Sports, Thursday, June 11th

By Nathan Bloechl · Thursday, June 11th, 2020 at 11:20 am CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Hawkeyes Announce 107 Spring Athletes as Academic All-Conference:

One hundred seven University of Iowa student-athletes have been named to the 2020 Spring Academic All-Big Ten team, the conference office announced Wednesday. The list includes student-athletes from baseball (11), men’s golf (1), women’s golf (4), rowing (16), softball (11), men’s tennis (5), women’s tennis (6), men’s track and field (23), and women’s track and field (30).

The totals for men’s (23) and women’s (30) track and field and softball (11) are school records, while baseball’s 11 selections are one shy of a program record set in 2011.

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team, as verified by being on the official squad list as of May 1 for spring sports, who have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Hawkeyes Add Ohio QB to Class of 2021:

The Iowa Hawkeye football team added some much needed depth to their quarterback room yesterday when they secured a commitment from Ohio quarterback Joey Labas.

Labas, a native of Broadview Heights, Ohio, goes 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds.

He was previously committed to Ball State University, before the Hawkeyes and several other programs increased their interest.

He decommitted from Ball State on June 3rd.

Labas is the No. 48 quarterback in the country, according to 247Sports.

He held 14 other offers in total — he’s the 16th commit for Iowa in the Class of 2021.

Iowa to Meet Oregon State in Sioux Falls?

The Iowa men’s basketball team looks like they could be traveling west for a non-conference neutral site affair.

Several media outlets yesterday have announced the Hawkeyes will take on the Oregon State Beavers in a non-conference tilt at the beautiful Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The game is reportedly scheduled for December 22nd.

It would mark the second time Iowa has played at the Pentagon, the last being December of 2017, when they defeated Colorado 80-73.

MLB Draft Finishes First Round Yesterday: 

Major League Baseball’s Entry Draft finished it’s first round yesterday as the Detroit Tigers selected Arizona State third-basemen Spencer Torkelson with the #1 overall choice.

Kansas City, who had the #4 overall pick, selected Texas A&M left-handed pitcher Asa Lacy.

The Chicago White Sox used the #11 selection on Tennessee pitcher Garrett Crochet.

At #16, the Chicago Cubs snagged Edward Howard an in-state prep from Mt. Carmel High School.

Milwaukee nabbed UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchell with the 20th overall selection, while St. Louis tabbed Jordan Walker, a high school third-baseman from Georgia as the 21st overall choice.

The second round will continue this afternoon.

Sports, Wednesday, June 10th

By Nathan Bloechl · Wednesday, June 10th, 2020 at 11:10 am CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Doyle to Enter Transfer Portal:

Iowa linebacker Dillon Doyle announced he will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal Tuesday night.

Doyle, the son of Iowa’s embattled Strength and Conditioning coach Chris Doyle, finished this season with 23 tackles including one forced fumble as a redshirt freshman.

He was expected to compete for starter’s level snaps on the interior of Iowa’s defensive front this season.

His father remains on administrative leave.

Iowa State to Meet Oregon In Emerald Classic:

Iowa State will face defending Pac-12 champion Oregon in the first round of the Emerald Coast Classic on Friday, Nov. 27 at 8:30 p.m. (CT).

The Cyclones will then play either Illinois or Florida on Sunday, Nov. 29 at either 3 p.m. or 5:30 p.m.

The games, which will be played on the campus of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida, will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

The Cyclones won the 2015 Emerald Coast Classic, defeating Virginia Tech and Illinois.

Monte Morris was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player that year.

Drake Volleyball Picks Up Big-Time Transfer:

Lindsey Pliapol, a 6-0 outside hitter, has joined the Drake University volleyball program, head coach Darrin McBroom announced yesterday.

Pliapol joins the Bulldogs after spending the last two seasons at USF where she led the Bulls in kills with 338 (3.10 kills/set) as a sophomore in 2019.

