiency of a cow. Ted Jacoby III: Lloyd, am I right in assuming that the threat of cellular agriculture to dairy would come in the development of specific protein chains and amino acids, but probably not in terms of the complete [00:25:00] protein profile that is delivered in milk proteins and whey proteins. Lloyd Metzger: Correct. And it would be the very high-end, expensive. So the lactoferrin. It would be your first one or some of the IgG, anything that is at low concentration and very high value. Because even if you did everything perfectly, you’re probably still talking $25 to $30 a pound in the manufacturer and isolation process. Well, we we’re really excited about $11 whey protein isolate. Right? You know, and that’s still half the price. Ted Jacoby III: Makes sense. Lloyd, TJ, this was an absolutely fantastic discussion. This was exactly what I wanted to get out of it. I can tell you I learned quite a bit today and I’m sure our listeners will too. Thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it. Lloyd Metzger: No problem. Happy to do it. TJ Jacoby: Truly special to be on today, Dad. I grew up listening to a lot of these podcasts, right? Now we’re here, now we’re on it together with you. So, no, it was truly special.[00:26:00]

In this episode, we preview Monday's matchup between Arizona and South Dakota State. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

HEY! We encourage you to listen to this show as part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out!Merry Christmas Eve Eve!Go ahead an unwrap our Happy Hour with John Gaskins early Christmas present to you — nothing much different than any other Tuesday with Sioux Falls Live's Matt Zimmer on the show.No "Top 5 Christmas Movies" or "Most Overrated Christmas Songs" lists, or "Egg Nog — Yea or Nay?"No "Year in Review" chronological stroll down memory lane of the biggest sports stories of 2025. (That's for tomorrow's Happy Hour — our Christmas Eve present!) Instead, Zim and the host give the gift that keeps on giving the whoooooooole year for the last five years of the weekly "Nobody's LIstening Anyway" podcast — brutal honesty and candor (with some humor) about the most intriguing current sports topics of the Sioux Empire and South Dakota.In this week's case, yet another discussion about what the future may look like for both NDSU and SDSU in college football, thanks to the latest internet whispers about the Bison's "playing footsie" with the Mountain West Conference. While nothing has been confirmed as fact, it's an open door to discussing which level of football is more desirable for NDSU and SDSU — the FCS or FBS.Did the humiliation of James Madison and Tulane by Power Four schools with far more resources and NIL money signal the beginning of the end to a "seat at the table" for the "rest of the FBS" beyond the Big 10, SEC, ACC, and Big 12? It certainly appears so.If that's the case, do the Bison and Jackrabbits really have a reason to move up? Well, maybe if there is ever the splitting of P4 from Non-P4, creating a new sub-level Div. I fusion of Group of Six FBS programs with some of the more established FBS-ish operations in the FCS like NDSU, SDSU, Montana, Montana State, and USD. As usual, Zim moves to the beat of his own drum on this topic. Then, a dive into the splashiest early pre-transfer portal headlines — heavy hitters who have announced they are staying at SDSU (Chase Mason, Quentin Christensen) and leaving USD (L.J. Phillips and Larenzo Fenner).It isn't just a conversation about the retention of players, but the types of players the two South Dakota programs recruit. Nuance is necessary and provided.Nuance would have been nice as rumors exploded about the possibility that Kalen DeBoer would ever leave Alabama for Michigan. Zim, a former teammate of DeBoer's in South Dakota amateur baseball who also covered DeBoer's five-year run of NAIA dominance at the University of Sioux Falls, sheds his own light on watching the speculation ignite in a ball of flames during the Crimson Tide's 17-point comeback playoff win at Oklahoma.Stocking stuffer — a glimpse into a weekend of South Dakota State's women's basketball that featured the two marquee games on the non-conference schedule within four days of each other. Duke and Texas both soundly beat the Jackrabbits. What might this mean in March for SDSU's possible NCAA Tournament seeding? Is it too early to just assume the Jacks will reach the Big Dance, which feels like an annual rite of passage?    Stocking stuffer II — Now what for Minnesota Vikings fans like Zim if J.J. McCarthy is done for the season with his new hand injury? It seemed like tracking the quarterback's progression to see if there is something to be optimistic about in 2026 has likely been replaced with the QB quandary that has stunted the team's growth for most of our lives.Merry Christmas. Bah Humbug! 

