Austin Daily Herald

Ellis Middle School will be the site for softball this winter.

The Austin Fastpitch Association will make the Ellis Middle School gymnasium available for a hitting league Sundays from 4-7 p.m. An open gym from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursdays will run weekly through February. There will be areas alotted for throwing, hitting and soft-toss.

Ellis will also host a fastpitch softball clinic this Saturday, Jan. 11.

The clinic is for girls ages 10-18 and will feature John Tschida and Tim Gormley, the coaching staff at the University of St. Thomas.

There will be two sessions costing $5 each. A hitting and fielding session will run from 8:30 a.m. until noon, and a pitching and catching session will run from 1-4:30 p.m.

Players may register at the Austin Park and Recreation Department until Friday.

Lyle/Pacelli graduate leads Winona State to victory

Austin Daily Herald

Lyle/Pacelli graduate Amy Bickler led the Winona State University women's gymnastics team to a 175.375-171.825 win over Wisconsin-Stout Wednesday night by winning the vault competition.

Bickler, a regular state-meet qualifier for the Austin High School gymnastics team, scored a 9.250 in the vault to lead WSU to a sweep of the event. Bickler, a freshman for WSU, also won the floor exercise with a 9.350, was third on the uneven parallel bars with an 8.350, and finished second in the all-around with a 35.675 total.

Anonymous donor makes Minnesota confident

The Associated Press

An anonymous pledge of matching funds has made Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi confident the school will have the $2.7 million it needs to avoid dropping golf and men's gymnastics.

The "Save Gophers Sports" committee -- formed after then-president Mark Yudof announced last spring the university would have to cut the three programs unless the money could be raised to save the sports for at least three more years.

The drive is about $355,000 short of the $2.7 million with three weeks before the self-imposed deadline of Feb. 1.

Maturi wouldn't reveal any information about the donor, but he said he doesn't have a hesitation of concern that the pledge is real.