The Atlantic Trojans girls basketball team used an electric third quarter to spark a big comeback to win against the Southeast Valley Jaguars in the first round of regional play Saturday night 49-38.

The game started slow for Atlantic as Southeast Valley utilized Breck Mills perimeter shooting scoring eight points for her team but also drawing multiple fouls in the process. The Trojans had Paytn Harter respond with 6 points of her own to make it 17-7 with Southeast Valley leading after the first.

In the second quarter Atlantic continued to struggle with turnovers and Ryleigh Carlson suddenly found herself unable to miss from behind the arc. Draining three triples in the second and giving the Jaguars all of the momentum leading into halftime up 28-21.

When eight minutes were put on the clock in the third quarter, a different Atlantic team came out to play. The miscues with turnovers diminished and Southeast Valley suddenly found themselves unable to score. Makenna Schroeder and Paytn Harter had multiple baskets each. Continuing to swing momentum away from the Jaguars and ultimately winning the third quarter 17-6, putting Atlantic up 38-34.

When the fourth quarter arrived Southeast Valley Head Coach Kevin Mills had a tough decision to make. His leading scorer Breck Mills had four fouls and had the possibility of fouling out if he kept her in the game. Coach Mills decided to risk keeping her in, in hopes of her offensive production helping the Jaguars take the lead back. With 6:15 left to go in the fourth Mills fouled out and Southeast Valley wasn’t able to recover without her. The Jaguars continued to miss baskets and Atlantic turned up the pressure throughout the reminder of the fourth and walked away with a solid score of 49-38.

Going into halftime down by 7, Head Coach Dan Vargason reminded his team to be patient and to execute in the second half.

Up next for Atlantic they travel to Cherokee Washington to take on the Braves February 14th. To keep the game close Coach Vargason reiterated that if Atlantic fixes their mistakes against Southeast Valley, they can play tough.

Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.

LUBBOCK, Tx. – Two University of Iowa sprinters shattered school records at the Jarvis Scott Open on Friday evening.

Within a five-minute span, junior Lia Love and senior Kalen Walker set respective program bests in the semifinals of the 60-meter dash. Love, a native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, cruised to a 7.24 finish, placing third to qualify for the finals. Moments later, Walker bettered his school record from 6.58 to 6.52.

But before the ink dried on Walker’s all-time update, he sprinted 6.51 in the finals to set Iowa’s program record for the fifth time this season.

“I know these guys are fast,” Walker said. “I knew the track was fast, too, so I was especially amped for that. The training has been going well and I felt very prepared today. My confidence is where it needs to be. The first round was smooth, and I was looking forward to racing against some of those guys.”

“With Kalen, we knew it was there, it was just a matter of time,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “The execution was where it needed to be, but just as important was being side-by-side with great competition. He drove out well and had a tremendous start in the final. He is ready for championship season.”

“There is so much respect between us,” Walker added. I have known the guys from Texas Tech for a long time. It’s an area where I have grown. I have a lot more respect for my competitors because I know what it takes.”

The entire sprint squad performed at a high level. On the women’s side, sophomore Holly Duax joined Love in the finals and now owns the fourth-fastest time in program history (7.38). Sophomore Julia Pattison broke through and set a personal-best 7.65 in the first round of the 60-meter dash.

“For Lia to come back and set a school record in the preliminaries after the weekend she had in New Mexico shows where she is at,” Woody noted. “Holly was incredible today with her massive PR and climb up the record books on a big stage. We’ve never been to this facility before, and I am glad we have been going up against some strong competition.”

Senior Joe Stein and freshman Miles Granjean matched their respective career bests of 6.77 and 6.78 in the opening round of the 60-meter sprint.

The Hawkeyes’ hurdle unit continued to show why it is one of the strongest in the country with finals appearances from women’s school-record holder Paige Magee and men’s veterans GrantConway and Gratt Reed. Magee was the event champion, crossing the line in 8.03. Conway posted a lifetime best of 7.67 in the finals to move to third all-time at Iowa. Reed’s best time of the day was a 7.74 and he would ultimately place fifth.