They just can't believe it.  To some — especially college football fans outside of South Dakota and the FCS — it just doesn't make any sense. Why would 6'4, 230 lb., bodybuilder-framed, rocket-armed, runaway freight train fast Chase Mason stay at South Dakota State for his final season of college eligibility when he has already been offered over $1 million to play at least one Power Four school (according to his SDSU head coach)? Beyond the life-changing money, Mason could potentially raise his NFL stock — and there is plenty, according to NFL scouts Mason and Dan Jackson converse — by playing against the highest level of CFB competition in front of 70,000-plus seat stadiums and millions of weekly national TV viewers.  NFL stock aside, just the P4 QB1 experience alone appears intoxicating and once-in-a-lifetime, as one of Mason's former teammates Mark Gronowski made it appear at times at Iowa after leaving SDSU for a reported $1,000,000 to $2,000,000.  Mason made it clear in his 68-minute chat with Happy Hour on Monday — "never in a million years" did he consider transferring, and no prospects of seven figure NIL dough will change his mind and convince him to enter the CFB portal, which will be open Jan. 2-16. The former Viborg-Hurley state champion quarterback, FBS-offered, and University of Nebraska baseball player said NFL scouts have told Jackson that he does not need to play at a higher level in 2026 to raise his stock. But more than anything, Mason cited over and over again during the Monday chat that, to him, nothing compares to the culture and "brotherhood" he experiences at SDSU and he doesn't want to discover the downsides to exploring if the grass is greener beyond the Benjamins at a big-league school. Again, some wonder — there has to be a catch, right? Perhaps he isn't worth mondo money and knows it and he actually doesn't have any higher-level interest. Perhaps anyone who claims he is a legitimate NFL QB prospect is either overblowing that notion or flat-out lying. Listening to Mason's entire Happy Hour chat could clear some confusion, but for good measure, Tuesday's show features the Sioux Falls Live sports reporter who has covered Mason closer than anyone the last seven years back to his high school days. Matt Zimmer helps the Twitter keyboard warriors and fans of other fan bases make sense of all the Mason-is-staying hype from the last 24 hours. In particular, Zim revisits Mason's past and why he transferred from Nebraska to SDSU and changed sports in the first place four years ago. NFL? There's a Jackrabbit track record of the last decade that's beyond decent. There's a comparison between Gronowski and Mason regarding their NFL stock that Zim finds worth noting. And now that Mason is coming back, should we project SDSU to take a leap back to the status of the FCS elite after a 9-5 season that ended in the second round? What kind of talent can we assume is coming back to surround Mason to make a national championship run in 2026? (After all, the portal window isn't open until Jan. 2-16, so nobody really knows which 2025 Jacks besides Mason are going to stay). Zim lays out his current outlook and explains why Jackson is looking more to the Div. II and NAIA ranks than the FBS for transfers to fill positions of need. Speaking of South Dakotans announcing they are staying in their powerhouse programs, Zim dives into Kalen DeBoer's remaining the coach at Alabama despite being a floated name in the media as a candidate at Michigan and Penn State. Why is Alabama — as hot as the seat appears to be sometimes — a better gig for DeBoer than the jobs in Ann Arbor and Happy Valley? Then, some words about the 7-6 start for SDSU men's hoops, which included Monday's 87-72 loss to Wyoming. Does this feel like a "down" year without a clear Summit League star like Oscar Cluff, Zeke Mayo, Baylor Scheierman, David Jenkins, or Mike Daum?  

