The Henry County Conservation Department is hosting two free programs in March. March 2nd from 4-6 p.m. join Maple Syruping with conservation staff. This program will be held at the Top-of-Hill area, in Oakland Mills County Park, at the Dorothy Family Maple Syrup Camp. Activities will include tapping trees, an evaporator demonstration, and syrup tasting. Participants can arrive any time between 4 and 6 p.m. All ages are welcome. Preregistration is appreciated but not necessary. This program is weather dependent so listen to KILJ 105.5 FM or check the Conservation Department Facebook page for changes or cancellations. FREE. On March 18th from 10-11:30a.m the program is Iowa Rocks and Geode Cracking with Mike Messer. How was Iowa formed and what creatures lived here long ago? Find out during this fun presentation. Mr. Messer, with assistance from Ron Brown, will show you the cool rocks and fossils that can be found in our state then end with cracking some geodes for kids to take home. All ages are welcome. Preregistration is appreciated but not necessary.
Sports, February 20th
High School Basketball
The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will start their postseason action tonight at home against Fort Madison at 7 pm. KILJ will be on the call with pregame at 6:45 pm.
The Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will take on North Mahaska on February 22nd and the boys’ team will take on New London tomorrow, February 21st. Both games will tip-off at 7 pm.
High School Wrestling
The state championship is in the books and here are the final results for some of our local wrestlers. Gage Samo of WACO, Aaron Boone of Washington, and Russell Coil of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union all claimed 6th place. Spencer Kessel of Louisa-Muscatine and Isaac Thacher of Fort Madison took 4th place, Kaiden Dietzenbach of Burlington Notre Dame won the 3rd place match. Carter West of Burlington Notre Dame, Tate O’Shea of Keokuk, Dom Lopez of New London, and Josh Glendening of Mediapolis all earned 2nd place. The Nikes claimed two state champions in Isaiah Fenton and CJ Walrath.
In terms of team performances, Waverly-Shell Rock took the team title for Class 3A, Osage dominated Class 2A scoring almost 70 more points than second place Burlington Notre Dame, and Don Bosco added to their legacy with another title.
High School Bowling
The state championship will start today, February 20th, and it will run through the 22nd.
Iowa Wesleyan Athletics
The women’s basketball team will enter the Continental Athletic Conference tournament with 20 wins after taking down Trinity Christian College 74-60. Isabell West and Kyla Moore combined for 48 points as West went 11 for 11 at the free throw line and Moore knocked down three triples. The Tigers will take on Bacone College on February 24th at 11:30 am to start the conference tournament.
The 23rd-ranked men’s team will enter the Continental Athletic Conference tournament as 2nd overall seed and take on Haskell Indian Nations on February 24th at 8:15 pm.
The men’s wrestling team competed in the Heart of America Conference Championship over the weekend with the Tigers claiming 10th place out of 11 teams. The best finisher was Lane Scorpil as he went 2-1 in the 125-pound weight class as he fell in the championship bout to take 2nd place.
The women’s wrestling team will start the 2023 Heart of America Conference Championship on February 25th.
The Tigers Indoor Track and Field teams competed in the North Star Athletic Association conference meet with the women’s team claiming 5th place and men taking 6th. KeRon Blackwell won the men’s high jump with a leap of 6 feet 7 inches. Daron Jackson claimed 2nd place in the men’s triple jump and he was also a part of the men’s 4×400 meter relay team of Angel Lottie, Judah Rivers, and Jabez Rivers that finished in 2nd place. Bri Hunter finished in 2nd place in the women’s shot put with a heave of 45 feet 1.75 inches. The NAIA Indoor Track and Field national championship meet will be March 2nd.
