Morning State Sports Briefs: NCAA puts UW-LaCrosse on probation

• UW-La Crosse

UW-La Crosse

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LA CROSSE - The NCAA put UW-La Crosse on two years of probation today, for violating financial aid rules for Division III schools.

Those schools are not allowed to award athletic scholarships. But the NCAA’s Infractions Committee found that in the last five school years, La Crosse improperly considered athletic leadership, participation, and performance when awarding academic scholarships. And the panel said UWL acted improperly by letting athletic department employees serve on scholarship selection panels. The NCAA decided to give La Crosse a public censure and reprimand, plus two years of probation – but the school will not have a ban on post-season competition. La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow said his university accepts the NCAA’s decision, and it’s working quickly to resolve the issues that were listed.

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University of Wisconsin senior guard Jordan Taylor scored 10 points last night in his opening game at the Portsmouth Invitational in Virginia. The event showcases potential NBA draft choices – and Taylor’s team of Cherry, Bekaert, and Holland defeated K-and-D Rounds Landscaping 85-73. Taylor played 32 minutes. And besides scoring in double figures, he had seven assists along with six rebounds, and three steals. He also committed five turnovers. Taylor’s team plays again on Friday night.

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The Wisconsin Golden Gloves’ amateur boxing program is struggling as it gets ready to hold its state finals in Racine on Saturday night. President Kathy Meyer says the organization is running out of money – and it doesn’t have enough to fly the state champions to the National Golden Gloves tournament later this month in Mesquite Nevada. She says they’ll have to drive, because they don’t have the 85-hundred-dollar air fare. About 30 states have Golden Gloves programs. But Meyer says amateur boxing has declined due to changes in society and the growth of mixed martial arts. The Golden Gloves program started in Chicago in 1923. By the ‘50’s, thousands attended the Wisconsin state tournament. But last year’s sessions in Racine only averaged about 300 in a hall with 500 seats. And if they’re not full, Meyer says she and her mother will have to pay for some of the national tournament expenses from their own pockets.

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Former University of Wisconsin hockey goal-tender Brian Elliott might not start for the Saint Louis Blues tonight in their NHL playoff opener against San Jose. Elliott left midway through a practice yesterday with what’s only being called an “upper body injury.” Officially, he’s listed as day-to-day. Blues’ coach Ken Hitchcock said he expects Elliott to be fine by tomorrow night – but as of this morning, he had not decided whether to start Elliott or the team’s other goaltender, Jaroslav Halak. The coach said Elliott first suffered the injury a number of weeks ago, when he fell into the net. Elliott led the NHL with a one-point-five-six goals against average during the regular season.

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Justin Johnson of Saint Norbert College has been named the men’s track performer-of-the-week in the Midwest Conference. Johnson, a freshman from suburban Chicago, ran the league’s fastest times in the 200-meters and the 110-meter hurdles at the Saint Norbert Twilight meet. The time of :14.61 in the hurdles is among the top-five in the NCAA’s Division III. Johnson time for the 200 was :22.26. He also anchored Saint Norbert’s winning 16-hundred-meter relay team. Also, Jason Dunn of Lawrence received the weekly conference honors in men’s tennis. The junior went 2-0 in singles’ matches last week, and 1-1 in doubles.

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University of Wisconsin football receiver Jared Abbrederis will sit out for the rest of the spring, after he received a second opinion on what to do with a lingering foot injury. The coaches expect him to return for the Badgers’ pre-season camp in August. Also, receiver Manasseh Garner had surgery this past weekend for a groin injury – and might return later this month on a limited basis. Corner Devin Gaulden is not expected to need surgery for a stress fracture in his left shin. He had an operation a year ago for a similar fracture on his right shin. Defensive end Tyler Dippel left practice yesterday, when he aggravated a previous injury to his right foot. The Badgers are holding a series of spring practices, culminating in the annual Spring Game on April 28th at Camp Randall Stadium.

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Zach Harazin of UW-La Crosse and Cam Siedl of Stevens Point have been named the WIAC’s baseball players of the week. Harazin, a senior catcher, batted .438 in a four-game series against Stevens Point. Seidl, a junior right-hander, won the league’s pitching honors for throwing seven shutout innings against La Crosse. He gave up five hits in that outing, and struck out three. In softball, Nikki Bromelkamp of Eau Claire is the WIAC’s position player-of-the-week. Brokelkamp, a senior catcher, went 7-for-12 with four doubles in four games last week with a .917 slugging percentage. Courtney Wautier of Oshkosh is the league’s top pitcher. The junior right-hander went 2-1 in four contests, and she struck out 16 batters in 20-and-a-third innings. The WIAC also recognized Mike Judd of Whitewater and Kelly Haen of Stevens Point in outdoor track, and Cory Zaeske of Whitewater and Becky Ponick of River Falls in field events.

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Kurt Crain, who spent a short amount of time with the Green Bay Packers in 1989, died at his home in near Mobile Alabama yesterday. An autopsy was scheduled today, but media reports said the 47-year-old Crain died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had been the associate head football coach at the University of South Alabama since 2008, and had worked with inside linebackers – the position he had as a player. Crain was an All-American at Auburn before the Houston Oilers drafted him in 1988 in the sixth round. He injured a knee at training camp and was out for his rookie year. The Packers signed him in ’89, but he did not make the team after training camp.

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SCORES

In the Midwest League…

Beloit 3, Kane County 2

Burlington 3, Wisconsin 2

Cedar Rapids 3, Clinton 1

Peoria 5, Quad Cities 3

Bowling Green 9, West Michigan 4

Great Lakes 5, Lake County 4 in 14 innings

Lansing 7, Dayton 4

South Bend 3, Fort Wayne 1

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Tags: wisconsin sports, sports, proam