IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa freshman punter Tory Taylor­ was named to the 2020 Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team, the FWAA announced Monday.

Taylor, a 23-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, is Iowa’s fourth FWAA freshman All-American in school history and the fifth Australian to earn FWAA freshman All-America honors.

Taylor became the first Hawkeye and first freshman to be named Punter of the Year in the Big Ten. He led all FBS freshman in punting average (44.1) and ranked 19th in the country.

The first-team All-Big Ten selection booted nine punts of 50 yards or longer, downed 18 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and had only one touchback in 40 attempts.

Iowa’s 42.9 net punting average was tops in the Big Ten and fourth in the nation. Opposing returners averaged only 4.7 yards on six punt returns and lost two fumbles while fielding punts.

Taylor was also named freshman All-America by 247Sports.com and second-team All-America by The Athletic.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who love to ice fish might consider adding a new piece of high-tech outerwear to their gear bag — what’s known as a float coat. Susan Stocker, the boating law administrator and education coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says float coats offer protection from hypothermia — and drowning. “It is U.S. Coast Guard approved and it’s actually a life jacket,” Stocker says. “What they’ve done is they’ve created the entire coat to be made up of floatation material.”

Donning a float coat is one more way to prevent a catastrophe, she says, if the worst should happen while you’re out on the ice. “They come in all shapes and sizes. They come in all colors so if you want to go duck hunting, they even have a camouflage one,” Stocker says. “It’s great for keeping a person warm and if, unfortunately, you find yourself in the water, it’s a way to protect yourself and-or save yourself.”

Besides providing an additional level of safety, she says having your coat serve as a floatation device also brings peace of mind. She reminds, no ice should ever be considered completely safe. “You want to make sure that you are going out and checking the local predictions for the area that you’re at,” Stocker says. “People also need to understand there’s been a lot of snow on top of the ice and that keeps it insulated and the thickness can vary.”

The DNR recommends a minimum of four inches of clear ice for fishing and at least five inches for snowmobiles and ATVs.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs forced the Cleveland Browns to punt in the waning minutes Sunday with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes out with a concussion. Then 35-year-old backup Chad Henne showed some moxie with a long third-down scramble and a fourth-down completion to Tyreek Hill with just over a minute left to give the Chiefs a first down and allowing them to run out the clock on a 22-17 victory in the divisional round of the playoffs. They advanced to their third straight AFC title game and will face the Buffalo Bills next Sunday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was knocked out of their 22-17 win over the Browns in the divisional round of the playoffs with a concussion Sunday. Mahomes tucked the ball on a quarterback option and tried to reach the first-down marker on third-and-1 near midfield when he was brought down hard by Browns linebacker Mack Wilson, who had managed to get ahold of him around his helmet. Mahomes was wobbly when he got up and had to be helped from the field. He was checked in the blue tent before jogging into the Kansas City locker room and was later ruled out for the game.

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Luka Garza had 17 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes, and No. 5 Iowa rolled to a 96-73 victory over Northwestern. Joe Wieskamp had 16 points and CJ Fredrick added 13 as the Hawkeyes won their fifth straight and improved to 12-2. Iowa and Michigan are tied for the Big Ten lead. Pete Nance had 16 points for Northwestern. The Wildcats have lost five in a row and are 6-6.

CHICAGO (AP) — Tate Hall had 13 points off the bench to lead Loyola of Chicago to an 88-46 win over Northern Iowa, the Ramblers’ eighth consecutive home victory. Braden Norris and Cameron Krutwig each had 11 points and four assists for Loyola of Chicago. Tom Welch had 10 points. After scoring a season-low 24 points in the first half, Northern Iowa was dominated 49-22 in the second. Noah Carter had 11 points for the Panthers.

UNDATED (AP) — Tom Brady will take on Aaron Rodgers in a matchup of quarterback legends in the NFC title game. The AFC championship could feature two of the top young QBs if Patrick Mahomes is healthy enough to start for Kansas City against Buffalo’s Josh Allen. An enticing final four in the NFL was set up when Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New Orleans Saints 30-20 after the Chiefs held on for a 22-17 win over Cleveland after Mahomes left with a concussion. Backup Chad Henne converted a fourth-and-1 pass to Tyreek Hill to seal the win for Kansas City after Mahomes had been knocked out.