Dissecting some under-the-radar teams of intrigue, previewing some prime time matchups on the horizon, and more with Jamie Steyer Johnson and Helen Williams. HerHoopStats.com: Unlock better insight about the women's game.The Her Hoop Stats Newsletter: https://herhoopstats.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This weekly show is now part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, MidwestSportsPlus.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out!Is it time for the Coyotes to take a seat at the FCS "grownup" table? In other words, to make room to expand the "Big Four" of FCS football — North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Montana State, Montana — to the "Big Five?"USD has made three consecutive quarterfinals, something NDSU and SDSU — who have split the last four national titles, two apiece — can't say after losing in the round of 16 on Saturday (but the Bobcats and the Grizzlies can).Unlike the Big Four, the Coyotes haven't played in an FCS national title game within the last four years, or ever. We'll find out how they stack up against a blue blood Saturday on ABC in a time window when Army-Navy will be the only other football game to watch on over-the-air TV.But Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer and Happy Hour host John Gaskins dig in to what three years of USD reaching this round means, particularly for a 2025 team that has won five consecutive games — four against ranked teams — and left a 47-0 bruise on SoCon champ Mercer, the nation's best (statistical) offense and rush defense, by holding the Bears to 277 total yards (227 short of their average) and bulldozing them for 316 rushing yards (226 over their average).So, will the Coyotes stack up to the Grizzlies better than the Jackrabbits, who were 50-burgered? Zim and John kick that around as well in this week's edition of their five-years-and-running weekly podcast "Nobody's Listening Anyway."Also on the docket:* Why is Zim happy for Jimmy Rogers at Iowa State, and why does he find it nonsense to bash his character for leaving Washington State after less than a year to take his third head coaching job in four years? And why, in hindsight, was he still the best choice to take over for John Stiegelmeier?* Why does Zim feel Chase Mason doesn't need to go to the Big Ten or SEC or any FBS school to show NFL pros he is worthy of an early rounds NFL Draft selection?* What is Zim's sense of how many SDSU players who aren't out of eligibility will stick around?* Does NDSU's early round exit from the FCS Playoffs make the postseason more interesting or more boring? Does it make the FCS stronger? Does it strengthen or weaken the case that the Bison should want to stay in the FCS?* Oh, and should James Madison's entry into the CFB Playoffs make the case for NDSU and SDSU to "move up?" Actually, Zim says no. Why?* Bowl games — yeah, their prestige has been weakened over the decades by the sheer volume of them, the number of top players sitting them out, and now the number of teams refusing to play in them. Does that mean they should all go away? Zim says no. Hear why.

Colter Nuanez opens the show with Pete Hamill of Vertical Raise to break down Montana's latest win over South Dakota State  from the game's biggest momentum swings to standout performers and what the victory means moving forward. The two also unveil the final Prep AA Vertical Raise Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. (3:11)Next, Geoff Safford sits down with Sentinel women's basketball head coach Maddie Kiest for a full preview of the Spartans' upcoming season as they prepare to tip off this Friday. (22:18)To close the show, Colter delivers his Treasure State Stars of the Week, spotlighting standout performances from across Montana. This week's honorees include Griz Football's Dillon Botner, the newly named FCS National Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and 2019 world champion steer wrestler Ty Erickson, who is off to a blazing start this season. (40:14)

Colter Nuanez opens the show by breaking down the biggest matchups across the FCS landscape, starting with Illinois State's unbelievable upset win over NDSU, UC Davis' impressive performance in their victory over Rhode Island, and South Dakota's dominant showing against Mercer.From there, Colter dives into a wild weekend in Montana football, unpacking the Grizzlies' statement win over South Dakota State and Montana State's nail-biter against Yale. He digs into the defining moments of each game and what they signal for both teams moving forward. The episode also features conversations with coaches Brent Vigen, Bobby Hauck, and Dan Jackson, as well as players Solomon Tuliaupupu and Drew Deck, offering fresh insight straight from the field and locker rooms. Whether you follow the Griz, the Cats, or the wider FCS landscape, this episode delivers sharp, timely analysis from top to bottom.

