La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune and Michael Russo of the Athletic were chosen co-winners of the Minnesota sportswriter of the year by the National Sports Media Association.

Neal has covered the Twins for the Star Tribune since 1998. Russo, a former Star Tribune writer, covers the Wild and is a four-time winner of the award.

Mike Grimm, who calls Gophers football and basketball games for Learfield Sports, is the Minnesota sportscaster of the year for the fourth time.

National winners were sportswriter Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and sportscaster Kevin Harlan of Turner and Westwood One.

Oturu honored again

Gophers center Daniel Oturu's career-best 30-point performance in Sunday's 75-67 victory over then-No. 19 Michigan earned him his second Big Ten men's basketball player of the week honor this season.

Oturu shot 13-for-18 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds in 35 minutes at Williams Arena.

The Cretin-Derham Hall product's previous career-high was 29 points, to go with 18 rebounds in a double-overtime loss at Purdue on Jan. 2.

Oturu has two more double-doubles than he did last season with 10. His latest came on 22 points and 10 rebounds in a 74-58 loss last week at Michigan State.

MARCUS FULLER

Gophers set GPA marks

Gophers student-athletes continue to excel at historic levels in the classroom, according to information released today by the John & Nancy Lindahl Academic Center.

Minnesota student-athletes combined to average a school-record 3.33 GPA for the recent fall semester, and every sport was at 3.10 or above.

In addition, the cumulative GPA for all Minnesota student-athletes is a school-record 3.28. This is the fourth straight semester that the cumulative GPA has increased and every program is above a 3.00 for the first time ever.

Fifteen programs increased their cumulative GPA, including the men's and women's programs in basketball, track and field and swimming and diving.