Pliapol, a native of Daytona Beach, Fla., also added 217 digs and 39 blocks last season with seven double-doubles. She posted a season-high of 22 kills against Ball State and had 15 or more kills in a match seven times.

Out of Spruce Creek High School, the outside hitter was one of the most sought after recruits in the country, earning Under Armour All-American status all four years.

UNI T&F Athlete Honored:

UNI Track and field and cross country student-athlete C.J. May was named the male recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference Dr. Charlotte West Scholar-Athlete Award, commissioner Doug Elgin Announced Monday.

May helped the Panthers to three team titles in indoor/outdoor track while at UNI, which included an individual championship in the steeplechase at the 2017 outdoor meet.

He also finished sixth at this past year’s MVC Cross Country Championship.

In his career at UNI May earned all-conference honors in track & field and cross country four times.

An active member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, May graduated this spring with a 3.93 cumulative grade point average in computer science.

 

 

Rawson Hoping Championship Pedigree Returns Panthers to Top

By Nathan Bloechl · Tuesday, June 9th, 2020 at 1:45 pm CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

KILJ — Yesterday the Mount Pleasant Community School Board officially approved and announced former Winfield-Mount Union star Eric Rawson as the next head coach of Mount Pleasant boys’ varsity basketball.

And it’s a slam dunk by every measure.

Rawson, a 1995 State Champion with the Wolves and a key member of the great coaching staffs under Paul Rundquist in the 2010’s at Mount Pleasant, is being tasked to reload a Panther team that will return just one starter from this year’s 12-11 squad.

That, however, didn’t deter Rawson from jumping at the opportunity to replace Caleb Akey, who left Mount Pleasant for the same position at Burlington High School — Akey’s alma mater.

“The opportunity came up here and I was approached about getting back into coaching and it didn’t take a lot of time for me to say yes” said Rawson, who’s family is also fired up about the prospect of watching husband and father back on the sidelines.

The key cog returning for the Panthers is senior to-be Brevin Wilson, a forward who averaged 10.4 points and 2 rebounds last year as junior.

It will take him and growth and maturity from younger players to return the Panthers back to the top of the Southeast Conference.

“As long as we show up and do the right things day in and day out and stay persistent we are going to see some growth” Rawson noted.

Rawson also mentioned taking a more hands-on approach to the youth game in Mount Pleasant where he believes he can grow a pipeline of talent that will feed into the district.

“We need to connect with our youth and teach them, you know, that basketball can be a positive outlet for them and allow them to grow and develop both as a player and as a person.”

Rawson, who has won at every stop of his career, is hoping to trigger one more great run at Mount Pleasant.

“There’s a lot of magic in that [orange] ball, you’ve just got to trust it” he said.

I think Mount Pleasant found the right guy.

Sports, Tuesday, June 9th

By Nathan Bloechl · Tuesday, June 9th, 2020 at 11:27 am CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com

Rawson Named Head Coach of Mount Pleasant Varsity Basketball:

A familiar face is heading back to the sidelines for the Mount Pleasant boys’ basketball team.

Yesterday the Mount Pleasant School worked to approve and announce Eric Rawson as the next head basketball coach at the school.

Rawson takes over for former colleague and friend Caleb Akey, who left to take over at Burlington High School.

Many will remember Rawson for his exploits as a prep at Winfield-Mount Union where he helped guide the Wolves to the 1995 Class 1A State Title, routing Pomeroy-Palmer.

He was named the Des Moines Register Male Athlete of the Year, that season as well.

Rawson will take over for a Panther team that will return just one starter from this year’s 12-11 squad that fell to Davenport Assumption in a Class 3A Substate Semifinal.

Wesleyan Announces Intent to Head Back to NAIA:

In a letter penned to alumni and key personnel Iowa Wesleyan has announced their intent to transition from NCAA Division III back to NAIA.

The institution had been a full-time member of NCAA Division III since the 2012-13 academic year.

