By Nathan Bloechl · Thursday, March 31st, 2022 at 11:33 am CDT

College Football: Ferentz Adjusting to New Role as QB Coach

Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz says his job is to make the Iowa offense better and criticism comes with the territory.

The Hawkeyes ranked next to last in the Big Ten in total offense last season despite a 10-4 record and a West division title.

Ferentz says he is trying to get redshirt freshman Joe Labas up to speed this spring so he is able to compete against Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla.

He says no decision will be made on a starting quarterback until preseason practice.

Ferentz was named the quarterbacks coach after Ken O’Keefe retired and says his new role is to help them do their job better.

Typically, the Hawkeyes do not host a spring game but hold a fan event in its place. No announcement on that has been made at this time.

Men’s College Basketball: Iowa’s Toussaint Leaving the Program

Iowa junior point guard Joe Toussaint has notified head coach Fran McCaffery of his intentions to transfer from the Hawkeye basketball program.

Toussaint led the team in assists (3.2) and steals (1.4) per game (3.2) and averaged 4.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 36 games this past season.

In three seasons with the Hawkeyes, Toussaint played in 98 games, including 41 starts, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 assists, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per contest.

Also joining him with a new home will be London big man Josh Ogundele.

Ogundele announced his transfer last night.

He appeared in 19 games this year and averaged 1.5 points per game.

Men’s College Basketball: Bohannon to Participate in College Three Point Contest

The University of Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon has been selected to the Men’s 3-Point Championship roster for the 33rd annual College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships at Xavier University of Louisiana’s Convocation Center in New Orleans tonight.

Bohannon helped lead the Hawkeyes to a Big Ten Tournament Championship and 26 wins — the second highest single-season total in school history — as a sixth-year senior in 2021-22.

The native of Marion, Iowa, played in all 36 games ranking second on the team in points per game at 11 per night.

Bohannon is the sixth Hawkeye to be invited to the event and first since Peter Jok in 2017.

Men’s College Basketball: Updated Bracket Challenge Leaders

The KILJ Bracket Challenged powered by Press Box Grille and Bar and Wiley’s Interior Furnishings and Design is coming down to the wire.

In first place is “ENosbisch 1″ who accurately predicted three of the four Final Four teams.

That entry has Duke winning the National Title over Kansas.

Jen Campbell remains the top contender.

Campbell would win the Bracket Challenge if Villanova would win the National Championship and Duke lose to North Carolina.

The Final Four will be played in New Orleans on April 2nd.

 

Christie Faith Dunbar Hanson (final arrangements)

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 at 6:25 pm CDT

Christie Faith Dunbar Hanson, 69, of New London, died Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at Care Initiatives in Wapello.

She was born December 25, 1952 in Mt. Pleasant, the daughter of Clair and Mary Babcock Dunbar.  She was a 1970 graduate of New London High School and attended Indian Hills Community College.  Christie married Lloyd Jacobs and they divorced.  She then married John Hanson and they also divorced.  She was a homemaker who also worked at Metromail in Mt. Pleasant and several other places in food service.  Christie loved Old Threshers and working at the Explorer Post.  She enjoyed gardening and being outside, all animals especially goats, dogs and cats, and being with her family.  She loved her boys and her grandchildren.  She excelled at sarcasm and practical jokes.

Christie is survived by her ex-husband, John Hanson of New London; two sons, Kevin (Talisa) Jacobs and Tim (Angel) Jacobs, both of New London; nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents and five brothers and sisters.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, April 2 at Elliott Chapel, New London.  Following the service, she will be cremated and inurnment will be held at Ferrel Cemetery, rural New London at a later date.  Visitation will be held from 10:00 – 11:00 prior to the service.  Memorials have been established to the” On With Life Foundation”, 715 SW Ankeny Road, Ankeny, Iowa 50023 where Christie spent the latter half of 2006-2007 after suffering a debilitating aneurysm.

Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com

Man Arrested in Winfield for Indecent Contact With A Child

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 at 6:23 pm CDT

(from the Winfield Police Department Facebook page)

At 11:48PM on 3/29/22 Winfield Police responded when a man called saying he was stuck outside and needed a ride to a motel. When police arrived the man said he had just arrived in Winfield a few hours earlier to meet his girlfriend who he met on Facebook. He had taken a bus from Charlotte NC to Iowa City earlier in the evening and then Ubered from Iowa City to Winfield. He was unable to get another ride to a motel. After further interviewing the man and waking up the supposed juvenile girlfriend and her parents to get their statements, Zachary Girard,  age 24 years of Charlotte2, NC was arrested for Indecent contact with a child and possession of Marijuana.

