UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA • JEW§ Bierman Field Athletic Building 516 15th Avenue Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-4090 Fax 625-0359 For Immediate Release April18, 1997 GOPHERS SIGN CLARK TO NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT The University of Minnesota basketball office announced today that Kevin Clark of Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City, Kan., has signed a national letter of intent. Clark, a 6-2 180-pound guard, was named one of the top shooting guards in the country by Basketball Times magazine. He averaged 23.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this past season for Cowley County and led them to a 19-12 record in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. Clark was named the MVP of the conference all-star game after recording 24 points; eight rebounds and four assists. Prior to attending Cowley County, Clark played one season at Odessa Junior College in Odessa, Texas, where he averaged 22.1 points and was an all-conference selection, finishing second in the conference in scoring. A native of Savannah, Ga., Clark graduated from Richmond Hill Academy in Richmond Hill, Ga., in 1995. He averaged 30 points per game his sophomore year, and led his team to the state title. That year he was an all-conference and all-state selection and was the Class A Player of the Year. His junior season, he upped his scoring average to 32 points per game and was again the Class A Player of the Year, leading his team to another Class A state title. Going into his senior season of high school ball he began to complain of fatigue and dehydration. Doctors told him to forgo his senior season. As a freshman at Odessa, the fatigue problems occurred again. Doctors performed a heart catheterization and found two blockages leading to his heart, which were repaired. He was held out that fall to recover and began playing in the spring semester. He played 16 games that semester at Odessa and led the team in scoring. Last year he started 24 of 26 games for Cowley County. "Kevin is an excellent scorer who can shoot the three or penetrate and score," said Head Coach Clem Haskins. "He has excellent athletic ability and will give us additional depth and scoring at the guard position. You win in the Big Ten with great guards and we believe that with the players we have coming back and the addition of Clark and Kevin Nathaniel, we will have an outstanding group of guards to work with." Clark was heavily recruited by Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA • lEW§ Bierman Field Athletic Building 516 15th Avenue Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-4090 Fax 625-0359 For Immediate Release April21, 1997 GOPHER COACHES WIN NATIONAL DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS University of Minnesota diving coach Kongzheng Li and former Golden Gopher and current student coach P.J. Bogart won the 10-meter platform synchronized diving event at the 1997 U.S. Spring National Diving Championships in Auburn, Ala last weekend. Bogart also won the three-meter springboard at the championships and finished second in the one-meter springboard. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA JEW§ Bierman Field Athletic Building 516 15th Avenue Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-4090 Fax 625-0359 For Immediate Release April21, 1997 FANS CAN AID FLOOD VICTIMS AT THIS SATURDAY'S HOME MEN'S ATHLETICS EVENTS Fans attending University of Minnesota men's athletics events on Saturday will have the opportunity to help flood victims throughout Minnesota and North Dakota. All fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items, new clothes or unused cleaning supplies to both the University of Minnesota spring football game which begins at 11 a.m. at the Metrodome and/or the baseball team's doubleheader vs. lllinois which gets underway at 2 p.m. at Siebert Field. Bins will be set up at all entrances to both events. Admission to the spring football game at the 'Dome is free of charge. Tickets to the baseball doubleheader are $6 for adults and $4 for students (17 & under). For more information, call the Golden Gopher Athletics Ticket Office at (612) 624-8080 or 1-800- UGOPHER. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA JEW§ Bierman Field Athletic Building 516 15th Avenue Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-4090 Fax 625-0359 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April22, 1997 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TO HOLD KIDS CLINIC SATURDAY The University of Minnesota baseball team will hold a kids clinic Saturday prior to the Gophers taking on the University of Illinois Fighting Illini at Siebert Field. The clinic, which will start at 10:45 a.m. and last approximately one hour, is sponsored by WFTC-TV FOX-29. The clinic is free of charge and open to children ages 5-13. Children attending the clinic will be permitted to attend the doubleheader free with the paid admission of an