Alter grad looking ‘special’ at Wisconsin

Chris Borland earns Player of the Week honors for Badgers

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By Sean McClelland, Staff Writer 9:40 PM Friday, September 25, 2009

It did not take Chris Borland (Alter) long to begin making an impact at Wisconsin.

The freshman linebacker shared Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors for blocking a punt that led to a touchdown, forcing a fumble on another punt and making four tackles in the Badgers’ 44-14 trouncing of Wofford a week ago.

“I’m on multiple special teams (units) and that’s where I’m trying to make my mark,” Borland told reporters after the win.

A week earlier against Fresno State, Borland downed a punt at the 1-yard line with an acrobatic move.

After the Wofford game, Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema called Borland a “special player” and Borland said, “Those are good words to hear from the head coach. I may not be the fastest or the biggest (5-foot-10, 230 pounds). But I have a knack for making plays.”

The 3-0 Badgers open Big Ten play today at home against Michigan State.

• In less festive Wisconsin news, it appears the college career of Shane Carter (Troy) has come to an unhappy conclusion after school officials upheld his indefinite suspension. Carter, disciplined by Bielema last month for an offense that has been kept quiet, started 20 games for the Badgers. The fifth-year senior entered fall camp No. 2 on the depth chart at free safety.

Oden up and running

The pressure to win football games in the Southeastern Conference is perhaps unmatched, so if a coach has a 6-foot-8, 328-pound freshman offensive tackle with star potential hanging around, it’s probably a good idea to use him.

This perhaps is the thinking at Arkansas, where Anthony Oden (Dunbar) is carving out an identity for himself beyond simply being the brother of NBA 7-footer and former Ohio State standout Greg Oden.

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said Oden definitely will play today at Alabama in the Razorbacks’ most important game to date. And judging by the recruiting fuss that was made over him, he should be seizing a permanent job before long.

Oden, who turns 20 in a few days, also drew interest from Indiana, Oregon State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Purdue, North Carolina State and Kansas. He spent last season at Hargrave Military Academy getting his academic game in shape and helping the football team go 10-1.

Oden’s local connection came about when his mother moved here to be closer to Greg, who played one season at OSU before the Portland Trail Blazers made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Anthony spent his junior year at Dunbar before moving back to Indianapolis.

Campus tour

• Jenna Harris (Carroll), who captained the Eastern Kentucky University soccer team, has been nominated by her school and the Ohio Valley Conference for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Harris, who grew up in Huber Heights, graduated in May and is now coaching soccer and teaching Spanish at Franklin High School.

• Through eight games, senior soccer player Angie Pisut (Carroll) leads Ohio Northern (5-1-2) with seven goals and 17 points. She was the Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the period ending Sept. 6. In a season-opening 7-0 victory over Defiance, she scored two goals and had two assists.

If you have news of a local athlete playing sports in college, please send an  e-mail to smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com or call (937) 225-2408.

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