MN Lynx Sign First-Round Pick Lindsey Moore

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the signing of first-round draft pick Lindsey Moore (12th overall).

Moore, 21, averaged 15.1 points and 5.7 assists per game as a senior with Nebraska last season, dishing out a career-high and school-record 195 assists en route to being named an Associated Press All-American honorable mention. She finished the season first in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.14), third in assists (5.7), eighth in scoring (15.1), eighth in three-point percentage (.382) and 10th in field goal percentage (.468). In the NCAA Tournament, Moore led Nebraska to the Regional Semi-Finals for the second time in her four-year career, becoming the first player in school history to start on a pair of Sweet 16 squads.

The first chance fans have to see the defending Western Conference Champion’s new-look roster is the team’s preseason contest at Target Center on Tuesday, May 21 at 12 p.m. Tickets for the preseason game are available starting at $15, with season ticket members and groups of 10 or more receiving a discounted rate of $12.

The 15th season of professional women’s basketball in Minnesota kicks off Saturday, June 1 at 7 p.m. when the Lynx take on the Connecticut Sun. Beginning as low as $18 per game, subject to demand, or $187 for a full-season package, fans can purchase tickets by calling the Lynx at 612-673-8400 or by visiting LynxBasketball.com/LynxTix.

UND's Kristo Named To US National Team For IIHF World Championship

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota senior forward Danny Kristo is among the first 15 players selected to represent the United States at the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship, it was announced today by USA Hockey. The 2013 IIHF World Championship takes place May 3-19 in Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden.

Kristo was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist and a first-team All-American in 2012-13 after leading the WCHA in goals (26) and tying for second nationally in points (52). Both totals were career highs, as was his team-leading +17 plus/minus rating. He also matched his career high with 26 assists.

The Eden Prairie, Minn., native was named the College Hockey News Player of the Year and was also chosen to the All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) First Team and the NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team, earned his second straight UND Virg Foss 3-Star Award, was a two-time WCHA Player of the Week, and was a national player of the month honorable mention in February.

Kristo finished his collegiate career with 68 goals and 93 assists for 161 points in 157 career games. Following his senior season, Kristo signed a contract with the National Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiens, who selected him in the second round (56^th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in nine games with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Montreal’s American Hockey League affiliate, and collected three assists.

A product of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, Kristo twice represented the United States at the IIHF Under-20 Championship (2010, 2009) and won a gold medal in 2010 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He also helped lead the U.S. to first-place finishes at the 2008 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge and the 2008 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament.

The staff and players of the 2013 U.S. Men's National Team are selected by the U.S. Men's National Team Advisory Group, led by Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. The group includes NHL general managers Stan Bowman (Chicago), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles), David Poile (Nashville), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh), and Dale Tallon (Florida), along with Anaheim Ducks scout Brian Burke and Pittsburgh Penguins scout Don Waddell.

The complete Team USA roster can be seen at USAHockey.com.

NBC Sports is scheduled to televise all Team USA games in the 2013 IIHF Men's World Championship.

Gopher Coach Pitino Announces Staff Additions

 University of Minnesota head men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino today announced the addition of Steve Goodson as the Director of Basketball Operations, Shaun Brown as the Strength and Conditioning Coach and Josh Adel as Video Coordinator.

“I am excited to announce Steve, Shaun and Josh as additions to our staff here at Minnesota,” said Pitino. “I have a history with each one of these guys so they are coming into this situation with knowledge of what is expected of them. They know that they will be playing an integral role as we try and take this program to the next level.”

Steve Goodson – Director of Basketball Operations

Goodson enters his first season as the Director of Basketball Operations under Pitino.

The product of Tell City, Ind. previously spent six seasons on former Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith's staff as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach. He also spent the 2006-07 season as a special assistant to Smith at Kentucky after earning his degree from UK in 2005. During his time working for Smith, Goodson oversaw all video duties and assisted in the running of Coach Smith's basketball camps.

