Iowa City, IA- Iowa City West High School was the host for an epic Class 1A Region 8 Regional Championship between Winfield-Mt. Union and North Mahaska. The head coach for the Wolves, Mendy McCreight, was looking to lead the team back to the state tournament for the first time since her playing days at Winfield-Mt. Union in 1998. The Warhawks had made it to the dance last year but lost to Newell-Fonda in the opening round 77-44.

It was experience versus unfamiliarity, as the Wolves touted 5 senior starters and the Warhawks had 5 sophomores start the game. That experience seemed to aid the Wolves as they started the game on an 11 to 3 run, which saw Keetyn Townsley and Keely Malone nail a three-pointer and Melina Oepping dominate the offensive boards and the play on the block. However, Oepping would pick up her 3^rd personal foul in the first quarter forcing her to sit out the rest of the half and North Mahaska would make their move. Led by Regan Grewe’s 6 points in the first half, the Warhawks went on a 19 to 4 run to close out the first half with a 22-17 lead. Coach McCreight admitted after the game that there were nerves entering the game,

“We were nervous, I’m not going to lie, including myself. We came out in the first half and you could tell we were nervous.”

A halftime speech was exactly what the Wolves needed to get back on track as Oepping continued her dominant ways connecting on two quick three-point plays, unable to make the free throw attached to the play, to get Winfield-Mt. Union back in the game. However, North Mahaska’s star player Breckyn Schilling, who ranked 8^th in points for Class 1A entering the game, would keep them in the game as she scored 14 of her 16 points in the 2^nd half. Despite her effort, the Wolves would  take a 39-37 lead into the 4^th quarter, but the game was far from over.

The 4^th quarter remained low scoring as it took several minutes for either team to score, but it remained the ping-pong game it was in the 3^rd quarter. It is impossible to script a basketball game, but you can always guarantee that in a close game free throws will be a factor. Bradie Buffington, Oepping, and Josie Nelson would all take a trip to the line for the Wolves in the 2^nd half, the highest percentage for any of those player was Buffington at 69 percent, Nelson cam into the game shooting just 28 percent from the line, and Oepping shot at a 61 percent clip. North Mahaska would have Schilling go to the line for the Warhawks and at an 81% clip on the season it seemed destined for the Warhawks to make their free throws and move on. Winfield-Mt. Union came prepared with a community ready to disrupt North Mahaska’s concentration and they did just that as Schilling went 1 of 4 from the charity stripe. Winfield-Mt. Union would go 11 of 14 from the free throw line including Oepping making her last 8 in a row and Nelson going 2 for 2 at the line. The crowd was the 6^th woman on the court for the Wolves.

“[The crowd] It’s so important, they [her players] don’t realize how much the crowd really gets us in it, keeps us motivated” said Coach McCreight. “It’s just so rewarding, it’s just awesome!”

Keely Malone would get a clutch steal and breakaway lay-up to wrap up the game for Winfield-Mt. Union as they took the ticket to Des Moines on a 52-47 final, as they outscored North Mahaska 35 to 25 in the 2^nd half. Melina Oepping led the team with 24 points in the game and dominated the boards. Keetyn Townsley finished with 11 points, followed by Malone with 8 points, Bradie Buffington netted 7 points, and Josie Nelson’s 2 free throws would give the Wolves 52. Coach McCreight was grinning from ear-to-ear after the game knowing her team was set to go the state tournament,

“I’m so excited, couldn’t be more proud for the girls. It’s so rewarding as a coach to go back up there after being a part of the team in ’98, I can’t be happier.”

Winfield-Mt. Union will be the 6^th seed in the tournament and taking on North Linn on March 1^st at 6:45 pm. They will be having a community pep rally on February 28^th at 5 pm at the big gym and there will be an early dismissal on March 1^st at 1 pm along with a two-hour late start for school on March 2^nd. KILJ will be covering their run through the tournament on 105.5 FM or kilj.com.

