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College

Hawkeyes' season ends with Lickliter's future in doubt

MEN'S BASKETBALL-  03/11/10:

CONSECO FIELDHOUSE:

 

INDIANAPOLIS, IN-  Manny Harris had 22 points and nine rebounds to help Michigan defeat Iowa 59-52 on Thursday in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.

DeShawn Sims added 14 points for the Wolverines (15-16), who advanced to play No. 5 Ohio State on Friday in the quarterfinals.

Iowa freshman Cully Payne scored a season-high 25 points and made five 3-pointers for Iowa (10-22). He had scored a combined four points his previous two games. He was 9 for 16 from the field, but the rest of the team shot 13 for 40.

Aaron Fuller added 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawkeyes.

Michigan had lost four of its previous five games but won all three games against the Hawkeyes this season.

Iowa closed the season by losing six of seven.

 

 

Lindsey Evans signs with IHCC softball

SOFTBALL-  03/09/10:

Ottumwa, IA-  Ottumwa High School senior Lindsey Evans has signed a letter of intent to attend Indian Hills Community College and play softball for the Warriors.

In her junior season last summer, Evans led the Bulldogs in batting average (.395), RBIs (24), doubles (12) and slugging percentage (.521) and tied for first in hits (47).  She was a first-team catcher on the CIML Metro All-Conference squad.

 

Indian Hills coach Jim Overturf looks forward to having Evans with his team this fall.  “Lindsey has a lot of versatility,” said Overturf.  “She will do some catching and also play the outfield for us.  I like the fact that she is a very aggressive hitter.  Lindsey comes from a very strong high school program and it’s great that she will be able to continue her softball career at Indian Hills.”

 

Evans is the sixth recruit for 2010 signed by Overturf.  The others are pitcher Hannah Washburn and outfielder Autumn Bowen, both from Keokuk; Burlington HS pitcher Ali Martin; Cortney Wood, an infielder from Alburnett; and Jenna Wolfe, an outfielder from Dallas Center-Grimes.

 

 

UNI's Ben Jacobson named a finalist for two major coaching awards

University of Northern Iowa head men's basketball coach Ben Jacobson has been named as a finalist for the 2010 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award as well as a finalist for the 2010 Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award.

BOSTON (MA) -- The fifteen finalists for the 2010 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award were announced on Monday.

Last year's winner, John Calipari (Kentucky), and this year's mid-season honoree, Frank Martin (Kansas State) are among the finalists. Calipari would become the first coach to win the honor multiple times since the inception of the Phelan Award in 2002-03.

Joining Calipari with an opportunity to become the first multiple winner of the award is fellow finalist Bo Ryan (Wisconsin), who was previously honored at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season.

Among the fifteen finalists are three from mid-major conferences: Cornell's Steven Donahue (Ivy), Northern Iowa's Ben Jacobson (Missouri Valley) and Butler's Brad Stevens (Horizon).

The remaining finalists are Steve Alford (New Mexico), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), Fran Dunphy (Temple), Chris Mooney (Richmond), Matt Painter (Purdue), Bill Self (Kansas), Mark Turgeon (Texas A&M) and Jay Wright (Villanova)

The Jim Phelan Award is given annually to the nation's top coach, as voted on by the 20-member panel. The winner will be presented with the award at the Final Four in Indianapolis.

Prior to 2003 the award was known simply as the CollegeInsider.com National Coach of the Year. It was renamed to honor longtime Mount St. Mary's head coach Jim Phelan, who retired with 830 career wins following the 2002-03 season.

Previous winners were Calipari (Memphis, 2009), Ryan (Wisconsin, 2008), Tony Bennett (Washington State, 2007), Ben Howland (UCLA, 2006), Tubby Smith (Kentucky, 2005), Phil Martelli (St. Joseph's, 2004) and Mark Slonaker (Mercer, 2003).

 

 

Professional

Chiefs sign RB Thomas Jones

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE-  03/09/10:

ARROWHEAD STADIUM:

 

Kansas City, MO-  The Kansas City Chiefs announced the signing of free agent running back Thomas Jones on Tuesday.  Terms of the signing were not released.  Jones was released after three productive seasons with the New York Jets upon the opening of free agency last week.  The 31-year-old ran for a career-high 1,402 yards in 2009 and established a franchise record with 14 rushing touchdowns, after setting that mark in 2008 with 13 rushing touchdowns.

 

 

Nomar Garciaparra retires

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL-  03/10/10:

FENWAY PARK:

 

Boston, MA-  The Boston Red Sox held a news conference this morning, during which infielder Nomar Garciaparra announced his retirement.  According to a Boston sports talk station, Garciaparra signed a one-day minor league contract with the Red Sox.  He will now become a baseball analyst for ESPN.

A six-time All-Star, Garciaparra was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1997 with Boston.  He also won a pair of AL batting titles (1999, 2000) with the Red Sox before he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs at the 2004 trade deadline.  Over the course of his 14-year career, Garciaparra hit .313 with 229 home runs, 936 RBI, and a .521 slugging percentage.

 

 

Tiger Woods to make return at Augusta National

PGA TOUR-  03/12/10:

The Masters will truly be a tradition unlike any other this April, as several media outlets have reported that Tiger Woods will make his highly anticipated return to competitive golf at the season's first major championship.  Refuting an earlier New York newspaper report that targeted Woods' return at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in two weeks, several media outlets pointed to a season debut at Augusta National instead, where Woods would be playing for the first time since the Fall of 2009.  His early morning car accident the day after Thanksgiving 2009 led to Woods admitting marital infidelity.  He has been on a self-imposed break from competitive golf ever since.

 

 

Twins closer Joe Nathan has ligament tear in pitching elbow

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL-  03/10/10:

Minneapolis, MN-  Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan has a "significant" ligament tear in his right elbow.  Nathan left a spring training game on Saturday and went back to Minneapolis for tests, which revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament.  The Twins said the veteran reliever will rest the elbow for two weeks to allow swelling in the area to subside.  He will then try to strengthen the elbow before trying to pitch.  If rehabilitation does not work, sugery will likely be necessary.

Nathan faced one batter Saturday (3/6) in a spring training game against Boston and left the mound after experiencing tightness in the elbow.  The 35-year-old right-hander is coming off a franchise-record 47-save season in 2009.