Sports sponsorship: Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania announced January 31 that it will discontinue eight varsity sports. The affected programs are men’s golf, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, water polo, field hockey, men’s and women’s tennis, and wrestling. All eight will be terminated at the end of the spring semester. “These have been painful decisions,” Slippery Rock President Robert Smith told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Even with the reductions, spending on athletics would still exceed what is typical at Division II institutions.” Slippery Rock will continue to sponsor 15 varsity sports. Student-athletes affected by the decision will continue to receive financial aid for the duration of their eligibility, provided they continue to meet NCAA and institutional academic standards.

Milestones: Northern State University women’s basketball coach Curt Frederickson won his 600th career game January 21 when the Wolves defeated Concordia University, St. Paul, 72-68. Frederickson is only the fourth Division II women’s coach to reach the milestone. He joined Northern State in 1977-78; more than 84 percent of the program’s victories have come under his leadership. The Wolves won national championships in 1992 and 1994.

Miscellaneous: Sunshine State Conference women’s basketball players took a spin in the Division II records book during one recent three-day period. On January 25, Nova Southeastern University guard Missy Guadagnino set a Division II women’s record for most free throws in a game while shooting 100 percent by hitting 22 straight. The feat surpassed the previous mark of 19 set in 1988 by Karen Arnold of Millersville University of Pennsylvania. It also surpassed the single-game record of 21 consecutive successful free throws set in 1986 by Valdosta State University’s Candace Fincher. Three days later, on January 28, Florida Institute of Technology and Florida Southern College played five overtimes, the first time for that to occur in a Division II women’s game since 1988 when Northern Kentucky University and St. Joseph’s College (Indiana) did the same. Florida Tech outlasted Florida Southern, winning 82-81 on Danielle Vaughn’s shot in the final seconds.