First-round draft pick Noah Billingsley signs with Loons

Minnesota United officially signed first-round draft pick Noah Billingsley on Tuesday, four days before MLS teams must set rosters for this weekend's opening days.

The Loons drafted him 18th overall in January's SuperDraft out of Cal-Santa Barbara. He played forward most of his life until he was made a defender his junior year there.

Teammates Michael Boxall, James Musa and Billingsley all are from New Zealand.

He has played this preseason behind Romain Metanire at right back and could perhaps play some left back, too, United coach Adrian Heath said.

He's 6-2, 22 years old and was off the charts on most of United's physical testing before preseason began.

Asked if Billingsley can find time in MLS or if he'll spend some or most of the season with United's Madison USL affiliate, Heath said, "We'll see. The one thing he's proved in preseason is he can play,"

• United continues to negotiate with Argentina's famed Boca Juniors club about young attacking midfielder Emanuel Reynoso, without a deal after weeks of discussion.

Gophers junior Shane Wiskus was named the College Gymnastics Association's and Big Ten's gymnast of the week for the third time this season.

Competing in the Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas, Wiskus finished second in the all-around (84.550), and retained his spot on the U.S. senior national team.

On Day 2 of the event, he tied for second in vault (28.750), and placed seventh on high bar (26.600) and eighth in floor exercise (27.950).

Seven runners from the Minnesota Distance Elite training group — men Tyler Jermann, Danny Docherty, Kevin Lewis and Joel Reichow, and women Katy Jermann, Dakotah Lindwurm and Meghan Peyton — will compete at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the marathon, which will be held Saturday in Atlanta. The event will be broadcast live on Ch. 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Freshman Annabelle Ackroyd of the Gophers placed seventh with a closing 73 for a 4-over 220 total in the Gold Rush women's golf tournament in Seal Beach, Calif., while classmate Grace Curran tied for 10th, matching her 73 for a 221.

• Minnesota Duluth forward Brandon Myer, a 6-8 senior from Superior, Wis., was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division II national player of the week. He averaged 42 points and 15 rebounds as UMD split two games. He also became the Bulldogs' all-time leading scorer, with 1,967 points, when he had 40 points in a 83-76 loss to Bemidji State.