(Radio Iowa) — Training facilities and football offices may be shut down at Iowa State and Iowa but the recruiting season is in full swing. Both the Cyclones and Hawkeyes have reeled in several commitments from players entering their senior season of high school.

That’s ISU coach Matt Campbell who says they had many of the prospects on campus before the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down.

While many schools are offering virtual tours of campus Campbell says they have been focused on answering questions.

Not having recruits on campus this spring has had little impact on an Iowa class that has featured several high profile commitments in recent days.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says most of the recruiting is done via the phone.

GREENLEE, STANLEY NAMED IOWA’S BIG TEN MEDAL OF HONOR WINNERS

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa seniors Hannah Greenlee (rowing) and Nate Stanley (football) were named Iowa’s Big Ten Medal of Honor winners for 2019-20 as announced by the UI Department of Athletics.

The Big Ten Medal of Honor is the conference’s most exclusive award, and the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. The Big Ten Medal of Honor was first awarded in 1915 to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who had “attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work.”

Greenlee is a four-year member of the Iowa rowing team, helping elevate the program to new heights during her tenure. In Iowa’s most recent season, the 2018-19 season, Greenlee, an Ames, Iowa, native competed in all five spring competitions helping the I Varsity 8 to a second consecutive bronze medal at the Big Ten Championships. History was made at the 2019 NCAA Championships when Greenlee’s I Varsity 8 placed ninth overall for the best individual boat finish in program history. During Greenlee’s time, the Hawkeyes have been nationally ranked in 30 straight weeks, while she has twice garnered Academic All-Big Ten honors.

Stanley, who is a native of Menomonie, Wisconsin, was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the recently completed 2020 NFL Draft. He started all 13 games in 2019, passing for 2,951 yards and 16 touchdowns, and all 39 games the past three seasons. Iowa posted a 27-12 record in Stanley’s three seasons as starting quarterback. He ranks second in career passing touchdowns (68), career passing yards (8,302), career completions (673), and career pass attempts (1,155), and ranks third in career total offense (8,198). Stanley is one of five quarterbacks in program history to start three bowl games in their careers, and the second to win all three.

The Hawkeyes averaged 28.4 points per game in Stanley’s 39 career starts. His streak of 39 consecutive starts at quarterback ranks second in school history to Chuck Long (47). Stanley is one of three players in program history to throw for 8,000 or more career yards (8,302). Stanley was one of 10 finalists – and the only Big Ten quarterback on the list – for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is presented annually to the top senior or fourth-year quarterback in the nation. Stanley earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2019. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors three straight years and earned the Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship Award for football as a senior. He was named a team Most Valuable Player in 2019 and a team captain. He is just the second player at Iowa to be named a permanent team captain three years (LB Josey Jewell).

(Radio Iowa) — Investigators are still trying to figure out who’s responsible for the death of a former University of Northern Iowa softball player one year after she was shot while driving on a Waterloo highway. Police say 25-year-old Micalla Rettinger of Cedar Falls was returning home from work on April 28, 2019, around 2:30 A-M, when a bullet shattered the driver’s side window of her jeep as it crossed the U-S Highway 218 bridge over the Cedar River near George Wyth State Park. The bullet struck Rettinger in the neck, killing her.

Micalla Rettinger

Major Joe Leibold of the Waterloo police department says a 58-thousand-dollar reward is still available for information that brings closure to the unsolved case. “It’s still very much an active investigation,” Leibold says. “We continue to work with our local, state and federal partners investigating this matter. We’re using every resource at our disposal.” Investigators say the same bullet that struck Rettinger also hit her boyfriend, who was a passenger in the front seat.

Adam Kimball was treated at a hospital and released. A second passenger and a dog — both in the back seat — weren’t injured. Anyone with information about the case should call Waterloo Police at 319-291-4340, Extension 7, or Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-855-300-TIPS (8477).

According to reports, Kansas City Chiefs Punter Dustin Colquitt has been released. The release of the longest tenured member of the Chiefs was first reported by NFL Network.

Colquitt posted a note to his Instagram account that seemed to confirm the move. He said in part, “I have enjoyed my time in Chiefs Kingdom, all things come to an end, sometimes sooner than you hoped … Holding this post for 15 years has been an honor that I never took for granted. Thank you KC.”

Colquitt’s last game as a Chief was the Super Bowl LIV victory over San Francisco. He joined the Chiefs as a 3rd round draft pick from Tennessee in 2005 and was a 2-time Pro Bowl selection over his 15 seasons.

The Chiefs would save $2 million against their salary cap by releasing Colquitt.

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

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(Radio Iowa) — Tristan Wirfs is anxious to get to Tampa Bay and begin workouts. The former Iowa star was taken by the Buccaneers with the 13th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. For now Wirfs will be limited to working out in the Iowa City area.

Wirfs has no idea when he will be able to head to Tampa.

Wirfs will join former Iowa teammate Anthony Nelson with the Bucs.

UNI sophomore guard AJ Green has declared eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft but will not hire an agent. The decision allows Green to get feedback from NBA teams while still allowing his likely return to UNI for his junior season.

Green led the MVC in scoring this past season with 19.7 points per game. He also led the league in free-throw percentage (91.7%) and three-pointers made (88). Green had 14 20-piont outings in 30 games this year.

Former Memphis point guard Tyler Harris has committed to continue his career at Iowa State.

Harris played two seasons at Memphis and would have to sit out a season before his final two years of eligibility.

He averaged 9 points per game this past season as a role player off the bench.

Nodaway Valley has hired a new softball and football coach. Activities director Michael Dale announced the hiring of Abbey Queck as head softball coach and Duane Matthess as head football coach.

Queck has worked as an assistant at Lenox and with the elite club team Iowa Premier. Queck is a native of Orient and graduate of Earlham. She played college ball at South Dakota State. She takes over for Carol Baudler.

Matthess comes to Nodaway Valley from Clarke where he spent the past three seasons as head coach. He played college football at Iowa Central Community College and also played in the Indoor Football League. Matthess takes over the job from Flynn Heald who moved on to take an assistant job at Des Moines Lincoln.