Class 1A

Dropped Out: Tripoli (6), Iowa Christian Academy (14)

Class 2A

Dropped Out: None

Class 3A

Dropped Out: Waukon (13), Waverly-Shell Rock (15)

Class 4A

Dropped Out: None

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State all-Big 12 offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele and all-conference cornerback Leonard Johnson have been selected to play in the 2012 Senior Bowl, scheduled for Jan. 28, 2012 in Mobile, Ala. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game will be nationally televised by the NFL Network. Kickoff is 3 p.m. (CST).
Osemele, a senior from Houston, Texas, is a consensus first-team All-Big 12 honoree by the league’s writers and coaches. The offensive tackle is rated highly by many NFL scouts. He has started 43 straight games at Iowa State, the longest such streak on the team. Osemele has played in 49 Cyclone games.
Leonard Johnson made the All-Big 12 second team of the conference’s coaches and writers. Johnson has 243 career tackles in 49 Iowa State career games. He owns six career interceptions, has forced six fumbles and recovered eight. Johnson is a senior from Clearwater, Fla.
Quarterback Seneca Wallace (2003), defensive tackle Jordan Carstens (2004) and nose guard Athyba Rubin (2008), all who made NFL rosters, were the last three Iowa Staters to play in the Senior Bowl.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said Thursday Wildlife biologists killed an elk Wednesday in Crawford County, near Charter Oak. Testing is being done on the elk for chronic wasting disease (CWD), brucellosis and tuberculosis. The animal was killed to protect the health and welfare of the state’s deer herd and domestic livestock.

Dale Garner, chief of the DNR’s wildlife bureau, said “We don’t like having to kill the animal, but at this time, the most reliable method of testing for CWD is from the brain stem which involves putting the animal down.”  Garner added that the department tests thousands of brain stems each year from harvested deer for the disease.

The animal was located by local deer hunters who contacted the DNR. Officials say the hunters were very helpful in keeping tabs on the animal while notification was made to the State Veterinarian’s office with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to make sure the elk was not an escapee from a local owner.

If the results are negative the meat from the animal will be processed and donated to charitable organizations. Garner said their top concern,  “Is for the health of the state’s deer herd and for domestic livestock. Because once chronic wasting disease (CWD) or bovine tuberculosis (TB) is out there, there is no going back.  For the most part, there will be no happy ending to this situation.”

CWD is a neurological disease affecting cervids, primarily deer and elk. It is caused by an abnormal protein, called a prion that attacks the brains of infected animals, causing them to lose weight, display abnormal behavior and lose bodily functions. Signs include excessive salivation, thirst and urination, loss of appetite, progressive weight loss, listlessness and drooping ears and head.

When an elk sighting report comes in, the DNR works with IDALS to determine status of elk and the best available options. If the elk can be returned to the proper owners, then they are.  If not, they then pose a risk to spreading CWD and/or other diseases and are dispatched.  The elk are tested for CWD and if the tests are negative, the meat is donated to local needy families or a food bank.

Garner says “Having these escapees is more than a minor irritation.  The prion linked to CWD does not go away when the infected animal dies.  It stays active in the soil and contaminated soil can infect other animals. Like CWD, TB is extremely difficult to get rid of and could cost billions of dollars to the livestock industry.”

Garner said Iowa does not have the large land areas typically needed to support an elk herd.  Elk are two to three times the size of an Iowa white tail, averaging between 500 to 700 pounds.

The Atlantic vs. Saint Albert boys game that was postponed Saturday, December 3rd has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 19th. The game will be played at the Atlantic Middle School Gym. The JV boys will start at 6:00 PM, varsity to follow.

Cardinals Chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt, Jr.
“We are disappointed that we were unable to reach an agreement to keep
Albert Pujols in St. Louis.  Albert is a great champion and we will
always be thankful for his many achievements in a Cardinals uniform, as
well as his contributions to the St. Louis community.  I have the
highest regard for Albert both personally and professionally, and
appreciate his direct involvement in this process.  I would like our
fans to know that we tried our best to make Albert a lifetime Cardinal
but unfortunately we were unable to make it happen.”

Cardinals Sr. Vice President & General Manager John Mozeliak
“Albert has been a special player in this organization since the moment
he was drafted over 12 years ago.  His accomplishments on and off the
field have been spectacular.  I wish him well in the next phase of his
career.”

