Sports sponsorship: The number of intercollegiate wrestling programs in New York is increasing to six with Stevens Institute of Technology's decision to again sponsor the sport -- first as a club program this year, then at the varsity level for 2004-05. Former Lycoming College all-American and College of New Jersey assistant coach Andy Lausier will serve as head coach at Stevens Institute, which sponsored a wrestling squad for 22 years before dropping the sport in 1992. "We're excited to add wrestling as a varsity sport at Stevens," said Athletics Director Russell Rogers, whose school will sponsor 21 varsity sports with the addition of wrestling. "We feel that it is a good fit for the institution and the athletics department. Wrestling is a very popular and competitive sport at the high-school level in New Jersey and the surrounding region. With only six collegiate programs in the state, we believe we can become very competitive very quickly." Lausier, who qualified three times for the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships and placed eighth at 197 pounds in 2000, helped coach five all-Americans (including a national champion) at College of New Jersey. "He has a strong background at the Division III level and learned from two well-respected coaches in David Icenhower (College of New Jersey) and Roger Crebs (Lycoming)," Rogers said ... Two Division III institutions in New York have announced plans to sponsor women's golf beginning this year. Vassar College is adding the sport as its 23rd varsity offering for men and women, while William Smith College will establish golf as its 11th sport for women during the coming academic year. Vassar, which offered women's golf as a club sport last year, currently plans to participate in four tournaments this fall. William Smith announced it will play a limited schedule during the coming year after selecting a head coach for the team. With the schools' announcements, there now are seven schools in New York sponsoring Division III women's golf -- a sport that is expanding nationally. "I'm delighted that William Smith is creating this opportunity for our students," said Susan Bassett, athletics director at the school and current chair of the Division III Management Council. "It will be exciting to see the Herons compete with the more than 130 Division III golf programs. We're looking forward to building the program." ... New Jersey City University is reintroducing men's cross country this fall as its 15th sport, after discontinuing the program following the 1981 season and just one year after reinstating its men's indoor and outdoor track and field programs. The men's cross country team will share a coach still to be hired with the women's cross country program. "With the addition of men's cross country, it completes our track program and makes it comparable to our women's program," said Larry Schiner, athletics director. "We are looking forward to men's cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field becoming as successful as our women's program." Earlier this year, New Jersey City's sports sponsorship fell below the Division III minimum of 14 when the university dropped football, citing budgetary constraints. The addition of men's cross country brings the school's sports sponsorship back to the minimum required number of offerings.

Conferences: The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, whose members either are Division III active members or scheduled to begin provisional membership, recently introduced an official logo. Designed by Carter Romo and B.J. Emmert of the Northwestern College (Minnesota) public relations department, the image will be used in all league publications and marketing efforts. The UMAC currently is in the process of establishing NCAA Division III conference membership. Four members currently are active Division III members: College of St. Scholastica, Martin Luther College, Northland College, and the University of Minnesota, Morris. Four other members are slotted for Division III provisional membership: Crown College and Presentation College, scheduled to begin provisional membership in 2004-05, and Northwestern College and Bethany Lutheran College, scheduled for 2005-06. The UMAC was formed in 1972 as the Twin Rivers Conference and was renamed in the early 1980s. The conference also sponsors competition for six associate-member institutions in football only.

-- Compiled by Jack Copeland