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IHSAA announces 2022 Wrestling Hall of Fame class

Sports

February 14th, 2022 by admin

The IHSAA is proud to announce the 2022 class for induction into its Wrestling Hall of Fame, with the seven selections to be honored on February 19 before the state championship matches at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. These honorees were nominated through their schools, recommended by the Wrestling Hall of Fame selection committee, and approved by the Board of Control this winter.

Below is brief biographical information on each Hall of Fame selection. More information on IHSAA awards is available in the annual state tournament program, available for $5 at Wells Fargo Arena or through the IHSAA website and office.

WRESTLERS

KYLE ANSON, Iowa City, City High – The 2005 grad was a three-time state champion in Class 3A and graduated with a career record of 164-9. Anson finished third in his lone season off the top of the podium, winning at 119 pounds in 2002, and 125 in 2004 and 2005. Considered a high school All-American in 2005, Anson was also a two-time junior freestyle All-American and went on to wrestle at UNI and qualify for the NCAA championships in 2007.

RYAN MORNINGSTAR, Lisbon: Three-time state champion from 2003-05 was also a Junior national freestyle champion. Graduated with 167-4 career record. Went on to Iowa and became four-time NCAA qualifier and won three team titles. Currently an assistant coach for NCAA championship team at the University of Iowa.

COLE PAPE, Maquoketa – A three-time state champion in his freshman, sophomore, and senior seasons, Pape owned a varsity record of 136-12, with nine of the 12 losses coming as a freshman. Pape managed multiple injuries in his junior season and finished third, but that performance was sandwiched by titles at 130, 135, and 152. The 2001 grad went on to wrestle for the University of Iowa.

DERRIC THOMAS, Newman Catholic, Mason City: A four-time finalist and three-time champion for Hall of Fame coach Mark Bertsch. Won at 112 pounds in 2008, 119 in 2009, and 130 in 2010, graduating with a record of 138-13.

LYLE WILSON, Boone – A posthumous recommendation for the second three-time state champion in Iowa high school wrestling history. Wilson’s titles were won in 1923, 1924, and 1925, when Iowa held open state tournaments. Boone had the first two three-timers with Willis Standley (1922-24) and then Wilson, led by coach Leland Page. Wilson’s wins came in tournaments held at Iowa State University, with Boone emerging as the team champion in each.

COACH

JEFF TAMPIR, Maquoketa – Tampir spent his entire coaching career at Maquoketa, leading the junior high program for 17 years, then becoming an award-winning varsity head coach. In 13 years, his teams went 190-45 in duals, but were highlighted by the school’s first state champ (Brian Howell), a three-time champ (Cole Pape), and an undefeated four-timer (Eric Juergens). Maquoketa had 50 state qualifiers and 21 medalists in Tampir’s tenure, including a streak of nine years in which the Cardinals placed a finalist.

CONTRIBUTOR

JIM MILLER, Cedar Falls – A graduate of Waterloo, East, Miller is being recommended as a Hall of Fame contributor to Iowa high school wrestling. The longtime Wartburg College coach has dedicated his career to advocating for the sport, and improving the quality of it in Iowa, winning 10 NCAA Division III titles as a coach after a brief stint in high school coaching and a championship wrestling career at UNI.

Posted in Sports |

Keegan Murray tabbed Naismith Trophy Player of the Week

Sports

February 14th, 2022 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s basketball sophomore Keegan Murray was selected as the Naismith Trophy Player of the Week on Monday for his efforts in a pair of Hawkeye victories last week.

The last Iowa men’s basketball player to earn a Naismith Trophy Player of the Week honor was Luka Garza a year ago on Feb. 22, 2021.

Murray (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) helped propel the Hawkeyes to comfortable victories at Maryland (110-87) on Feb. 10 and at home against Nebraska (98-75) on Feb. 13. Murray averaged 33.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, two blocks, and 1.5 steals in the two contests.

Posted in Sports |

Keegan Murray named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week

Sports

February 14th, 2022 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s basketball sophomore Keegan Murray has been named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, it was announced Monday by the Big Ten Conference Office. Murray shares the honor with Geo Baker of Rutgers.

Murray has earned the Big Ten weekly honor a program-best four times this season (Nov. 22; Dec. 20; Jan. 3; Feb. 14). Luka Garza previously held the school record for most Big Ten weekly accolades since the inception of the award during the 1981-82 season (three times in 2020-21).

Murray (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) helped propel the Hawkeyes to a pair of comfortable victories last week at Maryland (110-87) on Thursday and at home against Nebraska (98-75) on Sunday. Murray averaged 33.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, two blocks, and 1.5 steals in the two contests.

