WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15:

SFW GOLF…Results of Tuesday’s Sioux Falls Washington boys’ golf tournament:
   TEAM SCORES:  Brandon Valley 299…Sioux Falls Lincoln 301…Sioux Falls O’Gorman 308…Sioux Falls Washington 322…Sioux Falls Roosevelt 323…Sioux Falls O’Gorman, Sioux Falls Lincoln JV, 330…Brookings, Watertown 336…Sioux Falls Washington J-V 343…Mitchell 364.
   MEDALIST:  Ian Rinken, Washington, 72.  BROOKINGS:  Jacob Schroeder, 79; Jake Steen, 82; Jace Collins, 84; Matt Eng, Derek Axelsen, Dalton Axelsen, 91.

OLSON-BLIZZARD…The Brookings Blizzard will host its only exhibition game of the pre-season September seventh at Larson Ice Center – taking on the Bismarck Bobcats.  Opening faceoff is at 8:00pm.
   Assistant coach Chris Olson says the 28-man roster will report September third.  He says there’s speed on the roster, and some size to go with:  97634   :28   “that works out”.
   Olson says about 14 players return from last season:  97635   :26   “named Brandon Parker”.
   Olson says it should be a competitive roster, and hopes the Blizzard can avoid injuries.
   Olson played high school hockey in Minneapolis, and collegiately at the University of Denver. 

DSU VB…The Dakota State University volleyball fall practice is underway.  Last year, the Trojans finished the season 16-22, and qualified for the Association of Independent Institutions’ tournament in Phoenix.  Head coach Amy Veenhoff says she saw a lot of improvement against tough competition.  97621   :16   “better every year”.
   Veenhoff says a major strength for the Trojans is experience – namely the four starters plus libero.  97622   :33   “better and stronger”.
   The Trojans lost two major players from last year’s team - All-American Stephanie Kruggel (KROO-gul) and Lauren LaBar.
Veenhoff says replacing them will not be easy.  97623   :15   “weight this year”.
   DSU opens its season August 24th, hosting Briar Cliff.

PAT’S KID NOT HERE…Watertown High School senior multisport standout Ashtin McClemans has verbally committed to play volleyball at Northern State University in Aberdeen.
   McClemans missed most of last season with a foot injury and finished with 27 kills. As a sophomore, she compiled 85 kills, 25 blocks and 34 digs.

KANSAS FB…Kansas is only a few years removed from the heady days of an Orange Bowl win. The program regressed so far under the fired Turner Gill that it was back to being the laughingstock of the Big 12 last season.
   New coach Charlie Weis has arrived with plenty of changes and some new faces.
   Dayne Crist, once a highly sought recruit lured by Weis to Notre Dame, decided to reunite with his former coach. The senior quarterback is taking advantage of an NCAA rule that allows players who have graduated to transfer become immediately eligible to compete.
   The Jayhawks open the season at home Sept. 1 against South Dakota State.

IA ST FB…Paul Rhoads and Iowa State are thrilled to have each other.
   The Cyclones have blossomed in his three seasons as coach and he got a 10-year, $20 million contract in the offseason.
Now comes the hard part.
   Iowa State has gone 18-20 under Rhoads, with a pair of bowl trips and a program-defining upset of then-No. 2 Oklahoma State last November.
   The Cyclones enter the 2012 season optimistic that they're poised to take another step forward in their seemingly never-ending quest to become a serious threat in the Big 12. They open the season Sept. 1 against Tulsa.

INDIANA STATE FB…Indiana State returns one of the premiere running backs in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and FCS football, in Shakir Bell.
   Head coach Trent Miles says finding some skill players to put with him may be a challenge.  97636   :21   “to take over”.
   Miles says two solid returnees will help anchor the Sycamore’s defense.
   He says this year’s team has the opportunity to re-establish a winning tradition.  97637   :24   “to correct that”.
   Indiana State football coach Trent Miles.