Goodson was a student manager from 2001-05 at UK and a coach for Tubby Smith Basketball Camps. He gained additional experience as an operations intern for USA Basketball each summer from 2002-06. He also assisted the Team USA coaching staff at the 2005 World University Games that won the gold medal in Turkey.

Shaun Brown – Strength and Conditioning Coach

Brown comes to the Twin Cities after spending the last three seasons overseeing the strength and conditioning program at Southern California under head coach Kevin O’Neill.

Prior to relocating to Los Angeles, Brown spent three years (2005-08) at the University of Virginia as the strength and conditioning coach for the Cavaliers basketball program and two years as the head strength coach for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors (2003-05).

Brown also spent six seasons as the head strength coach for the Boston Celtics (1997-2003).

From 1992-97, Brown was the head strength coach for the men’s basketball team at Kentucky. During his time with the Wildcats, the men’s team participated in three Final Fours and won the 1996 NCAA Championship.

Brown served as the head strength coach at Providence from 1989 until April of 1992. Before that he was an assistant strength coach at Rutgers.

Brown earned a bachelor’s degree from Canisius in 1987 and a master’s degree from Ohio State in 1988. He served as a graduate assistant strength coach at Ohio State and as strength and conditioning coach at Dublin HS (Ohio) from August of 1988 to August of 1989.

Josh Adel – Video Coordinator

Adel enters his first year at Minnesota after spending last season with Coach Pitino at Florida International. He previously spent five years with the Florida Gators basketball program.

He began his stint with the Gators in 2007 and was promoted to head manager in August of 2009. As head manager, Adel was responsible for organizing the annual Gator Coaches Clinic. He also attended practices and assisted with the Florida scouting reports.

During his time with UF, the Gators made three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two in the Elite Eight (2011 & 2012). Florida also advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals (2009) and the NIT Semifinals (2008).

Adel received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Florida in 2012.

NDSU Women's Golf Garners 1st League Title & 3-Time Champ

KELLER, Texas - North Dakota State won its first women's golf conference championship and senior Amy Andersonbecame The Summit League's first three-time individual champion Wednesday, April 24, at Sky Creek Ranch.

North Dakota State earned the league's automatic berth into the NCAA regionals to be held at Auburn, Oklahoma and Stanford on May 9-11.  Regional selections will be announced Monday, April 29, at 9 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.

Anderson finished at 7-over-par 223 and all five Bison made the top 20 including freshman Hailey Boner in a four-way tie for sixth at 243.  Junior Abby Knutson tied for 12th with a 245, senior Cydney Hasselberg tied for 14th with a 246 and sophomore Sarah Storandt was 20th with a 249.

North Dakota State entered the final round with a 24-stroke lead, and the Bison needed that cushion.  NDSU's final round 330 was its highest score of the season and the gap narrowed as runner-up Kansas City turned in the day's best round with a 317.

NDSU won with a 949, UMKC finished at 960, IUPUI was third with a 974, Omaha fourth at 979 and Western Illinois fifth with a 997.  Oakland, South Dakota State, Fort Wayne and South Dakota rounded out the team standings in order.

SDSU's Morgan Fitts was the individual runner-up 11 shots behind Anderson at 234.  UMKC's Emily Isaacson was third with a 235, IUPUI's Ana Fernandez de Mes fourth at 238 and Western Illinois' Emily Brink fifth with a 239 to round out the all-tournament team.

It was the first time in Summit League history that a team other than Oral Roberts won the women's golf championship.  ORU won 15 straight titles from 1998 to 2012 including last year's four-stroke victory over NDSU.

North Dakota State is scheduled to play in the annual Dakota Cup this Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club in Morton, Minn.

Summit League All-Tournament Team
Amy Anderson, North Dakota State
Emily Brink, Western Illinois
Ana Fernandez de Mesa, IUPUI
Morgan Fitts, South Dakota State
Emily Isaacson, Kansas City

Coach of the Year: Matt Johnson, North Dakota State
Newcomer of the Championship: Ana Fernandez de Mesa, IUPUI
Championship MVP: Amy Anderson, North Dakota State

 

Courtesy: NDSU Athletic Media Relations

UMC Baseball Signs Pamperin to National Letter of Intent

(Crookston, Minn.) – The University of Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagle Baseball program today announced the signing of Cody Pamperin (Shakopee, Minn.) to a National Letter of Intent for the 2013-2014 season.

