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Sports Brief: 6/4/20

Sports

June 4th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

MLB negotiations stumble…NBA to unveil restart plan…MLS players OK package…Coach Majors dies

NEW YORK (AP) — The start of the major league season is in serious jeopardy after management rejected the players’ offer for a 114-game regular season in the pandemic-delayed season with no additional salary cuts. That’s according to a person familiar with the negotiations who also tells The Associated Press that MLB did not plan to make a counterproposal. MLB told the union it had no interest in extending the season into November, when it fears a second wave of the coronavirus could disrupt the postseason and jeopardize $787 million in broadcast revenue.

UNDATED (AP) — A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press the NBA has told the players association that it will present a 22-team plan for restarting the season to the league’s board of governors on Thursday. The plan would have 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference clubs going to Florida, with the playoffs starting in August and likely ending in October. Teams would play eight games to determine playoff seeding starting around July 31 before the postseason begins.

UNDATED (AP) — Major League Soccer players have approved a new collective bargaining agreement that will allow for the league to return this summer with a tournament in Florida. The Major League Soccer Players Association announced the ratification of the CBA. Players approved economic concessions for this season. The league countered the proposal from the players and set a Wednesday deadline for ratification.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — College Football Hall of Famer Johnny Majors has died at his home in Knoxville, Tennessee, at age 85, according to his wife. Majors coached Pittsburgh’s 1976 national championship team and completed a 185-137-10 record in 29 seasons with the Panthers, Iowa State and Tennessee from 1968-92. That followed a standout playing career at Tennessee during which he finished second to Notre Dame’s Paul Hornung in the 1956 Heisman Trophy balloting.

UNDATED (AP) — A diversity report for racial and gender hiring across college sports found overall improvement yet still reported grades lagging behind the professional ranks. The report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida assigned an overall C-plus score, a B for racial hiring and a C-plus for gender hiring. Lead report author and institute director Richard Lapchick noted in the report that the grades trailed those of professional leagues reviewed in other TIDES studies such as the NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and WNBA.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz returns to football facility

Sports

June 3rd, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says the return of players to the facility will be controlled. Ferentz and several members of the coaching staff have returned to their offices this week. Players begin returning on Monday.

Ferentz says they will be bringing back more coaches and stage in stages.

Ferentz says there are several new guidelines to enter the football facility.

Ferentz says for the time being staff meetings are still being held via Zoom.

Atlantic finalizes 2020 baseball schedule

Sports

June 3rd, 2020 by admin

The Atlantic Trojan baseball schedule has been set for the shortened 2020 campaign. All home games for the Trojans will be played at Griswold High School due to the ongoing construction at the baseball/softball complex in Atlantic.

June 15th    9/JV/V @ Lewis Central. 2:30 (DH), 5:30, 7:30
June 16th    9/JV/V vs Denison-Schleswig. 11:00 (DH), 5:30, 7:30
June 18th    9/JV/V vs Clarinda. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
June 22nd   9/JV/V vs St. Albert. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
June 23rd    9/JV/V @ Kuemper.  3:30, 5:30, 7:30
June 25th    JV/V @ Glenwood. 5:30, 7:30
June 26th    JV/V @ Council Bluffs AL. 4:00, 6:00
June 29th    9 vs Kuemper. 11:00 (DH)
                    JV/V @ Harlan. 5:30, 7:30
June 30th    JV/V @ Red Oak. 5:30, 7:30
July 1st        9 @ Harlan. 11:00. (DH)
July 2nd      9 @ Creston. 11:00 (DH)
                   JV/V vs Creston. 5:30, 7:30
July 3rd       9 @ Denison-Schleswig 11:00 (DH)
                   JV/V vs Shenandoah. 5:30, 7:30
July 7th       JV/V vs Carroll.  5:30, 7:30
July 8th       9/JV/V @ Tri-Center. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
July 9th       JV/V vs Glenwood. 5:30, 7:30
July 14th     JV/V @ Denison-Schleswig. 5:30, 7:30
July 17-Aug 1, Playoffs

Williams earns Freshman All-America honors for Iowa baseball

Sports

June 3rd, 2020 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa first baseman Peyton Williams has been named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American, it was announced Tuesday by the publication.

Williams is the eighth player under head coach Rick Heller to earn All-America distinction and the first freshman to be honored since Ben Norman and Kyle Shimp in 2017.

The Johnston, Iowa, native started all 15 games in 2020, hitting .298 with 16 RBIs, 13 runs, and seven extra base hits (two home runs, four doubles, one triple).  His 16 RBIs tied for fifth in the Big Ten and were the most by a league freshman.