Against the Terrapins, Murray tallied 30 points, seven rebounds, and a game-best two blocked shots. He shot a blistering 12-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. Murray and the Hawkeyes’ 110 points are a season high, most by either team in the 14-game series history, and most by the Hawkeyes in a conference game since scoring 116 against Northwestern on Feb. 9, 1995.

Murray poured in a game and career-best 37 points, six rebounds, and a game bests in steals (3) and blocks (2) against the Huskers. The 37 points are believed to be the third most by any men’s basketball player in Carver-Hawkeye Arena’s 39-year history (45 by Brian Quinnett of Washington State in 1986; 41 by Iowa’s Luka Garza in 2020). Iowa’s 98 points are the second most by either team in the 36-game series history (102 by Iowa in 2021).

Murray is the first Hawkeye to score 30+ points in back-to-back Big Ten games since Matt Gatens 1- years ago in 2012 (30 vs. Indiana and 33 vs. Wisconsin).

Murray, who is the only NCAA Division I player this season averaging 23+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 2+ blocks, has netted 25+ points an NCAA-best 11 times this season. He has tallied 30+ points four times, the most by any underclassman in a single season in program history. Murray ranks third in the nation in points per game and his 23.3 scoring average is most of any player from a major conference.

Iowa (17-7, 7-6) faces Michigan (13-10, 7-6) on Thursday at 6:01 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Tickets are available for purchase at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.

Posted in Sports |

League of Women Voters leads groups seeking repeal of Iowa election law changes

News

February 14th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The League of Women Voters of Iowa led a coalition of groups that have collected five-thousand signatures on petitions asking the Republican-led legislature to repeal recent election law changes. The coalition is asking Republican lawmakers to restore a longer period of early voting and get rid of restrictions that limit who may help older Iowans cast an absentee ballot. The group cites data from low turn-out elections held in 2021 that indicate hundreds of Iowans who tried to vote early couldn’t get an absentee ballot in time and they warn thousands more will face those obstacles in the 2022 and 2024 elections.

The head of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa says the coalition is on a moral mission to protect Iowans’ fundamental right to vote. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has said the election law changes made a year ago give Iowans even greater confidence as they cast their ballots. During debate last year, Republican Senator Jim Carlin said the changes were made because many in the G-O-P believe the 2020 election was stolen from President Trump.

Posted in News |

Chances of spring flooding are ‘near normal to below normal’ for eastern Iowa

News, Weather

February 14th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The chance of spring flooding in eastern Iowa is “near normal to below normal,” according to the first flood outlook from the National Weather Service in Davenport. Rich Kinney, the warning coordination meteorologist, says that doesn’t mean there won’t be any flooding along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Even though local snowpack is mostly melted, the snowpack in Minnesota hasn’t, and it’s storing an above-average amount of water.

“The rate of the snow melt, especially way up north in the upper reaches of the Mississippi River valley where there’s a lot more snow than there is down here,” Kinney says. “We’re also looking at additional snowfall or heavy spring rains.” From now through April, Kinney expects slightly above-normal precipitation. Another factor is — the ground is only frozen a few inches deep. That’ll allow melting snow and spring rain to be absorbed, instead of running off into local rivers.

“Our river levels are, for this time of year, running around normal to, in some places, a little bit below normal,” Kinney says. “So, we’ve got quite a bit of room in the rivers right now for storage for heavy precipitation.” At Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities, the chance of the Mississippi River reaching flood stage is 51-percent, slightly lower than normal, and the chance it’ll reach major flood stage is 21-percent, also slightly lower than normal.

The weather service plans to begin offering in-person “spotter training” sessions soon, for the first time since early 2020. More than 4,000 people serve as spotters across 36 counties in the region.

Posted in News, Weather |

Adair County Sheriff’s report, 2/14/22

News

February 14th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater today (Monday), said there was just one arrest last week. 39-year-old Joshua William Cox, of Harlan, was pulled over by Adair Police on I-80 westbound, near mile marker 72. The traffic stop at around 7:15-p.m. was the result of a call about a vehicle unable to maintain its lanes, causing a dangerous situations for other motorists.

The subject vehicle, a 2016 Dodge RAM pickup, was located and stopped when the Adair Police Officer saw the pickup crossing the center and yellow lines on the road. During questioning of Cox, the Officer noticed a strong odor of alcoholic beverages, and observed multiple open beer cans in the cup holders.

When Cox refused to take the Standard Field Sobriety Tests, he was taken into custody and transported to the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, where he also refused implied consent. He was booked into the Adair County Jail for OWI/1st offense and Open Container-Driver. Cox was released later that night on a $1,000 bond.