A 6-0, 180 lb. right-handed pitcher from Shakopee High School, Pamperin was named Shakopee’s Baseball Rookie of the year in 2012. He was also named All-Missota Conference.

“Pitching is always a major need when it comes to recruiting and Cody Pamperin is an excellent addition for us,” says Golden Eagle Head Coach Chris Vito. “We are excited th at he has chosen the University of Minnesota Crookston and look forward to a great four years”

Cody intends to major in Golf and Turf Management at the University of Minnesota Crookston. He is the son of Chuck and Liz Pamperin.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Lynx Sign Draft Picks Ta’Shauna Rodgers and Janeesa Jeffrey

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the signing of draft picks Ta’Shauna “Sugar” Rodgers (14th overall) and Janeesa “Chucky” Jeffrey (24th overall).

Rodgers, 23, averaged career-highs in points (22.9), rebounds (6.9), assists (4.1) and steals (3.4) as a senior this past season. Her 711 points were the highest single-season point total in program history, while her 2,518 career points are more than any other player – male or female – in school history. A four-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection, Rodgers also wrapped up her collegiate career as the school leader in steals (326), three-pointers (346) and scoring average (19.4), while ranking fourth in games played (130) and eighth in both assists (328) and rebounds (674).

Jeffery, 21, led the Buffaloes across the board -- scoring (13.7 ppg), assists (4.0 apg), rebounds (8.2 rpg) and steals (2.2) -- as a senior this past season. She ranked fourth in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3), fifth in both assists and steals, sixth in rebounding and double-doubles (10), and ninth in scoring. Jeffery was an AP All-American Honorable Mention selection and an All-Pac-12 member for the second consecutive year.

The first chance fans have to see the defending Western Conference Champion’s new-look roster is the team’s preseason contest at Target Center on Tuesday, May 21 at 12 p.m. Tickets for the preseason game are available starting at $15, with season ticket members and groups of 10 or more receiving a discounted rate of $12.

The 15th season of professional women’s basketball in Minnesota kicks off Saturday, June 1 at 7 p.m. when the Lynx take on the Connecticut Sun. Beginning as low as $18 per game, subject to demand, or $187 for a full-season package, fans can purchase tickets by calling the Lynx at 612-673-8400 or by visiting LynxBasketball.com/LynxTix.

T-Wolves & Lynx BB Academy Announces New Basketball Training/Playing Opportunities

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Timberwolves & Lynx Basketball Academy today announced exciting new basketball learning/playing opportunities for this summer and fall.

Summer basketball camps are being offered in the Twin Cities area, including the following cities: Andover, Bloomington, Chanhassen, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Maple Grove, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Mounds View, Plymouth, and Woodbury. There will also be a camp in Wadena. Individual, group, and team training is being offered upon request. The vast knowledge and experience of the Timberwolves & Lynx Basketball Academy staff will help players with fundamentals of shooting, dribbling and defense, along with practice habits and teamwork while implementing them in game-like situations. For more information or to register, go to: www.nba.com/timberwolves/tickets/timberwolves-camps-and-clinics.

All camps and training will be led by Steve Brown, Director of the Timberwolves & Lynx Basketball Academy, along with the Academy's staff of former college players and coaches.

The Academy has also partnered with Midwest 3 on 3 to offer basketball league opportunities. These basketball leagues are designed for boys and girls grades 3-12 with three new leagues added in Coon Rapids, Bloomington and Monticello. The Midwest 3 on 3 leagues offers an exciting, affordable opportunity to enhance individual and team skills. The smaller team size increases offensive and defensive opportunities for each player through basic fundamental team play. The intent of this format is to provide a fun, competitive learning environment for all players. For more information, go to: http://www.midwest3on3.com/index.php.

