North Dakota boxer Virgil Hill will get another shot at the World Boxing Association cruiserweight title belt. The specifics have yet to be announced, said Bill Sorensen, Hill's manager.
After weeks of stalled negotiations with promoter Don King, Sorensen said Hill's bout with No. 1 contender Valerie Brudov will go to a purse bid Friday unless something can be rectified.
A purse bid opens the fight to any promoter when a champion and a challenger cannot agree on a contract.
"We are going to do it," Sorensen said. "Right, wrong, we are going to do it."
Jean-Marc Mormeck's victory over Wayne Braithwaite in early April earned him the distinction as the division's super-champion, meaning the WBA title is now up for grabs. Hill is the No. 2 contender.
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"This will be for the WBA title with the provision that the winner has to fight Mormeck," Sorensen said.
Hill, a former light heavyweight champion, last won the WBA cruiserweight title in 2000.
- Jeff Kolpack
NDSU a good fit for recruit
The four seniors on the Platte County High School (Mo.) boys basketball team all had college recruiters after them. Three went the NAIA route while the fourth had several Division I looks.
Lorenzo Riley chose North Dakota State. He also was considering Creighton University, Rice University, South Dakota State and Missouri-Kansas City, the local college that was giving Riley the hometown tug.
"A lot of people wanted me to go there," Riley said. "But I wanted to break away from the nest. I wanted to get out of Kansas City."
The city school atmosphere, Riley said, did not appeal to him as much as NDSU, which he said had more of a "college feel" to him.
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The 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward will probably play right away for NDSU. He averaged 11 points and 8.5 rebounds his senior year. Platte County went 26-2 and reached the quarterfinals of the state playoffs - the most successful season in school history.
- Jeff Kolpack
Ex-NDSU coach inducted
Former North Dakota State assistant football coach Donavon Larson, who died of a heart attack in December at the age of 57, was inducted into the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Larson was the defensive line coach at NDSU for 14 years before taking the head football position at Hamline University, his alma mater, in 2001. He retired in 2004.
Also inducted were high school coaches Ken Jacobson of Chatfield, Jerry Sonnek of Blackduck, Neal Hofland of Chokio-Alberta-Herman-Norcross, Terry McLean of Elk River and radio announcer Dick Jonckowski.
- Forum staff reports
Inside information
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John Dahl, the head golf pro at Oxbow (N.D.) Country Club, was again named one of the top 100 teachers in the country by Golf Magazine. ... Northwestern State (La.), a team NDSU beat 31-17 last season, had four players sign NFL free-agent contracts: running back Derrick Johnese (Chicago), strong safety Jamall Johnson (Cleveland), offensive tackle Mike King (New York Jets) and fullback Issa Banna (New Orleans Saints). King, incidentally, will be competing with former Bison noseguard Isaac Snell for an offensive line spot. ... Teams already booked for the God Bless American Legion baseball tournament are nationally known West Point, Miss., and Calgary, Alberta. ... The Division I Board of Directors gave the OK for an additional volleyball scholarship for Division I programs effective in 2006. It raises the maximum to 13. ... ESPN rated Greg Eslinger of the University of Minnesota the top prospect at the center position for next year's NFL draft. Eslinger attended Bismarck High School. ... Former Park Rapids (Minn.) High School standout Tyler Safratowich was named outstanding wrestler at the FILA Junior Greco-Roman National Championships held in Las Vegas last weekend. The University of Minnesota freshman went 4-0 and won the title at 145 pounds. ... Four area high school athletes have signed letters of intent to play football at the N.D. State College of Science. They are: Matt Barr of Hawley, Minn.; Adam Brevik of Twin Valley, Minn.; Cody Fuller and Jeremy Retzlaff of Ellendale, N.D., and Jerad Knapper of Dilworth. ... Fargo native Danny Irmen shared MVP honors on the University of Minnesota men's hockey team with goalie Kellen Briggs. ... Former Concordia men's basketball star Josh Downey will be a graduate assistant men's basketball coach at D-I Gonzaga next season.
