Sports sponsorship: Worcester Polytechnic Institute announced the discontinuation of its varsity golf and tennis programs, effective in 2004-05 ... Macalester College will switch men's and women's Nordic skiing from varsity to club status after the current season, due to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's elimination of Nordic skiing as a sponsored sport and institutional budget cuts.

Conferences: Nine active Division III members, a current provisional member and two institutions slated to begin provisional membership within the next two years are members of an expanded North Eastern Athletic Conference. The active members are holdovers Cazenovia College, D'Youville College and Keuka College from a previous incarnation of the league, and Baptist Bible College (Pennsylvania), Bard College, Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia Biblical University, Polytechnic University (New York) and Villa Julie College. The other members are Pennsylvania State University Berks, Lehigh Valley College, which began its provisional membership last fall; Keystone College, which will become a provisional member in fall 2004; and State University of New York College, Purchase, scheduled to begin provisional membership in fall 2005. The league will split into two, six-team divisions to reduce travel costs and missed class time, and will sponsor championships in 12 sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball. Keuka Athletics Director David Sweet is serving as acting commissioner of the conference ... New Jersey City University announced it is withdrawing as a full member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference, effective after the current academic year. The decision follows a vote by league administrators last fall to deny New Jersey City's request to switch to affiliated member status and participate in selected sports in the conference.

Milestones: Franklin & Marshall College's 75-52 victory over Centennial Conference rival Muhlenberg College February 14 placed coach Glenn Robinson atop the career coaching victories list in Division III with 667 victories, surpassing the mark held by Dennie Bridges of Illinois Wesleyan. Robinson, in his 33rd year at the school, also ranks 12th among active coaches in all NCAA divisions and recently surpassed UCLA coach John Wooden (who won 664 games) to rank 25th on the all-time coaching victories list. "Setting this record isn't a coaching milestone, it's one for all the people who have come through here," he said after the game. "I haven't scored a single point. But I was fortunate to become a head coach so young and have been super-fortunate to get the players who got us going in the right direction." Robinson joined the Diplomats' staff as an assistant in 1968 after playing at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, then became head coach in 1971. He since has led Franklin & Marshall to a runner-up finish in the 1991 Division III Men's Basketball Championship, as well as three other semifinal appearances in the tournament (most recently in 2000). His winning percentage of .740 currently ranks as ninth best in NCAA basketball history ... Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Phil Grebinar notched his 400th coaching victory in wrestling January 25 with a victory over the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in the New England College Conference Wrestling Association Dual Team Tournament. Grebinar, who is in his 32nd year at the school, has coached 46 wrestlers to NCAA postseason competition, including eight who have earned all-America honors ... Willie Myers, who serves as a member of the NCAA Division III Wrestling Committee, earned his 300th coaching victory January 30 when his University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, squad defeated Lawrence University. Myers, who has been at the school since 1968, has coached 48 all-Americans and led his team to 17 top-20 finishes in postseason championships. He also coached the U.S. freestyle team at the 1977 World University Games ... Christopher Newport University's C. J. Woollum picked up his 400th victory in men's basketball when the Captains won January 24 at Ferrum College. He averaged 20 victories a year in achieving the milestone in just under 20 full seasons, and was quick to share the honor with associate head coach Roland Ross, who was on the staff at Christopher Newport since before Woollum's arrival. Woollum became the 44th coach to achieve the 400-victory mark in Division III ... Brian Walmsley earned his 100th victory in men's basketball at Wheaton College (Massachusetts), where he is his seventh season. Walmsley notched the win with the Lyons' January 29 victory against Springfield College.

Miscellaneous: Wartburg College's men's basketball team won the 1,000th game in the program's history with a February 6 victory over Cornell College ... The University of Dallas inducted Monsignor Milam J. Joseph, the school's president emeritus, into its athletics hall of fame February 27. "The involvement of Monsignor Joseph in the development of athletics permitted us for the first time to have competitive equity in athletics with our peer schools," said Athletics Director Dick Strockbine, a member of the Division III Management Council. "Our facilities are now at a level where students can point to them with pride." During Joseph's presidency, from 1996 to 2003, Dallas expanded from seven to 15 sports and developed new baseball and softball fields, improved soccer and intramural/club fields, and expanded the Edward Maher Athletic Center ... Beloit College President John Burris announced that the college's athletics department will expand to include a full-time athletics director. The staff addition will allow Ed DeGeorge, football coach since 1977 and athletics director since 1985, to concentrate solely on guiding Buccaneer student-athletes on the football field. "Ed successfully has been wearing two hats for a long time, and we commend him for what he has done for the college and its athletics program," Burris said. "He will now again get to focus solely on his first love -- coaching college football. As the college continues to grow, it is time to separate the jobs Ed has devoted his life to at Beloit for more than a quarter century." DeGeorge is the college's most successful football coach with 127 victories. "Over time, the responsibilities for both positions have increased, and it has become more difficult to do the good job that is necessary in both areas," he said. "I believe the move will be good for the college as we provide a new direction for the athletics department and get a renewed focus in football." A nationwide search for the new athletics director has begun. Burris said he hopes to have the individual in place sometime this summer ... The Wells College soccer team paid special tribute to U.S. soldiers in Iraq last fall when, led by athletic trainer Julie Swain and coach Chris Perkins, the squad raised nearly $1,000 to sponsor a recreational soccer team. Swain saw on the news that the U.S. Army was seeking financial support for soccer teams, and she brought the idea to the soccer players, who responded enthusiastically. The funds were sent overseas to purchase equipment and specially made red jerseys with "Wells" emblazoned on the front. "This was a way for us to make a small difference. Without taking a stance on the war, we wanted to support Americans in Iraq and show our love of the game," Swain said. For their efforts, the Wells student-athletes were awarded a Wolverine Certificate of Appreciation from the 94th Engineer Combat Battalion "for displaying outstanding patriotism in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Your dedication to our soldiers undoubtedly increased morale and contributed to mission success." An accompanying letter stated in part, "It is awesome to see our soldiers truly enjoying the game of soccer. They call the few hours spent on the field each week their sanity and freedom. Releasing stress on the field allows them to focus when it comes time to carry out the mission."

-- Compiled by Jack Copeland