PAGE 10 PRESS & DAKOTAN ■ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012 This Spring Has A Strange Feel ... Warm Press&Dakotan BY JAMES D. CIMBUREK a more than welcome break from covering basketball over the last month and gearing up for the April 7 release [email protected] of our spring sports preview. When spring is as nice as this one has been so far — and yes, I know that spring DAILY DOSE is technically only one day old — it’s hard to stay focused on the business end of the sports reporting job. Normally today’s (Wednesday) home baseball and softball openers for Mount Marty would be an extremely But, for the sake of my paycheck and the sanity of my staff, I will do my best not to let the nice weather dis- exciting event for me — no matter what the windchill at Riverside Park is. tract me from getting the things done that need to get done. Daily opinions from the P&D Today will mark the first time since early November that I have had an outside assignment and, in a normal Along that line, we have a few things that we as a staff are hoping to try this spring. And, as always, if you Sports Staff on local and na- year, I wouldn’t have really wanted any outdoor assignments during that stretch. A “normal” winter would have have a suggestion about what you’d like to see us do — or an idea for a story — feel free to pass them on to us. Emailing us at [email protected] or calling us at 605-665-7811, ext. 106, are the best ways to reach us. tional high school, college made the openers anything but certain, with threats of snow all around on the forecast. This year, I spent a good portion of last week wishing that I had gotten around to fixing the air conditioning on my overworked car already. Be sure to get out and enjoy the weather. If you’ve grown up in the upper Midwest, you know how rare and professional sports. So the chance to get out and work outside — hopefully rain will stay away enough to let that happen — is these springs truly are. USD’s Buell, Ballew Earn The Coyote track and field teams are back in Dakota High School Wrestling Coaches Associa- Yankton Heat Crowned Champions At 2 Tournaments action on March 31 at the Texas Relays and the tion. Summit League Honors Arkansas Spring Invitational. Selected as Region Coaches of the Year in SUBMITTED PHOTO ELMHURST, Ill. — South Dakota juniors Class B were Jerry Salanoa of Deuel, Mike Gib- The Yankton Heat fifth Bethany Buell and Kyle Ballew have been named Big Sioux, Big 8 To Merge son of Tri-Valley, Derek Pirner of Plankinton- grade boys’ basketball the Summit League Outdoor Track and Field Ath- ELK POINT — The members of the Big Sioux Mount Vernon and Clay Leonard of Red Cloud. Class A Region Coach of the Year honorees in- team recently finished letes of the Week, the league announced on and Big 8 Conferences voted Monday to merge Tuesday. It is the first weekly honor from the Sum- their two conferences, beginning in the 2013-14 clude Scott Miller of Brookings, Marc Murren of first place at the Roger Washington, Ryan Noyes of Pierre and Lance Haas Youth Basketball mit League for both athletes. school year. The new league will be named the Buell (St. Louis, Mo.) earned the women’s ath- Dakota XII Conference. Pearson of Rapid City Central. Tournament, as well as lete of the week honor after setting a school out- The Big Sioux and Big 8 will continue their reg- Nick Bortnem and Roy Weber, both of Wash- at a Bon Homme tourna- door record of 14-2.5 at the Aztec Open on Friday ular schedules during the 2012-13 school year. ington, were named the assistant and junior high ment. The Heat, coached in San Diego, Calif. The mark topped her previ- Big Sioux Conference schools include Beres- coaches of the year. Les Pearson of Philip will be by Brian Carda and Jim ous school record by five inches and is the top- ford, Canton, Dakota Valley, Dell Rapids, Elk presented with the “Friend of Wrestling” award. Sawatzke, are sponsored ranked outdoor pole vault in the nation so far this Point-Jefferson, Sioux Falls Christian, Tea Area Jeff Duffy of Performance Radio in Huron was hon- by Steamway Cleaning, season. While this is Buell’s first Summit League and Tri-Valley. Lennox, Madison, Vermillion and ored for media coverage of wrestling in the state. Olson’s Pest Technicians honor, it is the sixth time in her career that she has West Central are in the Big 8 Conference. and Vision Care Associ- earned a weekly conference athlete of the week Lakeview Men’s Golf Meet- honor. ates. Team members in- Ballew (West Hills, Calif.) earned the men’s