Mark your calendars in the fall for team preseason training. Last year the Timberwolves & Lynx Basketball Academy worked with many high school teams, including Apple Valley and Orono boys teams as well as the Benilde and Mankato East girls high school teams.

For additional information on all the opportunities provided by the Timberwolves & Lynx Basketball Academy, contact Pat Freeman at (612) 673-1206 or freeman@timberwolves.com.

Daquein McNeil Signs National Letter of Intent With Gophers

 

The Minnesota men’s basketball program announced today that Daquein McNeil has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Gophers.

McNeil, the first player signed during the Richard Pitino tenure at Minnesota, will be eligible to compete during the 2013-14 season.

“Daquein McNeil is an exciting player that affects the game on both ends of the court,” said Pitino. “He is an active guard that has a knack of getting into the lane, but also plays hard on the defensive end. He will be a great fit in our full court style of play.”

The Baltimore native was a three-year starter at Vermont Academy (Saxtons River, Vt.). A 6-3 combo guard, McNeil averaged 19.0 points per game as a senior on the way to second-team All-New England Preparatory School Athletic Council honors.

He scored a season-high 31 points in a game against South Kent. McNeil averaged 16 points, five rebounds and five assists his junior year.

McNeil played his AAU basketball with Nike Baltimore Elite. He averaged 12.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20 EYBL games last season. He received three-star ratings from both Rivals.com and Scout.com.

McNeil initially signed with Florida International, but was granted a release from his NLI and ultimately chose to follow Coach Pitino to Gold Country. At the time when he signed with FIU, McNeil also had offers from Louisville, Oklahoma, Richmond, Rutgers, VCU, UAB and Washington.

NDSU Women’s Track & Field Ranked 11th in Midwest Region

The North Dakota State women’s track & field team is ranked 11th in the Midwest Region in the latest regional rankings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday.

NDSU is the highest ranked team from The Summit League in the weekly regional ranking system. The USTFCCCA uses performances on the national descending order lists to calculate where teams stack up against the competition regionally.

The Midwest Region includes all Division I schools in the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota and North Dakota.

The Bison posted four new national Top-50 performances last week at several meets in southern California. Emily Lesser (23rd, hammer throw), Deborah John (41st, 100m hurdles) and Ashley Tingelstad (42nd, 400m dash) each joined Leslie Brost (13th, pole vault) on the national leaderboards. NDSU’s 4x400m relay team of Brittany Page, Paige Stratioti, Antoinette Goodman and Tingelstad currently stands at No. 33 in the nation.

Tingelstad owns the fastest 400m time in the Midwest Region this season at 53.57 seconds, and John is the second-fastest 100m hurdler in the region at 13.53 seconds.

In all, 10 Bison performances from the 2013 outdoor season currently rank in the national Top 100.

NDSU will compete April 25-27 at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa.

Midwest Region Rankings

1. Kansas
2. Illinois
3. Iowa State
4. Kansas State
5. Nebraska
6. Oklahoma
7. Missouri
8. Wichita State
9. Minnesota
10. Illinois State
11. North Dakota State
12. Iowa
13. Southern Illinois
14. South Dakota
15. Loyola-Chicago

UMC Golf Signings

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston men’s golf program announced the signings of Reed Bohm (St. Hilaire, Minn.) and Evan Lunda (Centuria, Wis.). The pair will begin competing for the Golden Eagles during the 2013-14 season.

“We are very pleased to add Reed and Evan to an already strong young core that we have developed with the last couple recruiting classes here at UMC,” said Golden Eagle head men’s golf coach Jason Tangquist. “Both come from very strong golf programs and have golfed at an elite level during their prep careers. They will both continue to help us build this program into a contender in the NSIC.”

Bohm and Lunda will join the seven golfers UMC will return from this season’s roster. The Golden Eagles only loss from the 2012-13 roster will be Brandon Hanson (Sr., Devils Lake, N.D.). Returning will be five juniors-to be including Zach Cymbaluk (Crookston, Minn.), Blake Held (Cold Spring, Minn.), Seth Heppner (Crookston, Minn.), Matt McClure (Grand Rapids, Minn.) and Jesse Roscoe (Big Stone City, S.D.). Also returning are sophomores-to-be Jordan Radcliffe (Roseau, Minn.) and Michael Roedl (Minneapolis, Minn.).

