Minnesota Scene: U women win first golf tournament in six years

Anna Laorr tied for medalist honors to lead the Gophers to first place Tuesday in the Entrada Classic in St. George, Utah. It was the team's first tournament title in six years.

Laorr, a junior from Eden Prairie, closed with a 72 for a 6-over 222 total. She tied with Alexis Nelson of Wisconsin.

The Gophers had a 931 total in the 54-hole tournament, winning by eight shots over host Brigham Young. Carmen Laguna tied for 14th (236) and Emie Peronnin for 20th (239).

"We played well as a team, and it's great to be able to celebrate a win together," Laorr said.

Apple Valley guard Tyus Jones, who has signed with Duke, was named Mr. Basketball on Tuesday.

JP Macura of Lakeville North, Reid Travis of DeLaSalle and Brian Goodwin of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, who led their teams to the Class 4A, 3A and 1A state titles last weekend, were three of the four other finalists. Wheeler Blake of Osseo was the fourth.

Five members of the Gophers women's gymnastics team, which tied for the Big Ten regular-season dual meet title with Nebraska with a 6-1 record, were named to the league's all-conference teams.

Illinois' Amber See, a senior from Minnetonka, made the all-conference first team, and Nebraska's Hollie Blanske, a sophomore from Oak Grove, made the second team.

Mike Handel went 3-for-5 with four RBI and teammates Tony Skjefte and Mark Tatera each had three hits and three RBI as the Gophers won 15-11 over St. Mary's on Tuesday in a nonconference baseball game in Moraga, Calif.

Skjefte had a homer, one of nine extra-base hits for Minnesota (10-6), which scored in six of nine innings in a game that lasted almost four hours. The teams combined for 34 hits, 19 by the visitors.

• Senior Sara Moulton of the No. 16 Gophers (21-3) was selected the Big Ten pitcher of the week. She was 3-0 with a save last weekend in the Chaticleer Showdown in Conway, S.C. She struck out 40 hitters in 20 innings.

• Gophers sophomore defenseman Brady Skjei was named the Big Ten's third star of the week. He scored three goals — doubling his season total — as Minnesota split with Michigan in Ann Arbor.