The Tiger baseball team moved to 3-4 on the season after dropping their weekend doubleheader to Mid America College. In game one, the Tigers were down 5-4 in the 6th inning before the Evangels scored 3 runs to take the game 8-4. Grant Yates had 2 RBIs on the day. In game two, the Tigers were again in a close game heading into the bottom of the 6th tied at 2 before the Evangels knocked in two runs to win 4-2. Joey Withers pitched 5 innings allowing 3 runs and striking out 4. They will have another doubleheader February 25th against Kansas Wesleyan University with the first game going at 12 pm.
The Tiger’s softball season dropped the first two games of the Avila Tournament to start the season 0-2. Game one was a high scoring contest that saw the Park University Pirates come back from a 9 to 6 deficit in the bottom of the 6th to win 10-9. Gracie Jevyek knocked in four runs in game one. In game two, Avila University scored 12 runs in the first 3 innings before taking the game in 5 innings, 12-4. Kelsey Topliff hit a bases loaded triple to score 3 runs in the 4th inning.
This Day in Sports History
1929 – The Boston Red Sox announce they will play Sunday MLB games at Braves Field; Fenway Park was located too close to a church.
1952 – Emmett Ashford is certified to be first black umpire in organized baseball; has to wait until 1966 for MLB debut.
2011 – 53rd Daytona 500: 20 year old Trevor Bayne, driving for Wood Brothers Racing, wins to become the youngest Daytona 500 winner.
Nick Riley
Nicholas Adam Riley was born February 12, 1978, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, the son of Lynn and Barb (Keith) Riley. As a child, Nick enjoyed playing baseball, basketball, and go-kart racing. He graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1996. Nick had a passion for community service and helping anyone in need from a young age. As a teen, he worked with children officiating flag football, basketball and baseball games and volunteered wherever else he was needed. As a young adult, he worked as the flagman for a local go-kart track. In 2007, Nick joined the Traer Fire Department, following in his father and brother’s footsteps. Nick served 7 years on the board of the Iowa Firefighters Association, acting as President from 2020 to 2021. He was currently working for Tama County on the secondary road crew.
Nick’s greatest desire in life was to start a family. Nick married Sami Carver on June 4, 2005, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. With the desire to raise a family in small town Iowa, Nick and Sami moved to Traer in 2007. They were blessed with two beautiful children: Karrington Belle and Karver Nicholas. Nick enjoyed anything involving the outdoors or working with his hands. He spent summers camping, fishing, and going to dirt track races with his family. Winters were spent wood-working and building things in his garage. Nick was an optimist which led him to believe that every scratch ticket was a winner. Every day he stopped at the gas station to press his luck. His most cherished pastime was watching his children participate in their favorite activities. He would tear up each time he watched Karrington dance or sing and was Karver’s biggest and loudest fan at the hockey rink. Nick was a kid at heart, so it is no surprise he had a tremendous impact on his children’s friends and teammates. Nick never complained about Sami’s love for Disney. After their first trip to Walt Disney World, he grew to love it just as much as the rest of the family. Nick and Sami’s love truly was a Tale as Old as Time. He loved to take his family on vacations, with cruises being his favorite.
Nick, age 45, passed away on Friday, February 17, 2023, at his home following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. In his final days he was surrounded by family and friends. Nick is survived by his wife, Sami; daughter Karrington Belle and son Karver Nicholas, all of Traer; parents, Lynn and Barb Riley of Mt. Pleasant; father-in law, Keith (Brenda) Carver of Salem; mother-in-law, Dee Carver of Traer; paternal grandmother, Evelyn Riley of Mt. Pleasant; grandmother-in-law, Joyce Lasswell of Salem; two brothers, Bill (Jennifer) Riley and Mike (Tiffany) Riley both of Mt. Pleasant; brother-in-law, Blake (Carrie) Carver of Salem; nieces and nephews, Ashlynn, Kaleb, Haley, Abby, Bailey, Tyler, Carter, Paisley, Justis, Jaydin, Jersie, Macie Mae, Myia, Tripp, Hunter, Jerry, Melaney and Kourtney; many aunts, uncles and cousins. Nick is also survived by his fire brothers/sisters, Allison’s Dance Center and Waterloo Jr. Hawk family. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Dorothy Keith and paternal grandfather, Virgil Riley.
