COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Gary Blair and Texas A&M played to their strength to beat pesky Drake. Freshman Chennedy Carter scored 26 points and the fourth-seeded Aggies beat 13th-seed Drake 89-76 on Friday in the opening round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Khaalia Hillsman added 22 to help send the Aggies to the second round against DePaul. Drake shot three free throws in the game. Sara Rhine scored 21 had for Drake (26-8) and had a nearly perfect offensive day. She hit 10 of 11 from the field and made her only free throw.

Texas A&M’s win halted a 21-game winning streak by Drake.

Golf courses are starting to open for the season and many of the clubs across Iowa are hoping to retain members and attract new ones. Some public courses are struggling to stay in operation as young adults, especially those starting families, find they simply don’t have time for the sport. Chad Pitts, executive director of the Iowa Golf Association, says many people take a long break from golf during their lifespan. “They play up until they get married and start having kids, then they take a break from golf because their kids’ activities kind of take over,” Pitts says. “Then, they come back to the game later in life.”

The standard round of golf involves 18 holes, but Iowa has more nine-hole style golf courses than any state in the country. Pitts suggests golf course managers promote the “play nine” concept as way to drum-up business. “So, in other words, don’t think of a round of golf as – it’s going to take you five or six hours. Maybe you can go out and just play nine holes, it’s only going to take you two hours, and you can do it after work,” Pitts says.

Iowa has around 390 golf courses, including 340 that are open to the general public. That’s down from 415 total golf courses in 2006. Pitts says there was a “boom” in new golf courses in the 1990s and early 2000s. Since then, there’s been a “market correction,” according to Pitts. “Golf got overbuilt, for sure, and it’s kind of correcting itself now,” Pitts says. In addition to the time factor, many people who step away from golf cite financial reasons. A season pass to a public course in Iowa can range from roughly $500 to $3,000. Pitts notes operators of some Iowa golf courses get creative by offering lower prices for green fees during non-peak playing times or even allow golfers to play just THREE holes for a few dollars. The Iowa Golf Association, a nonprofit group, is launching a program this summer called “Youth on Course.”

Pitts says it’s designed to attract young people to the game by subsidizing their round of golf. Kids will pay just $5 at courses that sign up for the program. “So, we’re hoping it’ll definitely be a win-win. We can build new golfers for the future – get kids out there playing early in life, but also bring in some business to our member clubs (at times) when they aren’t getting any right now,” Pitts says. While the number of golf facilities in Iowa has declined, more people are joining the Iowa Golf Association. Pitts says there were 20,304 IGA members in 2017. That’s up from 19,880 five years ago.

(Radio Iowa)

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Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have tried to make their offseason roster turnover about youth, speed and aggressive play. It is an approach coach Andy Reid underscored with the official introduction of new arrivals Sammy Watkins and Anthony Hitchens. Watkins will give new starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes more speed and skill at wide receiver. Hitchens will step in at linebacker.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — NCAA Tournament regular Wichita State will open play facing inexperienced Marshall, which nonetheless is entertaining because of coach Dan D’Antoni’s connections to the NBA. The Thundering Herd runs a lot of NBA plays. The Shockers are making their seventh straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 15th overall. The Thundering Herd is making its first appearance since 1987.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Devonte Graham ignited sluggish Kansas midway through the first half, pouring in 29 points and lifting the top-seeded Jayhawks to a tough 76-60 victory over No. 16 Penn in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Lagerald Vick added 14 points for the Jayhawks, who trailed the Ivy League champs by 10 in the early stages before going on a 19-2 run late in the first half to take control. A.J. Brodeur finished with 14 points to lead Penn.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr. is one of the biggest unknowns in the NCAA Tournament. Not that he minds at all. Porter says people can say what they want because he’s pretty good at focusing on what’s important for himself. Porter is a big topic of conversation if only because he came in as a preseason All-American yet has only played a total of 25 minutes over two games because of back surgery. The Tigers play Florida State in the first round of the West Region.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Rob Gray drove for a wind-milling layup that just trickled over the rim with 1.1 seconds left, and Trey Kell’s off-balance 3 at the buzzer was no good, giving No. 6 seed Houston a 67-65 victory over 11th-seeded San Diego State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars advanced to play the Michigan-Montana winner in the second round on Saturday.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Khadeen Carrington scored 26 points, Desi Rodriguez added 20 and eighth-seeded Seton Hall beat North Carolina State 94-83 in a foul-filled first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament. Myles Powell added 19 points as the Pirates advanced to face Kansas in the second round. Allerik Freeman had 36 points to lead the Wolfpack.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Every now and again Virginia coach Tony Bennett keeps a doorknocker in the Cavaliers locker room back in Charlottesville as reminder of what his team hopes to do this year to “break down the door” and reach the Final Four. Despite being a No. 1 seed twice and a No. 2 seed once in the previous four seasons, Virginia hasn’t been able to reach that goal under Bennett. The top-seeded Cavaliers open tournament play Friday against 16th-seeded UMBC.