In the letter both Iowa Wesleyan president Chris Plunkett and Director of Athletics Derek Zander said “NAIA offers enhanced options beyond the NCAA, including student engagement and outreach, stronger scholarship opportunities.”

Tiger Athletics will remain a member of the NCAA Division III, the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC), and the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC), through the 2020-2021 academic year. 

Mount Pleasant Boys Soccer Under New Direction:

The Mount Pleasant boys’ soccer team will be under a new skipper next year.

Yesterday the Mount Pleasant Community School Board officially approved the resignation of head varsity boys’ soccer coach Ryan Chabal.

Chabal is leaving the Mount Pleasant School District to explore other professional opportunities.

This was his first year as head coach and unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out any chance to compete.

A replacement for Chabal has yet to be identified.

Hawkeye Football Lifts Social Media Ban, Will Kneel For National Anthem:

In a monumental culture shift at the school, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz has lifted the team Twitter ban and players have agreed to kneel during the national anthem, as more and more former players have spoken out on some degree of racial disparity in the program.

The original plan was to allow players to have one pre-approved tweet per month, however the program quickly retracted that and allowed for full autonomy on the social media site.

Iowa assistant athletics director Steve Roe clarified Iowa’s Twitter policy on Monday, saying “While that was the original agreement last week, players are currently on Twitter and do not have restrictions.”

Sophomore defensive back Kaevon Merriweather used the social media giant to announce that the program will kneel before the anthem saying yesterday, “If you can not support us right now with this movement and with our team taking a knee during the the national anthem, do not support us during the football season.”

Last year, the program eased restrictions on hats, earrings and hoodies in the football building.

Chris Doyle remains on administrative leave.

Wesleyan Wrestling Picks Up Local Heavyweight:

Iowa Wesleyan wrestling coach Shawn Contos continued his hot recruiting start for Iowa Wesleyan’s men’s wrestling program securing a commitment from former Fairfield Trojan Brendon Lunsford.

Lunsford began his college career at Hannibal-LaGrange University an NAIA power in Hannibal, Missouri.

As a senior at Fairfield, Lunsford finished 5th in the Class 2A State Tournament at 285, defeating Bishop Heelan’s Kobe Clayborn in the 5th place match.

The Iowa Wesleyan wrestling program now has 51 known commits combined between the men’s and women’s program.

Sports, Monday, June 8th

By Nathan Bloechl · Monday, June 8th, 2020 at 11:23 am CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Doyle Placed on Administrative Leave:

The Iowa Hawkeye football team placed strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle on administrative leave after allegations of misconduct to African-American players surfaced this weekend.

Doyle’s leave is contingent upon an independent investigation.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has reportedly reached out to his players and addressed these allegations privately and publicly, releasing a series of videos to Hawkeye social media pages.

Doyle has coached at Iowa since Ferentz took over the program in 1999.

UNI Athletics to Return For Voluntary Workouts:

UNI Athletics will begin the process of bringing student-athletes back to campus for voluntary workouts via a staggered approach beginning on June 8.

UNI Athletic Training Services and Sports Medicine is coordinating the return with team physicians pursuant to guidelines provided by the university, public health officials and the NCAA.

Football upperclassmen may access on-campus workout facilities beginning June 8.

They will complete a series of pre-participation protocols before receiving clearance to utilize on-campus facilities on a voluntary basis and all athletic training staff will conduct daily monitoring of student-athletes, including temperature checks.

Soccer, cross country, volleyball, women’s and men’s basketball student-athletes are scheduled to begin the resocialization process on June 15.

All remaining sports are scheduled to begin resocialization on June 29th.

Iowa’s Baumler Hoping to Hear Name Called in Truncated MLB Draft: 

At least one Iowa high-schooler is hoping to hear his name called in this year’s five-round Major League Baseball draft.

Dowling Catholic’s Carter Baumler, a TCU commit, is believed to be a lock for the five-round draft.