Anyone who wishes to honor Nick is requested to make contributions to the Traer Fire Department, Waterloo Youth Hockey Association, or a college fund established for his children at Farmer’s Savings Bank and Trust in Traer.
A visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Overton Funeral Home, 714 First St., Traer, Iowa. Feel free to wear a Nick’s Army T-shirt and socks with slides.
A funeral service will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 10:30 am at the Traer Memorial Building, 414 Second St., Traer, IA. Family invites everyone to join us for a meal and remembrance in Nick’s honor following the service at the Traer Memorial Building.
February 20th, 2023 – February 26th, 2023
02/20/23
Dean Aicher
02/20/23
Jean Barker
02/20/23
Lisa Dunn
02/20/23
Mason Fraker
02/20/23
Nadine Martin
02/20/23
Joseph Syfert
02/20/23
Carolyn Dorothy - belated from Sunday 2/19
02/21/23
Barb Lynchard
02/21/23
Bob Gholson
02/21/23
Lucas Lee
02/22/23
Nicole Franklin
02/22/23
Samuel Van De Berg
02/22/23
Georgette Nordyke
02/23/23
Maria Pitts
02/23/23
Jamie Albright
02/24/23
Jeffrey McGohan
02/24/23
Kendra Seibert
02/24/23
Robin Rich
02/25/23
Carol Nemitz
02/25/23
Kyle Noble
02/25/23
Ryan Sammons
02/25/23
Tim Jacobs (45)
02/26/23
Dale Davidson
02/26/23
Betsy Johnson
02/26/23
Spencer Newman
02/26/23
Lisa Price
02/26/23
Matt Donnolly
02/26/23
Logan Lee
Good Day for MP Show Choir
Mount Pleasant High School’s show choir InMotion participated at the Pella Dutch Masters Invitational Saturday and once again came home with numerous awards.
In the daytime prelims Mount Pleasant took the top spot in Class 3A and won caption awards for Best Band, Best Choreography and Best Vocals. Senior Jordan Crooks was chosen as InMotion’s Star Performer. Mount Pleasant advanced to the evening finals and placed as Second Runner Up.
Iowa City West won the competition, followed by Johnston, Mount Pleasant, Center Point-Urbana, Muscatine and West Branch.
Burlington Notre Dame Claims Two State Champions
Des Moines, IA- Championship Saturday is in the books and here are the final results for all of our local wrestlers competing for the state championship.
Carter West of Burlington Notre Dame faced off against the #1 seed Brayden Bohnsack of Union, LaPorte City for the Class 2A 106-pound weight class title. The first two periods went scoreless between the two wrestlers and with the chance of overtime rapidly approaching in the third period, Bohnsack went for a late takedown and got it to win on a 2-0 decision. West claimed 2nd place.
Tate O’Shea of Keokuk had a tough matchup as he was pitted against last year’s champion from Greene County, McKinley Robbins, in the Class 2A 138-pound weight class championship bout. Robbins started things off with a takedown to score the first two points of the match. O’Shea responded with an escape and the cycle would repeat the rest of the way through the match with Robbins earning one point for an escape to start the third period. Robbins won the championship on a major decision with O’Shea finishing in 2nd place.
Burlington Notre Dame already had a second and third place finisher, Isaiah Fenton made it a state champion as well as he defeated Cooper Sanders of Vinton-Shellsburg by a 10-3 decision. Fenton started off the scoring with a first period takedown and with no points scored in the second period and Sanders getting a point for an escape to start period three the score was 2-1 in favor of Fenton. Sanders would get out of position with a minute to go and Fenton took advantage capturing two points with a takedown, Sanders would reverse, but Fenton had control the rest of the way piling up points on his way to a state championship for the Class 2A 152-pound weight class.
