Gophers men’s tennis player Thomas Chicoine came to Minnesota with high expectations.
Chicoine walked on to campus last year as the highest-ranked tennis player the Gophers have ever recruited from the United States. He was named a high school All-American during his last two years, winning the Wisconsin state singles championship his senior year.
Now it looks like all that promise is starting to pay off for the 5-foot-11 sophomore from Neenah, Wis.
Chicoine stormed through the three-day Downing Falls Tennis Classic over the weekend in Lexington, Ky., winning the singles title and advancing to the semifinals of the doubles competition.
He came in as the top-seeded player, and went 4-0, taking all but one of his matches in straight sets.
In the doubles competition, Chicoine teamed with fellow sophomore John Cheregi, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament’s A draw.
Senior Tim George and freshman Aaron Dvorak went to the semifinals of the B draw before losing.
Minnesota sophomore Martin Kristoffersen advanced to the third round of the singles B draw.
The Gophers men’s tennis team will compete next in the All-American Tournament, which starts on Thursday and runs thru Saturday in Austin, Tex.

— Ryan Schuster
Softball
The Gophers softball team finished the Big Ten Fall Umpires Classic last weekend in a tie for first place, going 3-2-1 in the tournament.
Minnesota and Iowa tied for first, and Wisconsin and Northwestern were second and third respectively.
Gophers pitcher Wendy Logue threw three shutouts for Minnesota’s wins.

— Matthew Cross
Women’s Basketball
The Gophers women’s basketball team starts practice tonight at the Sports Pavilion. Minnesota has the unenviable task of improving on a 4-23 overall record and an 0-16 mark in the Big Ten last season.
Coach Linda Hill-MacDonald returns seven players and adds two freshmen to last season’s squad. The Gophers lost their top returner Cheri Stafford this summer to a season-ending knee injury. Now doctors have advised Stafford to forfeit the rest of her basketball career. This would have been her senior season.
Cara Pearson, who lettered for the Gophers four times from 1992-95, was named the team’s third assistant coach.
Minnesota will open its season Nov. 14 at the Sports Pavilion with an exhibition game against the Eastern European Select Team.

— Matthew Cross