Baumler went 5-1 last season with a 1.77 ERA to lead the Maroons to a 31-12 record.

According to MLB Pipeline, he’s the lone Iowa native projected to go within the first five rounds.

Central DeWitt pitcher T.J. Sikkema was a first-round selection last year, while Pekin’s Keaton Winn was a fifth-round choice two years ago.

The MLB Draft is slated to begin Wednesday, June 10th.

NBA Players to Sit Out Season to Honor Floyd?

And in national sports, one person believes key NBA players might sit out the remainder of the season in honor of George Floyd.

Yahoo Sports NBA Reporter Matt Barnes said several NBA players are considering the possibility of sitting the season.

Last week the NBA Board of Governors approved a return to play plan at a 29-1 vote.

The season is expected to resume at the end of July in Orlando, Florida.

22 of the leagues 30 teams are expected to compete in the return to play plan, with full playoffs following the 8-game regular season.

Sports, Saturday, June 6th

By Nathan Bloechl · Saturday, June 6th, 2020 at 1:28 pm CDT
Drake Announces Cancellation of Summer Camps:
Due to the global COVID-19 outbreak and continued guidance from Polk County officials to restrict events of more than 10 people, Drake Athletics has canceled all summer youth sports camps and clinics scheduled to be hosted on the Drake University campus this summer.

Individual programs may elect to conduct virtual, off-campus or satellite camps and clinics this summer pending availability and scheduling.

For more information on those potential alternative camps and other Drake Athletics summer sport camps, please visit each camp’s website or contact the respective Drake athletics staff member.
Iowa’s Williams Names to All-American Team:
University of Iowa first baseman Peyton Williams has been named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American, it was announced Tuesday by the publication.
Williams is the eighth player under head coach Rick Heller to earn All-America distinction and the first freshman to be honored since Ben Norman and Kyle Shimp in 2017.
The Johnston, Iowa, native started all 15 games in 2020, hitting .298 with 16 RBIs, 13 runs, and seven extra base hits (two home runs, four doubles, one triple). His 16 RBIs tied for fifth in the Big Ten and were the most by a league freshman.
Williams finished the season on an 11-game hitting streak and he hit safely in 13 games with four multi-hit contests.
Iowa finished the shortened 2020 season with a 10-5 record with three victories over ranked opponents – No. 18 Arizona, No. 20 North Carolina, and No. 14 Duke.
Former Cyclone Coach Passes Away: 
Former Iowa State head football coach Johnny Majors, the man responsible for turning around ISU football and leading it to its first-ever bowl game, has died. He was 85 years old.
At the age of 33, Majors was hired to take over the Iowa State football program prior to the 1968 season. Majors faced a giant rebuilding project, as the Cyclones were a combined 4-15-1 the two seasons prior to his arrival.

In his third season (1970), the Cyclones made progress, recording a 5-6 mark, setting up a breakout season in 1971.

Majors improved the Cyclone recruiting efforts yearly in his tenure in Ames, and behind four All-Americans and many future NFL players, the Cyclones had the talent to compete in the rugged Big Eight Conference heading into the 1971 campaign.

Iowa State raced out to a 5-1 mark and ended the season at 8-3, securing a bid to the Sun Bowl, the school’s first-ever postseason appearance.

Led by All-American George Amundson, who rushed for a then-school-record 1,260 yards, the Cyclones scored 40 or more points five times during the year, including a 54-0 thrashing of Oklahoma State, the largest winning margin vs. a conference opponent in school history at the time.

In Majors’ final season in 1972, the Cyclones made it to their second-straight bowl game by participating in the Liberty Bowl, finishing the season with a 5-6-1 mark. One of the highlights of the season was a 23-23 tie vs. No. 3 Nebraska in Clyde Williams Field, ending the Cornhuskers’ 24-game winning streak vs. league opponents.