Posted in News |

2 injured in NW Iowa crash Monday morning

News

February 14th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

A head-on collision between a car and a pickup truck in northwest Iowa’s Sioux County resulted in both drivers being transported to the hospital. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2008 Nissan Altima driven by 20-year-old Dalton Denhartog-Hopcroft, of Alton (IA), was traveling west on Iowa Highway 10 at around 7:27-a.m., when the vehicle crossed into the eastbound lane. An eastbound 2014 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by 21-year-old Colin Heronemous, of Orange City, was traveling eastbound and swerved left to avoid a collision. Denhartog-Hopcroft swerved back into his own lane prior to the vehicles colliding head-on.

Dalton Denharthog-Hopcroft, who was wearing a seat belt, was flown by Mercy Air Care to MercyOne Siouxland Hospital. Heronemous was not wearing a seat belt. He was transported by Orange City Ambulance to the Orange City Hospital. The accident remains under investigation.

Posted in News |

State officials scrambling to let para-educators continue to serve as substitute teachers

News

February 14th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners is proposing an emergency rule to let para-educators continue to serve as substitute teachers in any class in the district where they’ve been working. Paraeducators had been allowed to sub in multiple classrooms under the governor’s public health emergency proclamation, which expires tomorrow (Tuesday) at midnight. Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls says he heard from superintendent who’d been assigning para-educators to cover for multiple teachers and was concerned the governor’s proclamation was expiring.

“A lot of our schools are already having a shortage,” Wahls says, “and they’re really worried that we’re going to see that be dramatically exacerbated.” Before the pandemic proclamation, para-educators had been assigned to work under the supervision of a licensed teacher rather than serve solo in any classroom as a substitute. A legislative committee that reviews agency rules is scheduled to meet tomorrow (Tuesday) and is expected to approve the emergency directive to let para-eduators continue to be substitutes for any class.

Posted in News |

BURTON ‘BURT’ CONN, 78, of Atlantic (Svcs. 2/19/22)

Obituaries

February 14th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

BURTON ‘BURT’ CONN, 78, of Atlantic, died Sunday, Feb. 13th, at home. Funeral services for BURT CONN will be held 10-a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19th, at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Atlantic.

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 18, 2022, from 1 pm until 7 pm at the funeral home with the family present from 5 till 7 pm.

Burial is in the Oakwood Cemetery in Lewis.

Memorials can be made to the Cancer Society and mail or left at the funeral home P.O. Box 523 – Atlantic, IA 50022.; Condolences may be left online at schmidtfamilyfh.com.

BURTON “BURT” CONN is survived by:

His wife of 53 years – Karen (Priest).

His daughters- Barb (Jeremy) Burkum, of Atlantic; Joani Veenstra, of Blue Island, IL, and Judy (Brian) Folkers, of Plainfield, IL.

His brother, Barry (Deb) of Trilla, IL.

7 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, His sisters-in-law: Sheri (Jim) Conn, of Lewis, Sherry Minnsen, of Vilisca, and Ruth (Carl Lee) Priest of Bethany, MO. , other relatives and friends.

Posted in Obituaries |

It’s time once again to find Iowa’s Best Burger!

Ag/Outdoor, News

February 14th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Ames, Iowa) – Iowa’s beef producers are asking their fellow Iowans to help find Iowa’s Best Burger in 2022. In this year’s quest, the Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC) and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) are encouraging you to nominate your favorite burger, whether it’s gourmet or down-home style. Kent Pruismann, a Rock Valley cattleman and IBIC Chairman, says “We are looking for the best burger served in an Iowa restaurant. Although burgers are often standard fare, we know from experience that the winners of this contest are well-above standard, and serve outstanding burgers. Finding these great burgers depends on Iowans choosing their favorite, and nominating them.”

This is the thirteenth year the two groups are holding the annual Iowa’s Best Burger contest, which officially kicks off on February 14, 2022. During the first phase of the contest, Iowans are encouraged to nominate their favorite burger before March 14, 2022. To qualify to be named Iowa’s Best Burger, the burger must be a 100% real beef patty and served on a bun or bread product. The more nominations a restaurant receives, the better the chances are for that burger to make it on the “Top Ten” list announced March 18 on WHO Radio’s “The Big Show”. Finalists will receive a certificate and be eligible for the secret taste-test of contest judges. The 2022 Best Burger in Iowa will be announced on May 2, 2022, with the kick-off of May Beef Month in Iowa.

Details about the contest, rules, and the voting form are available on the Iowa Beef Industry Council website, www.iabeef.org. Burger lovers can also find a link to the online nomination form at the Iowa Beef Council Facebook page; or by texting BEEF to (515) 337-8924. Photos of your favorite burger can be shared socially using #IABestBurger. The nomination period will close at 5 p.m. on March 14, 2022.

Restaurants can download a digital toolkit including promotional materials for the contest from IBIC’s website at www.iabeef.org to promote the contest to their customers. The promotional materials can be used in the restaurants, online, or on social media.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |