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A delegation from Iowa’s largest city is in Nebraska’s largest city today (Friday) for the N-C double-A men’s basketball tournament, but they’re not at the CenturyLink Center just to watch the games. Deb Ward, with the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau, says it’s a learning experience for everyone involved in putting on the Big Dance. “We’ve got a contingency from Des Moines coming in,” Ward says. “Des Moines is going to host this thing next year. They’ve never done that before so they’re sort of looking to Omaha for some expertice. Same thing with Wichita. We’ve had a contingency from Wichita. They’re hosting it in a couple of years.”
Omaha has hosted several big sporting events in recent years, including the U-S Olympic swimming trials in 2012. With huge crowds expected this weekend, Ward says it’s an opportunity for the Omaha-Council Bluffs area to shine — and to enjoy an economic boost. “Back in 2012, we saw a 31% increase in hotel demand over the year prior,” Ward says. “I can imagine it’s going to be that and more.” Ward says most of the 93-hundred hotel rooms in Douglas County, Nebraska, are booked this weekend and those in surrounding areas are filling up. She says area businesses are preparing for large crowds.
“The beauty of this is, of course, there’s things to do between the games and there’s the Saturday off day when we’ll have a lot of visitors looking for things to do,” Ward says. “They’ll be out exploring the bars and restaurants and shops and attractions which is a bonus.” The Henry Doorly Zoo and the Durham Museum are expecting an increase in visitors, along with Omaha’s Old Market area, and the casinos on the Iowa side of the river.
(Radio Iowa)
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Ohio State carried the momentum of a strong start to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships into the evening session Thursday. Ohio State leads the team points with 23, followed by Iowa (21), Oklahoma State (19.5), Penn State (18.5), Missouri (18) and Nebraska (18).
The Buckeyes went 5-2 in the second round in front of 18,414 at Scottrade Center and 6-4 for the entire session. Logan Stieber led Ohio State, following a technical fall win in the first round with a pin of West Virginia’s Mike Morales in the second. Stieber is the No. 1 seed at 141 pounds.
At 165, Bo Jordan followed a pin-fall win in the first round with a hard fought 7-2 decision over Cornell’s Dylan Palacio. Nathan Tomasello was dominant at 125. Tomasello, the No. 4 seed, won both of his matches by pin and major decision, respectively.
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Jon Niese struck out six in four innings, and a New York Mets’ split squad defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2 Thursday. Niese allowed one run and three hits and walked none in his third and longest outing of spring training. Daniel Murphy singled and scored on John Mayberry’s single in the first inning, then left between innings with what the Mets said was right hamstring tightness.
David Wright and Lucas Duda also made the trip. Jaime Garcia struck out seven in four innings but also gave up four hits, including Wilmer Flores’ third-inning homer. Peter Bourjos broke a 1-for-24 spring training start with a solo homer in the eighth against Jon Velasquez.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Hawkeyes have never had a better chance to reach the Sweet 16 under coach Lisa Bluder than they do this weekend. Despite reaching the NCAA Tournament 12 times in 15 seasons under Bluder, Iowa has never broken through with a trip to the regional semifinals.
Iowa (24-7) is seeded third and will serve as the host school — in a gym it hasn’t lost in all season — for the opening two rounds of the Oklahoma City Region. The Hawkeyes open tournament play Friday when they face American (24-8). Miami (19-12) and Washington (23-9) will open the doubleheader.
You can hear the action beginning at 1:15-p.m. Friday, on KJAN.
SEATTLE (AP) — Now it’s Northern Iowa’s turn to carry the flag for the Missouri Valley Conference into the NCAA Tournament. After Wichita State and Creighton got the spotlight in recent seasons, it’s the fifth-seeded Panthers getting the attention this time around as they to face No. 12 Wyoming on Friday.
The Panthers (30-3) were the beneficiaries of all the attention focused on their Missouri Valley competitors in previous years. The Panthers were ranked as high as No. 10 in The Associated Press Top 25 this season because of their performance but also the high regard the Valley has earned.
Wyoming (25-9) needed to win the Mountain West Conference tourney to reach the NCAAs, but the Cowboys’ similarities to the Panthers led Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson to say he wished for a different style matchup in the opener.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — William Lee scored the last four points for 14th-seeded UAB, and the Blazers upset ninth-ranked Iowa State 60-59 on Thursday in their opening game in the NCAA Tournament.
The Blazers (20-15) came in with the youngest team in the NCAA Tournament and with nobody having played in this tournament before. They wound up winning the program’s first NCAA game since 2005 by notching the first big upset of this tournament.
The Cyclones (25-9) came in seeded third in the South Regional looking for a much longer run than a year ago when they reached the Sweet 16 without top scorer Georges Niang due to injury. But they just couldn’t match the scrappy Blazers on the boards in a second half where the Cyclones couldn’t hold onto a 55-51 lead with 3:13 left.
The Blazers, who outscored Iowa State 9-4 down the stretch, will play either SMU or UCLA on Saturday.
The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast, with Jim Field.
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The Iowa wrestling team will be chasing their first NCAA team championship since 2010 in St. Louis this weekend. The Hawkeyes have their entire 10-man lineup in the NCAA Wrestling Tournament, which begins Thursday morning and runs through Saturday. Iowa Coach Tom Brands believes his wrestlers are physically AND mentally prepared. “That’s the going to be the difference in close matches…is, really, how bad do you want it? That’s an old sports cliché,” Brands said. “But, how bad do you want it?”
Iowa has eight wrestlers that are seeded 9th or better at their weight classes. But, the Hawkeyes have NO competitors seeded first or second. Brands was asked what he’ll tell his team before they step on the mat. “The things that matter, matter. The things that don’t matter, don’t matter,” Brands said. “It’s like, control what you can control. If there is a hole you’ve dug yourself in, then get out of that hole as quick as possible, so that clock does not become a factor. That’s what ‘peaking’ is…so, we’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ve got the guys to do the work too, if they perform to their ability.”
Penn State has won the last four NCAA Wrestling Championships, but this year, the teams that are expected to battle for the title include the top five ranked teams: Missouri, Iowa, Cornell, Minnesota and Ohio State. The 8th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones have seven wrestlers in the tournament, while Northern Iowa has four.
(Radio Iowa)
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