Colter Nuanez is joined by former Griz quarterback and longtime NFL coach Marty Mornhinweg to break down Montana's huge win over South Dakota State, highlighting Ay Yat's standout performance and a Griz offense that erupted for 50 points. They also dig into the postgame scuffle involving Brent Vigen and Julius Davis and what it reveals about the rivalry's intensity.From there, Colter and Marty turn to the NFL, unpacking the Chiefs' surprising loss to the Texans, the Packers' huge divisional win over the Bears, and their take on a big Monday Night Football matchup between the Eagles and Chargers. 

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central recap all the second-round games of the 2025 FCS Football Playoffs. The duo discusses Illinois State's historic upset over North Dakota State, Montana's offensive explosion against South Dakota State, South Dakota's statement win against Mercer, Tarleton State's impressive performance against North Dakota, Villanova's defensive battle against Lehigh, and Stephen F. Austin's exciting win over Abilene Christian. All this and more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Colter Nuanez breaks down the latest hardwood action for both the Griz and Bobcat men's and women's basketball teams. (2:16)Then Colter sits down with South Dakota State head football coach Dan Jackson to preview the Jackrabbits' upcoming showdown with Montana at Washington–Grizzly Stadium on Saturday. (12:26)Next, Geoff Safford delivers rink-side insight, featuring interviews with Bobcats captain Hayden Klem (33:45) and defenseman Mack Kline (41:46) as we gear up for the Brawl of the Wild: Hockey Edition this Friday at Glacier Ice Rink in Missoula.And finally, Colter reacts to Josh Margolis's tip about an NAIA playoff team reportedly being removed from the postseason. (50:10)

Colter Nuanez is joined by FCS expert and HERO Sports contributor Sam Herder to break down the latest action across the FCS landscape and preview the upcoming playoff matchups—including Montana's showdown with South Dakota State and Montana State's clash with Yale. (6:17)Then, Colter sits down with Missoula native Adam Jones to discuss the Cats securing the outright Big Sky title, what it means for a hometown kid to win inside Washington–Grizzly Stadium, and how Montana State is gearing up for Saturday's matchup with Yale.(31:35)To close the show, Colter shares his thoughts on Eli Gillman being left off the Walter Payton Award watch list despite his standout season for the Grizzlies. (40:18)

Colter sits down with Medium contributor and South Dakota State insider Tanner Castora to break down the Jackrabbits' roller-coaster season and analyze their high-stakes showdown with Montana inside a roaring Washington–Grizzly Stadium this Saturday. Tanner brings sharp insight, key matchups to watch, and what SDSU must do to survive in Missoula. (2:24)Then, Colter catches up with Montana star running back Eli Gillman, fresh off an 11–1 regular season. Gillman reflects on the Griz's dominant year, the mindset in the locker room, and what it will take to punch their ticket past South Dakota State. (32:42)

Colter Nuanez is joined by University of Montana Assistant Club Sports Director Tucker Sargent to break down the latest developments in UM club athletics. Tucker also weighs in on the New England Patriots holding the best record in the NFL, and, as an East Coast native, offers his unique perspective on Yale traveling to Montana to face Montana State on Saturday. (1:35)Later, Colter catches up with Havre native Kellan Detrick after practice for a quick interview to preview the Grizzlies' huge showdown with South Dakota State this Saturday at Washington–Grizzly Stadium. (40:43)

