Wisconsin prep star Grace Grocholski signs with Gophers women's basketball
Grocholski led Kettle Moraine High School to two large-school Wisconsin girls basketball state titles.
Grace Grocholski, a high-scoring Wisconsin guard, is officially a member of the Gophers women's basketball team, joining new Gophers coach Dawn Plitzuweit. Grocholski has signed her national letter of intent.
A top-100 recruit by ESPN, Grocholoski — who led Kettle Moraine High School in Wales, Wis., to consecutive large-school state championships — had originally decided to play for Plitzuweit at West Virginia, but re-opened her recruiting after Plitzuweit moved to Minnesota. Grocholski announced her decision last month.
The 5-10 guard averaged 24.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.0 steals as a senior at Kettle Moraine, and finished her high school career with 2,294 points, the 13th most in state high school history. "Grace is an incredible young lady and a person who competes in everything she does,'' Plitzuweit said in a news release.
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- Riley Sunram, a 6-4, 275-pound defensive lineman from Kindred, N.D., committed on Twitter to the Gophers football team. 247/Sports lists him as a three-star athlete.
- Gophers senior wrestler Michael Blockhus, who placed eighth at 149 pounds in the NCAA meet, announced he will forgo his final season of eligibility — granted because of COVID-19 — and instead pursue a professional MMA career.
- Gophers graduate student Amira Young was named the Big Ten Conference women's track athlete of the week. In her first outdoor meet, Jim Click Shootout last weekend in Tucson, Ariz., she broke her own program record in the 200 meters (23.10 seconds) and ran on the 4x400 relay (43.88) which set another school mark.
- Pepperdine graduate student Derek Hitchner, a Minneapolis native who went to Blake, won the 76th Western Intercollegiate golf tournament. His closing 1-over 70 gave him a 7-under 203 total and a one-shot victory. The No. 8 Waves also won the team title by nine shots.
- Gophers incoming freshman middle blocker Calissa Minatee of Kansas City, Mo., was one of 20 athletes selected for the Girls U19 NORCECA Pan American Cup roster, USA Volleyball announced. After a training camp, 12 players will be chosen to compete in the tournament from May 7-15 in Ciudad de Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico.
- Due to inclement weather expected on Saturday, the Gophers baseball team (9-22, 3-3 Big Ten) will host Iowa (23-8, 2-4) in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Friday at Siebert Field.
Seven players transferred from a 19-win team, some for more NIL money. But the Gophers who stayed -- Parker Fox, Mike Mitchell Jr. and Dawson Garcia -- want to finish what they started.