The Hawkeyes mid-distance and jumps groups were in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Friday and were led by several 400-meter runners. Freshman Josh Pugh (46.92) and senior Connor Belken(46.98) notched personal records, while senior Nylah Perry led the women’s group with a new best 54.26.

In Chicago, sophomore Walker Whalen tossed a 19.30-meter (63’ 4”) career best in the men’s weight throw.

HEAR FROM DIRECTOR OF TRACK AND FIELD JOEY WOODY
“Our sprints program has demanded respect across the country. We own the longest running record in the NCAA with our 4×100 relay qualifying to the final round of Nationals. But a lot of people recognize that and how we develop our athletes to be competitive at this level. We have sent a big message this weekend. Our team is not going to be afraid. To do what we did today on the road shows where we are at and where we are headed. I am very excited about our team this weekend.”

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes continue competition Saturday at the Jarvis Scott Open, the Tyson Invitational, and the Windy City Invite.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The third-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team won two matches, but top-ranked Penn State claimed eight of 10 bouts to post a 29-6 dual victory on Friday night on Mediacom Mat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“We have to score more takedowns,” said head coach Tom Brands. “We have to get off the bottom at five weights. I don’t know how much riding time was combined, but it was a lot.”

Seventh-ranked Drake Ayala put together a 4-2 victory over No. 2 Braeden Davis at 125 to start the dual. Ayala recorded a first period takedown before Davis escaped to make it 3-1 after the first period. The wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third period as Ayala earned his ninth ranked win of the season.

Penn State took the lead at 133 when No. 6 Aaron Nagao used a pair of takedowns and third period nearfall points to major decision No. 20 Cullan Schriever. No. 1 Beau Bartlett followed with a 7-2 decision over No. 2 Real Woods at 141.

The Hawkeyes narrowed the gap with an 11-8 sudden victory win from No. 12 Caleb Rathjen over No. 10 Tyler Kasak at 149.  After Rathjen recorded the first two takedowns of the match, Kasak rallied back with a pair of third period takedowns to send the bout to overtime. With 1:10 remaining in the sudden victory period, Rathjen converted on a single leg to pick up his third ranked win of the season.

Penn State won the final match before intermission when No. 2 Levi Haines pieced together a major decision over No. 5 Jared Franek at 157. Haines used three takedowns to win 11-0 and bring the Nittany Lion lead to 11-6 at the break.

The Nittany Lions closed out the dual winning all five bouts following intermission. Seventh-ranked Mitchell Messenbrink won via a decision against No. 6 Michael Caliendo at 165.

No. 1 Carter Starocci won a 13-5 major decision over No. 7 Patrick Kennedy at 174. Starocci tallied four takedowns, two in the first and two in the second.

Penn State recorded another bonus point victory at 184 when No. 6 Bernie Truax recorded an, 8-0, major decision over Aiden Riggins and the Nittany Lions followed with a 5-1 victory by No. 1 Aaron Brooks over No. 11 Zach Glazier at 197. After a scoreless first period Brooks used a second period takedown to hand Glazier his first loss of the season.

No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet closed out the dual with a 9-1 victory over Ben Kueter at heavyweight.

“They have a high-powered team,” said Brands. “They score a lot of points, and you have to be ready, like, beyond ready. And if you just think you’re ready, and you think it’s normal, it’s not normal. It’s not a normal team, and that’s not me putting them on a pedestal. That’s not me conceding anything. We have to be better when we go out there. We have to be more ready when we go out there.”

Class 1A: Substate 1
Boyer Valley 78, Whiting 30

Class 1A: Substate 7
Lamoni 51, Melcher Dallas 41
Nodaway Valley 45, East Union 44

Class 1A: Substate 8
Essex 80, Hamburg 45
Woodward Academy 58, Paton-Churdan 43

Hawkeye Ten Conference:
Glenwood 61, Denison-Schleswig 49
Harlan 68, Creston 45
Atlantic 67 Lenox, 65 – OT (NC)
Sergeant Bluff-Luton 49, Lewis Central 34 (NC)

Raccoon River Conference:
Winterset 77, Ballard 64
Gilbert 78, Carlisle 42
ADM 58, Carroll 45
North Polk 64, Boone 41

Pride of Iowa Conference:
Albia 58, Southeast Warren 35 (NC)

West Central Conference:
Des Moines Christian 62, Indianola 54 (NC)

Atlantic has been chosen as host site for a Class 2A District Wrestling Tournament on Saturday. The first match starts at 10:00 a.m.

