It appears the Minnesota men’s tennis team is starting to establish a recruiting pipeline into Germany.
The Gophers, who nabbed this season’s No. 1 and No. 2 singles players from Germany – Raoul Schwark and Tobias Wernet – announced Tuesday that Julian Dehn, the under-16 national champion in Germany, signed a National Letter of Intent to join coach Geoff Young’s squad next season.
“I am extremely excited to have Julian join our team next season,” Young said. “He will thrive in a team environment, allowing him to excel on the court. He is a crafty lefty with great touch on the ball. He can do many different things on the court and will learn how to best use his variety of skills during college tennis.”
Tubby shoots 2-over
Minnesota men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith and partner, former Gophers basketball player Jim Petersen, shot a combined 2-over and finished 11th out of 13 teams while competing in the 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl Alma Mater scholarship tournament at Reynolds Plantation on Tuesday in Greensboro, Ga.
South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier and former wide receiver Sterling Sharpe won the event and a $100,000 scholarship donation for their school by shooting a 12-under par 60, good for a five-stroke victory.
–Zach Eisendrath
Studt earns honors for second-straight week
Minnesota sophomore Aaron Studt took home his second consecutive Big Ten Field Event Athlete of the Week Award after his performance at the Drake Relays last weekend.
Studt earned the shot put title launching a 60-foot, 8-inch throw in Des Moines. The throw was his second 60-plus-foot throw in two meets and his third NCAA Midwest Region Championships qualifier of the season.
Studt currently sits sixth best in the country with his career-best effort of 62-7 1/2 thrown two weeks ago at the St. Thomas Tommie Twilight Meet.
–Paul J. Cordes
Rask and Almstrom garner Big Ten honors
The Big Ten announced Tuesday that senior Clayton Rask and junior Victor Almstrom of the Minnesota men’s golf team have been named to the 2008 men’s golf All-Big Ten First Team.
Rask, who finished in solo ninth at the Big Ten championships, led the Gophers in stroke average during both the fall and spring seasons, and his combined average of 72.78 is the 13th lowest in school history since 1979.
He shared medalist honors in back-to-back tournaments this fall, carding a 54-hole career-best 206 at the Windon Memorial and a 208 at The Prestige at PGA West.
Almstrom tied for fifth at the Big Ten Championships, one of four top-10 finishes on the year that included a tie for second at the Ping/Golfweek Preview in mid-September.
–Austin Cumblad
