Sidelines

Gill signs extension through 2012

On Tuesday, Buffalo football head coach Turner Gill signed a two-year contract extension. The new deal will keep him in Buffalo through the 2012 season. Gill has a coaching record of 7-17 in two seasons on the Bulls sideline.

This past season he coached the team to its most successful season since it moved up to Division I-A in 1999, earning a share of the Mid-American Conference East Division title. Gill was also named the 2007 MAC Coach of the Year.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

McDowell earns MAC Award

On Tuesday, the Mid-American Conference selected Bulls sophomore diver Michael McDowell as the Mid-American Conference's Men's Swimmer of the Week.

McDowell broke his own records in both the one and three-meter diving events on Jan. 11 at a meet against Binghamton University. In the one-meter event, McDowell surpassed his record of 325.88 points with a score of 344.79 after six dives. In the three-meter event, he bested his original record of 356.92 points as he scored 365.40.

This is the third time that the MAC has recognized McDowell as its top male athlete. He previously held the honor on October 24 after record-setting performances against Duquesne, as well as on Dec. 10 when he broke a pair of meet records at Akron's Zippy Invitational.

Porter and Coney selected as MAC Track Athletes of the Week

Sophomore Ezekiel Porter and senior Patrice Coney were honored Monday afternoon by being named the Mid-American Conference's Track Athletes of the Week.

Porter and Coney earned the title following their performances at the team's first meet last weekend, held in Akron. Both the men and women's indoor track teams raced to second place finishes at the meet.

Porter won the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.89s and finished first in the 200-meter dash in 21.59. He also helped the Bulls win the 4x400-relay squad, finishing in 3:22.49.

Coney earned a finish of first place in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.88s. She was also third in the 200-meter dash, finishing in 25.44s.