Sports, Thursday, January 6th

Prep Wrestling: IAWrestle Rankings Released:

The latest IAWrestle rankings have been released and there are multitudes of area wrestlers featured in this week’s poll.

Starting in Class 1A, New London remained No. 7 in this week’s team rankings with three ranked wrestlers in the poll.

Of course headlining the Tigers is No. 1 ranked 126-pounder Marcel Lopez. The three-time defending state champion, Lopez recently committed to SIU-Edwardsville for his collegiate choice.

His brother Dominic checks in at No. 3 this week at 152-pounds behind only Wyatt Reisz of Logan-Magnolia and Gabe McGeough of MFL-MarMac.

Junior Josh Glendening is No. 6 in this weeks poll at 182.

Glendening is gunning for his third straight trip to Wells Fargo Arena later this winter.

WACO freshman Louden Huisenga is beginning to get noticed for his incredible varsity debut. Huisenga is No. 10 in the talented 145-pound rankings this week.

Teammate Jonah Clark is the No. 6 ranked grappler at 220-pounds, as well.

Mediapolis star 138-pounder Quinten Aney is No. 4 this week at 138-pounds. He is looking for a medal in back-to-back years for the Bulldogs at the state tournament.

In Class 2A, Notre Dame is No. 3 this week with a robust seven ranked wrestlers in the poll. The Nikes are spearheaded by 132-pound Mount Pleasant native Blaine Frazier, who has been otherworldly in his senior season.

Frazier already has a win over last year’s champion McKinley Robbins. Frazier defeated the Greene County grappler in this year’s Cliff Keen Invitational. Robbins checks in at No. 2 this week.

C.J. Walrath is also No. 1 — albeit at 182-pounds. Walrath looks poised to make a ton of noise at the Well later this winter.

Winfield-Mount Union/Columbus Community 120-pounder Lane Scorpil is No. 2 this week. It appears he’s on a collision course with Webster City stalwart Cam Phetxoumphone, who is No. 1.

Prep Wrestling: Mount Pleasant at North Mahaska; Other Area Bouts:

The Mount Pleasant wrestling team will be back on the mat for the first time in the New Year when they travel to North Mahaska today for a nonconference quad.

Also trekking to Mahaska will be Iowa Valley and Sigourney.

Wrestling will get underway at North Mahaska High School at 6:00 p.m.

Other area bouts tonight:

  • Mediapolis, Keokuk at Fairfield (6:00 p.m.)
  • Winfield-Mount Union/Columbus Community, WACO, Fort Madison at Washington (6:00 p.m.)

College Football: Iowa’s Moss Returning to Iowa City:

All-American defensive back Riley Moss has announced his intentions to return to Iowa City for one more season using his last year of eligibility.

Moss took to social media to announce his decision.

The Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, the Ankeny native has made 25 starts for the Hawkeyes in his time with the program.

Moss accrued 39 tackles, five pass breakups, four picks and scored two touchdowns a season ago.

He was widely projected as anywhere from a 2nd to 4th round selection in April’s NFL Draft.

Women’s College Basketball: Clark, Joens Named to Wooden List:

A pair of in-state stars were named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 yesterday.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and Ashley Joens of Iowa State were both honored.

Clark is fourth in the country in points and assists per game, while also chipping in with 7.1 rebounds per game.

Joens is averaging a double-double for Bill Fennelly’s group, pouring 21 points and 10 boards per game.

The No. 22 Hawkeyes will host Northwestern tonight, while the 12th ranked Cyclones went on the road and dispatched No. 23 Oklahoma 81-71 last night.