GISH grad Hudiburgh named GPAC wrestler of year

SIOUX CITY, Iowa The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) announced the 2008 Wrestling All-Conference Teams on Tuesday.

Hastings' Brandon Hudiburgh, a former state champion for Grand Island Senior High, was named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Wrestler-of-the-Year while Morningside Head Coach Tim Jager was named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Coach-of-the-Year. Hudiburgh was re-voted as the GPAC Wrestler-of-the-Year on Monday after it was discovered that the original honoree (released on Saturday) did not meet the minimum match requirement (four of six GPAC regular season duals) as set by the conference. Burke Barnes from Dana was named the GPAC Championships Outstanding Wrestler after winning the 133 pound weight class.

The GPAC Wrestling All-Conference Teams consist of a first and second team of 12 members each and six honorable mention selections.

2008 GPAC Wrestling All-Conference First Team

Name School Weight Class Year Hometown

Kevin Gray Dana 125 Senior Topeka, Kan.

Burke Barnes Dana 133 Senior Lake Stevens, Wash.

Adam Manz Dana 141 Sophomore Council Bluffs, Iowa

Levi Price Northwestern 149 Junior Cannon Falls, Minn.

Jason Bilinksi Dana 157 Senior Pittsgrove, N.J.

Ryan Tuzon Dana 165 Junior Maui, Hawaii

Enock Francois Northwestern 174 Junior Lake Park, Fla.

Jake Stevenson Morningside 184 Senior Petersburg, Neb.

Brandon Hudiburgh Hastings 197 Freshman Grand Island, Neb.

Cody Millard Hastings HWT Junior Hastings, Neb.

Jared Pickett Morningside 141 Senior David City, Neb.

Julian Gunnels Briar Cliff 133 Junior Kansas City, Mo.

2008 GPAC Wrestling All-Conference Second Team

Name School Weight Class Year Hometown

Jeff Holmes Dakota Wesleyan 125 Sophomore Constantine, Mich.

Andrew Hare Hastings 149 Junior Skiatook, Oklahoma

DJ Jackson Northwestern 157 Sophomore District Heights, Md.

Lamar Reed Northwestern 165 Sophomore Tarzana, Calif.

Tom Eaton Northwestern 174 Junior Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Jordaryl Logan Briar Cliff 184 Junior Ypsilanti, Mich.

Cole Wilson Morningside 197 Junior Oakland, Iowa

Justin Kyte Sioux Falls HWT Freshman Elk Point, S.D.

Tony Duarte Dakota Wesleyan 165 Senior Scottsbluff, Neb.

Chris Utesch Morningside 133 Junior Akron, Iowa

Wade Jordan Dana HWT Senior Coulee City, Wash.

Weston Frahm Morningside 174 Junior Plainview, Neb.

2008 GPAC Wrestling Honorable Mention

Name School Weight Class Year Hometown

Chris Strand Sioux Falls 125 Sophomore Brandon, S.D.

Brent Lowe Briar Cliff 141 Freshman Dumfries, Va.

Ben Knight Morningside 149 Freshman Sergeant Bluff, Iowa

Cole Spree Northwestern 184 Junior Parkersburg, Iowa

Ross Milam Dana 197 Junior Omaha, Neb.

Jameon Rush Hastings 174 Freshman Clay Center, Kan.

* COLLEGE GOLF

NU's Stevenson ties for 12th in Florida tourney

PARRISH, Fla. The Nebraska women's golf team fired the third-best final round score with a 305 to finish in ninth place overall at the 15-team Central District Invitational on Tuesday.

The Huskers concluded their first tournament of the spring season with a three-round total of 927, just one stroke behind eighth-place Michigan in a field loaded with talented teams from the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences, including 10 teams ranked among the top 50 in the GolfStat rankings.

The hosts from Michigan State won the event with an 892 over 54 holes on the 6,099-yard layout at the River Wilderness Golf Club. The Spartans finished 10 strokes ahead of second-place Texas A&M, which closed the tournament with the best round of the day at 298 to finish the two-day event at 902. Nebraska produced Tuesday's next best round at 305.

Nebraska Coach Robin Krapfl said the Huskers' improvement was noticeable throughout the tournament, after opening with a 314 in Monday's first round,and coming back with a 308 over Monday's second 18 holes.

"We hit the ball much better today, and overall I was really pleased with how we battled on the course," Krapfl said. "I definitely saw some encouraging things out there that we can build on during the rest of the spring."

