Report: Humphries to Minnesota

Kris Humphries, a 6—9 McDonald’s All-American forward from Chaska, Minn., said Monday that he will attend the University of Minnesota, according to a report in the Star Tribune of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Humphries had signed with Duke, but asked for and was granted his release earlier this spring.

He visited Iowa State on June 2 and said then he was considering the Cyclones, Minnesota and Indiana University.

— Lucas Grundmeier

Proposed athletics budget shows hike

The Board of Regents released preliminary budgets for state university athletic programs Thursday.

The proposed budget for the 2003—2004 fiscal year for Iowa State shows an increase of 1.2 percent from the 2002—2003 fiscal year, to $27,985,921.

The budget shows a large decline in expected Big 12 Conference revenue, from about $6 million to about $4.7 million. Iowa State played in eight televised football games last season, but only three televised games are budgeted for the 2003 season.

Some larger increases in budgeted expenses take into account increased tuition rates for scholarships and contract buyouts for former men’s basketball head coach Larry Eustachy and former men’s basketball assistant coach Steve Barnes.

Eustachy will be paid $960,000, while Barnes’ settlement is still being negotiated. Eustachy resigned May 5 after a weeklong controversy surrounding photos of him drinking and kissing college-aged women at a private party in Columbia, Mo. after a Cyclone loss Jan. 21. Barnes was suspended May 1 for allegedly making threatening remarks to a player’s family.

Some of the projected shortfall will be made up by increased National Cyclone Club fundraising goals, according to the proposed budget.

The ISU athletics budget is among the topic scheduled for discussion at the Board of Regents meeting Wednesday and Thursday in Council Bluffs.

— Lucas Grundmeier

Athletics manager named to panel

An ISU athletic department manager has been selected as one of 22 members of a national program designed to promote the professional development of minority males.

Donald Reed, the ISU director of student-athlete services, will participate in the 2003—2004 NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males.

According to the NCAA Web site, Reed and other participants will take part in four weekend sessions in Indianapolis over the next year before a concluding weeklong program, also in Indianapolis, next June.

The Web site also cites the purpose of the institute as “to address the critical shortage of senior-level ethnic minority males involved at the campus and conference levels.”

Reed has been at Iowa State since 2000, arriving from Arizona State. He oversees student-athlete counselors, life skills enhancement programs and student-athlete career development.

— Lucas Grundmeier

Former ISU golfer misses U.S. Open

Jason Knutzon, a standout golfer at Iowa State from 1994—1999, shot a 16-over-par 156 in his two days at the U.S. Open last week and missed the cut by 13 strokes.

After an opening day 75, Knutzon struggled to a score of 81 Friday, shooting three double bogeys on the back nine.

It was Knutzon’s first time playing in the tournament, which was held at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill.

Jim Furyk won the tournament Sunday for his first major tournament victory.

Furyk shot an 8-under-par 272 to win by three strokes over Stephen Leaney.

Knutzon, who currently plays on the Asian Tour, holds the single season stroke average record at Iowa State, shooting a 72.7 in the 1996—1997 season.

— Lucas Grundmeier

Video coordinator is best in Big 12

The video operations director for the ISU football program was named the Big 12 Conference Video Coordinator of the Year for the second time in a row Thursday.

Mike Motl, who is entering his ninth season on the Cyclone staff, received the award from the Collegiate Sports Video Association.

Motl is now a part of a pool of 16 video coordinators from across the country from which the national video coordinator of the year will be selected.

Chad Bunn of Brigham Young University won the award in 2002.

— Lucas Grundmeier