Williams finished the season on an 11-game hitting streak and he hit safely in 13 games with four multi-hit contests.

Iowa finished the shortened 2020 season with a 10-5 record with three victories over ranked opponents – No. 18 Arizona, No. 20 North Carolina, and No. 14 Duke.

ISU announces non-conference men’s basketball schedule

Sports

June 3rd, 2020 by admin

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State has announced its men’s basketball nonconference schedule for the 2020-21 season.

The schedule features eight nonconference home games with the Big East/Big 12 Battle and SEC/Big 12 Challenge opponents and locations yet to be announced.

The season begins on Tuesday, Nov. 10 when the Cyclones host Kennesaw State. Iowa State will welcome Oregon State to Hilton Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 13.

The Cyclones will play in the Emerald Coast Classic Nov. 27 and Nov. 29 in Niceville, Florida. ISU, which won the 2015 Emerald Coast Classic, will play two of three possible opponents in Florida, Illinois and Oregon at the tournament. The bracket for the tournament will be announced at a later date.

The Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series will be Thursday, Dec. 10 in Iowa City.

2020-21 Nonconference Men’s Basketball Schedule

Nov. 10 – Kennesaw State – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 13 – Oregon State – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 17 – Alabama A&M – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 22 – Louisiana Monroe – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 27 & 29 – Emerald Coast Classic – Florida/Illinois/Oregon – at Niceville, Fla.
Dec. 2 – South Dakota State – Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 6 – TBA (Big 12/Big East Battle)
Dec. 10 – at Iowa
Dec. 13 – Jackson State
Dec. 20 – North Carolina A&T
Dec. 22 – Chicago State
Jan. 23 – TBA (SEC/Big 12 Challenge)

Let there be light….at the Trojan Bowl

News, Sports

June 3rd, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Atlantic Athletic Facilities construction liaison Bob Sweeney today (Wednesday), reports Musco lighting of Oskaloosa, was busy installing new LED (Light Emitting Diode) field lights at the Trojan Bowl. The 70-foot tall lights are part of the overall $9.5-million athletic facilities improvement project approved by the voters in April 2019. The last time the lights shined down on the field, players and fans, was in Oct. 2019.

Other projects that are currently underway include upgrades to the district’s baseball/softball complex and tennis courts, concession stands and more. Musco is also installing new ballasts and other items necessary for the current lighting at the High School athletic facilities.

Photo’s courtesy Bob Sweeney.

Vanderhoof ready to take the step up to head coach for AHSTW girls hoops

Sports

June 3rd, 2020 by admin

Jill Vanderhoof was promoted this week from assistant to head coach of the AHSTW girls basketball team. She has been an assistant for the past two seasons with the Lady Vikes and will take over for Steve Sauvain who stepped down to take a position with the AEA. Vanderhoof said working with coach Sauvain has given her the confidence to take over the program.

Vanderhoof will have a strong team to work with in her first season at the helm. The Lady Vikes are coming off a 20-4 season that ended in a one point loss in the regional finals. 4 of the top 5 scorers from that team return in 2020-21. She said it’s exciting to get to work with a team that’s hungry for more success.

It’s certainly an interesting time to be taking over during a pandemic but Vanderhoof is an assistant with the softball team as well and said it’s been good to see the girls. She hopes they can start to do some basketball activities yet this summer.

Vanderhoof said coach Sauvain really instilled a drive and commitment level in the team. She hopes to build on that and use the team’s ability to get up and down the floor to try to build another successful season.

Atlantic releases 2020 softball schedule

Sports

June 3rd, 2020 by admin

Trojan LogoThe 2020 Atlantic softball schedule has been finalized. All home games for the Trojans will be played at the Atlantic Little League Complex while construction continues at the revamped softball and baseball complex.
June 15    9/JV/V @ Lewis Central. 2:30 (DH), 5:30, 7:30
June 16.   9/JV/V vs Denison-Schleswig. 11:00 am (DH), 5:30, 7:30
June 18.   9/JV/V vs Clarinda. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
June 19.   JV/V vs. Earlham. 5:30, 7:30
June 22.   9 vs CB/AL. 11:00 am (DH)
                 JV/V vs St. Albert.  5:30, 7:30
June 23.   JV/V/V @ Kuemper. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
June 25.   JV/V/V @ Glenwood. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
June 26.   9/JV/V vs Treynor. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
June 29    JV/V @ Harlan. 5:30, 7:30
June 30    JV/V @ Red Oak. 5:30, 7:30
July 1.      9 vs Lewis Central. 11:00 am (DH)
July 2.      9 @ Creston. 11:00 am (DH)
                 JV/V/V vs Creston. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
July 3.      9 @ Denison-Schleswig. 11:00 am (DH)
                 JV/V vs Underwood. 5:30, 7:30
July 7.      9/JV/V @ Shenandoah 4:00, 5:30, 7:30
July 9.      JV/V vs Missouri Valley. 5:30, 7:30
July 15 -31. IGHSAU Playoffs

Iowa State releases statement on the passing of former football coach Johnny Majors

Sports

June 3rd, 2020 by admin

AMES, Iowa – Former Iowa State head football coach Johnny Majors, the man responsible for turning around ISU football and leading it to its first-ever bowl game, has died. He was 85 years old.

