Gophers swimmer Bowe Becker placed fourth in 50 freestyle in NCAA meet

Senior Bowe Becker of the Gophers took fourth in the 50-yard freestyle at NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on Thursday in Austin, Texas. His time was 18.84 seconds; he finished third in the event a year ago.

Minnesota's 400 medley relay, which Becker anchors, placed 10th in a school-record time of 3:04.70. Other relay members were Tom Donker, Max McHugh and Tuomas Pokkinen.

Minnesota United star midfielder Darwin Quintero obtained his U.S. green card, the Loons announced Thursday, which will open an international player's spot on the Loons' MLS roster for the rest of this season.

Each team is allowed eight international spots. United traded one away previously to Chicago and has six slotted international players now that Quintero — born and raised in Colombia — has his green card that allows him to live and work permanently in the United States.

Those six: Michael Boxall, Jan Gregus, Romaria Ibarra, Vito Mannone, Angelo Rodriquez and Romain Metanire.

While five teammates left during last week's bye to play for their national teams, Quintero left for Mexico to finalize the green card process.

Jerry Zgoda

• The No. 19 Gophers softball team (22-9, 3-0 Big Ten) will play its home opener against Purdue (22-10, 2-1) at 3 p.m. Friday at Janes Sage Cowles Stadium. Minnesota, which is coming off a three-game sweep at Maryland, is 28-1 at home the past two seasons.

• The Gophers baseball team (9-13, 3-0 Big Ten), which has won four in a row, will play Nebraska at 4 p.m. Friday in its conference home opener at Siebert Field.

• Concordia (St. Paul) will add women's swimming and diving as a varsity sport, starting with the 2020-21 season.

• The St. Paul Saints acquired Eden Prairie product and former Twins farmhand Blake Schmit from the Sioux City Explorers in exchange for a player to be named. The infielder batted .311 with 42 RBI in 92 games last season with Sioux City and the Sioux Falls Canaries. He was a 26th- round draft choice of the Twins in 2014 out of Maryland. The Twins released Schmit in 2016.

• St. John's receiver Will Gillach will receive the Stein-Fallon Scholar-Athlete Award from the Minnesota chapter of the National Football Foundation (NFF) at the 12th annual Minnesota Football Awards on April 27 at U.S. Bank Stadium. It is awarded to a senior from a Minnesota college or university who demonstrates academic achievement, football leadership and community citizenship.