By Micah Friez
Published 7:00 am on September 6, 2025
When Emily Lauritsen moved to Bemidji, she didn’t know she’d be establishing a new town.
But now, the self-proclaimed first lady of Bemidji State Athletics is a loyal ambassador to the athletic department she has affectionately coined “Beav City.”
“When Britt got the job, I was excited to learn everything I could about Bemidji State,” she said. “And now I’m the No. 1 Beav City fan.”
Emily’s wife, Britt, was hired as BSU’s athletic director in July 2022. Naturally, Emily adopted Bemidji State as her rooting interest of choice. And the following summer, she began a new tradition with her family of origin by recruiting them from around the country to participate in the annual Howe-Welle Women’s Athletics Golf Tournament.
The 2025 Howe-Welle was the third year in a row that Lauritsen has brought her cohort to golf in the name of supporting BSU’s nine women’s athletics programs.
“We want to make sure we show up for those programs and help support them,” Lauritsen said. “Of course we’re out here and get to play golf, but really, it’s just about trying to raise money for the student-athletes so they can have a good experience.”
Supporters certainly made an impact this summer, raising an event-record $48,000. And of course, that tally includes contributions from Lauritsen’s parents and sister coming from Omaha, Neb., and her uncle coming from Las Vegas — all of whom joined forces to compete together.
They admitted mid-round that they may not win the event, but they were sure going to have more fun than any other group.
“The Howe-Welle is really special because it’s like my worlds are colliding,” Lauritsen said. “We love BSU, and we love the people we’ve met here. We tell our family members about these people all the time. Our friends hear about our family a lot. Getting to see those worlds collide is always a fun thing.”
And, more importantly, she recognizes that it’s for an important cause. Like all of Bemidji State’s summer golf fundraisers, the Howe-Welle provides critical funding to help the teams pursue their next championship.
For many women’s programs, the next trophy they lift will partially be traced back to the impact that supporters made at this year’s Howe-Welle. And, as Lauritsen shrewdly pointed out, the event also furthers the influence that alumnae can have on their former programs.
“The support is incredibly important,” Lauritsen said. “Not only is it financially necessary to keep the programs running from an operations standpoint, but getting people out here to engage with the student-athletes and the alums reminds everyone that this is what it’s for: It’s for the athletes.”
Even though she’s not a BSU grad or employed by the athletic department herself, Lauritsen still takes her role seriously. For example, she makes a point to learn the name of every student-athlete on every team. Once they’ve been here a year or two, Lauritsen wants to know their major and more about them personally. She’s often offering snacks for a road trip or fist bumps before a home game, and she’s not shy about wearing her green and white pride on her sleeve in the stands.
After all, what else would you expect from the first lady of Beav City?
“Being able to see our student-athletes go out, compete, succeed and give their best effort, it hypes me up,” Lauritsen said. “They deserve that excitement and energy, and I’m just thankful to be the one to bring it.”
