Athletics

Badgers sell out Kohl Center
The Wisconsin women’s basketball game Sunday, Jan. 20, is sold out, the UW Athletic Ticket Office says.

The “Cram the Kohl’ event with Minnesota is meant as a benefit for the Madison chapter of the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Badger Coach Jane Albright has pledged to donate $.25 per person for a sellout, and that figure will be matched by Ken Barun, the president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities Worldwide. The donations will provide $8,571 for the Ronald McDonald House in Madison, which serves the families of sick children.

Sunday will be the first sellout for women’s basketball in the Kohl Center (capacity 17,142) and will reset the Big Ten single game attendance record of 16,329 currently held by the Badgers against Northwestern from Feb. 1, 1998.

The UW women’s team has had three official sellouts, which all took place in the Field House (cap. 11,500). The last was 11,522 against Iowa on Feb. 18, 1996. BadgerBall had a “technical’ sellout at the Kohl Center with 16,296 in its opening game against Iowa on Jan. 20, 1998. Because of the uncertainty of seating in the new building and the number of promotions in force for the first game, ticket sales were suspended a few days prior to that tipoff.

Sunday’s crowd will be the largest the current group of seniors has ever played before.

Tickets are available for the other four remaining home BadgerBall games including this Thursday, Jan. 17, with Illinois beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online or by calling the UW Athletic Ticket Office, 262-1440 or 1-800-Go-Badgers.

Goodman Diamond lighted
A new lighting system has been tested at the Robert and Irwin Goodman Softball Complex. Bob Goodman, whose donation made the lights possible, and UW head coach Karen Gallagher were present for the lighting. The lights will be used in competition for the first time March 29, when the Badgers host Purdue at 6 p.m. in Wisconsin’s home opener.

Volleyball ranked 7th
The Wisconsin volleyball team ended the season ranked seventh in the USA Today/AVCA Top 25 Coaches poll released Dec. 19. The rating ties the third-highest season-ending rank for the UW program. The Badgers finished second in 2000, fifth in 1997 and seventh in 1998.

Other UW teams with national rankings include women’s swimming, 15th; men’s swimming, 13th; and wrestling, 23rd.

Banda resigns soccer post
Kalekeni M. Banda has resigned as head coach of the Wisconsin men’s soccer team after five seasons on the job. Banda, whose teams have improved their on-field record in each of the last four seasons, brought some stability to the program after being named head coach prior to the 1997 season, athletics officials say. Banda says personal considerations prompted his decision. “I thank the university community for all of the support extended to my family and team during the last five years,” Banda says. A search to find a replacement for Banda is under way.

Davis is top frosh
Wisconsin’s Anthony Davis, the freshman running back who led the Big Ten in rushing and finished as the nation’s fourth-leading ball-carrier, has been named college football’s National Freshman of the Year for 2001 by the Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio.