Author: Nathan Bloechl

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Prep Track: Mount Pleasant Boys’ at West Burlington:

Fresh off a nice performance at the Washington Relays last Friday, the Mount Pleasant boys’ track will be back in action this afternoon when they travel to West Burlington for the Falcon Relays.

Joining the Panthers at West Burlington today will be:

• Burlington
• Central Lee
• Danville
• Fort Madison
• Highland
• Keokuk
• Mediapolis
• New London
• Winfield-Mount Union
• Washington

Field events will begin at 4:30 p.m. with running events to begin shortly thereafter.

Women’s College Basketball: Wesleyan Outlasts Blackburn:

The Iowa Wesleyan women’s basketball team scored 32 points in the fourth quarter as they pulled away for an 85-66 win Saturday after Blackburn.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Tigers, while sweeping the season series against Blackburn.

Morgan McCrea had a game high 25 points, while Anija Simmons chipped in with a monster double double of 19 points and 20 boards.

Sydney Farrar and Hannah Sykora also got into double figures with 13 and 12 points respectively.

The win moved Wesleyan to 2-10 overall and 2-6 in conference play.

They’ll lock horns with Greenville University on Wednesday, you can listen to that game on FM 105.5

They’ll tip at 5:30 p.m.

Men’s College Basketball: Wesleyan Blows Lead, Late Chance to Win:

Chanz Aldridge finished with 38 points as Blackburn overcame an eleven-point deficit to win their sixth straight game, 77-76 over Iowa Wesleyan, Saturday afternoon.

Aldridge had 23 points at the break as he nearly singlehandedly carried the Beavers.

Kaleb Cresswell led Wesleyan with 28 points, while Jarryd Fernandes provided his usual lunch-pail double double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Wesleyan had a chance to walk the game off, leading by one with 7.8 to play, Aldridge scuffed his free throw but Wesleyan could not get a shot off.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 4-8 overall and prevented them from winning back-to-back games for the first time this season.

They’ll end their home schedule on Wednesday in a doubleheader against Greenville — they’ll tip at 7:30 p.m.

College Softball: Wesleyan “Splits” Doubleheader:

The Iowa Wesleyan softball team “split” their doubleheader with Eureka on Saturday, but will need to travel back to the Land of Lincoln to finish off game two after rain ended proceedings.

In game one, the Tigers were beaten 8-6.

Morgan Christner was the losing pitcher for the Tigers, allowing eight hits and eight earned runs, while striking out five.

Wesleyan was led offensively by Alex Eyman who went 3-for-3 with two home runs and five runs batted in.

Former Danville prep Ashley Pfadenhauer also added a round-tripper for the Tigers.

In game two, the Tigers jumped out a 7-0 lead after two innings on the back of another Pfadenhauer home run, she tallied five runs batted in the abbreviated game two.

It is unclear when they will make the rest of that contest up.

The Tigers will host a home doubleheader on Friday, when they welcome in Greenville University.

First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m.

College Volleyball: Wesleyan Swept in Quarters:

The Iowa Wesleyan volleyball team was swept in the quarterfinals of the SLIAC Conference Tournament, losing 3-0 to top-seeded Westminster.

The Blue Jays took the matchup 25-16, 25-23, 25-20.

Malie DeMate paced the Tigers offensively with 12 kills.

Jenna Murphy led the back row with 15 digs. Lindsay Fernandes had 11 assists for Wesleyan.

The loss dropped Wesleyan to 1-14.

They’ll close out the season in the 7th place match tomorrow, against an opponent to be determined.

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

College Basketball: Wesleyan Back in Action Today:

The Iowa Wesleyan men’s and women’s basketball teams will be back at Ruble Arena this afternoon for a conference doubleheader hosting Blackburn College.

The women will begin the afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

Wesleyan’s lone win of the year came against the Blackburn women, back on February 27th when the Tigers took down the Beavers 85-78 on the road.

Morgan McCrea had 22 in the win for the Tigers that day.

They’ve lost six straight since.

Meanwhile, the men are looking to string together back-to-back wins for the first time this season following their Tuesday road win at Westminster.

The last time they met up with Blackburn, it was the Beavers prevailing with an 81-61 win, which sent the Tigers to 1-4.

They’re 3-3 since.

The men’s’ game will tip at 3:00 p.m.

You can listen to both games on FM 105.5 and kilj.com.

Nathan Bloechl and Kent Bennett will have all the action.

Women’s College Soccer: Wesleyan Drops to Illinois College:

The Iowa Wesleyan women’s soccer team fell behind 2-0 in half number one and could not rally as they fell 3-1 to Illinois College yesterday in a nonconference affair.

Ashlyn Bogue was the lone goal scorer for the Tigers, finding the back of the net in the 80th minute.

Kylie Mulhern and Renae Petersen shared time in goal for Wesleyan and both recorded a pair of saves.

Now 2-4, the Wesleyan women will be off until Tuesday when they travel to St. Louis to take on Fontbonne University for a SLIAC tilt.

Match time is set for 6:00 p.m., with the men following up at 8:00 p.m.

Women’s College Basketball: UNI Defeated in WNIT:

Northern Iowa got 16 points and five boards from Karli Rucker, but it was not enough as the UNI Panther women’s basketball team fell to Ole Miss 60-50 in the Women’s NIT last night.

The loss closed the Panthers season at 17-13.

Ole Miss will battle Rice in the NIT Championship tomorrow afternoon.

Men’s College Basketball: Iowa State’s Blackwell Enters Transfer Portal:

Iowa State freshman Dudley Blackwell has entered the transfer portal, multiple reports have confirmed.

Blackwell appeared in 11 games for the Cyclones this season averaging just 1.6 points per game.

The three-star recruit from Pompano Beach, Florida held offers from Florida, Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh out of high school, but it is unclear if those programs remain interested in the former Cyclone.

Blackwell is the third Cyclone to enter the transfer portal since T.J. Otzelberger took over as the head coach following Steve Prohm’s departure.

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Prep Track: After Rain, Washington Relays Set to Run Tonight:

After rain washed out the Washington Relays last night, the event is set to run tonight, with multiple area programs making the the trek to Case Field for the first live outdoor event in over a year.

One of those programs will be Mitch Anderson’s Panther boys’ who are coming off a strong performance at the Pella Indoor Invite.

Other area teams coming to Washington today include:

• Danville
• Mediapolis
• WACO
• Wapello
• West Burlington
• Winfield-Mount Union

Other programs at Case Field today include:

• Cedar Rapids Xavier
• Carlisle
• Columbus
• Fairfield
• Fort Madison
• Highland
• Iowa City High
• Iowa City West
• Mid-Prairie
• Ottumwa
• Cedar Rapids Prairie

College Track: Iowa Wesleyan to Run in Viking Relays:

The Iowa Wesleyan track and field team will run in the Viking Relays today in their first outdoor competition of the 2021 season. Both the men’s and women’s teams have been off since February.

Today’s invite, hosted by Grand View University, kicks off what will be a busy month for both the men’s and women’s programs as they embark on five outdoor invites in the span of one month.

The SLIAC Outdoor Championships are set for Friday, April 30th, while the NCAA Outdoor Championships will be held on May 27th.

College Basketball: Wesleyan to Host Blackburn for Two Tomorrow:

The Iowa Wesleyan men’s and women’s basketball teams will be back at Ruble Arena tomorrow for a conference doubleheader against Blackburn College.

The women will begin the afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

Wesleyan’s lone win of the year came against the Blackburn women, back on February 27th when the Tigers took down the Beavers 85-78 on the road.

Morgan McCrea had 22 in the win for the Tigers that day.

They’ve lost six straight since.

Meanwhile, the men are looking to string together back-to-back wins for the first time this season following their Tuesday road win at Westminster.

The last time they met up with Blackburn, it was the Beavers prevailing with an 81-61 win, which sent the Tigers to 1-4.

They’re 3-3 since.

The men’s’ game will tip at 3:00 p.m.

You can listen to both games on FM 105.5 and kilj.com.

Nathan Bloechl and Kent Bennett will have all the action.

Women’s College Soccer: Wesleyan Women Look to Earn Win:

After suffering back-to-back losses, the Iowa Wesleyan women’s soccer team will look get back into the win column tonight when they travel to Jacksonville, Illinois for a nonconference clash against Illinois College.

The Tiger women have dropped back-to-back matches, including a 4-1 loss to Webster at home this Tuesday.

This will be the third meeting between the two schools, with Wesleyan falling 12-0 and 10-0 in their most recent matchups.

This will be the first fixture of the year for the Illinois College women.

College Baseball: Iowa’s Wallace Named B1G Pitcher of the Week:

University of Iowa redshirt junior Trenton Wallace has been named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week, announced by the league office.

It is the first honor of Wallace’s career.

The Rock Island, Illinois, native earned the distinction after pitching seven shutout innings, scattering two hits and fanning eight in a 3-0 victory over Nebraska on March 19 in Iowa City. It was the second straight combined shutout for Wallace in wins over Ohio State and Nebraska.

Iowa (4-7) returns to action tonight traveling to Ohio State.

The Hawkeyes will play two games against the Buckeyes and two against Maryland in Columbus today through Sunday.

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Prep Track: Washington Relays Today:

The always popular Washington Relays are tonight and several area programs are heading to Case Field for the first competitive outdoor event in over a year.

Chief among those programs is Mitch Anderson’s Mount Pleasant boys’ who will be competing in their first live bullet outdoor event following an indoor meet in Pella and a scrimmage meet at Mount Pleasant High School.

Joining the Panthers at Washington will be area programs:

• Danville
• Mediapolis
• WACO
• Wapello
• West Burlington
• Winfield-Mount Union

Other programs at Case Field today include:

• Cedar Rapids Xavier
• Carlisle
• Columbus
• Fairfield
• Fort Madison
• Highland
• Iowa City High
• Iowa City West
• Mid-Prairie
• Ottumwa
• Cedar Rapids Prairie

This afternoon’s meet will begin at 3:3o p.m.

College Volleyball: Wesleyan Falls in 2021 Finale:

Iowa Wesleyan battled Eureka for five sets, but ultimately came up short, falling to the Red Devils in five sets in the finale of the 2021 season.

The Tigers took sets one and four by a count of 25-17 and 25-15, but it was Eureka winning set five 15-11 to catapult themselves to victory.

Malie DeMate led the Tigers with 12 kills, while Lezar’Rhea Burnside added 10 kills for the Wesleyan attack.

Lindsay Fernandes had 15 assists, while Jenna Murphy led the back row with 28 digs.

Wesleyan, now 1-13, will be off until Saturday when they take on either Greenville or Westminster in the first round of the SLIAC Conference Tournament.

Match time is to be determined.

Women’s College Basketball: Cylcones Lose in Heartbreaking Fashion:

The Iowa State Cyclone women held a 12-point lead, watching it evaporate before second-seeded Texas A&M rallied back for an overtime 84-82 win in NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Second Round matchup last night.

Ashley Joens paced the Clones with 32 points and 18 rebounds, while Lexi Donarski chipped in with 18 despite the loss.

Jordan Nixon led the Aggies with a game-high 35 points, including the game-tying score in regulation and the game-winning bucket in extra time.

The Aggies will take on third-seeded Arizona on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

College Sports: Iowa Athletics to Allow Fans at Outdoor Events:

The University of Iowa Athletics Department announced this morning that it will allow limited fan attendance at outdoor athletic events for the remainder of the spring seasons, effective immediately.

Iowa will allow 50 percent capacity at outdoor venues for events but will continue to restrict attendance at indoor events. Fans attending events will be required to wear face coverings upon entry in accordance with UI policy. Hand sanitizers will be available throughout the facilities. Capacity limitations will be reviewed on an ongoing basis as local conditions improve.

The Iowa football team begins spring practice Tuesday, March 30. Potential spring events in Kinnick Stadium are under consideration at this time.

Athletics department and Big Ten Conference testing protocols for all student-athletes and staff remain in place.

Fans will be required to maintain social distancing at all times.

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Women’s College Basketball: Wesleyan Women Fall to Westminster:

The Iowa Wesleyan women’s basketball team received 19 points from Anija Simmons, but it was not enough as the Tigers were beaten 81-48 by Westminster last night in a conference clash.

Morgan McCrea added 13 points, four rebounds and two assists for Wesleyan.

The Tigers were held to just 31% from the field.

The loss moves Wesleyan to 1-10 overall and 1-6 in conference play.

They’ll be back in action this weekend against Blackburn College.

Tip is set for 1:00 p.m. and you can listen on FM 105.5 with coverage beginning at 12:50 p.m.

Nathan Bloechl and Kent Bennett will have all the action.

Women’s College Basketball: Clark’s Sweet Shooting Leads Hawks to Sweet 16:

Caitlin Clark had 35 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Iowa Hawkeye women throttled fourth-seeded Kentucky 86-72 last night in a Round of 32 tilt.

The win propels the Hawkeyes to the Sweet 16 where they will meet up with top-seeded UCONN.

The box office matchup will pair Clark with perhaps the most heralded freshman to ever play women’s basketball in UCONN’s Paige Bueckers.

Bueckers’, a unanimous first team All-American, averaged 20 points, five rebounds and six assists per game for the Huskies.

The two teams will tango on Saturday, but no time has been set.

UCONN took down eighth-seeded Syracuse on their way to meeting Iowa.

Men’s College Basketball: Fernandes Hits 1,000 Points in Tiger Win:

Jarryd Fernandes scored 26 points and hauled in 10 boards as Iowa Wesleyan held on for a thrilling 82-78 win over Westminster last night on the road.

In the process, the senior from Australia eclipsed 1,000 career points and climbed into the top-five list in all-time rebounds in Wesleyan men’s basketball history.

Carver Locke aided the Wesleyan offense with 26 points of his own, while Jett Tjaden chipped in with 10 points and five boards.

The win moved Wesleyan to 4-7 overall and 3-4 in conference play.

Wesleyan will be off until Saturday when they host Blackburn. They’ll cap off the conference doubleheader at 3:00 p.m.

You can listen on FM 105.5.

Women’s College Soccer: Wesleyan Women Fall in Rainy Affair: 

The Iowa Wesleyan women’s soccer team was defeated 4-1 by the Webster University Gorloks in a rainy conference matchup at Mediapolis High School.

Webster took an early on a 32nd minute goal and never looked back.

Jacqueline Campos scored the lone goal for the Tigers, one of just two shots on goal the Tigers would muster.

Kylie Mulhern had four saves in net.

Now 2-3 overall, the Tigers will travel to Illinois College on Thursday for a nonconference affair.

Match time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Men’s College Soccer: Tigers Tie with Webster: 

The Iowa Wesleyan men’s soccer team took 17 shots, but could not cash in as Webster and Wesleyan played to a nil-nil draw last night at Mediapolis High School.

Xavier Lozada and Geovanny Pacheco led the Tigers with four shots apiece.

Francisco Javier Saldana added three shot attempts.

Vicent Sanchis recorded seven saves between the pipes for Wesleyan, who is now 2-0-2 on the year.

They’ll take on Fontbonne next Tuesday in a conference affair.

Match time is set for 8:00 p.m.

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Women’s College Basketball: Williamson Officially Introduced as Wesleyan’s Women’s Basketball Coach:

Yesterday afternoon, all the the loose ends were tied up.

Iowa Wesleyan Vice President of Athletics Derek Zander officially introduced Steve Williamson as the next head coach as the Iowa Wesleyan women’s basketball program, marking Williamson’s second stint as the leader.

Williamson said the timing just felt “right” to get back to his alma mater and hometown.

“I just feel like Iowa Wesleyan has been a huge part of my families life, you know it’s home for us and I realize that with my wife’s career we weren’t going to move from the Mount Pleasant area” Williamson said.

Williamson’s next move is getting recruiting underway.

Interim head coach Jasmine Laskey will continue to coach for the remainder of the season before Williamson takes over after the conclusion of this year’s season.