High School Basketball

The Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will be heading to the state tournament for the first time since 1998 after taking down North Mahaska 52-47 last night. The Wolves got out to a quick start thanks to a three pointer from Keetyn Townsley and Keely Malone to make the score 11 to 3; however, Melina Oepping picked up her 3rd foul in the first quarter, which led to North Mahaska holding Winfield-Mt. Union to only 2 points in the second quarter to take a 22-17 lead into halftime. Oepping provided that spark for the Wolves in the second half as she scored 16 of her 24 total points in the second half. When the Wolves had the lead late, they nailed 11 of their 14 free throws in the 2nd half as Oepping made 8 in a row late to secure the win. Head Coach Mendy McCreight talked about her team’s effort in the win. The Wolves will take on North Linn on March 1st at 6:45 pm.

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ season has come to an end as they fell to Solon 49-36 last night in the second round of the Class 3A district 6 tournament. The Panthers finish the year 18-6.

New London will travel to Solon High School to take on Marquette Catholic in the substate game tomorrow, February 25th, at 7 pm. KILJ will be on the call with pregame at 6:45 pm.

High School Bowling

The state tournament is in the books for both the boys and girls and here are the team and individual winners. For the boys’ Class 1A, Maquoketa won the team title and the individual state champion was Adam Denny of St. Albert. For the girl’s Class 1A, Maquoketa also won the team title and Kali Johnson of Forest City took home the individual title.

For the boys’ Class 2A, Fort Dodge is the team state champion and Trey VanWyk of Oskaloosa won the individual state championship. For the girls’, Lewis Central came up with the upset to become the state champions and the individual title went to Kadence Hyde of Waterloo East.

Waterloo West took the team championship for the boys in Class 3A and the individual title went to Jackson Satterlee of Cedar Falls. For the girls’, Dubuque Senior won the team title and Vicki Andrews of Des Moines Lincoln took home the individual title.

Iowa Wesleyan Athletics

The women’s basketball team defeated Bacone College 99-30 this afternoon to move on in the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) tournament. Isabell West and Breanna Wendland both notched double-doubles as West scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Wendland finished with 21 points and gathered 10 rebounds. Kyla Moore and Megan Teal also scored 16 points apiece. The Tigers will take on the winner of Arkansas Baptist and Crowley’s Ridge College tomorrow at 2:30 pm.

The 23rd-ranked men’s team will enter the Continental Athletic Conference tournament as 2nd overall seed and take on Haskell Indian Nations tonight at 8:15 pm.

The men’s wrestling team will have Lane Scorpil represent the Tigers at the NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championship meet on March 3rd.

The women’s wrestling team will start the 2023 Heart of America Conference Championship tomorrow, February 25th.
The Tigers Indoor Track and Field teams will be competing in the NAIA Indoor Track and Field national championship meet on March 2nd.

The Tiger baseball team will have another doubleheader tomorrow, February 25th, against Kansas Wesleyan University with the first game going at 12 pm.

The Tiger softball team will have a doubleheader against Lyon College today with game one at 12 pm.

Iowa Wesleyan’s Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach for the Tiger football team, Brett Guminsky, joined us on Tiger Nation yesterday and he expressed the joy he’s felt since taking the job.

This Day in Sports History

1968 – Gary Unger began a NHL consecutive game record of 914 games. Ranks fourth on the all-time list.

1982 – Wayne Gretzky scores an NHL-record 78th goal of the season en route to 92.

2013 – 55th Daytona 500: Jimmie Johnson wins 2nd Great American Race; Danica Patrick first female to start from pole position; also best-ever finish by a woman at Daytona (8th).

College Basketball- Cornell Ram’s star fifth-year guard, Jordan Magnani, and Mt. Pleasant native has been named Midwest Conference Player of the Year. Magnani was second in points in the conference as he averaged 17.3 points per game and second in assists with 3.4 per game. Magnani is only 20 points away from breaking Cornell’s all-time scoring record at 1,647 career points.

As a former Panther, he helped lead Mt. Pleasant to two state quarterfinal appearances and scored 1,082 points in his high school career.

Cornell will travel to take on Monmouth tomorrow at 7 pm on February 24^th.