UNDATED (AP) — No. 4 Texas’ scheduled basketball game at Iowa State on Wednesday night has been postponed. The Big 12 Conference said it will work with the schools to reschedule the game. Iowa State hasn’t played since falling to Texas Tech on Jan. 9.

Nebraska men’s basketball program will pause for at least seven more days after coach Fred Hoiberg and 11 other staffers or players tested positive for COVID-19. The Cornhuskers’ home game against Minnesota on Wednesday and game at Iowa next Sunday have been postponed. The schools will work with the Big Ten Conference to reschedule.

The Atlantic Coast Conference says Wednesday’s men’s basketball game between North Carolina State and No. 18 Virginia has been postponed. The league announced the postponement Sunday due to a positive COVID-19 test, quarantining and contact tracing within the Wolfpack program.

By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer
The AFC title game is returning to a familiar place in Kansas City. The question all week will be whether Patrick Mahomes will be able to play quarterback for the Chiefs. Backup Chad Henne converted a fourth-and-1 pass to Tyreek Hill to seal the game after Mahomes left with a concussion and the Chiefs beat the Cleveland Browns 22-17.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chad Henne celebrates after a run during the second half of an NFL divisional round football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Kansas City. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City is hosting its third straight AFC title game and can get back to the Super Bowl with a win next week against Buffalo. Green Bay will host either Tampa Bay or New Orleans in the NFC title game.

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Luka Garza had 17 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes, and No. 5 Iowa rolled to a 96-73 victory over Northwestern. Joe Wieskamp had 16 points and CJ Fredrick added 13 as the Hawkeyes won their fifth straight and improved to 12-2.

Iowa center Luka Garza (55) looks to pass against Northwestern forward Pete Nance, right, and center Ryan Young during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Evanston, Ill., Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Iowa and Michigan are tied for the Big Ten lead. Pete Nance had 16 points for Northwestern. The Wildcats have lost five in a row and are 6-6.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Ashley Joens scored 14 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter and Iowa State beat No. 6 Baylor 75-71. That ended ended the Lady Bears’ 61-game home court winning streak. Baylor played for the first time in two weeks because of a pause in the program after coach Kim Mulkey tested positive for COVID-19.

Iowa State players react to their win over Baylor after the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP)

The Lady Bears overcame an early 13-point deficit, but couldn’t avoid a second consecutive streak-snapping loss to the Cyclones. Iowa State’s 57-56 home win in the final game last season ended the Lady Bears’ 58-game conference winning streak.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Audubon 55, Exira-EHK 53 (Ethan Klocke hit game winning three at the buzzer for Audubon.)
CB Abraham Lincoln 76, Bishop Heelan 45
Southwest Valley 52, Wayne 33
Clarinda 62, Shenandoah 29
Earlham 68, Ogden 41
Panorama 62, Nodaway Valley 56
Nebraska City Lourdes 54, Sidney 42

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Denison-Schleswig 73, Atlantic 49 (ATL: Haley Rasmussen 15pts)
Exira-EHK 53, Audubon 44
St. Albert 66, Red Oak 24
Maryville, MO 94, Glenwood 75
Lewis Central 66, Creston 56
Westwood 54, Glidden-Ralston 36
Earlham 54, Ogden 42
Southwest Valley 37, Wayne 33
CB Abraham Lincoln 60, Bishop Heelan 39
Moravia 56, Orient-Macksburg 23
IKM-Manning 70, Tri-Center 45
AC/GC 59, Grand View Christian 30
Nodaway Valley 52, Panorama 39
Sergeant Bluff-Luton 53, CB Thomas Jefferson 15

Missouri Valley 63, AC/GC 11
Missouri Valley 67, Johnston JV 6
Missouri Valley  61, Audubon 16
Missouri Valley 73, Storm Lake 6
Missouri Valley 60, Kuemper Catholic 13
Kuemper Catholic 48, Storm Lake 30
Kuemper Catholic 54, Johnston JV 25
Kuemper Catholic 42, Audubon 36
Kuemper Catholic 45, AC/GC 22
Storm Lake 45, Johnston JV 31
Storm Lake 42, AC/GC 41
Storm Lake 51, Audubon 22
Johnston JV 48, Audubon 24
Audubon 36, AC/GC 36
AC/GC 35, Johnston JV 33