He met with the team yesterday and hopes to bring in 12-15 new recruits for the 2021-22 season.

“You have to find players that will buy into the system. We are making phone calls, reaching out to contacts that I have — it’s almost like you’re starting a program over, but that’s what you do anywhere you go” Williamson said.

The Tiger women are 1-9 thus far this year.

Men’s College Basketball: Wesleyan’s Fernandes Named SLIAC POW:

Iowa Wesleyan senior men’s basketball player Jarryd Fernandes has been named the SLIAC Player of the Week, the league announced yesterday.

Fernandes recorded his sixth double-double of the season  this weekend, scoring 22 points, grabbing 15 rebounds,  while rejecting three shots.

Fernandes is currently leading the conference in rebounds per game (12.2).

He is 11th in the league in points per game, averaging 15.2.

The Australian born forward currently sits at No. 6 in Iowa Wesleyan history in career rebounds and is only four rebounds shy from cracking the Top-5. F

Fernandes is also just 13 points away from reaching 1,000 career points.

The Wesleyan men and women are back in action today when they travel to take on Westminster.

The women will tip at 5:00 p.m., with the men to follow at 7:00 p.m.

Men’s College Basketball: Iowa Ran Through by Oregon:

Oregon went on a 21-5 run covering the first and second half as the Ducks cruised to a 95-80 win over Iowa in a Round of 32 matchup.

The loss ends Iowa’s season shy of the Sweet 16, extending their drought to 22 years.

Luka Garza was terrific, despite the loss, ending his Iowa career with a game-high 36 points and nine boards.

Chris Duarte led Oregon with 23 points and seven boards.

Oregon will now take on USC, who throttled Kansas late last night.

Here’s the rest of the scoreboard:

• No. 5 Creighton 72, No. 13 Ohio 58
• No. 6 USC 85, No. 3 Kansas 51
• No. 2 Alabama 96, No. 10 Maryland 77
• No. 4 Florida State 71, No. 5 Colorado 53
• No. 1 Michigan 86, No. 8 LSU 78
• No. 11 UCLA 67, No. 14 Abilene Christian 47
• No. 1 Gonzaga 87, No. 8 Oklahoma 71

Women’s College Basketball: Iowa State Holds On, UNI Wins in NIT:

The Iowa State women’s basketball team received 33 points and nine rebounds from Ashley Joens as the Cylcones held on for a 79-75 win over Michigan State in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament yesterday in San Antonio.

Kristin Scott chipped in with 12 points and seven glassers.

Iowa State, now 17-10, will meet up with second-seeded Texas A&M in the Round of 32 tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m.

Meanwhile in the Women’s NIT, the UNI Panther women’s basketball team advanced to the semifinals as they defeated the Billikens of Saint Louis University, 58-50.

Kam Finley paced the Panthers with 14 points while Bre Gunnels added 10 points, 11 boards and five blocks.

The Panthers will take on Ole Miss on Friday night.

Tip is set for 7:00 p.m.

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Indianapolis — The Iowa men’s basketball team is back in action this morning when they take on the Oregon Ducks in the Round of 32.

Iowa is coming off an impressive 86-74 win over Grand Canyon, while Oregon — regular season champs of the PAC-12 — advances after COVID-19 protocols with Virginia Commonwealth University.

The Hawkeyes are seeking their first Sweet 16 bid since 1999 and are no stranger to the Ducks, last meeting up in 2018, a game in which the Hawkeyes upset the the No. 13 Ducks, 77-69.

The Quack Attack are led by a pair of talented wings in Chris Duarte and Eugene Omoruyi who both average 16.7 points per game.

Tip is set for 11:10 a.m.

You can listen on FM 105.5.

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

San Antonio — Caitlin Clark had 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Iowa as the Hawkeyes advanced to the second round with an 87-72 win over Central Michigan.

Monika Czinano added 23 points, and McKenna Warnock posted 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Micaela Kelly had 23 points for Central Michigan.

Iowa will now take on fourth-seeded Kentucky at 2:30 p.m., Tuesday.