New York Mills graduate Dana Patsie (Rutten) was inducted into the North Dakota State University Athletic Hall of Fame last weekend. She was a center for the Lady Bison from 1984-88.
Patsie grew up on a dairy farm in rural New York Mills, the youngest of four children. She was a four-year letterwinner in both volleyball and basketball for the Eagles and was voted conference MVP in basketball her junior and senior year. She scored her 1,000th high school point against Verndale on Dec. 2, 1983 with a 31-point performance.
After her senior season, Patsie was named to the Minnesota Out-State All-Star team and played against future NDSU teammate and fellow Hall of Fame inductee, Edie Boyer.
At NDSU, Patsie overcame a devastating knee injury her freshman year and three surgeries throughout her career to become one of North Dakota State's top performers in the paint and became a part of Women's Basketball of Fame coach Amy Ruley's NCAA and North Central Conference championship foundation.
The Bison compiled a 97-24 record during her career, advanced to three NCAA tournaments including a pair of NCAA Division II Final Four appearances, finishing second in 1986 and third in 1988. NDSU also claimed a pair of NCC titles during that stretch.
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Patsie was named to the Kodak All-District first team and All-NCC first team selection in 1988. She was selected MVP of the 1988 NCAA quarterfinal vs. St. Joseph's (Ind.) and named to the 1988 NCAA regional all-tournament team.
She was a three-time NCC Player of the Week and is only one of three Lady Bison players with a "20-20" performance, with 26 points and 21 rebounds against the University of North Dakota during 1985 season.
Patsie averaged 11.5 points during her career and finished with 1,142 points and 809 rebounds in 99 career games. She also ranks No. 8 in blocked shots (139) and No. 8 in field goal percentage (.492, 457-928). Her senior season .551 field goal percentage (205-for-372) is the fifth highest in school history, and she is one of two Bison women to record multiple 20 rebound games.
The former Eagle great was also a three-time Academic All-NCC first team selection.
Patsie worked at Ford Motor Credit in Minneapolis upon her graduation from NDSU in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and she remained there until 2001 in a variety of positions.
She moved back to New York Mills in the summer of 2000. Patsie continues to work part-time for two non-profit agencies that serve low-income families with emergency financial assistance and counseling
Dana has been married to her high school sweetheart, Louis Rutten, for 17 years, and they have three daughters, Hannah, Ellie and Lydia.
