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New Atlantic Head Boys Basketball Coach Derek Hall is really excited to take over the program. KJAN Sports caught up with Hall a day after the Atlantic School Board made his hire official and you can tell he’s fired up.

Hall became an All-State player at Denison High School and he credits his coach Don Lyons with much of the development of his love for the game.

Hall said he has developed some great relationships with families in the Atlantic community and he thinks being familiar with the kids as an assistant coach in numerous sports these past few years will help the transition tremendously. He expects the Trojans to put an exciting brand of basketball on the floor.

He said he has learned a ton about coaching from the rest of the Atlantic staff and getting some time on the sidelines as the freshman coach. He said he’s ready and excited for this next step.

The Atlantic Community School district announced on Thursday that the Trojan baseball and softball teams will get to debut their new facilities on Tuesday, June 15th. Both teams will be hosting St. Albert that night. Softball will play a Varsity double-header beginning at 5:30 p.m. Baseball will play JV and Varsity with JV starting at 5:30 p.m. followed by Varsity at 7:30 p.m.

Opening ceremonies will begin at 5:20 p.m. and admission will be $5. Joel Simms will be throwing out the first pitch for the Softball festivities.

Photo: Iowa Athletics

Atlantic alum Gratt Reed is an All-American. Gratt was part of the Iowa Track and Field 4x100M Relay team that just competed at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Iowa’s 4×100 relay of Jaylan McConico, Antonio Woodard, Gratt Reed and Austin Kresley earned second team All-America honors, placing fifth in their heat and 14th overall with a season’s best time of 39.48.

Iowa Head Track and Field Coach Joey Woody said, “We started the meet with the 4×1 relay running a season’s best and beating some very good teams to finish 14th in the country. That doesn’t score points, but it shows how close we are to making that final.”

Reed has had a phenomenal sophomore season with the program. He was runner-up in the 60-Meter Hurdles at the Big Ten Indoor Championships this year with a time of 7.81, 6th on the Hawkeye’s all-time list. Reed also recently earned Academic All-Big Ten Honors for the Spring, an accomplishment he has consistently reached since arriving on campus.

For the first time since 2004, the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s summer baseball championships will be conducted at two separate sites with Carroll’s Merchants Park and the University of Iowa’s Duane Banks Field serving as hosts.

The 2021 IHSAA State Baseball Tournament is scheduled for July 26-31, with Class 2A and Class 1A in Carroll from July 26-29, and Class 4A and Class 3A in Iowa City from July 28-31.

Next month’s schedules and sites were approved by the Board of Control on Thursday. The one-year plans are pending formal approval by the City of Carroll and the University of Iowa.

“The last 15 months have been filled with changes and constantly-evolving plans, and this tournament is no exception,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said. “We’re excited to have two high-quality hosts in Carroll and the University of Iowa where our student-athletes can make memories and compete for state championships.”

Principal Park in Des Moines served as the state tournament venue from 2005 through last summer.

Conflicting dates with new Minor League Baseball schedules as announced by Major League Baseball caused a change for 2021, and the IHSAA has not yet determined sites or details for baseball’s future state tournaments.

In previous years at Principal Park, nearby member schools served as standby sites in case of inclement weather or delay. The staggered 2021 tournament dates are currently intended to account for any delays at the primary sites.

“We greatly appreciate the work of the Iowa Cubs and Principal Park staff over the last 16 state tournaments, especially with last year’s health protocols and late adjustments,” IHSAA assistant director and baseball co-administrator Todd Tharp said.

Carroll first hosted the IHSAA’s Class A State Baseball Tournament in 1970, and again in 1973. The summer event returned in 1995 as the tournament transitioned to an eight-team format, with two of the four classes playing at Carroll Baseball Stadium. The stadium has over 1,200 permanent seats and was renovated in 2011 and renamed Merchants Park, which was its title prior to 1965.

Next month’s state tournament will feature Class 1A quarterfinals on July 26, Class 2A quarterfinals on July 27, semifinals for both classes on July 28, and finals on July 29.

The large-school classes will travel to the eastern side of the state as the tournament arrives in Iowa City for the first time. Duane Banks Field, the on-campus home of the Iowa Hawkeyes, seats 2,300 spectators at 100 percent capacity and was most recently renovated in 2015.