Joe DeLeone & Sean Anderson react to the full slate of FCS playoff round 1 games. Yale shocked Youngstown State, South Dakota State is back to form & the MVFC is rolling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central discuss the official 2025 FCS Playoff bracket and recap all the FCS football action from Week 13. The duo discusses Montana State's impressive victory over Montana, South Dakota State's overtime thriller against North Dakota, & Yale's dominant win over Harvard. The two also analyze the official 2025 FCS Playoff bracket, highlighting the key matchups, potential upsets, and some questionable seeding choices by the playoff committee. All this & more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central preview the biggest FCS games on the Week 13 slate. The duo discusses the Brawl of the Wild between No. 2 Montana and No. 3 Montana State, a massive Ivy League clash between No. 8 Harvard and Yale, the battle for the Patriot League auto bid between No. 4 Lehigh and Lafayette, and another Top 25 matchup between No. 13 North Dakota and No. 22 South Dakota State. We also make our “Superdog” upset picks of the week and preview multiple other key Week 13 matchups. All this and more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Sam and Zach discuss:-3 Game Balls and a Flag from Week 11-USD, Mercer, Lamar, YSU, and NDSU all pick up wins in ranked matchups-Playoff scenarios for teams and conferences, and how some Week 12 games impact the postseason picture-Notable games include No. 14 Illinois State at No. 16 South Dakota State, No. 19 Lamar at No. 15 Stephen F. Austin, No. 17 South Dakota at No. 21 Southern Illinois, No. 9 UC Davis at No. 3 Montana State, and No. 11 Rhode Island at MaineThe podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit HERO Sports for FCS coverage and BetMGM for online betting odds.

“[The marathon] rewards people that are patient, consistent, and build up strength. I've got a good engine, so late in the race I feel like my cardio holds up very well. As long as the body holds up, it's going to be a good day!”My guest for today's episode is Joel Reichow, who could be viewed as a surprise story of the New York City Marathon and the top American finisher in 2025.In a race packed with Olympians and pros backed by some of the biggest brands in running, Joel — a 32-year-old unsponsored athlete from Minnesota — ran the best race of his life, clocking 2:09:56 to finish sixth overall and claim top American honors.At 24 miles, he was still in 12th and starting to get a bit tired. Then he saw the front starting to come back and ripped a 4:45 mile to catch them. He held strong through Central Park and won out for the U.S. honors over the likes of Charles Hicks and Joe Klecker.Joel's marathon journey hasn't been flashy. He ran for South Dakota State under Rod DeHaven, grinded through years on the roads, and is working at a running store while chasing marathon miles.Patience paid off, and finally, he put it all together on one perfect day in New York.We talk about what it takes to break through, how he's supporting the dream and his recollection of Sunday's race. Joel may have come into New York as a name few knew but now he's certainly on most people's radars.____________Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠Guest: Joel Reichow | @joelreichow on InstagramProduced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSNOMIO: Made with 80% broccoli sprout juice, 15% lemon juice, and 5% sugar, Nomio activates your body's natural defense systems to reduce lactate, speed recovery, and enhance muscle adaptation. Take one 60 ml shot three hours before training or racing and feel lighter, stronger, and more resilient. Available at The Feed — use code CITIUS15 for 15% off | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thefeed.com/collections/nomio⁠⁠⁠WAHOO: The KICKR RUN isn't just another treadmill; it's a complete rethink of indoor running. With Dynamic Pacing, it automatically adjusts to your stride—no buttons, no breaking form, just pure running freedom. Its Terrain Simulation makes the deck feel like a track or trail, while lateral tilt mimics real-world conditions so you're always prepared for race day. So whether you're chasing your first half-marathon finish, a marathon PR, or your next trail adventure, the KICKR RUN is built to help you Run Your Run. Check it all out at WahooFitness.com and use code CITIUS at checkout.OLIPOP: Olipop's Crisp Apple: it's like sparkling apple juice meets those gummy apple rings from your childhood. It's sweet, fizzy, and comforting. Crisp Apple started as a holiday special, but people went absolutely wild for it. You begged, Olipop listened, and now it's officially part of the family. Like every Olipop, it's made with real ingredients that do good. 50 calories, 5g of sugar, and full of prebiotics and plant fiber that help your gut feel right. You can find Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, or just head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 for 25% off your orders.