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota State women’s basketball coach Carolyn DeHoff says no one was hurt when the team’s bus collided with a vehicle in Des Moines.  DeHoff tells The Forum newspaper  that the right front tire on the bus struck a car carrying two women Wednesday night near the team’s hotel. DeHoff says she called 911 and emergency officials responded within minutes. She says everyone involved is fine.The Bison play Drake tonight (Thursday).

The All-Big 12 Conference football teams and individual award winners have been announced. Selections are made by the league’s 10 head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own players.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

All Big 12 Honorable Mention

Iowa State- Jared Barnett (off FoY), Jake Lattimer (DL), Kirby Van Der Kamp (P), James White (RB)

w/ Jim Field

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Albert Pujols will sign with the Angels for ten years and $250-260MM, tweets Yahoo’s Tim Brown.  He’ll receive a full no-trade clause.  Pujols decided this morning, writes Brown.  Pujols is represented by Dan Lozano of Icon Sports Group.

Pujols, 32 in January, was drafted by the Cardinals in 1999 in the 13th round and began his career with a staggering 11-year stretch.  The first baseman is the active career leader in batting average (.328) and slugging percentage (.617), he’s second among active players in career on-base percentage (.421).  Pujols owns a Rookie of the Year award and three MVP awards, and has ranked no worse than ninth in the MVP voting in every season of his career.  He’s been extremely durable, averaging 155 games per season.  The Cardinals signed Pujols to a long-term deal in 2004, which ended up being a huge bargain at $111MM over eight years.  Pujols and the Cardinals failed to find common ground on an extension in February this year, but the contract didn’t seem a distraction as the team ended up winning the World Series.

The suddenly free-spending Marlins made a competitive bid for Pujols this offseason, offering a ten-year deal.  They seemingly dropped out after signing Mark Buehrle, and up until Thursday morning, the Cardinals were considered the favorite.  It’s not much of a consolation prize, but the Cardinals will receive the Angels’ #19 pick in the 2012 draft as well as a supplemental choice.

With Kendrys Morales and Mark Trumbo, the Angels now have a couple of first base trade chips.  Morales could be non-tendered next week.

AMES, Iowa – Senior Lauren Mansfield scored a season-high 15 points, nine of which were from three-point land in Iowa State’s 62-54 victory over Iowa Wednesday. Four Cyclones scored in double figures for the second time this season in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series rivalry. Iowa State improves to 5-2, while Iowa falls to 5-4 overall this season.

Mansfield caused a momentum shift in the first half after drawing a charge with just 52 seconds remaining, which ignited the Cyclone crowd and her teammates. Iowa State went on to force a Hawkeye turnover and responded with a trey by Cyclone guard Nikki Moody four seconds before halftime. Moody’s three-pointer brought the Cyclones within three, but it was forward Hallie Christofferson’s basket with just a half second to play that put the Cyclones down by just one point heading into the locker room. Christofferson went up strong after receiving a pass from Moody on an inbounds play and converted from the charity stripe after drawing the foul.

Freshmen Brynn Williamson and Moody each contributed solid performances for the Cyclones. Moody finished with 13 points and was six-for-six from the free throw line. The Euless, Texas native converted on four crucial free throws in the final two minutes of the game as the Hawkeyes pushed for a comeback. Williamson posted 11 points for Iowa State and finished three-for-six from three-point range.

As a team, the Cyclones improved dramatically from the first half to second in three-point field goal percentage. Iowa State shot 41.7 percent from beyond the arc in the second period compared to just 18.2 percent in the first.

Iowa State forced 22 Hawkeye turnovers, the second-most Iowa has committed this season.

Despite an early exit from the game due to a knee injury, which isn’t considered to be serious, with three minutes remaining, Poppens scored 10 points, grabbed nine rebounds and drew three charges for the Cyclones. In the first half alone, the Cyclone forward posted six points and five rebounds. This is the fifth game Poppens has scored 10 points or more.

Iowa was led by center Morgan Johnson’s 16 points. Johnson converted on five of 10 from the free throw line and grabbed seven boards for the Hawkeyes. Melissa Dixon chipped in 11 points for Iowa and two buckets from beyond the arc.

With the win, Iowa State leads the 2011-12 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series by a score of 11-4.