Prep Track: Brumbaugh Lifts Panthers Past WB-ND at Falcon Relays

By Nathan Bloechl · Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 at 2:43 pm CDT

West Burlington — Jadan Brumbaugh broke her own school record with a toss of 46 feet, 1 inch as the Mount Pleasant girls’ track team took home first place at yesterday’s girls’ Falcon Relays, hosted by West Burlington-Notre Dame.

The Panthers finished with 154 team points, nine better than that of the Nikes.

Fairfield finished in third with Washington and Central Lee rounding out the top-five.

Brumbaugh continued shattering record after record, as the Iowa State recruit finished well over 11 feet better than second place Elise Oleson.

Senior Abby Blint won the 800m and 3,000m run while Kylee Coleman finished as a runner up in the discus, with a heave of 103 feet, 7 inches.

Kenna Lamm ended third in  both the 100m and 400m hurdles, as well.

Danville finished as runners-up in the Class B division, with Mediapolis, WACO and Winfield-Mount Union rounding out the top-five.

Pekin was first.

Danville senior Allison Down was a top finisher for Bears. Down won the 100m hurdles in 18.11 while state qualifier Kenna Furnald won the long jump with a launch of 16 feet, 5 inches.

Mediapolis sophomore Haley Steffener won two sprints. Steffener clocked in at 14.16 in the 100m while claiming gold in 1:06.04 in the 400m.

WACO’s Zoey Dennler earned first in the grueling 400m hurdles. She edged Danville’s Alexis Dietsch running 1:16.51.

Girls’ Soccer: Four Goal Night by Manning Leads Panthers

By Nathan Bloechl · Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 at 2:42 pm CDT

Mount Pleasant — Elly Manning provided four goals, as the Mount Pleasant girls’ soccer team opened their 2022 season with a 6-2 win over Mediapolis yesterday.

Mount Pleasant conceded the first goal of the game but then rifled off six straight, including the four from Manning and one each from Tori Wilson and Charice Auwerda.

Kiera Frazier added one assist while Leslie Lopez had four saves. Evelyn Escobar also recorded two saves.

1-0 on the year, the Panthers will take today off before traveling to Donnellson for a fixture with Central Lee on Thursday.

College Baseball: Wesleyan Splits at Graceland

By Nathan Bloechl · Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 at 2:41 pm CDT

Lamoni — The Iowa Wesleyan baseball team split a pair of games with Graceland yesterday, losing game one 9-0 while earning an 18-7 win in game two.

Tavares Tims took the game one loss.

The junior from Portland, Oregon worked just one inning allowing two hits and four runs while walking four.

Wesleyan mustered just two hits against Graceland freshman Zach Tanabe, who tossed a complete game while striking out six.

In game two, the Tigers bats woke up with crooked numbers in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th innings.

Froymer Ortega scored four runs for the Wesleyan offense while Sage Bonner, Dominic Gerace and Phillip Guerrero each had three hits.

Carter Fletcher was the wining pitcher, tossing one inning of relief striking out one.

The split moved Wesleyan to 11-23 on the year.

They’ll take on Saint Xavier Friday in Chicago. The two teams will play a three game series over the weekend, with game one beginning Friday afternoon at 12:00 p.m.

College Golf: Iowa Wesleyan Hosts Spring Classic

By Nathan Bloechl · Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 at 2:41 pm CDT

Fort Madison — The Iowa Wesleyan golf teams hosted their home tournament yesterday at Sheaffer Memorial Golf Course.

Columbus Junction native Aubrey Duncan finished tied for first shooting an 81. Duncan would wind up in second based on tiebreaker protocols, but it was an outstanding showing for the DMACC transfer.

Claire Hanson finished in 5th with an 87 while Karli Kirchner placed 6th with an d89.

The women finished second in the team race, losing by four strokes.

On the men’s side, Trace White shot a 77 good for 13th to lead Iowa Wesleyan.

Brevin Wilson carded an 80, which was tied for 26th. Kenny Tucker rolled in an 85 while Bailey Shelledy shot an 87.

The men finished in ninth in the team race.

The women will take part in the Carl Sandburg Invite this weekend, while the men will take the weekend off before competing in the Clarke Invitational on April 5th.

Men’s College Basketball: Iowa’s Murray to NBA

By Nathan Bloechl · Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 at 2:41 pm CDT

Iowa City — Star Iowa guard Keegan Murray has declared for the NBA draft.

Murray made the announcement yesterday on social media.

A finalist for numerous prestigious awards, Murray averaged an incredible 23.5 points and nine boards per game.

The Cedar Rapids native made 39 starts over his two years with the Hawkeyes and is widely projected to be a top-six pick in this summer’s NBA Draft.