Two ex-Bulldog athletes are playing full-contact, tackle football for a professional Minnesota football team.

 

And we’re not talking football players of the male persuasion.

 

Nina McDowall (2008 graduate) and Amanda Ritchie (2011 graduate) are teammates on the American Football Minnesota Vixen, a women’s football team that combines rules from the NFL and the NCAA.

The Vixen were first established in 1999.

 

Last year’s team had a 6-2 record and featured women in ages from 18-47 years and range in size from 120 pounds to …well, a lot more than that.

 

McDowall is in her second year while Ritchie is in her first. McDowall missed most of last year’s playing due to a pre-season injury, but is now healthy and ready to contribute to the longest continuously operating  women’s tackle team in existence. McDowall’s position with the team is listed as “TBD” and she wears the number 35.

 

Ritchie will be playing the positions of wide receiver and cornerback and will wear the #23 jersey. Ritchie was a star athlete at Becker, playing lacrosse, tennis and basketball. She went on to study at Minnesota State University, Mankato where she hopes to graduate in May with a bachelors in exercise science.

 

The Vixen have 61 team members and 34 rookies. They average around 27 years of age and the players represent over 38 Minnesota cities. The team is coached by Brandon Pelinka, Damion Topping,  Adam Griffith, Danny Ekstrand, Jeff Gehring and Darrion Branscomb.

 

Their home field is the Simley Athletic Field in Inver Grove Heights and thus far the team is 2-0. The next home game is May 7 at 6 p.m, against the Detroit Pride.