Today's sports briefs: 4-13

Mitchell’s Martin signs with Mary

BISMARCK, N.D. — Tate Martin has officially signed to play basketball at the University of Mary, it was announced Thursday.

Martin averaged six points and one rebound per game this past season and helped the Kernels to their second consecutive appearance at the state tournament.

“The University of Mary is a place I feel like I can reach my full potential,” Martin said in a press release from the University of Mary. “Not only do the Marauders have a great basketball program, but the school will provide me a great education for my future.”

Flemmer signs with Presentation

ABERDEEN— Trevor Flemmer will be joining the Presentation men’s basketball team for the 2012-13 season, head coach Jeremy Reigle announced Thursday.

Flemmer, who is a 2011 graduate of Mitchell High School, helped the Kernels to a 21-4 record his senior year.

Flemmer spent the past year at North Dakota State University and intends to major in athletic training at Presentation.

DWU’s Bellet lands GPAC honor

For the fifth time this season, Dakota Wesleyan University women’s golfer Dani Bellet has been named the Great Plains Athletic Conference Women’s golfer of the week, it was announced Wednesday.

Bellet was honored as the league’s golfer of the week four times during the 2011 fall season. She was picked as this week’s winner after winning the two-day Nebraska Wesleyan Invite on April 2 in Lincoln, Neb. She shot a two-day total of 150 and beat out Morningside’s Sophie Peters by two strokes.

The DWU women are back in action today at the Morningside Invite in Sioux City, Iowa.

Wesleyan softball team looking for food donations

During Wednesday’s Dakota Wesleyan University softball doubleheader, the Tigers are asking fans to bring food items to be donated to the snackpack program.

Started in October 2009, the snackpack program distributes bags of snacks to children in elementary schools in Mitchell on the last school day of the week.

The game starts at 5 p.m. at the Cadwell Park complex and there is no admission fee. Contact head coach Ed Kieff at 995-2178 with any questions.

New Orleans names Joe Vitt interim coach

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have named Joe Vitt as interim coach, despite the top assistant’s six-game suspension for his role in the club’s bounty system.

The Saints had to find a one-season replacement for head coach Sean Payton, whose season-long suspension in connection with the bounty scandal begins Monday and runs through the next February’s Super Bowl.

Vitt, who carries the titles of assistant head coach and linebackers coach, briefly stepped in as interim head coach last season when Payton broke his leg.

Bears agree to 1-year extension with Lance Briggs

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract extension with Lance Briggs, keeping the Pro Bowl linebacker through the 2014 season.

Briggs, whose contract would have expired in 2013, was scheduled to make nearly $4 million next season. Instead, he gets a $3 million bonus up front along with a $250,000 workout bonus and $3 million in salary.

Wade says money is not a motivator for the Olympics

MIAMI (AP) — Heat guard Dwyane Wade says money is not his motivation for the London Games this summer.

In a statement Thursday, Wade said, “I do not want to be paid to go to the Olympics.”

Wade was quoted Wednesday saying he thinks “guys should be compensated” for playing over the summer and noted the schedule demands of being an Olympian. He said he was responding to a question about Olympians being paid, and never said he needed to be paid to play.

Wade later tweeted that pride for his country “motivates me more than any $$$ amount.”

Wade played for the U.S. at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.

and has said the London Games would be his last.

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