Men’s College Soccer: Dubuque Tabbed to Win American Rivers Conference:
The University of Dubuque men’s soccer team, who finished the spring season as conference champions, are the coaches’ choice to win the 2021 American Rivers Conference Championship.
The conference preseason poll was announced yesterday.
The Spartans were chosen first on six ballots and earned 62 points.
Spring runner-up, Loras, earned the No. 2 ranking. The Duhawks garnered 51 points.
Luther was picked to finish third, earning 50 points and two first place votes. Simpson and Wartburg were picked to finish fourth and fifth, earning 39 and 38 points. Central earned 28 points to finish in sixth in this year’s poll.
Nebraska Wesleyan followed in seventh with 26 points. Buena Vista (16 points, one first-place vote) and Coe (14 points) finished in eighth and ninth.
All nine of the leagues’ institutions kick off the 2021 season on Wednesday, September 1.
College Football: Iowa Adds 4-Star Running Back:
The Iowa football team got better yesterday, adding Deerfield Beach, Florida prep Jaziun Patterson to the backfield.
Patterson, a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, announced his commitment to Iowa via social media yesterday.
The 5’10, 182 pound specimen held over 30 offers and chose Iowa over powerhouses such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Miami, Oregon and South Carolina among others.
Patterson rushed for 511 yards and seven scores in a truncated five game high school last year.
He’s the ninth known commit for Iowa in the Class of 2022.
College Football: Iowa State Breaks Football Season Ticket Record:
The Iowa State athletic department has established a new school record of football season tickets sold in 2021, surpassing the 48,000 mark for the first time ever.
Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced the feat yesterday.
Pollard said in a release he’s optimistic the season ticket total could rise to over 49,000 before the season opening matchup with Northern Iowa on September 4th.
Iowa State is ranked No. 7 in the preseason AP poll behind the strength of 19 returning starters from last year’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl championship team that went 9-3.
FM 98.5 and AM 1130 is your home for Cyclone Football all fall long.
NFL: Former Hawkeye Epenesa Readies for Year Two in Buffalo:
Former Hawkeye standout A.J. Epenesa is ready for his second year in the NFL with Buffalo Bills.
Epenesa finished last year with one sack in 14 games — mostly due to a shortened rookie orientation period due to COVID.
Epenesa’s mother and father have local ties.
Eppy, his father played football at Iowa Wesleyan, while his mother Stephanie played volleyball for the Tigers.
A.J. spent his summer in Buffalo training for the upcoming season.
Epenesa and the Bills will open their season at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 12th.