adult. Tickets for adults are $6. Space for the clinic is limited. Call the University of Minnesota Men's Marketing and Promotions department at (612) 625-4879 to register. The doubleheader with Illinois is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA JEW§ Bierman Field Athletic Building 516 15th Avenue Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-4090 Fax 625-0359 For Immediate Release April23, 1997 BOBBY JACKSON, JOHN THOMAS AND TREVOR WINTER TO SIGN VIDEOS AND BOOKS AT TARGET STORES ON SUNDAY The University of Minnesota Sports Marketing Office announced today that senior basketball players Bobby Jackson, John Thomas and Trevor Winter will be signing copies of the Golden Gopher Basketball Video and the Uphoria{fhat Golden Season commemorative book this Sunday at Target stores in Bloomington and Shoreview. Jackson will be at the Bloomington Target store on 2555 West 79th Street from 1:30-3:00 p.m. Thomas and Winter will be at the Shoreview Target store on 3800 Lexington from 1:30-3:00 p.m. The Golden Gopher Basketball Video was produced by Midwest Sports Channel in conjunction with the University of Minnesota Men's Intercollegiate Athletics and is available exclusively at Target Stores for $9.99. The Uphoria book was produced by the Star Tribune and Bolger publishing in a partnership with Men's Intercollegiate Athletics and is available for $12.95 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA • JEW§ Bierman Field Athletic Building 516 15th Avenue Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-4090 Fax 625-0359 For Immediate Release April25, 1997 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GOLFER NAMED TO GREAT BRITAIN'S PALMER CUP TEAM The University of Minnesota men's golf office announced today that freshman Martin Le Mesurier has been named to the Great Britain team that will be competing in the inaugural Palmer Cup. The tournament will be played on July 7-12 at Bay Hill Golf Club in Orlando, Florida and the format is the same as the Ryder Cup. Le Mesurier is a native of South Hampton, England. He leads the Golden Gophers in stroke average at 73.96 and is the leading candidate for Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. The former captain of the English Boys Team will be joined on the Great Britain team by Eamon Coughlin of Clemson, Keith Nolan of Eastern Tennessee State, Andrew Lawrence ofUAB, Pete McDonald of Alabama, David White of Emory and two Irish collegiate players . The United States team consists of Brad Elder(fexas, Ray Floyd Jr./Florida, Brian • Hull/USC, Joel KribeVStanford, Ted Oh!UNLV, Bo Van Pelt/Oklahoma State and Chris Wollman/Ohio State. • UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA JEW§ Bierman Field Athletic Building 516 15th Avenue Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-4090 Fax 625-0359 For Immediate Release April 25, 1997 DAVIDS CLAIMS TWO AWARDS AT WRESTLING AWARDS BANQUET Junior Jason Davids claimed two individual team awards at the 1997 Golden Gopher wrestling banquet held recently at the Sheraton Minneapolis Metrodome Hotel. Davids, who finished third at the 1997 NCAA Wrestling Championships, was named Most Outstanding Wrestler after leading Minnesota to a third-place finish at the championships. The 142-pound Davids also earned the Most Falls Award by pinning 11 opponents this season. Tim Hartung was named Most Valuable Wrestler after posting a 34-2 record and a Big Ten Championship at 190. Hartung, Davids, Chad Kraft (150), Pat Connors (126) and Shelton Benjamin (HWT) all earned All-American honors this season for the Golden Gophers. 1997 Minnesota Wrestling Award Winners Most Exciting - Josh Holiday Most Dedicated- Chad Kraft, Zac Taylor Most Outstanding- Jason Davids Most Outstanding Freshman - Brandon Eggum Chris Berglin Most Improved A ward - Pat Connors Fraser Dean Award - Brandon Paulson Most Valuable - Tim Hartung Most Falls- Jason Davids Senior A ward - Nick Antila UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA JEW§ Bierman Field Athletic Building 516 15th Avenue Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-4090 Fax 625-0359 For Immediate Release April 24, 1997 GOPHER GOLF TEAM INKS COLOMBIAN JUNIOR STAR TO NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT The University of Minnesota men's golf office announced today the signing of Colombian junior golf star Santiago Fernandez to a national letter of intent. A native of Bogota, Colombia, Fernandez is the No. 1 ranked junior player in Colombia and the No. 4 ranked junior player in all of South America. He recently represented South America in the World Junior Cup Tournament and was heavily recruited by many collegiate golf powers. Fernandez becomes the third golfer on the current roster from outside the USA. Junior All­ American Rob Kerr is from Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada and freshman Martin Le Mesurier is from South Hampton, England. In addition, Golden Gopher Assistant Coach Brad James is a former U ofM golfer who hails from Queensland, Australia.