DII POLL…Pittsburg (Kan.) State was picked by the NCAA Division II coaches to defend its national title.
   The Gorillas begin the season ranked No. 1 while Minnesota-Duluth is second. Other Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schools ranked were St. Cloud State (No. 16) and Mankato (honorable mention).

OSBORNE-ACADEMICS…Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne says more programs could feel the bite of higher academic standards that take effect in 2016.
   The Academic Progress Rate will increase from 900 to 930 by 2016 – plus the minimum grade point average will increase to 2-point-3, and there will be a required number of core credits, and classes.
   Osborne says about ten basketball teams have been impacted by the current requirements, and expects that number will rise.  97632   :14   “a little bit”.
   Osborne says academics has been a focus for some time.  97633   :10   “ it plays out”.
   ESPN.com says 15 percent of student-athletes who meet current standards wouldn’t make it in 2016 – the website says 35 percent of the football players and 43 percent of the basketball players wouldn’t qualify.  

WAYNE STATE GAMES…Wayne State College men’s basketball team will journey north of the border for three games with colleges in Canada over Labor Day weekend.
   The Wildcats will play the University of Winnipeg on Saturday, Sep. 1, the University of Manitoba on Sunday, Sept. 2 and will complete the trip with another contest against the University of Winnipeg on Monday, Sept. 3.
   This trip allows the Wildcats to have 10 practice days under NCAA rules leading up to the trip.

PETERSON…Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has taken another important step forward in his recovery from reconstructive surgery on his left knee: taking part in his first full-pads practice.
   Peterson was finally cleared for full activity Tuesday. He carried the ball only a handful of times in full team drills with the first team offense, and he wasn't touched by the defense.  Head coach Leslie Frazier says it’s the next step in Peterson’s rehab.  97624   :27   “what it means”.
   The mandate from the coaching staff - protect the Vikings star at all costs. Peterson said the precaution was unnecessary. He had a big smile on his face for much of the afternoon, except when he unsuccessfully lobbied the coaches to take a couple more snaps.  Frazier wants to be careful.  97625   :14   “early on”.
   This was the first time since his injury last Dec. 24 he put shoulder pads on.

PACKERS…The Green Bay Packers are gearing up for another Super Bowl run, after watching the New York Giants claim the NFC, and league, championships last season.
   Linebacker Clay Matthews says his position’s an area where Green Bay’s upgraded.  97638   :27  “got it back”.
   Matthews on the plusses, and minuses, of pre-season:  97639  :21   “on tape”.  
   Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews.

DIGITAL NFL COACHES…Can you hear me now?
   That's what San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman felt like he kept asking quarterback Alex Smith on his headset last season. While the NFL's coach-to-quarterback radio connection has been a part of the game for three decades, the league has not always been on the cutting edge of technology.
   Roman says there was one occasion in a critical game situation when his headset was picking up conversations among Southwest Airlines pilots.
   Such scenarios might soon be a thing of the past.
   The NFL is switching from the old analog system coaches used to relay plays to their quarterbacks and launching a network that uses digital technology. The system was tested during the preseason and Pro Bowl last year before getting rolled out in every NFL stadium permanently this year.

US AMATEUR GOLF…Cheng-Tsung Pan of Taiwan shot a 5-under 65 Tuesday to put himself in position for a top seed in match play at the U.S. Amateur championship at Cherry Hills.
   Pan, who plays at the University of Washington, finished two days of stroke play qualifying over the CommonGround and Cherry Hill courses at 7 under. That tied him with first-round leader Bobby Wyatt, who teed off later Tuesday to begin his second and final qualifying round.
   The preliminary rounds whittle the field of 312 golfers to 64 for match play, which commences Wednesday on the 7,409-yard, par-71 course at Cherry Hills Country Club. Any ties at the end of qualifying will be resolved in a playoff.  South Dakota State’s Hudson Carpenter shot nine-over in the prelims, and did not get into match play.
   Pan began the day tied for 19th after a 69 at Cherry Hills on the first day of qualifying. He moved up 18 spots with his standout performance at the companion course at CommonGround.