Gophers redshirt defensive end Ben Perry, who is 6-foot-5, said he considered attending the Air Force Academy but there were concerns about his eyesight meeting the standards needed for flying and also whether he was too big for a cockpit. His father attended West Point and both parents were career military people.
Kill praised senior tight end Collin McGarry earlier this week. “If I said someone who is playing the most consistent football on our offensive team, Collin McGarry. Never says a word, just goes and plays.”
Ed Rauen, Rochester broadcaster and Gophers historian, said Kill’s roster includes 23 redshirt freshmen. That’s a credit to coach Tim Brewster and his staff for holding back most of the 2010 class to gain maturity last fall.
Iowa athletic director Gary Barta oversees a 24-sport program that has exceeded the Academic Progress Rate for three consecutive years in each sport. He was born in Minneapolis and was a quarterback for North Dakota State.
Congratulations to prep football coaches Dwight Lundeen (Becker), Leo Pohlkamp (Pierz) and Jeff Williams (Owatonna) who respectively won their 299th, 200th and 100th career games this week.
Prep basketball authority Ken Lien emailed that Champlin native Kyle Washington, a junior at Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, has been offered a scholarship by Florida.
Minneapolis-St. Paul is No. 14 among 271 cities ranked by Sporting News Magazine in its annual listing of America’s best sports towns. Dallas-Fort Worth, Boston and Philadelphia ranked first, second and third respectively in the magazine’s October 10 issue.
Former Gopher Phil Kessel, now with Toronto, is tied for the NHL lead in goals (9) and is tops in points (16). Another former Gopher, Thomas Vanek, is off to a productive start with Buffalo and is second in the league in goals (7) and points (14).
The MIAC Men’s Hockey Showcase will have all nine conference teams playing games starting tonight, Saturday and Sunday at Fogerty Arena in Blaine. Admission is $5 per person with children five and under admitted free.
Condolences to former Gophers fullback Jim Carter on the death of his mother, and also to the family of St. Paul community sports leader Kwame McDonald who passed away this week.