Minnesota Scene: Gophers are co-champions in Big Ten women's track

A fourth-place finish in the 1,600-meter relay gave the Gophers a share of the Big Ten women's track and field championship on Sunday in Lincoln, Neb.

Led by event titles from Jess Lehman (heptathlon) and Nicolle Murphy (javelin), Minnesota secured the second outdoor Big Ten title in program history, tying Michigan with 106 points. Nebraska (94) was third.

Minnesota had a 13-point lead heading into the final day of competition, then scored in nine of 11 events.

The Gophers were in first place with 94 points, ahead of Michigan (92) and Nebraska (91) with two events remaining. Michigan then took a one-point lead over Minnesota, 102-101, following the 5,000-meter run. The Wolverines' Gina Sereno won the event, but the Gophers earned a huge seven points as Kaila Urick placed fifth and Liz Berkholtz sixth.

It came down to the 4x400 relay, where the Gophers team of Erin Hawkins, Kat Keller, Emerald Egwim and Titania Markland earned five points to Michigan's four. The Gophers' time of 3 minutes, 32.50 seconds was a season best by more than three seconds.

• The Gophers men finished seventh with 72 points, but the 1,600 relay team of Brad Neumann, Nate Roese, Goaner Deng and Jack Wellenstein took second in 3:04.46. Nebraska ran away with the team championship with 140.5 points, 50 more than runner-up Michigan.

Toby Anderson's four-hitter led the Gophers to a 3-0 baseball victory over Purdue and their third Big Ten road sweep of the season. Dan Motl had two RBI and scored a run on a wild pitch for the Gophers (33-15, 15-5).

Kierstin Anderson-Glass pitched six scoreless innings and drove in a run as 12th-ranked St. Thomas blanked host Lake Forest (Ill.) 2-0 for an NCAA Division III softball regional championship. Anderson-Glass was chosen the regional's most outstanding player, after allowing only two runs in 25 innings. The Tommies (41-6) advanced to a best-of-three Super Regional next weekend against Trine (Ind.).

• St. Catherine lost to host Luther 3-1 in a regional final, after forcing a decisive game earlier in the day by beating the Norse 3-0. The Wildcats finished 34-11, setting records for victories and fewest losses.

Host St. Cloud State beat Concordia (St. Paul) 6-4 for the NSIC baseball championship Sunday in St. Cloud, earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II tournament, also in St. Cloud. The Huskies (42-8) will be the No. 1 seed in the Central Regional and will face No. 8 seed Minnesota State Mankato in the first round. Minnesota Duluth, the No. 3 seed, will play Emporia State. The tournament runs Thursday through Sunday.

• No. 8 University of Chicago topped Gustavus 5-2, eliminating the Gusties from the NCAA Division III men's tennis tournament for the second year in a row.

• Top-ranked St. Thomas won 10-7 over No. 6 Grand Valley State in Orange, Calif., capturing the Men's College Lacrosse Association national championship.