Grand Island native JC Stevenson led the Huskers with athree-over-par 75 on Tuesday. Stevenson finished as NU's top individual in the tournament by tying for 12th place at 227 in the 75-player field.

Elli Brown matched Stevenson's 75in the final round to finish in a tie for 28th place at 232. Fellow senior Allison Stewart finished one stroke back of Brown in a tie for 31st at 233, after producing a final-round 77. Sophomore Kate White carded a 78 on Tuesday to finish in a tie for 39th at 235.

Michigan State's Sara Brown won the individual title with a four-under-par 212 over three rounds. Brown finished seven strokes ahead of Missouri's Julia Potter, who took second at 219.

Nebraska returns to action March 7-9, when the Huskers travel to Bryan, Texas, to compete in the Texas A&M "Mo" Morial.

* WNBA

Minnesota Lynx sign former Husker Anna DeForge

MINNEAPOLIS The Minnesota Lynx announced Tuesday the signing of unrestricted free agent guard Anna DeForge. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"We are very excited that Anna chose to continue her career here with the Minnesota Lynx," said Minnesota Lynx Chief Operating Officer Roger Griffith. "Last year, we worked hard to bring in a core of young and talented players. Signing Anna is the first step in our plans to add quality veteran leadership into the mix with our young players. Anna is a career double-figure scorer, but it is her work ethic and her commitment both on and off the court that will serve as the best example of what it takes to be successful for our young players. We are committed to building a championship contender here in Minnesota. Anna will play a key role in our success in 2008, which we expect will include a return to the WNBA Playoffs."

The Niagara, Wisc., native and former Husker standout will play in her seventh WNBA season in 2008. In her six previous seasons in the WNBA, DeForge has averaged 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while playing her rookie season with the Detroit Shock (2000), three seasons with the Phoenix Mercury (2003-2005), and the last two seasons with the Indiana Fever.

DeForge, who will turn 32 on April 14, adds veteran leadership that will be vital to a Lynx roster that featured four rookie guards in 2007 and just five players with playoff experience.

In her two seasons in Indiana, DeForge helped guide the Fever to two straight appearances in the WNBA Playoffs, including the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007. In the first round of the 2007 Playoffs against the Connecticut Sun, DeForge averaged 25.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in the series won in three games by the Fever.

* SOFTBALL

Youth softball registrations to be Thursday

The Grand Island A-B-C-D-D Girls Softball League will have sign-up for new and returning players will be from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the city library. A parent will need to complete a permission slip and bring a copy of the child's birth certificate. If anyone has questions they may contact Bob Sorensen at 382-0039. The league also has a few openings in their ASA Support Your Troops Invitational Tournament to be May 24-25. The tournament is open to Class B or C teams in the 12 & under, 14 and under and 18 and under divisions. Further information is available on the website at www.gigirlssoftball.org.

BOXING

Golden Gloves event to be March 1 at the HEC

Golden Gloves Boxing will be at the Heartland Events Center in the Eihusen Family Arena on March 1. The junior bouts start at 1p.m. and the senior bouts start at 7 p.m.

Golden Gloves is an amateur boxing tournament that allows youth and adults from Central Nebraska to face each other in the boxing ring. This is the second year that the Golden Gloves will be held at the Heartland Events Center after 27 years away from Grand Island.

Harley Cooper is also expected to be attending the Golden Gloves in Grand Island. Cooper won as a heavyweight championship in 1963 and a light heavyweight championship in 1964. He is the only boxer to win those titles in that order. Cooper became a member of the Great Plains Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame in 1976.

Tickets are now on sale. All ringside seats are reserved and general admission tickets are first come, first served. Ticket prices for the junior bouts are $10 ringside in advance, $12 ringside on the day of the fights, $5 for adults for general admission and $3 for children (12 and under). Ticket prices for the senior bouts are $15 ringside in advance, $17 ringside on the day of the fights, $10 for adults for

general admission and $5 for children (12 and under).

The tickets are available at all Ticketmaster Outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, the Fonner Park Business Office (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays) or by phone at 402-475-1212 (ticketmaster), or at the Event Center's Ticket Office the day of the fights. For more information contact the Heartland Events Center at 308-382-4515 or www.heartlandeventscenter.com, Frank Rodriguez at (308) 384-2320 or Dan Klimek at (308) 728-5049.