Parker Nielsen and the West Texas A& M Buffaloes advanced to the NCAA Division II Regional Championship with an 82-65 victory over Dallas Baptist University last Sunday. Another win this week qualifies the Lone Star Conference power to the next week’s Elite 8 in Evansville, Indiana.

Prescott High School track coaches expect between 50-60 boys and girls to participate in track and field this season. According to Prescott Coach Emily Calabrese that is down from 84 who signed up last spring before the virus forced the cancellation of all WIAA spring sports. There are 18 separate events in track and field and this season there will be an unlimited number of entries per event for every regular season meet.

North Dakota State is now 10-3 on season after winning three straight against the Dayton Flyers this past weekend. Heading into conference play this week, Peter Brookshaw leads the Bison with 17 RBI and is second on the team in hits and stolen bases. The 2018 Prescott alumnus has played errorless ball this season. NDSU is off to their best start since 2002 and will open Summit league when they travel to Macomb Illinois to take on the Western Illinois Leathernecks in a four game series.

Trent Joles of Boyceville and Owen Washburn of Webster are two of the featured players on the cover of the 2021 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Yearbook. Identified as among the best baseball publications in the country, a copy of each edition is sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Brothers Pete and Michael Brookshaw are the only two Prescott players that have been featured on the front cover of the WBCA Yearbook. Mike in the 2015 edition and Peter in 2018.

From the WIAA…The Board of Control has identified four candidates for the executive director position, replacing Dave Anderson, who announced his retirement in December, effective July 30, 2021.The four candidates remaining in the pool include two members of the current executive staff and two individuals that have experience on the association’s Board of Control. The two staff candidates are Deputy Director Wade Labecki and Assistant Director Stephanie Hauser. The two individuals with Board experience are Scott Winch, superintendent at Stratford, and Luke Francois, the superintendent/business manager at Waterford Union. Labecki is a former teacher and coach at Baldwin-Woodville High School.

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources… The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host a series of public meetings to gather input for Wisconsin’s proposed 2021 migratory bird hunting season structures. Virtual public meetings on the proposed 2021 season structure will be held March 16-18. The DNR invites the public to attend to learn more about the propels and to ask questions. The public can also provide feedback through the online input tool by March 19. After public comments are collected, the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board will review the department’s season structure recommendations at its April 14 meeting. Also the Department reminds hunters that the application period for the 2021 elk hunt is open through May 31 for the chance to draw a hunt of a lifetime. Following several successfully managed Wisconsin elk hunts, the DNR is planning the fourth elk hunt in state history this fall. Wisconsin's northern herd elk population, centered around Clam Lake, rose to 300 animals in 2020. The DNR anticipates growth in the herd again this year. Headshaker of the week: Those who always and only root for the favorites in the NCAA Division I Basketball tournament. Unless it’s your team playing against a #14 seed, real fans should always relish upsets in the tournament. If you can’t cheer for a Loyola-Chicago-like team to advance in the tournament I give it. Not rooting for the likes of Nicholls State, Winthrop, or Grand Canyon in the opening round of the tournament is a headshaker.