High School Track
Central College will host an indoor meet with the boys’ teams participating today and the girls’ competing tomorrow, March 21st. Mt. Pleasant boys’ head coach Shawn Striegel talked about the importance of these early season opportunities,
“That was huge because we, like I said, we have so many [young kids] and it’s not just freshmen. We have kids that haven’t been out since maybe middle school or maybe never or as sophomores and juniors and just to get them on the track and to feel those nerves and get those first meet jitters out of the way is a big deal. You know, some of our times weren’t what we’re capable of but those times will continue to drop throughout the season because they had that early experience. It’s a big deal for us.”
The Columbus Co-ed Invitational is scheduled for Monday, March 24th, with Central Lee, New London, Van Buren County, and Winfield-Mt. Union making the trip to start the outdoor season.
High School Basketball
The 2025 Pizza Ranch All-Star Game is scheduled for March 29th at Dallas Center-Grimes High School with three of our local players and a coach making the trip to compete.
On the girls’ Southeast team, WACO’s Ella Huisenga, who ranked 2nd on the team in points and 1st in rebounds, earned a spot and accompanying her will be her coach Lisa Graber. The Southeast squad will face off against the Northwest team for the first round at 10:45 am.
On the boys’ Southeast team, a pair from the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division will join forces in West Burlington’s Mason Watkins and Luke Hellige of Holy Trinity Catholic. Watkins and Hellige both finished within the top 10 in the state in points per game and as their respective program’s all-time leading scorer. The Southeast and Northwest will square off for their first round matchup at noon.
Southeastern Community College
The softball team will be back in action for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 22nd, against Southwestern Community College with game one at 1 pm.
The baseball team will host a three-game series against North Iowa Area Community College on Saturday with their first game of a doubleheader at 1 pm.
College Basketball
The Iowa State men’s team grabbed the #3-seed for the South Region but they will be without the services of Keshon Gilbert for the rest of the season due to injury. The Cyclones will dance with the #14-seed Lipscomb tomorrow, March 21st, at 12:30 pm.
In the woman’s NCAA national championship tournament, Iowa grabbed the 6th seed and will take on the #11-seed Murray State in Oklahoma on Saturday, March 22nd, at 11 am. This is the seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament for the Hawkeyes.
The #11-seeded Iowa State women’s team survived scoring only seven points in the second quarter to win their first four matchup last night against Princeton 68-63. Audi Crooks and Addy Brown combined for 49 points in the win as Brown added eight assists. The win also marked head coach Bill Fennelly’s 800th career victory. The Cyclones will square off against #6 Michigan tomorrow at 10:30 am.
March Madness
The KILJ bracket challenge, sponsored by The Press Box and Wiley’s Interior Furnishings and Design, is officially underway with nearly 50 brackets submitted with the top three set to receive prizes.
Standings will be updated at the conclusion of the first two rounds, the Elite 8, Final Four, and the championship game.
This Day in Sports History
1934 – All-around female super athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias pitches a hitless inning for Philadelphia A’s in their exhibition pre-season baseball game against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
1965 – 27th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Michigan, 91-80, making the Bruins one of seven teams to earn back-to-back titles.
1990 – The LA Lakers retired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s #33.