The 16 ranked Wrestlers competing Saturday according to IAwrestle:

106: Taye Jordan, Atlantic, #7, Quinn Arellano, Van Meter, #9
120: Christian Ahrens, Creston, #2
126: Aiden Smith, Atlantic, #2
132: Kolton Kellar, Knoxville, #12
144: Austin Evans, Creston, #5, Tucker Wheeler, PCM, #6
150: Hewitt Brinegar, PCM #11
157: Gavin Scheuermann, Greene County, #4
165: Brent Dennhardt, Greene County, #4 Brent Bollinger, Creston, #10
175: Daniel Gorskikh, Knoxville, #4
190: Kain Kilmer, Perry, #4
215: Keegan Snyder, Perry, #10
285: Max Chapman, Creston, #5, Evan Sorensen, Atlantic, #6

The Atlantic Trojans basketball team had the fight of their season at home and hung on to win in overtime against the Lenox Tigers 67-65 on Friday night. Friday’s first quarter could be described as a seesaw with Atlantic starting the game on a 6-1 run. Lenox responded with an 8-0 run to take the lead at 9-8 and Atlantic capped off the first quarter scoring six straight unanswered points to make a 16-11 lead.

In the second quarter Atlantic continued to feed the ball to Colton Rasmussen all around the basket who seemed to be unstoppable with 17 first half points. Lenox looked to Gabe Funk 11 first half points to be their response in the second quarter. The Trojans fed off of Rasmussen’s perimeter shooting and Gavin McLaren’s 8 first half points to go up 33-25.  During the third quarter Lenox’s main focus was to score quickly and force Atlantic turnovers. Their strategy worked as the Tigers won the third quarter 22-9 and had the lead at 47-42.

As soon as the fourth quarter started Colton Rasmussen took the ball and singlehandedly gave his team the lead by scoring eight straight points. Lenox had no answer and both teams exchanged trips to free throw line to send the game into overtime at 61-61.

Atlantic looked poised at the beginning of the extra period, especially when Nolan Waters knocked down a left wing three to give his team the lead and the first points in overtime at 64-61. Midway through overtime Brock Henderson was fouled while driving to the basket and had two crucial free throws to put his team back up 66-64. The Tigers then got the ball back with under 10 seconds to play down 66-65. Gabe Funk took the inbound, but the aggressive defense by Rasmussen was too much for Funk as he was pressed back behind the half court line and called for a back court violation. Rasmussen was then fouled on the ensuing inbound and he went 1 for 2 and helped Atlantic go up 67-65. The half court heave at the buzzer for Lenox missed and Atlantic survived overtime.

Atlantic Head Coach Dalton Franken was proud of the way his team fought back throughout the second half of the game.

Colton Rasmussen led the Trojans in scoring with 33, Gavin McLaren had 20, and Brock Henderson chipped in 7. Up next for Atlantic, the Trojans will be facing a familiar Hawkeye 10 foe the Harlan Cyclones. Coach Franken noted that Atlantic needs to be patient, in order to be successful against a talented Harlan squad.

The Tigers were led in scoring by Gabe Funk with 27 and 19 points from Carter Reed.

KJAN will have coverage of the Harlan at Atlantic game beginning with the pregame show at 7:20 p.m.

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – In its first matchup with a ranked opponent in 2024, Iowa State (1-1) fell to No. 11 Duke (1-1) by a score of 16-3 in five innings.

ISU had eight hits on the day, led by Tatum Johnson and Angelina Allen who each had a pair. Ashley Minor provided the Cyclone scores, as the sophomore belted a two-run blast in the second inning and had a near grand slam sacrifice fly the inning after.