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Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Judging by her stats, Iowa junior Megan Gustafson might be the best player in America. She leads the nation in scoring with 25.6 points per game for the sixth-seeded Hawkeyes, who face 11th-seeded Creighton on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Matt Carpenter is showing the St. Louis Cardinals what they were missing while he was sidelined by a back strain. A day after making his spring training debut, Carpenter hit a two-run, wind-aided home run off Justin Verlander in the Cardinals’ 3-1 win over Houston. Carpenter also singled through the right side of the infield in the first inning. He walked twice Tuesday against Miami and reached base in all four plate appearances.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Patrick O’Brien, Tristan Gebbia and Adrian Martinez are being given an equal chance to win the starting quarterback’s job as Nebraska enters spring practice under new coach Scott Frost. Only O’Brien has game experience. The biggest challenge in the move from the pro-style offense to spread option is adjusting to the fast pace.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs’ trades of Alex Smith to the Redskins and Marcus Peters to the Rams became official with the start of the new league year. So did the free-agent signings of wide receiver Sammy Watkins and linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who should fill two of the Chiefs’ biggest holes heading into next season.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Actor Jim Caviezel has played Jesus and golfer Bobby Jones on the big screen. On Wednesday, he portrayed Kansas City Royals bench coach Dale Sveum. Sveum had a medical appointment for his stiff neck and missed the photo shoot, so Caviezel stood in for him. Sveum’s face will then be Photoshopped over Caviezel’s in the team photo.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Aric Holman had 16 points and 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season, Lamar Peters was four assists shy of a NIT record with a career-high 14 and Mississippi State won its first post-season game since 2010 with a 66-59 victory over Nebraska in the first round. Mississippi State (23-11) is in the postseason for the first time since a 101-96 double-overtime loss to UMass in the 2012 NIT.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — In October 1970, one of two planes carrying the Wichita State football team to a game at Utah State crashed in Colorado, killing 31 people. Six weeks later, Marshall’s team plane returning from a game crashed near its West Virginia campus. On Friday, the two schools forever linked by tragedy will meet in the NCAA Tournament. Marshall and Wichita State have never before played in men’s basketball.

The Harlan girls and boys track teams were among those that competed at the Bob Prince Early Bird Indoor Track Meet on Tuesday at the University of South Dakota. Here is a look at the top-5 finishes for the Cyclones. Full results can be viewed here: Bob Prince Early Bird 2018

Girls

800 Meter Run
2nd-Abby Alberti, 2:42.69

1,600 Meter Run
1st-Kara Rueschenberg, 5:58.85
7th-Liv Freund, 6:29.01

3,000 Meter Run
1st-Greichaly Kaster, 12:05.47

60 Meter Hurdles
3rd-Chloe Hansen, 10.04

4X200 Meter Relay
4th-Chloe Hansen, Alyssa Sotelo, Cassidy Riley, Molly Gubbels, 1:58.52

4X800 Meter Relay
2nd-Kara Rueschenberg, Greichaly Kaster, Abby Alberti, Liv Freund, 10:57.06
4th-Kennedy Kjergaard, Olivia Anderson, Abi Baldwin, Lucia Rodriguez, 11:39.93

Boys

400 Meter Dash
2nd-Deren Schmitz, 53.70
4th-Michael Erlmeier, 56.15

4X200 Meter Relay
4th-Andy Burchett, Eli Boldan, Thoung Vo, Jonathon Monson, 1:42.10

Long Jump
2nd-Michael Erlmeier, 19-05.25

Shot Put
3rd-Caleb Brouse, 46-09

A number of area teams competed at the Boys ISU Indoor meet in Ames on Tuesday. Here’s a look at some of the top area finishers.

60 Meter Hurdles
9th-Gratt Reed, Atlantic, 8.78

60 Meter Dash
14th-Gratt Reed, Atlantic, 7.35

3,200 Meter Run
12th-Brycen Wallace, Nodaway Valley, 10:05.22
23rd-Noah Nelson, ACGC, 10:23.22

1,600 Meter Sprint Medley
2nd-Atlantic, 3:40.26
18th-Underwood, 3:50.34

1,600 Meter Run
22nd-Jaxson Eden, Atlantic, 4:49.69
25th-Brycen Wallace, Nodaway Valley, 4:50.72
26th-Craig Becker, Atlantic, 4:50.75

4X400 Meter Relay
5th-Atlantic, 3:30.55
13th-Glenwood, 3:45.86

Long Jump
5th-Caden Wardyn, ACGC, 19-06.25
6th-Zach Vondra, Glenwood, 19-02.75

Full results here.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A prominent youth basketball coach in Iowa has been arrested and charged in federal court with knowingly transporting child pornography. Greg Stephen, the co-founder of the Iowa Barnstormers of the Amateur Athletic Union, was expected to make his initial appearance this (Tuesday) afternoon in Cedar Rapids.

A complaint alleges Stephen confessed to secretly recording three adolescent boys naked in a hotel room during a trip to Illinois.