Area notebook: Helmer, UMD win title

Ellsworth native Ben Helmer caught a touchdown pass to help the Minnesota Duluth football team win its second Division II national championship in three years.

The Bulldogs beat Delta State of Cleveland, Miss., 20-17 on a 32-yard field goal from David Nadeau as time expired Saturday in Florence, Ala.

Helmer, a sophomore, caught the Bulldogs first touchdown -- an 18-yard snag from Chase Vogler.

Helmer played in 14 of the Bulldogs' 15 games this season -- all victories -- catching five passes for 60 yards. Saturday's touchdown was Helmer's first of the year.

• Red Wing native Reid Cashman has scored two goals and notched 11 assists in 27 games as a defenseman with the Black Wings of EHC Linz in Austria. His 13 points tie him for fourth on the team.

Cashman, who played last season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League, has the second most penalty minutes (52) on the Black Wings.

• Liz Bauer has tallied four points in nine games for the St. Catherine hockey team.

The junior center from Red Wing now has played in 53 career games and has scored one goal and five assists.

• In his first year with the Golden Gophers swimming and diving team, Turner Eckstrom has the third highest score on the team in both 1-meter and 3-meter diving.

On Nov. 6, the Red Wing graduate earned a 298.80 on the 1-meter board and a 352.20 on the 3-meter board.