Wrestling Coaches Assoc. ing March 29 clude (front, L-R): Ethan athlete of the week honor after a strong showing Announces Award Winners CROFTON, Neb. — Lakeview Golf Course Wishon, Nick Kurten- in the pole vault at the Aztec Open. Ballew cleared ABERDEEN — Devon O’Farrell of Sioux Falls near Crofton, Neb., will hold organizational meet- bach, Jack Raab, Rex a pole vault height of 16-7.25 – the best height in Washington and Ben Gillette of Redfield-Doland ings for its Thursday men’s golf league on Thurs- Ryken, (back) Owen the Summit League and the ninth best in the na- will be presented the Class A and Class B day, March 29, at 7 p.m. at the clubhouse. Feser, Michael Frick, tion so far this season. Ballew, who finished third Wrestler of the Year awards during the South Interested teams are asked to have a repre- Cole Sawatzke and Miles in the Summit League Indoor Meet, is in his first Dakota State AAU Wrestling Tournament, March sentative at the meeting. If you plan to have a Carda. year in the Coyote program after transferring from 24 in Aberdeen. team and cannot make the meeting, call 605-661- Los Angeles Valley Junior College. The awards are being presented by the South 0616. SCOREBOARD AREA CALENDAR BOWLING FINAL STANDINGS: Viborg-Hurley 6-0, p.m. Rollins vs. Lander, 7:30 p.m. Oakland vs. Kansas City at Surprise, Ariz., Kevin Chapman and a minor league player to be Wednesday, March 21 Centerville 5-1, Irene-Wakonda 4-2, Baltic 3-3, Regional Semifinals Semifinals, Wednesday, March 21 3:05 p.m. named to Houston for C Humberto Quintero and BASEBALL, COLLEGE Mayville State at MMC (DH, 1 p.m.) YANKTON BOWL Gayville-Volin 2-4, Freeman Academy 1-5, Al- At The Ryan Center, Kingston, R.I. Bentley vs. Ashland, 5 p.m. San Diego vs. L.A. Dodgers at Glendale, OF Jason Bourgeois. Placed C Salvador Perez SOFTBALL, WOMEN’S Mayville State at MMC (DH, 1 p.m.) cester-Hudson 0-6 Shaw vs. Rollins-Lander winner, 7:30 p.m. Ariz., 3:05 p.m. and C Manuel Pina on the 60-day DL. Thursday, March 22 INDUSTRIAL LEAGUE Sunday, March 25 HIGH TEAM GAME: Dakota Trailer 868 FIRST TEAM: Dennis DeNeui, Viborg-Hur- UConn (31-4) vs. Penn State-LSU winner, Milwaukee vs. Arizona at Scottsdale, Ariz., NEW YORK YANKEES—Optioned C Bran- SOFTBALL, WOMEN’S St. Mary at MMC (DH, 3 p.m.) HIGH TEAM SERIES: H&K Oil 2366 ley; Seamus O’Malley, Centerville; Zach Kran- TBA MEN’S NCAA DIV. II TOURN. 3:10 p.m. don Laird, RHP George Kontos, RHP D.J. Friday, March 23 HIGH INDIVIDUAL GAME: Jerry Peterson ing, Viborg-Hurley; Scott Davis, Irene-Wakonda; Gonzaga (28-5) vs. Kentucky (27-6), TBA Mitchell and RHP David Phelps to GOLF, BOYS’ Crofton Inv. (Crofton, 10 a.m.) Kyle Kocmich, Gayville-Volin; Andrew Hora, Vi- At Highland Heights, Ky. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL). SOFTBALL, WOMEN’S IUPUI at USD (DH, 2 p.m.) 257, Frank Osborn Sr. 255, Joe Wuestewald Quarterfinals, Wednesday, March 21 HOCKEY 245, Mike Kellen 240, Frank Osborn Jr. 238 borg-Hurley NCAA TOURNAMENT Stonehill vs. West Liberty, 11 a.m. OAKLAND ATHLETICS—Optioned LHP HIGH INDIVIDUAL SERIES: J.J. Peterson SECOND TEAM: Dustin Livingston, Irene- Midwestern State vs. Western Washington, NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Pedro Figueroa to Sacramento (PCL). Wakonda; Josiah Aberson, Baltic; Logan Hunter, EAST REGIONAL TEXAS RANGERS—Agreed to terms with 632, Tom Grass 630, Frank Osborn Sr. 625, Regional Semifinals 1:30 p.m. Monday’s Games Centerville; Tyler Kjose, Alcester-Hudson; Jack LHP Derek Holland on a five-year contract. As- RIVER CITY RASCALS—Named Dave tension. Frank Osborn Jr. 622, Mike Diede 617 At TD Garden, Boston Alabama-Huntsville vs. Bellarmine, 5 p.m. Boston 8, Toronto 0 Huether, Viborg-Hurley; Aaron Anderson, Cen- signed OF Kyle Hudson, C Tommy Mendonca Garcia assistant coach, Mike Madrid hitting STANDINGS: Dakota Trailer 86.5, H&K Oil Thursday, March 22 Colorado Mines vs. Montevallo, 7:30 p.m. N.Y. Rangers 4, New Jersey 2 HOCKEY 74, Yankton Redi-Mix #2 67, H&K Oil #2 66.5, terville Syracuse (33-2) vs. Wisconsin (26-9), 6:15 Buffalo 7, Tampa Bay 3 and INF Yangervis Solarte to their minor league coach and Caleb Curry bench coach. National Hockey League HONORABLE MENTION: Edward Clark, camp . CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS—Assigned F Steiner’s Locker 51, Wholesale Supply 48, Yank- p.m. NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOC. Washington 5, Detroit 3 North American League ton Redi-Mix 47, KPI-JCI 34, Smidt Captain & Baltic; Zach Weinzetl, Centerville; Noah Yoder, Ohio State (29-7) vs.