Jaiden Ralston (0-1) got the start for the Cyclones, pitching an inning and two-thirds where she gave up four runs (two earned). Johnson would replace Ralston for a pair of outs before both freshmen, Aziza Rodriguez and Lauren Schurman, would see game action.

19 of Iowa State’s 25-man roster saw the field on Friday.

The Cyclones ran into a hot offense, as the Blue Devils scored their 16 runs on 16 hits, powered by a pair of homers – one being a grand slam. Cuke’s Claire Davidson had 6 RBI on the morning, going 3-of-4 at the plate. Eight different Blue Devils had hits and seven recorded RBI.

Dani Drogemuller (1-0) picked up the win for Duke.

Friday Notes

Home Runs

Iowa State: Ashley Minor (1)

Duke: Claire Davidson (1), Amiah Burgess (1)

WP – Dani Drogemuller (1-0): 2.1 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts

SV – N/A

LP – Jaiden Ralston (0-1): 1.2 IP, 4 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), 1 walk, 0 strikeouts

On Deck

Iowa State will be back at Nancy Almaraz Stadium tomorrow afternoon for a second straight top-15 matchup as it’s set to square off with No. 7 Washington. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the game will be streamed on FloSoftball.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa Soccer will face five spring opponents, including three Spring Cup games, Head Coach Dave DiIanni announced on Friday. The Hawkeyes will host two home matches with free admission in Iowa City.

The slate includes a diverse array of competition, opening with a friendly against the NWSL Chicago Red Stars. Iowa will also face at least two NCAA Tournament qualifiers and one SEC opponent.

Some event venues remain to be determined, pending weather.

Iowa visits the Chicago Red Stars on March 2 at 1:45 p.m. (CT) to open spring competition. The Red Stars begin the NWSL season two weeks later on March 16 in their first season under Head Coach Lorne Donaldson. The NWSL is the top professional women’s soccer league in the United States.

Iowa opens Spring Cup play at home on March 23 against Saint Louis. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. The Billikens advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 last season, winning the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship and finishing 19-3-2 overall.

The Spring Cup is a round-robin tournament that features 12 teams divided into four brackets. Each team plays two games within its group before moving on to the championship rounds. Iowa is in Group 3, along with Missouri and Saint Louis.

The Hawkeyes travel to face Missouri at 10 a.m. (CT) on April 7 to complete group play. Iowa closes out the tournament on April 13 in Indianapolis.

Iowa finishes the spring slate at home on April 20 against Milwaukee. The Panthers were Horizon League champions and NCAA Tournament qualifiers last season.

The full schedule and Spring Cup pairings can be viewed below.

Spring Schedule

*Spring Cup Game

SPRING CUP GROUPS

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa junior pitcher Brody Brecht was named to the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, it was announced Friday by USA Baseball.

Since 1978, the award has been given to the top amateur baseball player in the country. The preseason list includes 55 players across high school and college baseball.

Former Hawkeye Jake Adams was a semifinalist for the award in 2017. Tim Costo was a finalist in 1990.

Brecht was named a preseason first-team All-American by Perfect Game, D1Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association

Brecht posted a 3.74 ERA in 17 appearances as a sophomore. The Ankeny, Iowa, native allowed just 38 hits and 28 runs over 77 innings. He allowed just nine extra base hits and a .174 batting average against. Brecht led the nation with 4.32 hits allowed per nine innings and tallied 109 strikeouts, the second most in program history.

Brecht was named a third-team All-American by the NCBWA and Perfect Game last season and a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game in 2022.

Iowa will begin its season at the Swig & Swine College Classic in Charleston, South Carolina, from Feb. 15-17. The team will face Seton Hall in its season opener.

Winners of four of their last five games the 14th ranked Iowa State men return home on Saturday to host TCU. The Cyclones are 6-3 in the Big 12 and edged the Horned Frogs 73-72 in Fort Worth last month. The Cyclones forced 27 TCU turnovers in the first meeting.

That’s ISU coach T.J. Otzelberger. Cyclone guard Tamin Lipsey missed the first game against TCU with an injured shoulder.