“Johnny Majors is one of college football’s all-time greatest coaches,” Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said. “Johnny came back every year and it was a pleasure for our players to get to know him and understand his legacy at Iowa State. He was one of the most important figures in Iowa State football history.”

At the age of 33, Majors was hired to take over the Iowa State football program prior to the 1968 season. Majors faced a giant rebuilding project, as the Cyclones were a combined 4-15-1 the two seasons prior to his arrival.

In his third season (1970), the Cyclones made progress, recording a 5-6 mark, setting up a breakout season in 1971.

Majors improved the Cyclone recruiting efforts yearly in his tenure in Ames, and behind four All-Americans and many future NFL players, the Cyclones had the talent to compete in the rugged Big Eight Conference heading into the 1971 campaign.

Iowa State raced out to a 5-1 mark and ended the season at 8-3, securing a bid to the Sun Bowl, the school’s first-ever postseason appearance.

Led by All-American George Amundson, who rushed for a then-school-record 1,260 yards, the Cyclones scored 40 or more points five times during the year, including a 54-0 thrashing of Oklahoma State, the largest winning margin vs. a conference opponent in school history at the time.

In Majors’ final season in 1972, the Cyclones made it to their second-straight bowl game by participating in the Liberty Bowl, finishing the season with a 5-6-1 mark. One of the highlights of the season was a 23-23 tie vs. No. 3 Nebraska in Clyde Williams Field, ending the Cornhuskers’ 24-game winning streak vs. league opponents.

Majors announced his resignation following the Liberty Bowl contest vs. Georgia Tech to take over the head coaching duties at Pittsburgh.

Majors ended his five-year coaching tenure at Iowa State with a 24-30-1 record.  He coached 12 Cyclones who earned first-team all-Big Eight honors, including Amundson, who was the Big Eight Player-of-the-Year in 1972 and the school’s highest NFL draft pick (No. 14 in 1973).

Some of Majors’ top Cyclone gridders included the following future NFL players: Amundson, Matt Blair, Otto Stowe, Merv Krakau, Keith Krepfle and Ike Harris.

Majors continued his coaching excellence at Pittsburgh (1973-76, 1993-96), winning the 1976 national title with a perfect 12-0 record. He later coached at his alma mater Tennessee for 16 seasons (1977-92).

In all, Majors was a head coach for 29 seasons, compiling an overall mark of 185-137-10. He led his teams to 16 bowl berths and captured three SEC titles at Tennessee. Twice he was honored as the national coach of the year: Walter Camp (1973) and AFCA/Sporting News (1976).

An All-American at Tennessee in 1956, Majors was a two-time SEC MVP. He was the runner-up to Paul Hornung in the 1956 Heisman Trophy balloting.

Majors was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1987 and was enshrined into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.

Majors never wavered on his admiration of Iowa State throughout the years. The coaching legend annually made a return trip to Ames to reunite with his former players and staffers.

“When we left our driveway on Ontario, before going to Pittsburgh in a station wagon and a U-Haul trailer behind us, I will never forget Mary Lynn (Majors’ wife) saying, ‘John, I don’t know what the rest of your career will be like, but nothing can ever top the last five years at Iowa State,’ and to this year it is true,” Majors recollected during one of his many visits to Ames.

Iowa State athletic dept. worker tests positive

Sports

June 3rd, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(AMES, Iowa – AP) A part-time student worker in the Iowa State athletic department has tested positive for COVID-19 and four athletes are experiencing symptoms. ISU says the student worker notified the athletic department of the positive test last weekend. The four athletes from two sports began experiencing symptoms after being in close contact with individuals outside the athletic department who have been infected. Those athletes are in quarantine and awaiting test results.

Athletic director Jamie Pollard says “the potential for infections and positive test results has always been very real for an organization like ours and we’ve been thorough and diligent in planning for such incidents.” The Big 12 is allowing Iowa State and other conference schools to have football players return June 15 for voluntary workouts.