NIUHuskies.com, the official online home for Northern Illinois Athletics, is pleased to announce the launch of a new blog, "Huskie Happenings." The section includes links to a daily newsstand, online chats, feature stories and interviews, game-day and multimedia information, promotions, calendars and much more. We hope this will become your first and last stop everyday for all the information you crave about Huskie Athletics! CHICAGO CARAVAN TODAY! The first Huskie Coaches Caravan of 2009 is TODAY! Head Football Coach Jerry Kill and Head Women's Basketball Coach Carol Owens will be in attendance! We will be heading to Goose Island after the 1:20 Cubs game ends and we will be stationed upstairs! It's free to come join the Huskies at Goose Island, and we look forward to seeing you there! OWENS GOING FOR GOLD AGAIN Gold medals make for some fresh bling. Carol Owens is at it again, going for gold as a coach for Team USA. She's in Colorado Springs today for the first day of USA Basketball's U19 Team tryouts. Check out the details here, a site that will soon be home to CO's summertime blog. TRACK STARTS MACS TODAY The Huskie track and field team opens competition today at the MAC Championships in the tire manufacturing capital of the world, Akron, Ohio. Most of the events today are for the heptathlon and decathlon, but Nancy Nieto will go at the 10,000-meter run, and Jennene Anthony will try to make a mark in the hammer throw today. For more info, check out the weekend preview, live scoring, Akron's championship page, and the MAC Outdoor Championships page. FRANCHISE-RECORD REBOUNDING MARK Former Northern Illinois center Bryson McKenzie pulled down a game-high/single-game franchise-record 29 rebounds and blocked nine shots as Vancouver defeated Olympia 108-98 Friday night in an IBL matchup at Clark College. McKenzie also enjoyed numerous offensive opportunities, finishing 12-of-32 shooting. Stay tuned this summer for a "Huskies in the Pros" feature, which will detail where former NIU men's basketball players are playing professionally. TURF GOES DOWN

As originally reported right here on Huskie Happenings, former Northern Illinois receiver Matt Simon, who took part in the New Orleans' Saints rookie mini-camp this past weekend in New Orleans on a tryout basis, has signed a free agent contract with the team, the Saints' announced Monday. Simon joins fellow 2008 seniors Larry English, the defensive end who became the highest draft choice in NIU history when the San Diego Chargers selected him with the 16th overall pick in the first round, and wide receiver Britt Davis, a free agent pick-up by the New York Jets, as rookies on 2009 NFL rosters. Get details from NIUHuskies.com of the Farmington Independent, Simon's hometown paper.

Update: John Sahly of the Daily Chronicle spoke with Matt. You can check out a snippet of that interview in the Huskie Wire, John's blog.

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