Majors announced his resignation following the Liberty Bowl contest vs. Georgia Tech to take over the head coaching duties at Pittsburgh.

Majors ended his five-year coaching tenure at Iowa State with a 24-30-1 record.  He coached 12 Cyclones who earned first-team all-Big Eight honors, including Amundson, who was the Big Eight Player-of-the-Year in 1972 and the school’s highest NFL draft pick (No. 14 in 1973).

Sports, Friday, June 5th

By Nathan Bloechl · Friday, June 5th, 2020 at 11:22 am CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Future Hawkeye Ryon, Fellow Classmate Organize Virtual Run/Walk:

Former Mount Pleasant track and cross country star and future Iowa Hawkeye Abby Ryon and fellow classmate Aurora VanSickle are organizing a virtual run/walk for those who wish to help the black community but don’t feel comfortable protesting and getting together with others due to COVID-19.

All registration fees will go to three donation sites (George Floyd Memorial Fund, Black Visions Collective, and Reclaim the Block), with registration costing $20. By registering, participants will receive a small black flag with the white black lives matter fist on it.

People participating can share their exercise via social media using the hashtag #moveforjustice so everyone can see the results instantly.

Payment options include will include Venmo, PayPal, or mailing cash/check.

Iowa High School Baseball Announces Pre-Season Baseball Poll: 

IABaseball.com has released their pre-season baseball rankings and while there isn’t a lot of area schools represented, Class 2A does have one.

A state qualifier a year ago, Central Lee is #10 in Class 2A.

The Hawks went 21-3 last year defeating #1 Wilton on the way to the State Baseball Tournament.

They open their season on June 15th against Danville.

1A: 

1. Remsen St. Mary’s
2. Martensdale-St. Mary’s
3. Alburnett
4. Calamus-Wheatland
5. Newman Catholic
6. Don Bosco
7. South Winneshiek
8. Coon Rapids Bayard
9. Hinton
10. HLV

2A:

1. Van Meter
2. North Linn
3. West Sioux
4. West Lyon
5. Underwood
6. Dike-New Hartford
7. West Branch
8. Pochahantas Area
9. Treynor
10. Central Lee

3A:

1. Central DeWitt
2. Davenport Assumption
3. Bishop Heelan
4. Cedar Rapids Xavier
5. Harlan
6. Waverly Shell-Rock
7. Carlisle
8. Vinton-Shellsburg
9. Marion
10. Winterset

4A:

1. Urbandale
2. Southeast Polk
3. Dowling
4. Ankeny
5. Western Dubuque
6. Johnston
7. Waukee
8. Iowa City West
9. Ankeny Centennial
10. North Scott

Iowa’s Golston Named to IMPACT Trophy Watch List:

Iowa defensive end Chauncey Golston have been named to the 2020 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List.

Golston finished last season with 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks among 47 total tackles.

He also had an interception and five passes defensed.

The award is presented annually to the college football defensive IMPACT player of the year.

IMPACT is an acronym for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity.

NBA Approves 22-Team Format to Restart Season:

The NBA Board of Governors approved Thursday a competitive format to restart the 2019-20 season with 22 teams returning to play and a tentative start date of Friday, July 31.

The Board’s approval is the first formal step among many required to resume the season.

The NBA is now working to finalize a comprehensive season restart plan with the National Basketball Players Association.

The NBA and the NBPA are working with infectious disease specialists, public health experts and government officials to establish a rigorous program to prevent and mitigate the risk related to COVID-19, including a regular testing protocol and stringent safety practices.

The season restart is also contingent on an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to use Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, as a single site for a campus for all games, practices and housing for the remainder of the season.

If, as tentatively scheduled, the season resumes on July 31, then the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery would be rescheduled for Aug. 25, the 2020 NBA Draft would be held on Oct. 15 and the 2020-21 NBA regular season would likely begin on Dec. 1, 2020.