Class 3A will open play in Iowa City with quarterfinals on July 28, followed by Class 4A quarterfinals on July 29, semifinals on July 30, and title games scheduled for July 31.

Tickets will be sold digitally through the IHSAA Tickets page and will be $10 per two-game session at each site. Quarterfinal and semifinal dates will feature four games daily, with each session consisting of the two early games and the two later games. Tickets for all sites and sessions will be general admission.

Further site-specific details will be shared through the State Tournament Central page as they become available.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa Athletics Department announced Thursday the creation of a pilot program to expand beer and wine sales at athletic facilities.  Beginning this fall, beer and wine will be available for purchase throughout Kinnick Stadium, with the exception of areas immediately adjacent to the respective student section. Athletic events at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Duane Banks Field and Bob Pearl Field will also be included in the pilot program during the 2021-22 school year. 

“We have been working with our campus partners on this for some time now and we are committed to maintaining a safe and enjoyable game day environment. While there is an opportunity for increased revenue, this decision was based on enhancing the fan experience and providing an additional amenity to our fans,” said Gary Barta, Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair. “At the conclusion of the 2021-22 academic year, we will work with our campus partners to review this pilot program.”

Thirty percent of net alcohol sales will be directed towards research-based initiatives developed and supported by the UI Alcohol Harm Reduction Committee, formed in 2009 to decrease high-risk drinking and the related harmful consequences.

The athletics department will also modify its parking lot hours as part of the pilot program. In the past, UI controlled parking lots opened for tailgating at 6 a.m. on game day, regardless of kickoff time.  Beginning this fall, parking lots will open no more than six hours prior to kickoff and no earlier than 6 a.m. Parking on the night prior to football games will be limited to RVs only.  There are no changes in postgame policies.

“We recognize that the pregame atmosphere around Kinnick Stadium is a significant part of the fan experience,” said UI Interim President John Keller. “We are adopting policies that encourage Hawkeyes to enjoy game day traditions while reducing underage access to alcohol and the negative impacts of binge drinking.”

Data from the 2019 season indicates 92% of vehicles utilizing university controlled lots on game day enter within six hours prior to kickoff. 

Iowa joins seven other Big Ten schools who currently sell beer and/or wine in public areas at its home football games. Approximately half of the schools from the Power 5 conferences will sell beer and/or wine at their home football games this fall.

Fans continue to be encouraged to alert Iowa Athletics about inappropriate or unruly behavior by either calling or texting the UI Athletics Game Day Hotline (319-384-3000) and reporting your stadium location. Upon receipt of your message, an Event Services team member and/or law enforcement personnel will assist when necessary.

Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Bryant Rasmussen reports Atlantic Parks and Rec is partnering with Atlantic Jazzercise for “Jazzercise in the Park.”  Rasmussen says Tara Zelmer Beatty is offering the program at a discounted rate (Free for current Jazzercise members, or $10 for non-members), if people are wanting to try it out and see what they think.  He says also, “We are excited about the potential here of incorporating some movement activities in the beautiful space we have to offer at Sunnyside Park.”

The program will start at 8:30 am Saturday June 19th in the recreation area, the flat space next to the Park Office at 1200 Sunnyside Lane (essentially, in the Bocce Ball Court).  Bryant says “If you bring a friend, you could win some cool apparel.” If you have questions or if you are interested, you can contact Tara at (402) 680-6906 or email atlanticjazzercise@gmail.com

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(updated) Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber reported during a meeting of the School Board Wednesday evening, that work is on track for play to begin in the next five-days or so, at the renovated baseball-softball fields

That includes installation of padded backstops on both the baseball and softball fields. Those are currently are on back order out of New York. Barber said it’s not clear when they will arrive.

The Nodaway Valley School District confirmed at their Wednesday School Board meeting that Darrell Burmeister will return as the boys cross country coach this upcoming fall. The confirmation follows some miscommunication and a bit of controversy after Burmeister retired from teaching this spring. The board issued the following statement after the meeting:

Burmeister has led the cross country program to five state championships. Four of of those titles for the boys in 2002, 2015, 2016, and 2017 and one for the girls in 2009. Chase Green will now serve as the girls cross country coach. Burmeister had a legendary 600+ win career as the head boys basketball coach. He is stepping aside from that post and Jeremy Blake of Atlantic was recently hired to take over that program.