State Sports Roundup: Taylor back at full strength for Wisconsin

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Wisconsin linebacker Mike Taylor is back at full strength. He’s been limited for most of the Badgers’ pre-season camp this month with a bad right hamstring. But Taylor had his first full practice last night in over a week – and he said he felt good afterward. The senior Taylor said he knows the Badgers’ schemes, but his lack of conditioning work is a concern. Still, Taylor expects to be ready for the Badgers’ season opener on September first at home against Northern Iowa. Meanwhile, Badgers’ receiver Manasseh Garner and defensive back Jameson Wright are leaving the team. Garner, a junior, was limited a year ago due to a sports hernia. Wright, a redshirt sophomore, had a bad knee injury in his freshman year – and he was not a major factor since then. Both players will consider transfer options.

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Former Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson will start for the Seattle Seahawks on Friday night in an exhibition game against Kansas City. Wilson was a standout with the Badgers a year ago. And in his first two pre-season games with the Seahawks, Wilson has completed 22-of-33 passes for 279 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. He has also rushed for 92 yards and a score. Wilson is competing with former Packers’ backup Matt Flynn for the starting job in Seattle. Flynn completed 6-of-13 passes for 31 yards last Saturday against Denver.

And speaking of Denver, former Badgers’ safety Jim Leonhard practiced for the first time with the Broncos yesterday. He’s a seven-year N-F-L veteran who started with the New York Jets in the last three seasons. But the Jets released Leonhard after he had surgery last December to fix a tendon in his right knee. The operation normally takes up to 10 months to heal. The Broncos signed Leonhard on August fourth. He’s a native of Tony near Ladysmith, and he has also played with Buffalo and Baltimore.

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Ben Bendtsen-the-Third of Racine and Jim Schuman of Verona are the co-leaders at the halfway point of the State Open golf tournament. Both are at five-under-par 137 going into today’s 36-hole final at the Racine Country Club. Schuman, a former men’s golf coach at U-W Madison, was the first round leader – and he shot an even-par 71 yesterday. Bendtsen, who turned pro after winning the State Amateur in 2008, shot a one-under-par 70 in his second round. Charlie Brown of Sturtevant is one stroke back in third place.

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The Wisconsin men’s soccer team is projected to finish sixth in the Big Ten this fall. That’s according to a pre-season poll of the league’s coaches. Indiana and defending champion Northwestern were tied for the top-spot in the poll. Michigan State is expected to take third. Three Badgers were singled out by the league’s coaches in a “Players to Watch” list. They are juniors Chris Prince and Paul Yonga, and sophomore A-J Cochran – who led the Wisconsin defenders in scoring a year ago.

Meanwhile, the Badger women’s soccer team is ranked 20th in a new national coaches’ poll. Wisconsin is 2-and-0 for the first time since 2005, after shut-out victories over Notre Dame and South Dakota State.

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