Cj Wrzesien

C.J. Wrzesien is a junior Communication major with a Journalism minor at Bethel University in St.Paul, Minnesota. 

I have a passion for writing about sports, whether that's covering an game, writing a profile about an athlete or shooting photo and video of an event. I enjoy telling stories about what athletes are doing on and off the field. 

I enjoy watching baseball, playing the guitar and going on long drives while listening to his favorite rock and metal albums. Looking for an internship in sports either covering a team in their communications department or working for a newspaper. 

The Clarion •

Royals’ season survives, Johnson’s legacy kept alive

Steve Johnson paced around a huddle of Bethel University football players following the team’s 31-14 win over Concordia College. Johnson announced to his team Monday, and later to the Bethel community, that this season would be his last.

While his career as a whole lives on for one more week, Johnson gave his traditional post-game lesson – often about the privilege of God’s freedom, handling challenges in real life and being a “soft-hearted, tough sucker” – extracted from the game.

In his post
Medium •

Better late than never

As Boston’s “More than a Feeling” plays, John Solfest trots out to the pitcher’s mound at Bethel University’s Hargis Park. Solfest chose his walk-out song, “More than a Feeling” as a nod to his dad, whose favorite band is Boston. Solfest recalls many times growing up blasting the song in his dad’s old pickup.

“He likes to come out to these games here at Bethel and it’s always fun seeing him up there,” Solfest said. “I kind of picked that song for him.”

Sporting a royal blue 44Pro brand glove o
The Clarion •

Johnson’s final game epitomizes legacy

[Editor’s note: The headline has been changed for clarity]

Six NCAA Division III national championship flags pointed northeast as the orange streamers above each field goal post at Perkins Stadium in Whitewater, Wisconsin fluttered in the 13-mile-per-hour wind Saturday.

The Bethel University Royals made the nearly five-hour drive to take on the fifth nationally ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks in the first round of the Division III football playoffs. The Royals lost 42-14, fi
ROYAL REPORT •

The game that transcends race

Jeremy Iwaszkowiec glances around his office on the second floor of the Robertson Center at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Surrounding him on the walls of his office are team photos of previous soccer teams, each one telling a unique story of a different team and a different season. Iwaszkiewicz is the head coach of Bethel’s men’s soccer team, a group with a more diverse collection of players than any other on campus.

Iwaszkowiec came to Bethel after assistant coaching at the Divisio
hometownsource.com •

Lakeville resident is running for a cause

Laura Hanneman begins the climb up “Heartbreak Hill” a half-mile stretch on the back half of the world famous Boston Marathon. As Hanneman begins the ascent on this hot, humid April morning in Boston she looks to complete her fifth marathon in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series. As she reaches the top of Heartbreak Hill, she is tired but feeling confident she could break the six-hour mark needed for a series-qualifying time for the London Marathon in 2025.

Laura Hanneman begins the climb u...
The Clarion •

Embracing the challenge

Bethel University freshman Nainoa Hayashi fields the two-hop ground ball at third base and fires it toward freshman second baseman Loren Owan. Owan completes the around-the-horn double play with a throw to first during infield drills. It’s 8 p.m. on a Friday night, but instead of hanging out playing video games in their dorm, Hayashi and Cannon are at baseball practice in the Sports and Recreation Center.

The pair are more than just a double play duo, however. Hayashi and Owan, along with Chris
The Clarion •

Chasing history

Chris McKelvie looks on from behind the bench as his Royals take a 4-0 lead over 10th-ranked St. Scholastica in their Feb. 2 matchup. At the west end of Bethel University Arena McKelvie sees the gold banner of the 2006-2007 Royals, the only team in program history to win a conference title. With a win tonight, the Royals will move into first place in the MIAC — a place McKelvie has been working to get the program to since he took over six years ago.

McKelvie began his journey to Bethel first as
Textura 2022 •

Punching through poverty — Textura 2022

At 6 a.m. Harsola sleeps, the fog a blanket across the town. Alongside a few stray dogs and cows, teen boxers make their way to school four hours before classes begin. Some ride bikes or are dropped off by mothers wrapped in scarves against the 35-degree cold. Anjali, 15, and her brother walk themselves along the main road and through the gate of the school — barely visible to anyone unless they are less than 10 feet away. Students arrive out of the mist, like singers stepping through a fog mach
ROYAL REPORT •

#TFTB

Bethel University students’ favorite teachers ranged from their first male teacher in fourth grade to their current undergraduate adviser. One teacher did headstands, one let students take naps and yet another let students choose classwork for a month.

Other students appreciated their current professors for being quality advisers and honest. One professor “literally” changed a student’s life.

“My favorite teacher was my sixth grade teacher,” freshman psychology major Izzy Balvin said. “Because
ROYAL REPORT •

Bethel running back transfers closer to home

Beyond his home life, Kinney’s motivation on the football field comes from the desire to live up to some of the biggest influences in his life– his uncles and his cousin. All of whom became collegiate football players.. Kinney remembers watching his uncles play football at a boy’s Catholic High School while he grew up in Chicago. “ It was amazing to watch them play,” Kinney said. “They were always doing good at their job and just having fun with the game.” He also watched his cousin Fabian McCre