The Gophers will break ground on their new outdoor track and field facility at 11 a.m. Friday at the northeast corner of the Athletes Village, now under construction. It is scheduled to open in September 2018.

The nine-lane facility will allow the Gophers to hold home meets for the first time in more than 15 years.

Etc.

• Nick Williams, an Edina bantam defenseman, and Chaska sophomore forward Rhett Pitlick recently committed to play for the Gophers hockey team. Pitlick's older brother, Rem, plays for Minnesota.

• Sydney Baldwin, a senior defenseman from Minnetonka, was named the WCHA's offensive player of the week. She had one goal, an overtime game-winner, and three assists, as Minnesota swept Bemidji State 3-1 and 4-3 in overtime.

• Gophers freshman Brannon McManus, of Newport Beach, Calif., was named the Big Ten's third star of the week in men's hockey. He had a hat trick in the third period of Minnesota's 6-3 win over Penn State on Sunday.

• North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison announced he will retire Dec. 31 after 9½ years.

• Minnesota Duluth's Sarah Kelly, a junior right side hitter, was named the AVCA's Division II national player of the week. She led the No. 5 Bulldogs to a pair of road wins over then-No. 14 Winona Sate and Upper Iowa. She had 29 kills combined in the two matches and hit .412.

• Bethel defensive end Kyle Kilgore, a junior from East Ridge High School, was named to D3football.com's team of the week. He had 12 tackles and two sacks in the Royals' 24-3 win over Gustavus.

• Unranked St. Thomas won the 18-team Golfweek Preview tournament in Sandestin, Fla., by seven shots. The field included the nation's top seven ranked teams. Senior Pete Sienko tied for sixth at 211 with a closing 72.