The Class 1A 160-pound weight class would provide the crowd with a match full of excitement and drama. The #1 seed Wyatt Reisz of Logan-Magnolia was looking for his third state championship in a row, while Dom Lopez of New London, the #2 seed, was looking for his first state championship after two 3rd place finishes in a row and becoming the all-time winningest wrestler in Iowa state history two rounds before. Reisz would get things going with a takedown to take the 2-0 lead before Lopez was able to escape to cut the lead in half to 2-1. Reisz, starting in the bottom position, would escape to start period 2. Lopez would capture a late takedown and was looking to ride it out, but Reisz was able to escape and make the score 4-3. Lopez would get one-point via an escape to tie the match at 4 sending the match into overtime for the first time during the championship session. Reisz would get the sudden victory with a late takedown to secure his third state championship. Lopez would claim 2nd place.
CJ Walrath of Burlington Notre Dame came into the Class 2A 182-pound weight class state championship bout with a 159-1 record over the last three years. The third seed Brody Sampson of Ballard was looking to upset the #1 seed and started out as such as he picked up and put down Walrath for a 2-point takedown. Walrath would respond by scoring the next 8 points with three takedowns and two escapes. This all led to a third period pin where Walrath would add another state championship to his illustrious career and improve his three-year record to 160-1.
In the Class 1A 195-pound weight class, it was the #1 seed Jackson Dewald of Westwood, Sloan battling against the #2 seed Josh Glendening of Mediapolis. The scoring would show how even of a match it was with each wrestler picking up one-point via escape in the first three periods sending us to overtime. In overtime, Dewald would go for the quick strike and connect walking away with the sudden victory takedown to become the state champion. Glendening would claim 2nd place.
Isaac Thacher of Fort Madison Claims 4th Place in Class 3A State Tournament
Des Moines, IA– The last day of the Iowa High School Athletic Association boys’ wrestling state tournament is almost in the books and here is how Class 3A finished up for our local wrestlers before the championship matches.
Isaac Thacher of Fort Madison would move past McCrae Hagarty of Waverly-Shell Rock due to a forfeit by injury, catapulting him to the 3rd place match in the 195-pound weight class. AJ Petersen of North Scott would take the 3rd place medal as he took down Thacher by fall. Thacher takes home the 4th place medal.
That concludes KILJ’s coverage of local wrestlers in the Class 3A state tournament. Stay tuned for final results.
Burlington Notre Dame Claims First Medal Heading into Championship Round for Class 2A
Des Moines, IA– The last day of the Iowa High School Athletic Association boys’ wrestling state tournament is almost in the books and here is how Class 2A finished up for our local wrestlers before the championship matches.
Aaron Boone of Washington would be sent to the 5th place match as he fell to the #1 seed Carson Doolittle of Webster City by major decision. Slated against Shane Hanford of West Marshall, Boone would be defeated by fall to earn 6th place in the tournament.
In the 126-pound weight class, Kaiden Dietzenbach of Burlington Notre Dame kept up his dominating run through the consolation bracket as he took down Amare Chavez of South Tama County by a 7-0 decision. Dietzenbach would claim the Nike’s first medal of the day by finishing in 3rd place when he defeated Jerren Gille in a 6-3 decision.
Jackson Boese of Van Meter fell to Zach Adelmund of Dike-New Hartford in a 5-2 decision pitting him against Jace Mulder of Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley for 5th place. Mulder would get the better of Boese winning the match by major decision. Boese would claim 6th place.
In the 285-pound weight class, Russell Coil of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union would fall to Mac Miller of Osage in a close match by a 3-2 decision. Paul Ballard of Albia defeated him in the 5th place match on a 5-2 decision. Coil claims 6th place.
Carter West, Isaiah Fenton, and CJ Walrath of Burlington Notre Dame and Tate O’Shea of Keokuk are still due to wrestle for their respective championships. Stay tuned to KILJ for results.