UMC finished ninth at the NSIC Championships last weekend after improving their standing after a tough fall. The Golden Eagles finished sixth overall in the conference season standings. The Golden Eagles were led at the NSIC Championships by Roscoe, who finished sixth overall at the tournament. Roscoe led the team with three top 10 finishes while McClure had two top 10 finishes including one top five placing.

Reed Bohm/St. Hilaire, Minn./Thief River Falls Lincoln H.S.

High School: Placed fourth at sub-sections during his freshman year at Lincoln H.S…Shot a 76 at the Thief River Falls tournament as a sophomore…Also carded a 76 at the East Grand Forks tournament during his junior year to place second overall…Had three top 10 finishes on the Minnesota PGA Junior Golf Association circuit.

Personal: Son of Kevin and Barb Bohm…Born Sept. 4, 1994…Plans to major in turf/grass management at UMC.

Evan Lunda/Centuria, Wis./Unity H.S.

High School: A three-time First Team All-Lakeland Conference selection…A four-year member of the varsity men’s golf team…Earned the Coaches Award at Unity H.S. twice…A Wisconsin State Tournament participant in 2012, placed 18_th as an individual…A 2012 Wisconsin PGA Junior Golf Association participant…Was in 16th place on the Wisconsin Junior PGA circuit…Played four five years on the Wisconsin Junior PGA circuit…A two-time team captain…Hit a hole-in-one at age 12.

Personal: Son of Jeff and Lori Lunda…Born Sept. 28, 1994…Plans to major in natural resources.

The student-athletes listed as having signed National Letters of Intent or Offers of Admission to play at University of Minnesota Crookston have been verified by the UMC Compliance Office once they sign the National Letter of Intent and financial aid agreement or once the student-athlete has accepted an Offer of Admission from UMC.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at www.goldeneaglesports.com

MN Lynx Sign Shawnice Wilson

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the signing of center Shawnice “Pepper” Wilson from the University of Miami.

In 32 contests last season, Wilson, a 6-6 center from Pittsburgh, Pa., averaged career-highs in both points (10.0 ppg) and rebounds (8.6 rpg) as a senior with the Hurricanes. She finished the year ranking fourth in the ACC free throw percentage (.798), fifth in rebounding (8.6), sixth in offensive rebounds (3.2) and seventh in field goal percentage (.519). Wilson was named the ACC Player of the Week for the first time in her career on March 4, averaging 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds during the regular season’s last week as the Hurricanes upset No. 4 ranked Duke.

The 15th season of professional women’s basketball in Minnesota kicks off Saturday, June 1 at 7 p.m. when the Lynx take on the Connecticut Sun. The first chance fans have to see the defending Western Conference champions is the team’s preseason contest at Target Center on Tuesday, May 21 at 12 p.m. Beginning as low as $18 per game or $187 for a full season package, fans can purchase tickets by calling the Lynx at 612-673-8400 or by visiting LynxBasketball.com/LynxTix.

SHAWNICE WILSON COLLEGE STATISTICS SEASON GP FGM FGA PCT 3PM 3PA PCT FTM FTA PCT REB AST BL STL PTS AVG 2008-09 (PIT) 33 93 201 .463 0 0 .000 37 49 .755 210 17 44 17 223 6.8 2009-10 (PIT) 31 91 147 .619 0 0 .000 48 80 .600 136 28 41 25 230 7.4 2011-12 (MIA) 32 78 172 .453 0 0 .000 50 68 .735 184 14 18 16 206 6.4 2012-13 (MIA) 32 123 237 .519 0 2 .000 75 94 .798 275 23 20 28 321 10.0 TOTAL 128 385 757 .509 0 2 .000 210 291 .722 805 82 123 86 980 7.7