Colorado was picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 Conference’s North Division, trailing heavy favorite Missouri in a poll of college football media Wednesday.
The Buffaloes were projected to finish behind Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska. Kansas State and Iowa State rounded out the division. The Tigers, who won the North title last season, were a unanimous choice of 51 voters to win it again.
In the Big 12 South, Oklahoma also was picked to repeat as division champion. The Sooners received 49 first-place votes, with No. 2 pick Texas getting two. Texas Tech was picked to finish third, followed by Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Baylor.
Rapids sign Dalby.
The Colorado Rapids signed midfielder Greg Dalby, the 17th overall pick in Major League Soccer’s 2007 SuperDraft. Terms of the contract were not announced.
“We took a risk when we drafted Greg, knowing he had the ability and desire to play in Europe,” coach Fernando Clavijo said. “That risk paid off as we have signed a top up-and-coming midfield talent.”
Dalby played last year for Charleroi of the Belgian first division. He was set to play for Preston North End in England before work permit problems nixed that deal. He tried out with Celtic FC in Scotland, FC Nuremberg in Germany and Siena in Italy before signing with the Rapids.
RMAC back in the pool.
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference added swimming and diving to its list of sanctioned sports, commissioner J.R. Smith announced. The RMAC dropped the sports in 1984 but will revive them beginning in the fall.
Six women’s teams and four men’s teams are scheduled to compete in RMAC swimming and diving. The women’s teams are Colorado Mines, Mesa State, Nebraska-Kearney, Grand Canyon (Ariz.), Incarnate Word (Texas) and Texas-Permian Basin. The men’s teams will come from Colorado Mines, Grand Canyon, Incarnate Word and Texas-Permian Basin.
Skyhawks hire lacrosse coach.
Fort Lewis selected Kelley Queisser to be the college’s first women’s lacrosse coach, athletic director Kelly Higgins announced. Queisser most recently was coach of the San Diego State women’s lacrosse club team.
Queisser was a four-year Division I player at the University of California. The Skyhawks expect to play next season at the club level before playing a full Division II schedule in 2010.
Junior Match Play finalists set.
Bryce Schroeder of Elmwood Golf Course and Somin Lee of Meadow Hills will meet today in the finals of the Colorado Women’s Golf Association Junior Match Play Championship at The Broadlands in Broomfield. Schroeder defeated Kristin Kempton of Lone Tree 4 and 3 in Wednesday’s semifinal round. Somin Lee topped Shinwoo Lee of Aurora Hills 3 and 2 in the other semifinal.
Ahern in CGA quarterfinals.
John Ahern of Morrison won two matches, including an upset of top-seeded Oliver Grabb of Boulder, to advance to the quarterfinals of the Colorado Golf Association Junior Match Play Championship at Bear Creek Golf Club.
Ahern beat Grabb 4 and 3 in the round of 32, then beat Michael Lee of Greeley 2 up in the round of 16.
Ahern will face Cameron Freeman of Fort Collins, who defeated Steven Kupcho of Westminster 4 and 3 in the round of 16. Regis University-bound Robert Quick of Littleton ousted Basalt’s Jim Knous 2 up. Quick will face Brian Dorfman of Greenwood Village, a 2-and-1 winner over Brennan Dolan of Boulder.
Also making the quarterfinals were Zahkai Brown of Arvada, a Colorado State signee; Clark Shafer of Castle Rock; David Holtgrewe of Englewood, who upset the No. 3 seed, Derek Fribbs of Castle Rock, 3 and 2; and Brenden Beeg of Littleton, who defeated current CGA Junior Stroke Play champion Kory Harrell of Colorado Springs 2 and 1.
