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.