While academics may finish for the University of Wisconsin-Madison in mid-May, Badger athletics are a year-round adventure at UW.
Here are some of the highlights you may have missed over the summer break:
? Men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan led Team USA in the World University Games to a third-place finish over Israel. The U.S. lost in the semifinals to Russia 69-68. Although there was some questionable officiating, Ryan refused to blame the referees. “That game was hard-fought,” Ryan said. “Defensively, look at what we were making them shoot. Of course, they were playing hard too, and look what they did to us. Finding easy baskets in that game was very, very difficult. You have a bad shooting night one game, and then you are on the sideline for the championship game.”
? ESPN’s Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg ranked Camp Randall as the No. 1 stadium at which to go to a Big Ten game. “I’ve always had a thing for Camp Randall, ever since I covered my first game there in 2000,” Rittenberg wrote. “I’m a sucker for stadiums that are nestled into metropolitan areas, with limited parking sprawl and a real scene around the perimeter. From the frat parties on Breese Terrace to Regent Street nearby, the atmosphere is truly unique. Things really get rocking inside the facility, which blends traditional touches with modern amenities.”
? Women’s hockey players Hilary Knight, Meghan Duggan and Brooke Ammerman were invited to tryout for 2009-10 U.S. Women’s National team, which is coached by current Badger head coach Mark Johnson. If selected, the three will be included on the roster for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Eight former Badgers including Angie Kesely, Erika Lawler and Jessie Vetter — members of last year’s national championship team — are also competing for a roster spot.
? Fresh off a disappointing season in which they failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin’s volleyball team brought in a whopping nine new players to incorporate for next season. Highlighting the class is freshman middle blocker Mary Ording. A native of Carmel, Ind., Ording was listed in Volleyball magazine as one of the top 50 high school seniors and played for two different national title teams this summer.
