Sports sponsorship: Rockford College will reinstate men's and women's cross country as varsity sports beginning next fall. The addition brings to 13 the total number of sports the school offers. Rockford has appointed Roger Frederickson as coach for the program that is being re-introduced at the school after a 16-year hiatus. A renowned high-school coach, Frederickson was inducted into the Illinois Track & Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 1999. Rockford last fielded a cross country team in 1987. The program began on campus in 1972 and primarily fielded men's teams during those years.

Facilities: Benedictine University (Illinois) is embarking on a 3,000-seat football stadium as part of a new multipurpose sports complex. In addition to the lighted stadium, the facility boasts a nine-lane Olympic-size track, a collegiate women's softball field and a 750-1,000-seat baseball field. The complex also will include a concession area, press boxes, meeting rooms and suites, locker rooms and changing rooms for officials. The Eagles host their first football game of the season in the new complex next September.

Milestones: Hamilton College men's ice hockey coach Phil Grady became the school's winningest coach earlier his season, passing Greg J. Batt for most coaching victories in program history. Grady, who is in his 20th season with the Continentals, has won 271 games. Batt won 263 games when he coached from 1948 to 1984. Grady, Batt's assistant during his final season, won his record-setting 264th game on January 16 when the Continentals defeated Salem State College, 3-1. Grady, Batt and Albert Prettyman are the only three men's ice hockey coaches Hamilton has had since 1918 ... Another Hamilton coach reached a milestone recently when men's basketball skipper Tom Murphy became just the fourth Division III men's coach to win 600 games. Murphy reached the mark February 21 when Hamilton won a 97-73 decision at Clarkson University ... February 21 also was an important day for Western New England College men's basketball coach Doug Pearson, who recorded his 100th career victory against Emerson College.

Miscellaneous: Loras College senior Alicia Davis finished her basketball career February 27 as the all-divisions leader in field-goal percentage. The 6-foot, 4-inch center made 721 of her 1,049 shots from the field during her four years, good for a .687 career percentage. That betters the Division III mark of .651 (775 of 1,191) set by Kari Tufte of Luther College from 1993 to 1996, the Division II mark of .676 (490 of 725) set by Deidre Williams of Valdosta State University from 1993 to 1996 and the Division I record of .681 (578 of 849) set by Deneka Knowles of Southeastern Louisiana University from 1992 to 1996. Davis' 721 field goals also is a Loras record. She also owns school career records for points, rebounds, blocked shots and free-throw attempts.

-- Compiled by Jack Copeland