After months of speculation, Minnesota men’s hockey recruit Garrett Smaagaard learned he will head to the University to play this season.

Smaagaard is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, suffered during the Prep Bowl last November. The injury forced him to miss his entire senior season at Eden Prairie High School.

The Gopher coaching staff made the decision after watching Smaagaard perform at workouts and the Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) tryout camp earlier this month.

“I am happy,” Smaagaard said. “I would rather be going to school than playing at Sioux Falls next year.”

Former Minnesota women’s track and field star Aubrey Schmitt finished sixth in the discus at the 2001 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last weekend in Eugene, Ore.

Schmitt’s throw of 178 feet 1 inch qualified her for a spot on the 2001 World University Team. The team will compete in the World Student Games from Aug. 21 through Sept. 1 in Beijing.

While at the University, Schmitt was a five-time Big Ten champion, four-time All-American and two-time academic All-American. She also won the discus at the 2001 Drake Relays.

Lowney wins at trials

Gophers wrestler Garrett Lowney won the Greco-Roman title at 213.75 pounds last weekend at the 2001 World Team Trials. The win earned Lowney a spot on the U.S. team for the 2001 World Championships held in New York City from Sept. 26-29.

Lowney, who competed for the Minnesota Storm wrestling club, swept Jason Loukides of the U.S. Army in a best-of-three final.

Lowney won the 2001 Big Ten heavyweight title and was an All-American as a redshirt freshman last year for Minnesota.

Football season opener moved

The season opener for the Minnesota football team at the University of Toledo has been moved to Aug. 30.

This is the second move for a game originally scheduled two days later. The game was first moved to Aug. 31, to accommodate television scheduling.

Toledo requested the change be made to avoid conflict with high school football being played Friday nights. Officials worried about the impact a nationally televised game might have on high school football.