Sports, Thursday, June 4th

By Nathan Bloechl · Thursday, June 4th, 2020 at 11:23 am CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

UNI Football Ranked #2 in Athlon Preseason Poll:

UNI Football was picked second in the Athlon Sports Preseason FCS Poll released by the media outlet Tuesday.

Defending national champion North Dakota State was picked first in the poll. Weber State, who the Panthers are scheduled to play on September 19 is third.

Five teams on the UNI schedule are ranked in the poll, including four in the top 10. All four teams in the top ten will make the trek to the UNI-Dome. Along with Weber State and North Dakota State (Sept. 26), Illinois State (Oct. 17) is ranked ninth and South Dakota State (Nov. 7) is ranked sixth.

UNI travels to Southern Illinois on Oct. 3 for a game against the 19th-ranked Salukis.

The Panthers are scheduled to kick off the season on Sept. 5 against Iowa on the road a Kinnick Stadium.

The timeline for the return of players to offseason workouts or practices has yet to be determined because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Smith Named to Preseason All-American Team:

UNI defensive end Elerson G. Smith was named to the Athlon Preseason All-American team released by the media outlet Wednesday.

Smith had a breakout season in 2019 tallying 14.0 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and set the school record with 14 quarterback hurries in a season. He also blocked a pair of field goals, had four pass breakups and five forced fumbles.

He closed the season out with 63 total tackles.

He earned first-team All-MVFC honors after an outstanding junior season that landed him in the top 10 for the Buck Buchanan Award final voting.

The MVFC tallied seven on the preseason All-American list, tied with the Big Sky with the most.

Iowa State Announces Non-Conference Basketball Schedule:

Iowa State has announced its men’s basketball non-conference schedule for the 2020-21 season.

The schedule features eight non-conference home games with the Big East versus Big 12 Battle and SEC versus Big 12 Challenge opponents and locations yet to be announced.

The season begins on Tuesday, Nov. 10 when the Cyclones host Kennesaw State. Iowa State will welcome Oregon State to Hilton Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 13.

The Cyclones will then play in the Emerald Coast Classic Nov. 27 and Nov. 29 in Niceville, Florida.

Iowa State, which won the 2015 Emerald Coast Classic, will play two of three possible opponents: Florida, Illinois and Oregon.

The bracket for the tournament will be announced at a later date.

The Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series will be Thursday, Dec. 10 in Iowa City agains the Hawkeyes.

Cyclones Report First COVID-19 Case in Athletic Department:

The Iowa State Athletics Department announced Wednesday its first positive COVID-19 test result.

A part-time student worker notified the department over the weekend of a positive result and the athletics department staff member that worked closely with the student worker has been quarantined.

Contract tracing procedures related to the incident are also underway.

Additionally, four student-athletes from two different sports have experienced symptoms after being in close contact with individuals outside of the athletics department who have been infected by the virus.

Those student-athletes are also in quarantine and are awaiting test results.

As more student-athletes begin returning to campus in the coming weeks, the sports medicine staff is preaching proper hygiene practices, responsible behaviors outside of Iowa State facilities and the importance of mitigating risks for contacting COVID-19.

MLB Denies 114 Game Proposal, No Counter Offer:

It now seems all the more likely that this year will go on without baseball.

Yesterday Major League Baseball denied the Players’ Association’s 114-game proposal and did not submit a counter offer, putting the odds of a season in jeopardy.

The Players’ Association made their proposal Sunday, which upped the number of games from 82 to 114. Opening Day under their proposal was set to be June 30th, with the regular season ending October 31st.

MLB told the union it had no interest in extending the season into November, when it fears a second wave of the coronavirus could disrupt the postseason and jeopardize $787 million in broadcast revenue.

MLB’s proposal would slash player salaries by over 75% with some players making less than 23% of their contracts worth.

Players have undoubtedly been lukewarm on that idea, at best.

As the NBA and NHL near their resumption, baseball looks like it has to cross the Grand Canyon to find an agreement.