St. Thomas basketball teams playoff-bound

The St. Thomas men's and women's basketball teams have automatic bids to the NCAA Division III tournament by virtue of their MIAC championships.

Brackets for the playoffs were unveiled Monday.

The Tommies women will host UMAC winner Martin Luther of New Ulm in a first-round game in St. Paul on Friday. The winner will play either Coe (Iowa) or Wis.-River Falls in the second round Saturday.

The defending national champion Tommies men will face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) in the first round. The winner will play host to either Wis.-Whitewater or UMAC champ Northwestern of Roseville.

Gustavus was the other Minnesota team to make the men's field. The Gusties will play Friday against Wheaton (Ill.), with the winner advancing to face host Wis.-River Falls or Edgewood of Madison, Wis.

Bollinger goes to PittPittsburgh football coach Paul Chryst has hired Hill-Murray coach and former Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger as quarterbacks coach and Desmond Robinson as running backs coach. Chryst also named former Arkansas staff member Dann Kabala as player personnel director.

Bollinger starred at Wisconsin from 1999-2002 before spending six years in the NFL and two more in the UFL. He spent last season as the head coach at Hill-Murray, leading the team to a 9-3 record and a state playoff berth.

Etc.• Augsburg senior wrestler Josh Kohler was added to the field for the NCAA Division III National Championships in the 174-pound weight class. Kohler was one of 10 wrestlers nationwide to be added to the field, ensuring that each of the 10 weight classes will have at least 16 wrestlers in its bracket. The NCAA Division III meet will be held in La Crosse, Wis., on March 9-10.

• Gophers junior pitcher TJ Oakes has been named the Big Ten pitcher of the week. It's the first time Oakes has received the award since his freshman season.

• Minnesota State Moorhead won't add Division I ice hockey to its athletic program, school President Edna Szymanski announced in a letter to faculty.